Elly Griffiths’ 2011 mystery novel A Room Full of Bones, part of the Ruth Galloway series, features a plot involving Aboriginal skulls, drug smuggling, and the mystery of The Dreaming. Despite conducting extensive research on horse racing, archaeology, and museums, Griffiths did not mention consulting experts on First Nations people or Indigenous issues. The book included a reference to repatriating human remains, inspired by John Danalis’ book Riding the Black Cockatoo, which recounts the repatriation of an Indigenous skull. After criticism, Quercus Publishing, the book’s UK publisher, withdrew A Room Full of Bones from sale, apologizing for not conducting a sensitivity read.
