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Available
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Publication
Baarn : De Kern (2011), Hardcover
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML:In "a wonderful, atmospheric mystery" featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson, six bodies of men killed during World War II turn up in Brighton�bringing with them a long-buried, nefarious secret (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Just back from maternity leave, forensic archeologist Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work when she is called in to investigate human bones that have surfaced on a remote Norfolk beach. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson, the married father of her daughter, does not help. The bones, six men with their arms bound, turn out to date back to World War II, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. As Ruth and Nelson investigate, Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret? "[A] page-turning mystery . . . it provides a wholly satisfying whodunit as well as a good reason to look up the other two [books in the series] . . . Griffiths's Galloway is a likable and alluring character."�Associated Press.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Chatterbox
The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths is the third mystery featuring Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist who works at a fictional university along the bleak coast of Norfolk, and I've devoured them all in the space of only about six weeks, leaving me waiting anxiously for #4 -- for another
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year?? Horrors... This mystery looks fairly straightforward -- six dead bodies are found buried in the shifting sands, and the forensic evidence appears to tie them to a mysterious incident during WW2. Then there are some modern deaths -- but who is the link? I find the character of Ruth -- smart, awkward and gawky, a new mother -- particularly appealing and well-crafted, as is her strained relationship with the (married) detective who is her daughter's father. There are few perfect characters in this series, but also few false notes in the writing or characterization. Highly recommended series, 4.2 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member mckait
This was another good Ruth Galloway mystery. This one has her doubting herself,
and with good reason. The doubts have nothing to do with her work, but more to do
with the love of her life. As usual, there is danger lurking just around the bend, but
once again, Ruth is saved in the nick of time.
where things are going to go in this series. I wonder if you would agree?
and with good reason. The doubts have nothing to do with her work, but more to do
with the love of her life. As usual, there is danger lurking just around the bend, but
once again, Ruth is saved in the nick of time.
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Good fun, and I have a feeling I know where things are going to go in this series. I wonder if you would agree?
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LibraryThing member bsquaredinoz
Ostensibly The House at Seas End is about the discovery of the bones of six people in an isolated cove on the Norfolk coast, just beneath the house of the local MP whose house is, literally, crumbling into the sea. The bones are old but not ancient, less than one one hundred years old on first
But for me the book is less about all this than it is about people. Funny, fearful, loving, sad, conflicted, imperfect ordinary, lovable people. Our heroine Ruth Galloway is a forensic archaeologist with the fictional North Norfolk University and is involved at the outset with the dating of and investigation into the discovery of the bones. This is her first big task, other than routine lecturing duties, since she came back to work from maternity leave and she is struggling with the demands of work and learning how to look after her new baby. Being Ruth she deals with it, at least in part, via an ever-present witty, self-deprecating internal monologue. Above this Ruth’s charm is her credibility: her conflicting hopes for her future and the haphazard way she deals with the strangeness her life throws up make her instinctively likable and someone who ‘the average person’ can identify with.
The hero of the novel, who is taking on an increasingly larger role as the series progresses, is DCI Harry Nelson, the main policeman who Ruth has worked with in all the investigations with which she has been involved. Harry is married to a glamorous hairdresser and in some ways has nothing in common with the overweight, unglamorous Ruth. However they share intellectual interests and they work together in a very complementary way. Harry is perhaps less likable for some, he is very sarcastic (which I happen to love) and his personal choices are not always to be admired but once again I think he’s a very realistic character and I enjoy him almost as much as Ruth.
Some of the minor characters in the series are taking shape nicely too, my favourite of these is the lab worker and practicing Pagan, Cathbad who seems to have appointed himself some kind of personal guardian for the Galloway family. He brings a hint of spirituality to the novel but he’s also quite practical at times and it’s rather delightful watching the relationship between him and Harry develop into something approaching friendship, regardless of how unlikely this might seem to both of them.
If you’re looking for complicated, extremely suspenseful crime fiction you’ll need to look elsewhere. The war-time mystery was pretty straight-forward, though unraveled well, and even the present-day intrigue was be fairly easily solved, though there was misdirection and we had a few tense moments worrying about key characters. The plot itself and the motivations are credible though, even if not terribly taxing for die-hard crime fiction fans. Griffiths has continued giving the books a sense of crime fiction history too, this time by incorporating a simple code to be broken in the form of a list of popular mystery novels (on a note of the “I think publishing might be in trouble” kind I can’t help but make a comment about the proofreading done here though, Omar Yuseff is the protagonist of The Fourth Assassin which was written by Matt Rees).
I read The House at Seas End in a single day, cobbling time from chores and family obligations, because I couldn’t not do so. I wanted to savour it slowly and eek out the experience of being surrounded by enjoyable, interesting people but in the end I could not stop until I got to the very end. I am a little sad that I’ll probably have to wait a whole year for another installment but I’m very happy that the book lived up to its predecessors and my own anticipation.
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inspection, and it transpires they are likely of German origin given the chemicals found within them. These facts fit in with the war-time history of the area. It soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want the secret of the bones revealed when a journalist who is investigating the find is found dead so official investigators have two mysteries to solve.But for me the book is less about all this than it is about people. Funny, fearful, loving, sad, conflicted, imperfect ordinary, lovable people. Our heroine Ruth Galloway is a forensic archaeologist with the fictional North Norfolk University and is involved at the outset with the dating of and investigation into the discovery of the bones. This is her first big task, other than routine lecturing duties, since she came back to work from maternity leave and she is struggling with the demands of work and learning how to look after her new baby. Being Ruth she deals with it, at least in part, via an ever-present witty, self-deprecating internal monologue. Above this Ruth’s charm is her credibility: her conflicting hopes for her future and the haphazard way she deals with the strangeness her life throws up make her instinctively likable and someone who ‘the average person’ can identify with.
The hero of the novel, who is taking on an increasingly larger role as the series progresses, is DCI Harry Nelson, the main policeman who Ruth has worked with in all the investigations with which she has been involved. Harry is married to a glamorous hairdresser and in some ways has nothing in common with the overweight, unglamorous Ruth. However they share intellectual interests and they work together in a very complementary way. Harry is perhaps less likable for some, he is very sarcastic (which I happen to love) and his personal choices are not always to be admired but once again I think he’s a very realistic character and I enjoy him almost as much as Ruth.
Some of the minor characters in the series are taking shape nicely too, my favourite of these is the lab worker and practicing Pagan, Cathbad who seems to have appointed himself some kind of personal guardian for the Galloway family. He brings a hint of spirituality to the novel but he’s also quite practical at times and it’s rather delightful watching the relationship between him and Harry develop into something approaching friendship, regardless of how unlikely this might seem to both of them.
If you’re looking for complicated, extremely suspenseful crime fiction you’ll need to look elsewhere. The war-time mystery was pretty straight-forward, though unraveled well, and even the present-day intrigue was be fairly easily solved, though there was misdirection and we had a few tense moments worrying about key characters. The plot itself and the motivations are credible though, even if not terribly taxing for die-hard crime fiction fans. Griffiths has continued giving the books a sense of crime fiction history too, this time by incorporating a simple code to be broken in the form of a list of popular mystery novels (on a note of the “I think publishing might be in trouble” kind I can’t help but make a comment about the proofreading done here though, Omar Yuseff is the protagonist of The Fourth Assassin which was written by Matt Rees).
I read The House at Seas End in a single day, cobbling time from chores and family obligations, because I couldn’t not do so. I wanted to savour it slowly and eek out the experience of being surrounded by enjoyable, interesting people but in the end I could not stop until I got to the very end. I am a little sad that I’ll probably have to wait a whole year for another installment but I’m very happy that the book lived up to its predecessors and my own anticipation.
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LibraryThing member nocto
I enjoyed this just as I did the first two books in the series. I've marked it down to 3 stars because Ruth gets put in ludicrous danger for the third book running. From here on out I will expect that to happen and go with the flow as I enjoy the rest of the story and the characters and think there
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is, on the whole, a good set up for a mystery series here. Show Less
LibraryThing member thornton37814
Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is finally back on the job after her maternity leave. A mass grave is found in a cove at Sea's End. The bodies appear to have been shot and appear to have been "fairly recent" (if one calls 70 years recent). Once again she is paired with DCI Harry Nelson (her
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child's father) as the situation is investigated. The archaeological murder case is interesting and leads to new murders tied to the old one. My one gripe with the book is the subplot involving religious differences that really does not have anything to do with the plot at hand and only makes the book less tolerable for persons who are put out by the author's attempt to throw her lack of belief in God and practice of paganism onto the reader. It seemed rather forced, reminding me of the complaints many readers make about Christian fiction's attempt to proselytize, except this time the author is trying to convert readers to paganism. Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
I was captured by Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series from the first book, The Crossing Places and the second - The Janus Stone.
So I settled in to read the third - The House at Sea's End - knowing before turning a page that I would enjoy it.
Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is ready to return
I have so enjoyed the character of Ruth. I think it's because she isn't a 'cookie-cutter' protagonist. She is a new, single mother at forty, she is overweight, messy, and doesn't overly worry about what people think. But she is highly intelligent, empathetic and tolerant. Griffiths has not endowed her with super sleuth abilities, rather she comes off as an actual person - unabashedly and happily herself. Her only worry is if she'll be a good mom.
Griffiths' plots are also very intelligent. I was able to solve the clues leading to one piece of the puzzle ahead of the characters, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. I always enjoy the setting in the books - the Norfolk area, while seemingly bleak is beautiful in Ruth's eyes. I used the map in the frontispiece to place where the action was happening. While I enjoy the mystery in Griffiths' books, it is the characters I come back for.
The father of Ruth's baby is DCI Harry Nelson, married father of two. Their (non) relationship, evolved over the course of the first two books, has resulted in baby Kate. Where will it go from here? I can't wait to see what happens next with their lives and the ending was perfect cliffhanger.
The supporting cast is wonderfully eclectic. Cathbad, the self proclaimed Druid is one of my favourites. He's quite enigmatic, showing up just when needed and seems to see and recognize things that others don't. I hope his interaction with a member of Nelson's staff is taken further. Archaeologist Trace is a character I can't quite nail down - it's nice not being able to second guess where the author is going to take her characters. I did find a 'visiting' character, a friend of Ruth's called Tatjana, to be a bit awkward. I understood her contribution to the story, but she never rang as true as the other players.
Griffiths has created an engaging series, one I am hooked on. I can't wait to read the fourth book - A Room Full of Bones.
So I settled in to read the third - The House at Sea's End - knowing before turning a page that I would enjoy it.
Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is ready to return
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to work from maternity leave. When a local research team discovers a skeleton during an erosion study in Norfolk, Ruth is called in. When they delve further into the little cave where the body seems to have been hidden, five more skeletons are discovered - all with their hands tied behind their backs. Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson is then called in. Further investigation reveals a wartime link that someone doesn't want uncovered.I have so enjoyed the character of Ruth. I think it's because she isn't a 'cookie-cutter' protagonist. She is a new, single mother at forty, she is overweight, messy, and doesn't overly worry about what people think. But she is highly intelligent, empathetic and tolerant. Griffiths has not endowed her with super sleuth abilities, rather she comes off as an actual person - unabashedly and happily herself. Her only worry is if she'll be a good mom.
Griffiths' plots are also very intelligent. I was able to solve the clues leading to one piece of the puzzle ahead of the characters, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. I always enjoy the setting in the books - the Norfolk area, while seemingly bleak is beautiful in Ruth's eyes. I used the map in the frontispiece to place where the action was happening. While I enjoy the mystery in Griffiths' books, it is the characters I come back for.
The father of Ruth's baby is DCI Harry Nelson, married father of two. Their (non) relationship, evolved over the course of the first two books, has resulted in baby Kate. Where will it go from here? I can't wait to see what happens next with their lives and the ending was perfect cliffhanger.
The supporting cast is wonderfully eclectic. Cathbad, the self proclaimed Druid is one of my favourites. He's quite enigmatic, showing up just when needed and seems to see and recognize things that others don't. I hope his interaction with a member of Nelson's staff is taken further. Archaeologist Trace is a character I can't quite nail down - it's nice not being able to second guess where the author is going to take her characters. I did find a 'visiting' character, a friend of Ruth's called Tatjana, to be a bit awkward. I understood her contribution to the story, but she never rang as true as the other players.
Griffiths has created an engaging series, one I am hooked on. I can't wait to read the fourth book - A Room Full of Bones.
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LibraryThing member cathyskye
First Line: The tide is out.
Forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway has just returned from maternity leave and is discovering how very difficult it is to juggle a newborn baby and the career that she loves. She is called in when a team surveying the effects of erosion on the Norfolk coast find
The bones date to World War II, and when Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson and his men begin asking questions, a Home Guard veteran reveals the existence of a secret that he and some other old soldiers have vowed to keep "to the death." It would appear that someone doesn't trust the old man because he is killed... and then a German journalist shows up and begins asking his own questions. Someone is insisting that these secrets be kept. With Ruth's help, Harry intends to find that person before anyone else can die.
Although this third book in the series stands on its own well, I would suggest beginning at the beginning because the relationships between the characters grow and develop throughout the books. In some ways this series bears a superficial resemblance to Julia Spencer-Fleming's which features the Reverend Clare Fergusson and Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne, and Griffiths' series is every bit as strong.
Griffiths uses the setting of the crumbling cliffs and shoreline of Norfolk, England, as well as the ages of those who are hiding secrets to add tension and a sense of urgency to the book. In fact, I was so focused on the secretive old men that I completely forgot about trying to deduce the identity of the person who wanted the secrets kept the most.
Although the plot line involving World War II is absorbing, the ever-evolving relationship between Ruth and Harry is just as important. I really enjoyed watching Ruth trying to adapt to being a mother and Harry becoming more and more focused on a fascinating woman whom, not so very long ago, he never would've looked at twice.
Emotions will be coming to a boil. Lines will be drawn. Sides will be taken. And DCI Harry Nelson will continue to need Dr. Ruth Galloway's expertise with bones. This series just keeps on getting better. I've barely finished this book, and I'm already craving the next!
Forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway has just returned from maternity leave and is discovering how very difficult it is to juggle a newborn baby and the career that she loves. She is called in when a team surveying the effects of erosion on the Norfolk coast find
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bones in a ravine along the shoreline.The bones date to World War II, and when Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson and his men begin asking questions, a Home Guard veteran reveals the existence of a secret that he and some other old soldiers have vowed to keep "to the death." It would appear that someone doesn't trust the old man because he is killed... and then a German journalist shows up and begins asking his own questions. Someone is insisting that these secrets be kept. With Ruth's help, Harry intends to find that person before anyone else can die.
Although this third book in the series stands on its own well, I would suggest beginning at the beginning because the relationships between the characters grow and develop throughout the books. In some ways this series bears a superficial resemblance to Julia Spencer-Fleming's which features the Reverend Clare Fergusson and Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne, and Griffiths' series is every bit as strong.
Griffiths uses the setting of the crumbling cliffs and shoreline of Norfolk, England, as well as the ages of those who are hiding secrets to add tension and a sense of urgency to the book. In fact, I was so focused on the secretive old men that I completely forgot about trying to deduce the identity of the person who wanted the secrets kept the most.
Although the plot line involving World War II is absorbing, the ever-evolving relationship between Ruth and Harry is just as important. I really enjoyed watching Ruth trying to adapt to being a mother and Harry becoming more and more focused on a fascinating woman whom, not so very long ago, he never would've looked at twice.
Emotions will be coming to a boil. Lines will be drawn. Sides will be taken. And DCI Harry Nelson will continue to need Dr. Ruth Galloway's expertise with bones. This series just keeps on getting better. I've barely finished this book, and I'm already craving the next!
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LibraryThing member smik
This is #3 in the Ruth Galloway series, and some threads of the story are continuous, so if you haven't read the first two then I really would recommend you don't start with this one. On the other hand, there is probably enough back story given so you won't feel you've missed out on too much.
There
"Coastal protection" is treated in two ways: what the Home Guard did during the war to protect citizens, as well as the rather inevitable coastal erosion by the sea. World War II is a long way in the past now and the last members of the Home Guard are in nursing homes. One of them just happens to be the grandfather of Harry Nelson's boss and at first it is assumed that he has simply died of old age. But Archie Wycliffe had something on his mind, a blood oath he took seventy years before, a ghastly secret he has kept all that time.
I thought the plot got a bit tangled in places, but nevertheless enjoyed it.
There
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are a few themes brought together in THE HOUSE AT SEA'S END: the idea that war crimes are committed on both sides of a conflict; coastal erosion that is quite a hot topic among conservationists (I saw a Time Team TV programme about it recently); and then the ongoing relationship between Ruth Galloway and Harry Nelson. Ten years earlier Ruth had been on a forensic expedition to Bosnia to track down war crime burials. "Coastal protection" is treated in two ways: what the Home Guard did during the war to protect citizens, as well as the rather inevitable coastal erosion by the sea. World War II is a long way in the past now and the last members of the Home Guard are in nursing homes. One of them just happens to be the grandfather of Harry Nelson's boss and at first it is assumed that he has simply died of old age. But Archie Wycliffe had something on his mind, a blood oath he took seventy years before, a ghastly secret he has kept all that time.
I thought the plot got a bit tangled in places, but nevertheless enjoyed it.
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LibraryThing member pennykaplan
Just back from maternity leave, single mother Ruth Galloway is having a hard time juggling the demands of work and her infant daughter. The discovery of an old grave brings back events leading up to WWII in Norfolk and involves her child's father DCI Harry Nelson (married). Interesting details of
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that time period and the human interactions make this a good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member devenish
Having read and enjoyed 'A Room Full Of Bones",the fourth Ruth Galloway mystery,I have now got hold of a copy of this the third one. In typical fashion I seem to be reading a series in reverse order.
In 'The House At Sea's End' an archaeological team have discovered a number of bodies uncovered by a
Ruth is called in and finds that the bodies have been shot and that their hands have been tied. It seems that the bodies could have been in place since the Second World War and this brings to the fore some memories best forgotten.
Another very readable story from Elly Griffiths.
In 'The House At Sea's End' an archaeological team have discovered a number of bodies uncovered by a
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rock-fall on the Norfolk coast.Ruth is called in and finds that the bodies have been shot and that their hands have been tied. It seems that the bodies could have been in place since the Second World War and this brings to the fore some memories best forgotten.
Another very readable story from Elly Griffiths.
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LibraryThing member alyson
I was more interested in the characters then the mystery.
LibraryThing member DowntownLibrarian
Well worth reading - a very good mystery that poses a lot of moral questions, as does Ruth Galloway's personal situation and that of several of her friends.
LibraryThing member Kathy89
This time bones are found that date back to WWII. While aiding the police investigation looking for relatives of the Home Guard, Ruth finds herself talking to townspeople while trying to juggle work, home life, Kate’s father, babysitting issues and the unexpected visit of an old friend after
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returning to work from maternity leave. Not quite as good as the first two in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member tututhefirst
Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway series has been compared to Kathy Reichs' books, although I like Ruth much better than Temperance Brennan. Ruth is middle-aged and overweight, an academic, a forensic archaeologist with a precocious one year old daughter (Kate) and no husband. The only reason she's
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excited to be involved with police work is her attraction to Kate's father Harry Nelson, who is married to a drop-dead gorgeous woman he's still in love with. The Norfolk England setting in the salt-marshes is fantastic, the range of characters from professors, to detectives, to druids, to English aristocracy, makes for a wonderful blend of motives, raising red-herrings galore as Ruth and Nelson try to ascertain the origin of six skeletons unearthed on a ragged cliff overlooking the sea. Were they German soldiers? Did they invade during World War II? How did they come to be buried in this spot? Great suspense, wonderful human interest, and you bet I'm looking forward to the next one because she has a 5th coming out later this year! Show Less
LibraryThing member aplaine
This is a series that should be read in order. Much of what I liked about this book was the ongoing story of the characters. The seacoast atmosphere is an important feature, as in the other books of this series.
LibraryThing member David-Z
rating 5 of 5 stars
adult-mystery, read, read-aloud
The House at Sea's End (Ruth Galloway #3) by Elly Griffiths is a fun, compelling read of an English mystery. I had not read the other two books in the series, but have gone back and read The Crossing Places, and plan on reading The Janus Stone. I
When six bodies are found buried at the foot of a cliff, forensic archaeologist Rurh Galloway is put on the case. DCI Nelson is investigating, which is a hindrance for Ruth, since Nelson is the un-named father of her young daughter Kate. After tests reveal the bodies to be German, information surfaces that this may be part of Project Lucifer, going back to World War II. Then elderly men involved in a "blood oath" begin to die....
T really enjoyed the writing, dialog, the Norfolk setting, the police and archaeology pieces, the historic World War II plot, and especially the many connections and relationships between various eclectic characters. Having gone back to read the first in this series, I would agree with other reviewers that Griffiths continues to grow as a writer in this story. I can't wait to read the second and the fourth books in this series. The last paragraph of [book: The House at Sea's End} has me hooked to read the fourth one. I highly recommend this series for its combination of procedural details of policework and archaeology, and the changing relationships of the characters.
For mystery fans, forensic archaeology, archaeology, detectives, murder, Norfolk, England, and fans of Ruth Galloway and Elly Griffiths.
adult-mystery, read, read-aloud
The House at Sea's End (Ruth Galloway #3) by Elly Griffiths is a fun, compelling read of an English mystery. I had not read the other two books in the series, but have gone back and read The Crossing Places, and plan on reading The Janus Stone. I
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read this aloud during a car trip and then finished it at home, and it was fun to read aloud.When six bodies are found buried at the foot of a cliff, forensic archaeologist Rurh Galloway is put on the case. DCI Nelson is investigating, which is a hindrance for Ruth, since Nelson is the un-named father of her young daughter Kate. After tests reveal the bodies to be German, information surfaces that this may be part of Project Lucifer, going back to World War II. Then elderly men involved in a "blood oath" begin to die....
T really enjoyed the writing, dialog, the Norfolk setting, the police and archaeology pieces, the historic World War II plot, and especially the many connections and relationships between various eclectic characters. Having gone back to read the first in this series, I would agree with other reviewers that Griffiths continues to grow as a writer in this story. I can't wait to read the second and the fourth books in this series. The last paragraph of [book: The House at Sea's End} has me hooked to read the fourth one. I highly recommend this series for its combination of procedural details of policework and archaeology, and the changing relationships of the characters.
For mystery fans, forensic archaeology, archaeology, detectives, murder, Norfolk, England, and fans of Ruth Galloway and Elly Griffiths.
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LibraryThing member KateBaxter
Third book in series. Contemporary. Atmospheric. Suspenseful.
(from book's dust jacket)
Just back from maternity leave, forensic archeologist Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work when she is called in to investigate human bones that have surfaced on a remote Norfolk beach. The
Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?
(from book's dust jacket)
Just back from maternity leave, forensic archeologist Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work when she is called in to investigate human bones that have surfaced on a remote Norfolk beach. The
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presence of DCI Harry Nelson, the married father of her daughter, does not help. The bones, six men with their arms bound, turn out date back to World War II, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland.Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?
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LibraryThing member ChristineEllei
Once again frumpy forensic anthropologist Ruth Galloway is called to an unusual case. Bones have been discovered wedged between the quickly eroding rocks of Norfolk Beach. Her investigation leads through some complicated WWII twists and turns ending at the most unlikely of suspects. Complicating
I look forward to the next book in the series because I am really curious to know what is going to happen with regards to Ruth, DCI Harry Nelson and Harry’s wife as Ruth’s daughter continues to grow and become part of everyday life in these books. Very enjoyable read.
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Ruth’s investigation is the fact that she is now a single mother. A friend from her distant past has shown up and is staying with her AND the wife of the married father of her child is taking a somewhat maternal interest in Ruth and her daughter.I look forward to the next book in the series because I am really curious to know what is going to happen with regards to Ruth, DCI Harry Nelson and Harry’s wife as Ruth’s daughter continues to grow and become part of everyday life in these books. Very enjoyable read.
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LibraryThing member KEFeeney
Pretty good murder mystery with a WWII twist, flawed characters, adultery, parenting dilemmas, and forensic archaeology. Third in a series but did not feel that I had to have read the first two to understand character relationships or plot.
LibraryThing member KEFeeney
Pretty good murder mystery with a WWII twist, flawed characters, adultery, parenting dilemmas, and forensic archaeology. Third in a series but did not feel that I had to have read the first two to understand character relationships or plot.
LibraryThing member KEFeeney
Pretty good murder mystery with a WWII twist, flawed characters, adultery, parenting dilemmas, and forensic archaeology. Third in a series but did not feel that I had to have read the first two to understand character relationships or plot.
LibraryThing member KEFeeney
Pretty good murder mystery with a WWII twist, flawed characters, adultery, parenting dilemmas, and forensic archaeology. Third in a series but did not feel that I had to have read the first two to understand character relationships or plot.
LibraryThing member Ameise1
This was a fast-paced gripping reading. This time Ruth Galloway isn't struggling with 'old bones' more with her role as a mother and going on with her work even when that means solving murder mysteries. Some bones from German soldiers (WWII) were found. DCI Nelson, his team and Ruth with her team
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have to dig deep into old cliques. Unfortunately, these researches sparked further murders and therefore died a witness after another. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
Note: Spoilers for Books One and Two of this series.
The third book in the Ruth Galloway Mystery Series begins ten months after the end of the second book, The Janus Stone. In the first two books, we met Ruth Galloway, an almost 40-year old overweight forensic archeologist at the (fictional)
As this book begins, Ruth has given birth to Kate, the daughter she had after a “one off” with Harry Nelson, and Kate is now four months old. Ruth doesn’t want anything from Nelson - she knows he is happily married to his beautiful wife Michelle, and also would never want to jeopardize his relationship with his two teenaged daughters, Laura, 19, and Rebecca, 17. So Ruth has gone back to work, but struggles like all single mothers with juggling work commitments and child care. No matter what she does, she feels guilt over it.
In this book, Ruth is called in to help after the bones of six bodies are found at (fictional) Broughton Sea’s End, during an archeological survey of cliff erosion. She quickly determines that the bones are between fifty and seventy years old, and belonged to young men of German origin. Moreover, the bodies were bound, back to back, and four of the six were shot “execution style” in the back of the neck.
At the same time, a German military historian comes to see Ruth. He has been contacted by a former member of the Broughton Sea’s End WWII Home Guard, Hugh Anselm. Mr. Anselm wanted to talk to him about something, but now Anselm is dead. Other former members of the Home Guard have also been dropping off.
Clearly someone is trying to protect the secret of what happened there, but what exactly did take place, and who would want to keep it hidden?
As Ruth and the Serious Crimes Unit get closer to the answer, Ruth’s life becomes endangered. But there is something more threatening on the horizon: the secret of Kate’s paternity might also be exposed.
Discussion: Ruth is a lovely character, all the more likable, to my mind, for being so far from the stereotypical thin, gorgeous protagonist. She continues to show her trademark self-deprecating humor about her weight. For example, she muses how she has gotten her figure back now after having the baby, and thinks it’s a shame: “she was rather hoping to get someone else’s.”
Ruth lives on the North Norfolk coast in an isolated cottage facing a saltmarsh. She loves it there, with the wide expanse of sky and the sound of the sea, but it is isolated, and most think it too desolate. In fact, after a night out with friends, when one cab driver tells her he would be frightened of ghosts living out there, she thinks about what really scares her, and it is not the saltmarsh:
“She isn’t scared of ghosts. She is scared of nightclubs, of having to enjoy herself, of something happening to Kate, of waking up one morning and realising that she is in love with Nelson.”
Evaluation: This is a very appealing series, with well-drawn fascinating characters. I also love that one comes away from the book learning something besides how to commit a murder.
The third book in the Ruth Galloway Mystery Series begins ten months after the end of the second book, The Janus Stone. In the first two books, we met Ruth Galloway, an almost 40-year old overweight forensic archeologist at the (fictional)
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University of North Norfolk, and Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson of the Norfolk Police. The two teamed up to solve several crimes since Ruth is an expert on bones, and now Ruth is seconded to the Serious Crime Unit, which is headed by Nelson.As this book begins, Ruth has given birth to Kate, the daughter she had after a “one off” with Harry Nelson, and Kate is now four months old. Ruth doesn’t want anything from Nelson - she knows he is happily married to his beautiful wife Michelle, and also would never want to jeopardize his relationship with his two teenaged daughters, Laura, 19, and Rebecca, 17. So Ruth has gone back to work, but struggles like all single mothers with juggling work commitments and child care. No matter what she does, she feels guilt over it.
In this book, Ruth is called in to help after the bones of six bodies are found at (fictional) Broughton Sea’s End, during an archeological survey of cliff erosion. She quickly determines that the bones are between fifty and seventy years old, and belonged to young men of German origin. Moreover, the bodies were bound, back to back, and four of the six were shot “execution style” in the back of the neck.
At the same time, a German military historian comes to see Ruth. He has been contacted by a former member of the Broughton Sea’s End WWII Home Guard, Hugh Anselm. Mr. Anselm wanted to talk to him about something, but now Anselm is dead. Other former members of the Home Guard have also been dropping off.
Clearly someone is trying to protect the secret of what happened there, but what exactly did take place, and who would want to keep it hidden?
As Ruth and the Serious Crimes Unit get closer to the answer, Ruth’s life becomes endangered. But there is something more threatening on the horizon: the secret of Kate’s paternity might also be exposed.
Discussion: Ruth is a lovely character, all the more likable, to my mind, for being so far from the stereotypical thin, gorgeous protagonist. She continues to show her trademark self-deprecating humor about her weight. For example, she muses how she has gotten her figure back now after having the baby, and thinks it’s a shame: “she was rather hoping to get someone else’s.”
Ruth lives on the North Norfolk coast in an isolated cottage facing a saltmarsh. She loves it there, with the wide expanse of sky and the sound of the sea, but it is isolated, and most think it too desolate. In fact, after a night out with friends, when one cab driver tells her he would be frightened of ghosts living out there, she thinks about what really scares her, and it is not the saltmarsh:
“She isn’t scared of ghosts. She is scared of nightclubs, of having to enjoy herself, of something happening to Kate, of waking up one morning and realising that she is in love with Nelson.”
Evaluation: This is a very appealing series, with well-drawn fascinating characters. I also love that one comes away from the book learning something besides how to commit a murder.
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LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway has just returned from maternity leave and is discovering how very difficult it is to juggle a newborn baby and the career that she loves. She is called in when a team surveying the effects of erosion on the Norfolk coast finds the bones of six people where
The author uses the setting of the crumbling cliffs and shoreline of Norfolk, England, as well as the ages of those who are hiding secrets to add tension to the book. The murders are integral to the plot, but the real pleasure comes from the larger challenges of Ruth, who continues to be drawn to these lonely coastal landscapes with their miles of sand, sea, and salt marshes. Nelson also struggles as he begins to use Ruth’s motherhood as a vehicle for his own brand of self-help, his sense of infallibility, and his overwhelming Catholic guilt.
While not my most favorite of the three books I've read in this series, I loved the atmospheric, faintly Gothic story and most of all, the very interesting secondary characters that are regulars. I'm definitely planning to read the entire series as soon as I get the opportunity.
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there had been a rock fall at Broughton Sea's End. These bones aren’t as ancient as those Ruth usually investigates and date back to about fifty or sixty years earlier. Chemical tests indicate they are of German origin and there are local stories about strange happenings concerning the Home Guard during the war. The captain of the Home Guard was Buster Hastings, the father of the current owner of Sea's End House, Jack Hastings. When Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson and his men begin asking questions, a Home Guard veteran reveals the existence of a secret that he and some other old soldiers have vowed to keep "to the death."The author uses the setting of the crumbling cliffs and shoreline of Norfolk, England, as well as the ages of those who are hiding secrets to add tension to the book. The murders are integral to the plot, but the real pleasure comes from the larger challenges of Ruth, who continues to be drawn to these lonely coastal landscapes with their miles of sand, sea, and salt marshes. Nelson also struggles as he begins to use Ruth’s motherhood as a vehicle for his own brand of self-help, his sense of infallibility, and his overwhelming Catholic guilt.
While not my most favorite of the three books I've read in this series, I loved the atmospheric, faintly Gothic story and most of all, the very interesting secondary characters that are regulars. I'm definitely planning to read the entire series as soon as I get the opportunity.
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Original publication date
2011-01-06
Other editions
The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths (Hardcover)
Springvloed / druk 1 by Elly Griffiths (Paperback)