The House at Sea's End

The House at Sea's End

Elly Griffiths

To be up front about this book is to state that I did not like it as much as the previous two. Not to say that it is a bad story, but I think I had my hopes up as to what it would be and didn’t take the time to realize that Elly Griffiths would be growing her characters and therefore the plotline was not going to be the main focus of this book.

The story of six unearthed bodies due to the erosion of a cliff is what draws Dr. Ruth Galloway away from the recent birth of her daughter and once again into the demanding job of a forensic archaeologist. Not that she is truly complaining since motherhood is much more difficult then she had imagined and she is convinced that her newborn daughter does not like her very much.

Back with a team of students and professionals, Ruth with DCI Nelson, are drawn to a case where the bones that have turned up are traced back to the war years and the Broughton Sea’s End Home Guard that once patrolled the coastline of Norfolk in search of German invaders. What was Operation Lucifer and what exactly did it have to do with the bones that have been discovered.

As I said before, to me, this book was less about moving the archaeological plot forward, but in bringing more flesh to the steady cast of characters that inhabit Ms Griffiths’ books. Discovering secrets and sustaining lies is what keeps this book moving forward. Each character has a story to tell so the reader must pay attention and not discount even the minor statements or characters. This is a book about diversion. Who’s secrets will be kept and at what cost?

I do suggest that you pick up the first book in this series The Crossing Places so you can get to know Ruth, Nelson, Cathbad and the cast of characters that make this series so enjoyable from the beginning and draw your own conclusion as to the direction that this series is taking.