The dry humour and intelligence of Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway mysteries, set in Norfolk, England, are fresh air in a genre dominated by surly male detectives and gun-totin' female PIs.
In the third novel in the Ruth Galloway series, shoreline erosion at the village of Broughton Sea's End has revealed the skeletons of six men, their arms bound. From the mineral content of their bones, forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway can tell that they were all Germans. Most likely, DCI Harry Nelson reckons, they were killed by the local Home Guard when they tried to land during the Second World War. This is just the first complication in a story brimming with surprise twists, not all of them stemming from these murders. Ruth is a new mum of a daughter she adores but whose existence is raising eyebrows and is testing Ruth's assumption that she can be a mum, a professional archaeologist, a teacher, and an adjunct to a murder investigation all at the same time.
The House at Sea's End is smart, witty, complex, intriguing, generous -- much like its protagonist.
In the third novel in the Ruth Galloway series, shoreline erosion at the village of Broughton Sea's End has revealed the skeletons of six men, their arms bound. From the mineral content of their bones, forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway can tell that they were all Germans. Most likely, DCI Harry Nelson reckons, they were killed by the local Home Guard when they tried to land during the Second World War. This is just the first complication in a story brimming with surprise twists, not all of them stemming from these murders. Ruth is a new mum of a daughter she adores but whose existence is raising eyebrows and is testing Ruth's assumption that she can be a mum, a professional archaeologist, a teacher, and an adjunct to a murder investigation all at the same time.
The House at Sea's End is smart, witty, complex, intriguing, generous -- much like its protagonist.
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Publisher:
Toronto : McClelland & Stewart, c2011
ISBN:
9780771036002
Branch Call Number:
MYS Grif
Characteristics:
356 p
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Add a CommentThese books are always slow to start. (There is something off about the narrator, who is very British and so feels distant and "unfeeling" to an American sensibility.) The characters are growing and becoming much more complex, and the next book will bring some major changes. A very good series that must be read in order.
I love the Dr. Ruth Galloway series. The characters are memorable and engaging plus the marshlands where she lives is a wonderful, different, backdrop.
I am now on Book 4, ("A Room Full of Bones") and it is as good as all the others. I haven't checked to see if there are more; but I'm hoping there are. If not, I truly hope that she continues with the series. Absolutely love these stories!
This is my new favourite mystery series! This is the third book in the Ruth Galloway series, featuring this clever archeologist who works with the local police solving crimes. Ruth is such an engaging character, you can identify with her so easily. Her relationship with co-worker Harry Nelson takes some interesting twists and turn. Start with the first book in the series, The Crossing Places, to really understand the characters. Looking forward to the next in the series.
Fascinating tale of WWII intrigue and modern day mysteries. Griffiths writes a good tale, have loved all her books.
Elly Griffiths is one of my new favorite authors.
Another great Dr. Ruth Galloway novel. Love the North English coast setting.
Another excellent Ruth Galloway mystery. The plot is gripping, but it is the characters that make this series so appealing. I can't wait to read the next one.
Another good mystery in the Ruth Galloway series. Ruth is called in when several bodies are found on the beach below a house that's falling into the sea due to erosion. Ruth is now trying to balance her job at UNN, helping the police with cases and being a single mom to baby Kate. Lots of fun investigation and encounters with her baby daddy, DCI Harry Nelson. When will the others, including Harry's wife, figure out who Kate's father is?
I love these books. They are very atmospheric, set on a coastal salt marsh with the sea as a constant presence. Even the minor characters are well-fleshed out and interesting to follow. Highly recommended.
Forensic archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway on the case of a World War II-era murder mystery.