Book Review: The House at Sea’s End (Ruth Galloway #3) by Elly Griffiths

Title: The House at Sea’s End (Ruth Galloway #3)

Author: Elly Griffiths

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Age Group: Adult

Rating: 4,5 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Ruth Galloway has just returned from maternity leave and is struggling to juggle work and motherhood. When a team from the University of North Norfolk, investigating coastal erosion, finds six bodies buried at the foot of the cliff, she is immediately put on the case. DCI Nelson is investigating, but Ruth finds this more hindrance than help – Nelson is the father of her daughter, Kate. Still, she remains professional and concentrates on the case at hand. Forensic tests prove that the bodies are from Southern Europe, killed sixty years ago. Police Investigations unearth records of Project Lucifer, a wartime plan to stop a German invasion. A further discovery reveals that members of the Broughton Sea’s End Home Guard took a ‘blood oath’ to conceal some deadly wartime secret. The more information they uncover, the more elusive any explanation becomes. When a visiting German reporter is killed, Ruth and Nelson realise that someone is still alive who will kill to keep the secret of Broughton Sea’s End’s war years. Can they discover the truth in time to stop another murder?

I loved “The Crossing Places”, so naturally, when I stumbled upon “The House at Sea’s End“, I have to give it a shot. I wasn’t disappointed at all. While “The Crossing Places” intrigued me slightly more, Elly Griffiths delivers here again with strong, real characters, a gripping mystery, a fash of folklore and mythology, and a subtle romance that can’t be classified under one simple category.

When a team of archeologists discover six bodies at the foot of a cliff, Ruth Galloway is called to the scene to investigate, along with DCI Nelson, who is the father of her newborn daughter, Kate. Unfortunately though, Nelson is also still married to Michelle – which means he’s more of a nuisance to Ruth than anything else, because clearly she has feelings for him. Feelings he will probably never return…

As they investigate the mystery that has to do with the Germans invading Britain in World War II, two elderly men involved suddenly meet their end. At first, the police thinks it’s just an accident and coincedence, but that doesn’t last for long when they start connecting the dots.

While World War II history is, at least to me, nowhere near as intriguing as the ancient history handled in “The Crossing Places”, I still liked it. Ruth is an interesting main character, and for one weird reason. She’s a little dull, and nerdy. Kind of like Bonus, except maybe even more boring. But I like boring. Ordinary people don’t go around raiding tombs or having parties all night long when they have a newborn. Ruth is real. She’s a real person, with a real, sometimes dull, sometimes exciting life.

Another top character is of course, DCI Nelson. He’s completely unpredictable, and that’s what I love about him. He bounces from Michelle to Ruth and back, all the while not realizing what the heck he wants. And again – that’s real. Who would be able to decide between his wife (who he still loves) and the mother of his newborn daughter (who he kind of likes too) right away?

But what I love the most about this series, is how the romance very obviously takes the backseat for the story. The story is the meat, the romance just a side thought.

If you’re into mystery and suspense novels, Elly Griffith’s “Ruth Galloway” series should get a spot on your bookcase.