There is already a neat trench in the narrow gap between the tall cliffs. Nelson looks at it with pleasure . . . Then he looks closer. The trench appears to be full of bones.
Elly Griffiths’s Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as “highly atmospheric” (New York Times Book Review) and “remarkable” (Richmond Times-Dispatch). Now the beloved forensic archeologist returns, called in to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach.
Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it difficult to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson—the married father of her daughter, Kate—does not help. The bones, skeletons of six men with their arms bound, turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, 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?
Praise for The House at Sea's End ""A wonderful
atmospheric mystery.""-
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Praise for The Ruth Galloway Mystery series: ""Elly Griffiths draws us all the way back to prehistoric times...Highly Atmospheric.""--
New York Times Book Review ""Griffiths’s third (
The Janus Stone, 2010, etc.)
offers not only an excellent mystery but a continuing exploration of the lives of complex...characters."" -Kirkus Reviews (starred) ""Expect to be swept away by Griffith’s third compelling forensic anthropology entry (after The Crossing Places and The Janus Stone). The author is a past Mary Higgins Clark Award winner, and her gothic, romantic-suspense workmanship is superb.""-Library Journal (starred)
""Solid characterization, believable forensic science, great atmosphere, and a mystery that stretches back decades all make this
another winner from the talented Griffith.""
-Booklist ""Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway stirs up fears and passions among the living even as she unearths Iron Age remains.
She’s an uncommon, down-to-earth heroine whose acute insight, wry humor, and depth of feeling make her a thoroughly engaging companion.""
–Erin Hart, Agatha and Anthony Award nominated author of HAUNTED GROUND and LAKE OF SORROWS ""Forensic archeologist and academic Ruth Galloway is a captivating amateur sleuth - an inspired creation. I identified with her insecurities and struggles, and cheered her on. The Saltmarsh where Ruth lives in isolation conjures a background of intense menace propelling this gripping story to a surprising and terrifying ending.
This is a book rich in plot, character and setting and heralds an exciting new voice on the crime scene.""-- Louise Penny