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A review by bhnmt61
The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
3.0
I almost hesitate to say what I think about this book because it’s going to make me sound like an uptight prude, but there’s no point in writing a review that doesn’t say what I think. One of the pivotal moments in this series happens in the first book when Ruth, a 30-something university professor of archeology, sleeps with DCI Harry Nelson, a married man and a career policeman. It seems to be a one-off, but since Ruth ends up pregnant and baby Kate is born not long before this novel opens, both the one night stand and the ongoing tensions between Nelson and Ruth are important to the series. And in fact, it was part of what made the second book and two-thirds of this book work so well.
But then toward the end of this book, the third in the series, they sleep together again, and instead of a forgivable single night of passion after a traumatic event, it looks like it’s going to be an ongoing affair. So I’m out. I’m just not interested in following a multi-book series where the main character wastes her affections on a man who is not going to return her interest or attention. Affairs make for interesting soap operas, I guess, but in real life, there’s always at least one person who is getting metaphorically (ok, and literally) screwed, and in this book, there are two—Nelson’s wife Michelle, and Ruth, who deserves better. No, thanks. Too bad, because I enjoy this series.
But then toward the end of this book, the third in the series, they sleep together again, and instead of a forgivable single night of passion after a traumatic event, it looks like it’s going to be an ongoing affair. So I’m out. I’m just not interested in following a multi-book series where the main character wastes her affections on a man who is not going to return her interest or attention. Affairs make for interesting soap operas, I guess, but in real life, there’s always at least one person who is getting metaphorically (ok, and literally) screwed, and in this book, there are two—Nelson’s wife Michelle, and Ruth, who deserves better. No, thanks. Too bad, because I enjoy this series.