The House at Sea's End (Ruth Galloway Mysteries)
This is the third in the quirky, compelling series starring British forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway, the first of which, The Crossing Places (2009), won the Mary Higgins Clark Award. A group of archaeologists are surveying northeast Norfolk beaches for evidence of coastal erosion. Incidentally, the team has discovered a Paleolithic ax, a Roman bracelet, and shipwrecks. At Broughton Sea’s End, they discover human remains in a gap in the cliff. The remains are a big find—six skeletons in all. Galloway is called in, along with Detective Chief Inspector Nelson, her married lover and the father of her newborn (things are complicated all around). The bones point back to WWII, the Home Guard, and a long-kept, incendiary secret. Moreover, the WWII vet who lets the police in on only the existence of the secret is found murdered. Solid characterization, believable forensic science, great atmosphere, and a mystery that stretches back decades all make this another winner from the talented Griffiths. --Connie Fletcher