Listen free for 30 days
The House at Sea's End
People who bought this also bought...
-
The Crossing Places
- By: Elly Griffiths
- Narrated by: Jane McDowell
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,729
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,555
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,550
When she's not digging up bones or other ancient objects, Ruth Galloway lectures at the University of North Norfolk. She lives happily alone in a remote place called Saltmarsh overlooking the North Sea and, for company; she has her cats Flint and Sparky, and Radio 4. When a child's bones are found in the marshes near an ancient site that Ruth worked on ten years earlier, Ruth is asked to date them.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping
- By Heli on 12-11-11
-
The Distant Echo
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Tom Cotcher
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,321
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,139
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,137
On a freezing morning four drunken students stumble upon the body of a woman in the snow. Rosie has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in a cemetery. The only suspects are the four young men now stained with her blood. Twenty-five years later the police mount a cold-case review of Rosie’s unsolved murder, and the four are still suspects. But when two of them die in suspicious circumstances, it seems that someone is pursuing their own brand of justice....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absorbing story with good characters
- By Janet on 07-03-17
-
The Blackhouse
- By: Peter May
- Narrated by: Peter Forbes
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
When a grisly murder occurs on the Isle of Lewis that bears similarities to a brutal killing on the mainland, Edinburgh detective Fin Macleod is dispatched to the Outer Hebrides to investigate, embarking at the same time on a voyage into his own troubled past. As Fin reconnects with the people and places of his tortured childhood, the beautiful island and its ancient customs once again begin to assert their grip on his psyche. Every step toward solving the case brings Fin closer to a confrontation with the dark events of the past that shaped - and nearly destroyed - his life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Most enjoyable
- By Maryb on 22-03-19
-
The Man with No Face
- By: Peter May
- Narrated by: Peter Forbes
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 586
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 541
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 538
Brussels, 1979. Jaded Edinburgh journalist Neil Bannerman arrives in the capital of European politics intent on digging up dirt. Yet it is danger he discovers when two British men are found murdered. One victim is a journalist, the other a Cabinet Minister: the double assassination witnessed by the former's autistic daughter. This girl recalls every detail about her father's killer - except for one.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Keeps you hanging right to the end
- By Miss B. March on 17-01-19
-
Black Heart
- Detective Dan Riley, Book 1
- By: Anna-Lou Weatherley
- Narrated by: James Lailey
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 678
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 624
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 622
When Nigel Baxter, a middle-aged married banker with an unremarkable past, is found dead in the bath of a plush hotel suite, his wrists slit, it looks as if he's taken his own life. At first. But when Detective Inspector Daniel Riley is assigned to the case, he soon realises all isn't as it first appears to be. When a postmortem shows Baxter was poisoned, Riley suspects foul play. And then there's the odd addition of a teddy bear left at the crime scene....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great story!
- By Ann D on 21-03-18
-
With Our Blessing
- An Inspector Tom Reynolds Mystery, Book 1
- By: Jo Spain
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 594
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 538
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 537
It's 1975. A baby, minutes old, is forcibly taken from its devastated mother. In 2010, the body of an elderly woman is found in a Dublin public park in the depths of winter. Detective Inspector Tom Reynolds is working the case. He's convinced the murder is linked to historical events that took place in the notorious Magdalene Laundries. Reynolds and his team follow the trail to an isolated convent in the Irish countryside. But once inside, it becomes disturbingly clear that the killer is amongst them....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping
- By DartmoorDiva on 04-11-17
-
The Crossing Places
- By: Elly Griffiths
- Narrated by: Jane McDowell
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,729
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,555
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,550
When she's not digging up bones or other ancient objects, Ruth Galloway lectures at the University of North Norfolk. She lives happily alone in a remote place called Saltmarsh overlooking the North Sea and, for company; she has her cats Flint and Sparky, and Radio 4. When a child's bones are found in the marshes near an ancient site that Ruth worked on ten years earlier, Ruth is asked to date them.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping
- By Heli on 12-11-11
-
The Distant Echo
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Tom Cotcher
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,321
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,139
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,137
On a freezing morning four drunken students stumble upon the body of a woman in the snow. Rosie has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in a cemetery. The only suspects are the four young men now stained with her blood. Twenty-five years later the police mount a cold-case review of Rosie’s unsolved murder, and the four are still suspects. But when two of them die in suspicious circumstances, it seems that someone is pursuing their own brand of justice....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absorbing story with good characters
- By Janet on 07-03-17
-
The Blackhouse
- By: Peter May
- Narrated by: Peter Forbes
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
When a grisly murder occurs on the Isle of Lewis that bears similarities to a brutal killing on the mainland, Edinburgh detective Fin Macleod is dispatched to the Outer Hebrides to investigate, embarking at the same time on a voyage into his own troubled past. As Fin reconnects with the people and places of his tortured childhood, the beautiful island and its ancient customs once again begin to assert their grip on his psyche. Every step toward solving the case brings Fin closer to a confrontation with the dark events of the past that shaped - and nearly destroyed - his life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Most enjoyable
- By Maryb on 22-03-19
-
The Man with No Face
- By: Peter May
- Narrated by: Peter Forbes
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 586
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 541
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 538
Brussels, 1979. Jaded Edinburgh journalist Neil Bannerman arrives in the capital of European politics intent on digging up dirt. Yet it is danger he discovers when two British men are found murdered. One victim is a journalist, the other a Cabinet Minister: the double assassination witnessed by the former's autistic daughter. This girl recalls every detail about her father's killer - except for one.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Keeps you hanging right to the end
- By Miss B. March on 17-01-19
-
Black Heart
- Detective Dan Riley, Book 1
- By: Anna-Lou Weatherley
- Narrated by: James Lailey
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 678
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 624
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 622
When Nigel Baxter, a middle-aged married banker with an unremarkable past, is found dead in the bath of a plush hotel suite, his wrists slit, it looks as if he's taken his own life. At first. But when Detective Inspector Daniel Riley is assigned to the case, he soon realises all isn't as it first appears to be. When a postmortem shows Baxter was poisoned, Riley suspects foul play. And then there's the odd addition of a teddy bear left at the crime scene....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great story!
- By Ann D on 21-03-18
-
With Our Blessing
- An Inspector Tom Reynolds Mystery, Book 1
- By: Jo Spain
- Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 594
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 538
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 537
It's 1975. A baby, minutes old, is forcibly taken from its devastated mother. In 2010, the body of an elderly woman is found in a Dublin public park in the depths of winter. Detective Inspector Tom Reynolds is working the case. He's convinced the murder is linked to historical events that took place in the notorious Magdalene Laundries. Reynolds and his team follow the trail to an isolated convent in the Irish countryside. But once inside, it becomes disturbingly clear that the killer is amongst them....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping
- By DartmoorDiva on 04-11-17
-
Murder in Belgravia
- By: Lynn Brittney
- Narrated by: Gabrielle Glaister
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 402
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 368
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 365
London, 1915. Just 10 months into the First World War, the city is flooded with women taking over the work vacated by men in the armed services. Chief Inspector Peter Beech, a young man invalided out of the war in one of the first battles, is faced with investigating the murder of an aristocrat, and the man's wife, a key witness and suspect, will speak only to a woman about the unpleasant details of the case.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Most enjoyable
- By Amazon Customer on 24-10-18
-
The Zig Zag Girl
- The Brighton Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Elly Griffiths
- Narrated by: Daniel Philpott
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 431
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 398
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 392
Brighton, 1950: When the body of a girl is found, cut into three, Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is reminded of a magic trick: the Zig Zag Girl. The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, is an old friend of Edgar's. They served together in the war as part of a shadowy unit called the Magic Men. Max is still on the circuit, touring seaside towns in the company of ventriloquists, sword-swallowers, and dancing girls.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Uninvolving mystery
- By Sally on 20-11-14
-
Good Girls Don't Die
- By: Isabelle Grey
- Narrated by: Melody Grove
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,047
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 957
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 949
Accused of grassing up a fellow officer and driven brutally out of home and job, DI Grace Fisher is thankful to survive some dark times and find haven with the Major Investigation Team in Essex. Any hopes of a quiet start to her new life are dashed by the discovery of the body of a female student, last seen at a popular bar in Colchester. Grace has her first case. When a second student, also out drinking, is murdered and left grotesquely posed, the case becomes headline news. Someone is leaking disturbing details to a tabloid crime reporter. Is it the killer? Or a detective close to the case?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Victoria Burton on 17-01-15
-
Take No Farewell
- By: Robert Goddard
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 19 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 498
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 460
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 459
Geoffrey Staddon turned his back on the best things in his life. He turned his back on the beautiful house Clouds Frome, his finest achievement as an architect. He turned his back on the woman he loved, Consuela Caswell, and who loved him in return. Twelve years later, amidst the tatters of his career and marriage, he is forced to contemplate the remorse and shame of his betrayal. But when he reads that Consuela has been charged with murder, he knows instinctively that she cannot be guilty....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Ultimate Robert Goddard
- By Pam on 31-01-18
-
The Memory Game
- By: Nicci French
- Narrated by: Harriet Walter
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 199
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 177
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 174
When a skeleton is unearthed in the Martellos' garden, Jane Martello is shocked to learn it's that of her childhood friend Natalie, who went missing 25 years ago. Encouraged by a therapist to recover lost memories, Jane hopes to find out what really took place when she was a child - and what happened to Natalie. But in learning the truth about her and Natalie's past, is Jane putting her own future at terrible risk?
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Hard to care by the end-usually love Nicci French
- By MarieLouise on 17-12-13
-
Cover Her Face
- By: P. D. James
- Narrated by: Daniel Weyman
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 262
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 239
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 238
An Adam Dalgliesh mystery. Cover Her Face is P. D. James' debut novel, the first Adam Dalgliesh mystery, and a thrilling work of crime fiction set in the English countryside, from the best-selling author of Death Comes to Pemberley and Children of Men. From P. D. James, one of the masters of British crime fiction, comes the debut novel that introduced Scotland Yard detective Adam Dalgliesh.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyed thoroughly!
- By Amy on 16-09-17
-
The Child
- An Audible Drama
- By: Sebastian Fitzek
- Narrated by: Rupert Penry-Jones, Jack Boulter, Emilia Fox, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,234
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,080
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,082
My name is Simon. I’m 10 years old. I’m a serial killer. Robert Stern (Rupert Penry-Jones), a successful defense attorney, doesn’t know what lies in store for him when he agrees to meet a new client in a derelict estate on the outskirts of Berlin. Stern is more than surprised, when his old love interest and professional nurse Carina (Emilia Fox) presents him a ten year old boy as his new client. Simon (Jack Boulter), a terminally ill child, who is convinced he has murdered many men in a previous life.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Chilling, Difficult in places, but damn good!
- By Simon on 07-06-15
-
The Stranger Diaries
- By: Elly Griffiths
- Narrated by: Anjana Vasan, Andrew Wincott, Esther Wane, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 695
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 646
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 643
Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. As a literature teacher specialising in the Gothic writer R. M. Holland, she teaches a short course on it every year. Then Clare's life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an R. M. Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer's works somehow hold the key to the case.s....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The stranger diaries
- By brenda peirce on 18-11-18
-
Body Double
- By: Tess Gerritsen
- Narrated by: Lorelei King
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 197
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 171
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 171
Returning home from a trip to Paris, Boston medical examiner Maura Isles confronts a nightmarish scene. Police cruisers line her street and slumped in a car at the end of Maura's driveway is a dead woman, her head bloodied by a gunshot wound. Cops and neighbors gape at her as she approaches. Only when Maura looks at the victim does she understand why everyone is so shocked by her arrival. The dead woman looks exactly like Maura. Within a week, the DNA lab delivers a stunning verdict.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pacy but a bit over the top
- By Kirstine on 15-02-15
-
Dead Beat
- PI Kate Brannigan, Book 1
- By: Val McDermid
- Narrated by: Chloe Massey
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 386
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 345
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 344
As a favour to her rock journalist boyfriend, private detective Kate Brannigan agrees to track down a missing songwriter, Moira Pollock - a search that takes her into some of the seediest parts of Leeds and Bradford. But little does she realise that finding Moira is only a prelude to murder. Juggling her other cases, including a search to uncover the source of counterfeit luxury goods, Brannigan finds herself for the first time on the trail of a killer.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Found Myself A New Heroine
- By EmGem22 on 05-06-19
-
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
- By: Natasha Pulley
- Narrated by: Thomas Judd
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,300
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,145
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,142
It's 1883. Thaniel Steepleton returns home to his tiny London apartment to find a gold pocket watch on his pillow. Six months later the mysterious timepiece saves his life, drawing him away from a blast that destroys Scotland Yard. At last he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori, a kind, lonely immigrant from Japan. Although Mori seems harmless, a chain of unexplainable events soon suggests he must be hiding something.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An enchanting read
- By anne on 15-08-15
-
Streets of Darkness
- Detective Harry Virdee, Book 1
- By: A. A. Dhand
- Narrated by: Muzz Khan
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 146
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 140
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 136
Luther meets The Wire. This is the first Detective Harry Virdee audiobook. The sky over Bradford is heavy with foreboding. It always is. But this morning it has reason to be - this morning a body has been found. And it's not just any body. Detective Harry Virdee should be at home with his wife. Impending fatherhood should be all he can think about, but he's been suspended from work just as the biggest case of the year lands on what would have been his desk.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Igniting a Flame in a Dark Place
- By Simon on 21-06-16
Summary
A team of archaeologists, investigating coastal erosion on the north Norfolk coast, unearth six bodies buried at the foot of a cliff. How long have they been there? What could have happened to them? Forensics expert Ruth Galloway and DCI Nelson are drawn together again to unravel the past. Tests reveal that the bodies have lain, preserved in the sand, for sixty years. The mystery of their deaths stretches back to the Second World War, a time when Great Britain was threatened by invasion. But someone wants the truth of the past to stay buried, and will go to any lengths to keep it that way... even murder.
More from the same
What members say
Average customer ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars617
-
4 Stars360
-
3 Stars152
-
2 Stars42
-
1 Stars23
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars601
-
4 Stars271
-
3 Stars89
-
2 Stars30
-
1 Stars17
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars517
-
4 Stars295
-
3 Stars141
-
2 Stars37
-
1 Stars16
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ann D
- Newcastle, England
- 05-03-16
My favourite out of the first three!
What did you like most about The House at Sea's End?
Ruth Galloway is a wonderful character (fiesty, feminist, athiest, fallible). In this third book, the tension between her and Nelson builds excellently, and I found the story more contemporary and easier to follow for that.
Have you listened to any of Jane McDowell’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Her narration is generally excellent, but in the first two books in the series, her voicing of Nelson was pretty bad - far to high in tone and a bit manic, not to mention a terrible attempt at the Lancashire accent. Due to this, I couldn't give her narration more than 4* for those books. Here, she has dramatically improved this. The Lancashire accent remains a bit dodgy, but her voicing of Nelson is now really good.
Any additional comments?
Looking forward to the next in the series. I'm off now to buy it!
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- EssexSue
- HOCKLEY, United Kingdom
- 06-01-12
Norfolk Gem!
Loved this book as it reminded me of the Norfolk coast and it seemed to have a lot of the locale where we lived in the book. Very good story and well read. I became immersed so deeply it was difficult to take breaks as I just wanted to continue on and on.
If you love a good murder mystery and are in or have lived/holidayed in Norfolk I'm sure you will love this book!
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- DrLMW
- 18-12-11
Gripping
This was my introduction to Ruth Galloway: I didn't realise this was the 3rd book in the series (1. Crossing Places 2. Janus Stone). However, that didn't matter because the story and characterization are complete: you don't need to have read the first two books to enjoy this one.
I liked the narrative pace, which allowed the complex psychology of the different characters time to unfold. I was also kept guessing about the identity of the murderer. I particularly liked the descriptions of the bleak Norfolk landscape.
Jane McDowell reads well, although her Norfolk accent lapses into a kind of generic Archers-countryfolk accent at times.
14 of 16 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- MTM
- 08-02-16
Very good read
Really enjoying this series of book great characters well written and believable storylines love the historical descriptions
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr. V. Saunders OBE
- Surrey, England
- 27-09-15
Ely Griffiths - brilliant as always!
This book is the third in the series. They need to be read in order. A brilliant book, fantastically researched and gripping stories. The narrator is excellent and I am definitely looking for the rest of the series. Skilful story with just enough characters, brought in well and plenty of suspense. Definitely did not guess the outcome. But DO read the books in series order to get the full story.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- VIVIEN
- 24-07-15
Very enjoyable
I enjoyed this story very much , and can't wait to see how the relationship between Ruth and Nelson pans out .
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Felicity
- 23-06-15
Narrator is the worst part
Good story, but bizarre accents during narration are off-putting! I would recommend the story though.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Julie
- Sydney, Australia
- 01-01-13
disappointment in a good series
I enjoyed Elly Griffiths' other books, the Janus Stone and the Crossing Places, but this was disappointing.
There is unnecessary repetitive background from book one used as a shortcut to establishing characters, and a crowded, poorly structured plot.
Don't start with this one, but don't miss the others either.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kirstine
- Midlothian
- 12-04-17
Beginning to be repetitive but still compelling
This is the third novel I’ve listened to in the series featuring forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway. I definitely benefitted from listening in chronological order as the relationships among the characters develop with time. As in earlier books the formula is a find of the bones of a body (or bodies in this case) from the past that then gets linked to a contemporary crime. The bones in this story are mid 20th Century. I enjoyed meeting familiar characters and hear what was happening in their lives coupled with an interesting historical story. The archeological parts are informative, however I was disappointed that yet another book in the series ends with Ruth’s life being in jeopardy. I appreciate that this is fiction but it has to be reasonably credible and so I find it ridiculous that a university lecturer consulted about the age of bones would invariably end up in fear of her life. The stories are good enough without the frantic endings. However, rather like The Archers the lives of the characters becomes addictive and I will continue with the series even though I suspect I’d be annoyed by the ending.
The narrator is excellent and can turn her voice to many accents.
10 of 13 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- HelenM
- 21-02-16
Yet another good story.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes absolutely, I would advise read the series from the beginning it adds a richness to the characters.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Sara
- 02-01-15
A Shaky Series Installment
Not sure what to think about this third book in Elly Griffiths' spooky mystery series set in wild coastal Norfolk. I loved the first two books and I save these titles in my library as treats to be enjoyed and looked forward to. I should have known something was up when several other reviewers queried--and I quote here--if Griffiths wasn't going barmy? I confess I had to look up the exact meaning of the term barmy. It may be apt.
The book was convoluted and rambling and at times beyond comprehension as it was so outside of what I would consider normal personal and even police behavior. In a way it was like listening to a family member--still half asleep retelling a long mixed up dream they had just had and wanted you to sort out for them. Some things just don't make any sense.
In addition, there are four or maybe even five major errors in the storyline. I can't elaborate here as I hate plot spoilers--but someone--author or an editor should have picked up these problems. I have read other reviews that found errors that I missed and I am not counting those in my list. This gives me further pause.
In the end the story works itself to a neat close but these characters are becoming not just flawed but frankly unlikable. On the whole the book was just too sloppy and careless for my taste. Proceed with caution is my best advice on this one.
33 of 37 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- CL
- 01-09-13
I love this series!
Would you consider the audio edition of The House at Sea's End to be better than the print version?
I don't understand the reasoning behind the several negative reviews of this book - I'm typically swayed in my purchase choices by user reviews but having enjoyed the other installments of this series so much, decided to ignore them and go for it anyway....I'm so glad I did! I enjoyed this book just as much as the others! It's a great listen!
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Paula
- 09-05-16
Just Okay -- Not Much More
In addition to some serious plot issues, another major criticism of this book is the narration. While some sections were narrated excellently and eloquently, it seemed to me that way too much emphasis was put on the first word(s) (usually a name) in every succeeding paragraph. These words/names were simply shouted and as such, broke into the pace and flow of the story. As for the story itself, there were just too many gaps for my liking -- I don't want to list them because it might spoil the story for others -- but things just didn't hang together and needed a good bit of backgrounding by the author. As a result, it was difficult to develop any empathy for the characters and in the end, it just didn't matter who survived and who didn't. Story 3 stars; narration 2!
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Robert J. Day
- 02-11-14
Accuracy
Would you consider the audio edition of The House at Sea's End to be better than the print version?
In the books the detectives are reviewing a list of books in chapter 16. the hounds of the Baskerville (sp) as written by " Sherlock Holmes" It was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
What did you like best about this story?
The story and English characters.
What does Jane McDowell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The dialogue and English characters. It is like listening to the radio of my youth.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Not extreme just comfortable.
Any additional comments?
I write this review to note the accuracy of that one instance and wonder if it was an author's mistake or the narrator's mistake.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Laurie
- 08-08-18
Perhaps I missed the clues
I appreciate the author providing clues to the murderer throughout the book. It gives me a chance to try to figure out the reason for the crime and the person who committed it. I don’t remember any such clues. Perhaps I just missed them.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- joanne
- 26-06-18
Disappointed
I read a previous review that likened this novel to a dream, where the story line chops & changes with inexplicable gaps. Unfortunately I have to agree.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous two novels, and while there is some further character development in this 3rd instalment,the plot is very haphazard & difficult to follow. I will continue with the 4th novel & hope Elly Griffiths has her mojo back.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- annette
- 27-02-18
Third one’s unlucky
I’ve really enjoyed the first two Ruth Galloway books. This one, less. The wheels fell off the bus about 3/4 way in, when it seemed like a game of Russian roulette- ‘anyone and everyone might be the criminal!!’ And our constantly sensible Dr. Galloway lost her mind in unbelievable emotion which wasn’t assisted by the narration - squealing through an anxious bit - to the point of distraction. I had to turn it off until I found my courage back (and wanted to continue the story). Really disappointing. I’ll stop with the series now.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer Shaw
- 23-02-17
not the best but still enjoyable
last time I checked hound of the Baskerville's was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...not Sherlock Holmes as stated in the story several times. how can you make such a blaring mistake?
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- S. Davis
- 17-03-15
Great book.
I really enjoyed this book. Great storyline and lots of action. I am looking forward to reading the remainder of the books in this series.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Sires
- 03-07-11
4 Star Narration, Story Not Up to Par
Jane McDowell who did the excellent narration of the two prior books in this series again does a great job with this third in the series. No complaints about the production.
Ruth's determination to raise her daughter without assistance from the father however is daft. Ruth discovers the problems with dealing with the practicality of child rearing as a single mother while the father clearly wishes to be involved both personally and financially with his daughter. Due to the determination that the relationship must be kept secret things get more and more confused.
Meanwhile in addition to the usual cast of characters, a friend of Ruth's from a prior stint in Bosnia shows up. A woman whose son, husband and parents were killed in the conflict there. Then there are people whose parents and grandparents were involved with WWII and a secret that it seems someone is willing to go to extremes to protect.
Ruth really doesn't have any serious problems with being a single mother as her friends rally around to provide assistance and support. Meanwhile bodies pile up but Ruth doesn't have that much detecting to do. I'm not sure where the author is going with this series, but I am not looking forward to forensic anthropology with a toddler. Unfortunately, at the end of the book I felt that things in the personal story arc were unresolved and I'm not sure I'm really interested in the resolution. Let's have some more archaeology please..
14 of 21 people found this review helpful