Review: The Last Remains: A Mystery by Emily Griffiths

  

It is Friday, June 11, 2021, as The Last Remains: A Mystery begins and Larry Bright is having fun. He likes wielding sledgehammers and knocking things down. Unfortunately, his fun is seconds away from being ruined as he will find a skeleton behind a wall.

He works for a construction outfit run by Edward Spens. This is not the first time one of his employees has found human remains so Spens knows to call Dr. Ruth Galloway and ask her to come look. He hopes she can easily resolve the situation. By now, he should know better.

She takes one look and knows this skeleton is not that old.  This is now a police problem. That means DCI Harry Nelson and his team will have to determine how to proceed. Of course, she will do the paperwork to be involved as they will most likely want her expertise.

In the meantime, Dr. Galloway has a far more personally urgent situation. The semester is ending, papers are being graded, graduation is cancelled again due to Covid, and her entire department may be shut down permanently. A university committee is considering it as her department may be “unprofitable” due to the loss of students from abroad due to the ongoing Covid problem. The Head of Archaeology at the University of North Norfolk could very much be out of a job despite her fame and the fact her department is well known around the world.

Her personal life is a mess as well. Things are not that simple now, if they ever were. Her daughter is growing up, Nelson’s marriage status is still a mess, Cathbad is not right and has not been since the Covid almost killed him, and other things are also in chaos. Teaching has always been her refuge, that and her house on the marsh, and teaching might be ending, at least for now. She is going to need a new income and that could mean having to move to a new job elsewhere.

Much is going on in The Last Remains: A Mystery by Emily Griffiths and I am just skimming the surface here. The title is also fittingly appropriate as well because this is the last book in the series-- at least for now.

It ends well despite scaring this reader a couple of times. This last book touches all the bases, brings back several folks, and reminds readers of various important events earlier in this complicated series. It is also a mighty good read and well worth your time.

 

My reading copy came by way of the Libby/OverDrive app which is still functioning, at least for now and picking up previously placed holds in the Dallas Library System, despite the ongoing City of Dallas ransomware attack.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023