Ah, you're right, I was reading too much into your words. When you said

I made it clear from the beginning that the whole point of book three was that obsession and an inability to let go was doing nothing but causing Alexandra grief

I took that too far perhaps, and thought that Alexandra's efforts to bring Max back could never be successful and would never result in anything but causing her grief. But you're right, you've actually said something else. Hm hm hm.