Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel
    Unavailable
    This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel
    Unavailable
    This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel
    Audiobook26 hours

    This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel

    Written by Elizabeth George

    Narrated by John Lee

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Read the ebook instead

    About this audiobook

    Elizabeth George's masterly new novel brings Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley back onto centre stage in an intricate crime drama.

    While DI Thomas Lynley is still on compassionate leave after the murder of his wife, Isabelle Ardery is brought into the Met as his temporary replacement. The discovery of a body in a Stoke Newington cemetery offers Isabelle the chance to make her mark with a high profile murder investigation. Persuading Lynley back to work seems the best way to guarantee a result: Lynley's team is fiercely loyal to him and Isabelle needs them — and especially Barbara Havers — on side.

    The Met is twitchy: a series of PR disasters has undermined its confidence. Isabelle knows that she'll be operating under the unforgiving scrutiny of the media, so is quick — perhaps too quick — to pin the murder on a convenient suspect. The murder trail leads Lynley and Havers to the New Forest, and the eventual resolution of the case. Its roots are in a long-ago act of violence that has poisoned subsequent generations and its outcome is both tragic and shocking.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette UK Audio
    Release dateDec 8, 2011
    ISBN9781444741612
    Author

    Elizabeth George

    Elizabeth George is the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels of psychological suspense, one book of nonfiction, and two short story collections. Her work has been honored with the Anthony and Agatha awards, the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, and the MIMI, Germany's prestigious prize for suspense fiction. She lives in Washington State.

    More audiobooks from Elizabeth George

    Related to This Body of Death

    Related audiobooks

    Crime Thriller For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Saboteur Of Auschwitz

      Sep 12, 2019

      Author Colin Rushton Publisher Summersdale Publishers Price £8.99 Released Out now When soldier Arthur Dodd returned to England following VE Day on 8 May 1945, he was carrying a heavy burden that extended beyond the hardships of serving in World Wa

      1 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Nov 14, 2022

      Limberlost begins with a whale, not a marlin: an almost-mythical beast at the mouth of a Tasmanian river, troubling the waves with its fluked tail. But Robbie Arnott’s third novel carries echoes of Ernest Hemingway’s masterpiece. As its hero pits him

      3 min read

    • Article

      Talking Points

      Sep 10, 2021

      Talking Points
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Inside Story

      Oct 12, 2020

      The Inside Story
      9 min read

    • Article

      Felix Francis

      Mar 2, 2023

      When Dick Francis died, his photo appeared in all the newspapers. It was only then that his son, Felix, realised how famous his father was. ‘The first part of a Dick Francis novel I wrote was to design the bomb that blew up a light aircraft in Rat Ra

      3 min read

    • Article

      Andrew Caldecott

      Jul 17, 2019

      Andrew Caldecott
      3 min read

    • Article

      February's 10 Books To Break The Winter Doldrums

      Feb 13, 2019

      Here are the 10 books that impressed the Monitor's book critics this month: 1   Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen Kin Stewart is a time-traveling secret agent with a heart of gold who got lost on a mission and created a family. Intelligent, caring

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Loyal rebel

      Feb 8, 2020

      The Loyal rebel
      17 min read

    • Article

      April’s BOOK CLUB

      Mar 2, 2023

      Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati (£16.99, HB, Penguin) Clytemnestra, whose name has come to epitomise female wickedness, has found a worthy advocate in Costanza Casati and this fascinating Greek myth retelling. Far from being the cold-hearted killer

      4 min read

    • Article

      Holiday Reads

      Dec 8, 2023

      BY SARA OCHS TRANSWORLD Take a beautiful island setting and mix in a few murders and plenty of mystery and intrigue – and you’re got a recipe for the perfect summer read. Little wonder that The Dive is being hyped as the biggest debut thriller of th

      8 min read

    • Article

      30-year Death Mystery Exposed!

      Nov 28, 2021

      Freddie Mercury famously sang about “finding somebody to love” during his trailblazing all-too-brief time on this planet. However, 30 years after the Queen frontman’s tragic death, the unusual circumstances of his will tells a different story – of a

      1 min read

    • Article

      Windsor

      Sep 10, 2021

      Windsor
      4 min read

    • Article

      Inside Job Crime Writers Unpick The Clues That Make A Favourite

      Aug 12, 2022

      AUTHOR OF THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN What makes a great thriller/crime novel? Memorable and compelling characters. Plot twists and cliffhangers can feel manufactured, a great character never does. What’s your favourite thriller of all time? Barbara Vine’s

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Earth Beneath My Feet

      Jul 16, 2021

      £6.99 (ebook), £12.99 (paperback) TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AGO Andrew Terrill packed in his job and set out to explore the ‘other’ Europe – the hidden wild Europe – on a 7000-mile walk from the southern tip of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea to Norway’s Nort

      1 min read

    • Article

      HOW I WRITE Lucinda Riley

      Jun 17, 2019

      Irish-born Lucinda Riley is the bestselling author of over 20 novels. Her Seven Sisters series has topped the charts the world over, and has been optioned for a TV show. I have to write my first draft in total solitude. As we have four kids and our

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Invisible Romans

      Apr 11, 2024

      The Invisible Romans
      7 min read

    • Article

      Under Unchecked Power, No One Is Safe

      Jul 15, 2018

      They did not have to die. That's the bitter truth. Katie Sasser and her friend John Hall would likely still be alive if cops and prosecutors in Glynn County, Georgia, had done their jobs. But they were more interested in protecting one of their own.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Shocking Royal Crimes

      May 9, 2021

      Shocking Royal Crimes
      3 min read

    • Article

      Encounters

      Nov 24, 2022

      Encounters
      3 min read

    • Article

      Oldies Make The Best Holiday Companions

      Jul 28, 2022

      ON THE PENETRATING QUESTION of what fiction to take on holiday, this year The Critic offers a novel approach. Why heft around the Dolomites the bulk of an untested hardback, by a wet-behind-the-ears author who isn’t even dead yet, when you can halve

      6 min read

    • Article

      MY ENGLISH HOME Jilly Cooper

      May 1, 2019

      MY ENGLISH HOME Jilly Cooper
      4 min read

    Reviews for This Body of Death

    4/5

    456 ratings31 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      I'm finally starting to forgive Elizabeth George for the events of With No One as Witness. I'm still not entirely convinced that I will ever return to my light hearted enjoyment of the series, but she's got her main characters surrounded by misery, as she best likes them to be, so I think there's some stability for now.
      Altogether a pretty good read, and Lynley finally starting to be present in the investigation again, hooray. Very convoluted plot on this one.
    • 5/5
      One of her best that I've read so far. Lots of twists, but I confess I did begin to figure it out before the end. But why Thomas Lynley has to get involved with Isabelle Ardery is beyond me.
    • 2/5
      Elizabeth George and PD James are my favorite crime writers. They are both wonderful writers who write complex, psychological suspense novels with well drawn characters.

      Having said that, George’s latest Inspector Linley novel falls somewhat short of her previous work. Her new character, Isabelle Ardrey, acting superintendant, is barely developed at all. About all we find out about her is she is an abrasive, ambitious woman who is out of her depth in this case, has a drinking problem, and becomes the love interest of Thomas Linley (why mystery/suspense authors feel their main characters have to have a love interest in each book is a mystery to me). I am assuming she will be popping back up in the next installment, and perhaps her character will be more developed henceforth. We find out even less about the actual killer. The motivation for the killing is rather convoluted and flimsy, and you don’t even get a hint of what the motivation might be until about three-quarters of the way into the almost 700 page book. And that’s another problem with this book-it’s too long for no good reason. While I understand she doesn’t want to tip her hand in pointing out the killer too soon, there is too much wasted time on things that do not move the story forward, do not add to any character development and are of no interest to the reader.

      The only character of any real interest is Det. Sgt. Barbara Havers. Barbara, the disheveled, chain smoking, socially inept, politically incorrect, renegade of the force has now become the de-facto main character in this series, as she is the most fully developed character. Perhaps George should think about spinning Barbara off on a series of her own-I’d read it.
    • 4/5
      Elizabeth George has her groove back. I really disliked the prior two novels, but this is back to what I'd come to expect from her. Really good; I hated for it to end. Most satisfying.
    • 5/5
      When I first started listening to this audio, I will admit that I thought Elizabeth George had lost her mind. There seemed to be two completely different storylines going on at once and it was very confusing. But, I should have had faith in her, because when she made the connection all made sense to me and I loved it! The story did not end the way I expected, but I liked how everything ended. It was good but not "happily ever after". That keeps me reading for more.
    • 4/5
      I'm a fan. What more can I say?
    • 3/5
      Good to read series in order, but don't have to. Character-driven and sometimes the suspense and pace drag. Interesting psychological puzzler, some gruesome details about children. George masterfully brings together disparate plot strands.
    • 5/5
      Another wonderful book in the Lynley series - even if you don't like mysteries, it's worthwhile to check out George because of her wonderful ability to describe scenes and people. The mystery is a great one too - only figured it out a couple of pages before the reveal, which is practically unheard of. Makes me want to go back and reread all 16 from the beginning.
    • 4/5
      Good murder mystery that presents a balanced progression of clues and unfolding events and facts to keep reader interested through to the end. The author developed some unique and memorable characters that had depth and were believable. It all made sense, was patiently and comprehensively developed without dragging and giving the reader chances to put the book down and move on.
      I enjoyed it very much and will read more from the author when in the mood for a good murder mystery.
    • 4/5
      This was the first book by Elizabeth George that I have read. Although I have seen most of the BBC tv movies, the books appear to be a quite different experience.
      This book is very long, but in my opinion it becomes better and better the further you get into it. And if you look at my progress, you can see that I was reading it faster and faster.
      In the beginning of the book many lines are opened, to my taste in fact a few too many. Things became a bit confusing then and I wondered where it would lead to. The building of the tension starts a bit late.
      But of course eventually all the many lines come together and a good climax gives the solution to the mystery.
      I have read quite a few negative remarks about the book here, but I cannot agree with them. Somebody even says that "we all know who the killer is by page 300". Well, I did not know it by then. I think the story is good and surprising up to the end. The most I can say is that I suspected involvement of certain characters.
      It is also good to see Lynley back. He is not the principal character in the book, but he get some of te best ideas in solving the murder.
      The weaker lines in the plot and the sometimes a bit slow pace have not influenced my opinion greatly. I give this book four stars. And I will certainly read more by this author.
    • 4/5
      This is my first read of Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley and though rather long it kept my interest but I felt some of it could have been done away with.

      There are several other mysteries besides the basic who "unit" and how they were finally woven in to the conclusion. But some of those mysteries do not truly take an 'Inspector LinIey' to solve. I liked George's narrative description of the various characters mannerisms.

      This being my first book of the series the character development I assume has been done in previous stories.

      If I was asked to sat what I liked least it would be the Isabelle Ardery character. Though there are no doubt Isabelles in the real world I think if I was her superior she would have not have been around much beyond the early part of the investigation. Especially as the lead investigator.

      But the closing the book on Inspector Linley is I have added the first book of the series "A Great Deliverance" to my 'To-Read' shelf and if it hold up to the enjoyment of "This Body of Death" I will have a new series to read.
    • 4/5
      Love all her books! She's an amazing novelist who really gets into the human psyche.
    • 5/5
      This is the first Inspector Lynley Mystery that I have read and I enjoyed it immensely I liked the way it incorporated a past crime story throughout the main storyline. I love the way New Scotland Yard is portrayed and how they proceed with their investigations.The characters were wonderfully detailed. I especially liked D.S. Barbara Havers and her partner Winston Nkata. The author gives a few small details Havers' life and her thoughts. There is also a dynamic between Inspector Lynley and Acting Superintendent Isabelle Ardley. I can not wait until I read another one.
    • 5/5
      This Body of Death is Elizabeth George's best novel.George's 2006 novel, What Came Before He Shot Her, was the worst novel in her "Detective Lynley" series . The 2008 novel, Careless in Red, was a great improvement, but still not as good as her earlier books in the Lynley series of novels. The most recent, This Body of Death (2010), is perhaps the best novel in the series. It has everything and everyone that fans of the series love.Lynley's partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, is personally my favorite character in the series, so I may be biased by her having a larger role than in some recent works in the series. Many of the prior books in the series have concentrated primarily on one character, while the other cast of regulars fill only small support roles. In this novel, George does an excellent job of including the entire cast of regulars and a new boss. The characters specific to this story are well developed as well. There is plenty of Peaches, without too much Deborah (regular readers will understand).While not only being a great new installment for fans of the series, it is also a really excellent novel in its on right. Without leaving their armchairs, readers are transported to a variety of interesting settings both in London and Hampshire. Since I've read all of the books in the series, I must speculate to say how the story would read on its own, but I think it would still be a very good read. You will better understand some of the characters if you have read other books in the series, but you will not be lost if this is your first book of George's tour of Great Britain and its people. You can go ahead and start here and then go back to read the first dozen in order.Some mystery writers may develop better "puzzles" to solve than Elizabeth George. Others may write a "Police Procedural" with more details of criminology or forensics. When she is on her game, as she was in this novel, very few mystery writers are better story tellers and character painters than Elizabeth George. She can make you cry about fictitious characters as if they were your friend. When you finish this book, you want to look on Wikipedia to read more about "New Forrest Ponies" and many other topics. I was lucky to have once been able to spend two weeks traveling in London and other parts of England. George captures much of the unique spirit of the people. While I enjoy each virtual visit I make when reading one of her stories, she also makes me hope to someday be able to visit again in real life. Thank you, Ms. George, for making trans-Atlantic travel more affordable.
    • 4/5
      Once again Elizabeth George has given us another episode in the Lynley/Havers saga. I always look forward to her newest addition to the series, and I did enjoy this one to a point. It took me quite a while to figure out the connection to the child absue case and the main storyline, and I thought that this was quite clever. My main complaint is length...there is a lot extraneous verbage in this novel that really doesn't add to the progress of the story or the enjoyment of the reader. It seems Ms. George feels compelled to be "long" in her novels. All in all, I still enjoyed this novel and look forward to more. PS I certainly can't see Lynley hopping into the sack with Isabelle Ardery even on her best days!
    • 5/5
      Elizabeth George's books mirror our flawed society as it is, exposing the convoluted pattern of individual motivations and how past events and actions affect everything forward. In This Body of Death the author brings back Lynley, Havers and other familiar faces while introducing a new character in the form of Acting Superintendent Ardery, a complex and driven woman with her own secrets. The focus is on the disappearance of a young woman. Her friend and brother strongly suspect her former lover, yet he oddly does little to explain her abrupt termination of their relationship or defend himself from their suspicions. George weaves into the narrative reports from a seemingly unrelated but hideous crime previously committed by three juveniles. The ultimate connection of both cases is stunning but somehow has the feel of inevitability. There are no obvious solutions to the issues that are addressed in this novel, just as few of the characters are ever simple in their thoughts and actions. This is a thought provoking book that challenges the reader to examine his or her own perceptions of how justice is best served.
    • 4/5
      Incredibly intricate plotMasterfully detailed charactersGood job with the continuing characters and plotSPOILER ALERT (2)Haddiyah's mother comes homeI am not convinced that Lynley would sleep with isabelle - 1) it's too soon after Helen's death 2) she's an alcoholic and he knows it
    • 4/5
      George's best in a long time. Keeps you gripped.
    • 5/5
      I believe this is the 17th of the Inspector Lynley novels, and they just keep getting better. In this one, two stories are told, which left me wondering how the two seemingly different stories would relate. Trust me, they do! There is, of course, a murder that must be solved, with many twists and turns along the way. As usual in her novels, the guilty party is hard to detect until the very end. The only complaint I have about his one is that I don't care for the main female character introduced here. It would appear that Isabelle will appear in at least one other book, and I just don't like her at all. Barbara is back, and in the end, there is some good news about Lynley, at least to the reader. I just want something good to happen for Barbara!
    • 3/5
      This was diverting, and mostly fun to read. The backstory, which is delivered in the form of a moralizing and unprofessionally-written "expert" "report" is gruesome and also profoundly boring, and it both slows the story down and adds unnecessary heft to the book. Although it's meant to explain plot points that crop up at the denouement - and, as such, takes waaaaaay to much time to connect itself up with the main body of the novel - it's both carrying more weight than it can shoulder, and not essential enough to the plot to justify the amount of time devoted to it throughout the novel. The office politics at Scotland Yard are as tiresome as ever, and they supply the unnecessarily contrived means by which Lynley is convinced to return to work after the death of his wife. The mystery itself is interesting, with plenty of red herrings and lots of crazy. I don't love George's way of jumping from head to head in her novels, but she does use it to good effect, and she definitely keeps the reader guessing as to what everyone's up to, even if it's clear that that's what she's doing while she's doing it. Comic Relief Havers learns to put on makeup and wear skirts AND repair runs in her nylons, and while her sartorial style has always been an irritating plot point (for the love of small animals, it's not 1988 anymore, could she get some different ugly shoes already, perhaps?) it's at its most absurd here. Either her employer cares how she dresses or it doesn't (and, inexplicably, in this universe it clearly doesn't or she'd have been fired already), but pick one and stick with it. I enjoyed the mystery, but the seams were somehow really showing for me this time around.
    • 4/5
      The best Elizabeth George mystery in too long - a complex, psychological mystery with really strong characters. The writing was great - the mystery well-thought out. Loved having Barbara Havers carry her own story line in the novel but couldn't give the book five stars as I was disappointed with the character Isabelle Ardery, the new department chief, who was not sympathetic and not good at her job. This led me to really not like the turn Inspector Lynley took toward the end of the novel. I hope George has something in mind where this storyline is going because his actions didn't seem entirely real, either professionally or personally.
    • 4/5
      Don't read the parts in italic. They're upsetting -- I almost put the book aside -- and you don't need them.
    • 2/5
      My least favorite Lynley novel, largely due to the inclusion of a new and very unsympathetic character.
    • 5/5
      At first, I thought I might dislike the book--too many plots and characters. Then suddenly, my opinion changed and I am thoroughly enjoying another book by Elizabeth George. Sometimes, I feel that her writing improves with each book. The two main plots involve a killing of a toddler by three teen boys and the brutal murder of a young woman. As each stroy unfolds, I am more engrossed in the novel. Elizabeth George brings into the story the psychological aspects of each of the crimes. The reader learns the how and why. Elizabeth George is also a master of setting, such as the cemetery scene and the wild ponies and the art of roof thatching. George has written many novels, but she does not churn out one each year. Her novels delve into class differences such as Barbara Havers and Thomas Lynley, and of course, the new department chief Isabelle Ardery, whom I despise. Old characters are seen fleetingly, such as Deborah and Simon. An excellent novel.
    • 3/5
      Well written, compelling characters. Decent structure. But as I do not like the genre will not read another. (Too many things to skim over so as to avoid gruesomeness.)
    • 4/5
      I have read and enjoyed all Elizabeth George's novels and this one was no different. I lke all the main characters in her stories and follow with interest the developments in their lives.This story happens only a short time after the last book and Inspecor Lynley is still on compassionate leave after the death of his wife. He is called back into work to show the ropes to Isabelle Ardery who wants the job as Department Chief. There is much tension in the team as members of the team do not trust the new boss and only Lynley is able to see beneath the persona she portrays to what lies beneath.. In this book the team are investigating the death of a young woman in a cemetery in London but leads take them to the area of the New Forest where the old craft of thatching is still in use and strangers are not welcome. Nkata and Havers investigate this end of the case while the others work in London. The book is multi layered and complex with two seemingly unrelated stories. Characters are not who they seem and the story kept me guessing right till the end. I really enjoyed it. I loved the little details woven in especially Barbara Havers being taken shopping by her next door neighbour's daughter to buy more sutable clothes to please the new boss. I wonder how long she wore them!!!
    • 5/5
      This Body of Death is the sixteenth book in the Inspector Thomas Lynley series. It picks up a mere three months from the last book. This is one of the appeals of George's novels - they happen in almost 'real time'.Lynley is still recovering from a personal tragedy and is on leave from Scotland Yard. The acting superintendent, Isabelle Ardery, has alienated much of the team in her short stay. In an effort to win a permanent place, she asks Thomas to help with their latest case. A beautiful young woman has been found brutally murdered in a isolated cemetery. The clues point to the New Forest area, a community in a rural area. Two of the team - Winston Nkata and Barbara Havers are sent to follow up. Havers, Lynley's former partner, is one of my favourite characters. She is the antithesis to Lynley (who is actually a Lord.) Barbara doesn't give a fig for her appearance, smokes too much and bucks authority as much as she can without losing her job. But she is a determined investigator and her persistence usually pays off.The book opens with a partial report from an unnamed author documenting a criminal act. Further parts of the report appear throughout the book, revealing more with each entry. Although seemingly unrelated, this element plays an integral part in the plot. And what a plot George has crafted! Multi layered and complex, it had me guessing right up to the end. Seemingly innocuous comments or observations often prove germane, so you definitely don't want to speed read. And I never do with any of George's books. For me they're a treat to be savoured.While the plotting is fantastic, the characters play just as big a part of the book for me. After fifteen novels, I am quite invested in these recurring characters. I was actually quite upset with George when she 'tampered' with their lives in a way I didn't like in a previous book. The ending of This Body of Death has opened the door to many other changes, some that I am not looking forward to, others that I hope that I hope will develop. Nothing is predictable or static in the world of Inspector Lynley, each book is fresh.
    • 4/5
      Reading a cozy, British-style mystery by Elizabeth George can be compared to having a full, rich-bodied red wine – Meritage, perhaps, rather than a cheaper, thinner variety. Or having a mousse-filled torte instead of a plain chocolate cake. She belongs in her genre, and yet provides a richer, more satisfying expression of it than many other authors of her kind.This latest volume in the series involving Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley of the London Metropolitan Police can be fully understood without having read earlier books in the series, but with a series I generally prefer to start at the beginning to see the characters develop over time. Additionally, now when I pick up the next volume (and this is the 16th!) I feel as if I am reuniting with old friends.My imaginary pals in this series consist not only of Lynley but of his two closest friends, Simon St. James and his wife Deborah, and his closest work colleagues, Detective Sargeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. Barbara has wonderful neighbors – Taymullah Azhar and his daughter Hadiyyah, whom you can’t help but love. A new character is added this time: Isabelle Ardery, who arrived to take over as acting department head when Lynley took time off for compassionate leave after the murder of his wife five months previously.Acting Detective Superintendent Ardery is 38, divorced, and nice looking. Thomas Lynley, whom Ardery calls back to work to help her transition, is good-looking and now single. He is not like the other police; he is an Earl, for one thing, who doesn’t really need this job. As Ardery observes:"[people of Lynley’s kind] went into nightclubs and stayed till dawn, they skied in the Alps – French, Italian, or Swiss, what did it matter? – and they traveled to places like Portofino or Santorini or other multisyllabic Mediterranean, Ionian, or Aegean locations endings in vowels. But they didn’t work at ordinary jobs, and if they did because they needed the money, they certainly didn’t choose to be coppers.”The urbane Lynley shows his good breeding on every occasion without being snobbish or even unlikeable. Ardery commandeers him to be her partner. You can guess what happens. The problem is, no one [else] likes Ardery – not the other police, and not even we the readers. But Lynley’s private life, as compelling as it might be, is not the focus of this book. Rather, it is the brutal stabbing of a young girl – Jemima Hastings - in a London cemetery. [I was curious and checked: Jemima is a fairly common name in Great Britain, where the association with “Aunt Jemima” is not part of the culture.] The author throws red herrings and twists in our path as we follow the trail along with the detectives on the case. It isn’t a rushed process, as the book is quite long, but my interest never flagged. And George even manages to make some fun of her genre along the way. When Lynley goes to the British Museum to learn more about an old coin found with the dead girl that seems important, the curator says to him:"’Never thought I’d be talking to a cop. Read masses of mysteries and detective novels, I do. Who d’you reckon you’re more like, then, Rebus or Morse?’‘I have a fatal proclivity for vintage vehicles,’ Lynley admitted.‘Morse it is.’ … So. What c’n I do for you, then, Inspector Lynley?’”Nota Bene: [The curator is referring to two U.K. mystery series: Colin Dexter’s popular novels about Chief Inspector Morse, and Ian Rankin’s even more popular novels about Inspector Rebus.]One of the subthemes of this book is that of abused children, and the effects of that abuse, both of which George limns in some detail. I particularly was struck by this observation:"Abused children carry abuse forward through time. This is the unthinkable gift that keeps on giving. Study after study underscores this conclusion…"The assorted themes and subplots come together at the end, of course, but the author also leaves some character developments open for the next installment.Evaluation: In spite of not liking Lynley’s attraction to Ardery [what is he thinking?!!!], this is another solid entry in the irresistible line of the Thomas Lynley series. If you like mysteries and aren’t familiar with the books of Elizabeth George (who, by the way, is American, although she writes U.K. mysteries along with the best of them), you’re missing a treat.
    • 5/5
      This was an awesome book, but unlike some others that have reviewed it, I did not hate the previous two books either. Yes, it was difficult reading them (especially the one where Helen gets murdered, but George is such a wonderful writer that I just love to read all her books. This book has a lot of surprises in it, like most Elizabeth George books, and she blends the past and the present in a very unique way. But the mystery is a good one and the writing is stellar. There is a lot of Barbara Havers in this one too, so that's a bonus for me because I really do like the character. As usual her bright and analytical mind get her into hot water. There is a lot to take in in the book, and it's meant to be savoured. That is indeed Ms. George's gift. I loved the book and I love her characters! There are even a couple of very likable dogs in the book. What more can you ask for?
    • 5/5
      I'm 2/3 of the way through this book. It's riveting! However so are her others. I love Elizabeth George and Inspector Lynley. Highly recommend!