Believing the Lie (Inspector Lynley, #17)

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Believing the Lie (Inspector Lynley #17)

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 4,641 ratings · 941 reviews

After writing sixteen Inspector Lynley novels, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George has millions of fans waiting for the next one. As USA Today put it, "It's tough to resist George's storytelling, once hooked." With Believing the Lie, she's poised to hook countless more.

Inspector Thomas Lynley is mystified when he's sent undercover to investigate the death of...more

Hardcover, 610 pages

Published January 10th 2012 by Dutton Adult (first published 2012)

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Mar 22, 2012 Charty rated it 3 of 5 stars

George is an infuriating writer. When she's good, she's very good, but she has a tendency to go overboard in her plots, descriptions, extraneous characters, etc. So where did this one fall? Well, for 1/2 to 3/4s of the book, I was hooked, enjoying the world, getting to know the characters, waiting for the mystery. Then the last 1/4 made be want to hurl the book into the wall.

Why you ask? Well, here's why (spoilers ahead).

First, there was no actual mystery. The ostensible crime was an accident an...more George is an infuriating writer. When she's good, she's very good, but she has a tendency to go overboard in her plots, descriptions, extraneous characters, etc. So where did this one fall? Well, for 1/2 to 3/4s of the book, I was hooked, enjoying the world, getting to know the characters, waiting for the mystery. Then the last 1/4 made be want to hurl the book into the wall.

Why you ask? Well, here's why (spoilers ahead).

First, there was no actual mystery. The ostensible crime was an accident and a convenient excuse to use Lynley to smoke out other, lesser crimes among a family (O, how George loves her some dysfunctional families).

Secondly, this book had a few too many extra plots and characters, which in the end, had little effect on the book and took away valuable time from the main thrust of the story and were irritating to boot. Among the plots and characters that could easily have gone: Zed the hapless reporter and his travails, Kaveh, Ian's lover, Ian's children Tim & Gracie. Especially Tim. George includes a bizarre, disgusting side plot for confused, hurting, messed up Tim, who not only physically attacks his aunt, damages his sister's prized possession, and convinces a pedophiliac photographer and film maker to use him in a pornographic film SO THAT HE WILL THEN KILL HIM AFTERWARD. W.T.F.!?! I still don't quite understand the relevance of George having this poor boy suffer like this. It added nothing to the story except gratuitous 'sex' that this could easily have done without.

Lastly Lynley involves Simon St James and his wife Deborah, god help us. I will admit, I loath Deborah. She's one of the most annoying characters ever, she's all emotional flailing and sticking her nose where it doesn't belong and once again, she makes a hash of things. She is instrumental in throwing an unstable main character into a panic and fleeing her life, thereby causing her to be killed. Her relentless 'investigations' into this woman's life resulted in her death. Both Lynley and St. James told her to drop the investigation, that there wasn't anything to investigate. Instead of leaving the hell enough alone, she has to be a stubborn, know-it-all bitch and a woman dies and her family is ripped to shred. She feels some guilt, but both Lynley and Simon rush to disabuse her of that notion, saying if this woman hadn't lived with secrets, she wouldn't have feared Deborah and her questions. BULLSHIT. But Deborah is never held accountable for her bumbling stupidity and I hope George kills her off.

Yeah, the last fourth made me want to burn the damn book.

There were a few bright glimmers. As always, Havers brings the funny and the ending of the book would seem to indicate that the next installment will be Barbara heavy. Also, the gross and unpleasant affair between Lynley and Superintendent Ardry is over - hooray! Also, she didn't figure much into the book. Hopefully she'll get demoted, transferred or killed off and we can all move on. Despite my quibbles, George is still a very good writer, her prose was nice and tight this time out, and she does often create compelling character portraits that keep you interested and turning the pages. If only she could find the right mix of character study, description, action and plot and then we'd all be happy.(less)

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Feb 23, 2012 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery, favourites

Because I read a lot, people often ask me who my favourite writer is. How could you pick? There are so many. However, if I answer off the top of my head with my top five favourites, Elizabeth George is always in the mix. George writes complicated, intelligent, and thought provoking novels. Each book expands on the lives of her main characters. Some fade into the background, others come to the forefront, but always there are changes which impact the direction of her books.

Believing the Lie is not...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Debbie Maskus rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this lengthy novel. So many characters and so many lies throughout this wordy tome. I loved the transformation of Barbara Havers, grieved the problems between Simon and Deborah, and forgave Thomas his many sins. The story centers on the many lies we tell others and ourselves, such as the lies of parents, of spouses, of children, and of friends. I felt that George tied up all the loose ends of the story with the exception of Kaveh, the lover of Ian Cresswell...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mt-bookpile

Sometimes I think Ms. George has written herself into a corner: so many main characters, and a need to at least mention them - if not give them a short chapter - has led to "page creep". It would have been ok if the whole Havers subplot had been deleted, ditto Nkata's presence. I know that part of this stems from some misbegotten belief that bigger books are better, or perhaps editors are just afraid to say "cut this by 1/3 before we publish".

Anyway, Lynley has been asked to (on the extreme quie...more

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May 01, 2013 Marijn Woudstra rated it 1 of 5 stars

I am afraid the books by Elizabeth George on inspector Lynley and friends are becoming more uninteresting with each book that appears. It might be that I am getting older and am seeing the flaws in the stories much clearer than before. But when I was reading this book I realized that I was reading it for sentimental reasons only. I have being reading her other 16 books on Lynley as they appeared over a course of more than 20 years and still think that Playing for the ashes is a great novel, but...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Jill rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is the seventeenth book in the Inspector Thomas Lynley series. We listened to this book together on audio. The Inspector Lynley stories usually are centered around a crime which New Scotland Yard, and specifically D.I. Lynley, are called upon to help solve. In this case, however, there is no crime, but only mysteries. (One of which, according to my husband, was, “WHY ARE WE LISTENING TO THIS?”)

D.I. Lynley is called away from London to go to Cumbria and investigate the death of the nephew (I...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Selaine Henriksen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I put off buying this book until it came out in soft cover. Hard covers are so hard to read and I wasn't going to read an Elizabeth George/Detective Lynley novel on the Playbook! I might be of the last generation to care how I read a book. Elizabeth George's sentences draw you in and take their time leading you around. I always feel, when I'm reading on the playbook or PC, that I'm racing along. I read fast anyway and the process of flicking my finger to turn the page or scrolling makes reading...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Inga rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

Inspector Lynley und Barbara Havers sind inzwischen beim 17. gemeinsamen Band angekommen. Die Verhältnisse haben sich derweil etwas verschoben. Lynley, immer noch angeschlagen durch den Tod seiner Frau Helen, hat eine Affäre mit seiner Chefin Isabelle Ardery, die wiederum neben der Eifer- und Kontrollsucht auch mit ihrem Alkoholismus zu kämpfen hat.
Daher ist es etwas problematisch, als Lynley von seinem Vorgesetzten Hillier zu einer diskreten Ermittlung nach Cumbria in den Norden geschickt wird,...more Inspector Lynley und Barbara Havers sind inzwischen beim 17. gemeinsamen Band angekommen. Die Verhältnisse haben sich derweil etwas verschoben. Lynley, immer noch angeschlagen durch den Tod seiner Frau Helen, hat eine Affäre mit seiner Chefin Isabelle Ardery, die wiederum neben der Eifer- und Kontrollsucht auch mit ihrem Alkoholismus zu kämpfen hat.
Daher ist es etwas problematisch, als Lynley von seinem Vorgesetzten Hillier zu einer diskreten Ermittlung nach Cumbria in den Norden geschickt wird, von der Ardery nichts wissen soll. Der Neffe eines adligen Toilettenherstellers ist ertrunken – war es ein Unfall oder war es Mord? Lynley bittet seine Freunde Simon und Deborah Sinclair zu Hilfe, die mit ihm die Familie des Opfers unter die Lupe zu nehmen. Jeder hat etwas zu verbergen, immer mehr schmutzige Wäsche wird hervorgezerrt, die nur teilweise mit dem Tod des Neffen zu tun hat, so dass schlussendlich ganz andere Ergebnisse bei den Ermittlungen herauskommen als eigentlich gewollt.
Glaube der Lüge (Originaltitel Believing the Lie) beschäftigt sich weniger mit der kriminalistischen Aufklärung eines Mordfalls als vielmehr mit den Verstrickungen und Geheimnissen, die jeder scheinbar mit sich herumträgt. Keiner der Beteiligten sagt die Wahrheit, erst am Schluss zeigen einige ihre echten Gefühle und Interessen. Auch die liebgewonnenen Protagonisten müssen sich Selbstbetrug und verborgene Interessen gegenüber ihren Partnern eingestehen, so hat sich George für jeden Lügen ausgedacht, an die zu glauben oder die zu enttarnen jeder für sich entscheiden muss.
Als Kriminalroman ist Glaube der Lüge kaum zu bezeichnen, wenngleich das Buch durchaus spannend ist, gerade wenn sich die parallelen Erzählstränge sich ihren unterschiedlichen Enden nähern. Nicht alles geht gut aus, so dass sich schon wieder neue Fragen für den Folgeband entstehen. Unsere liebgewonnenen Protagonisten Lynley und Havers machen beide am Ende die Erfahrung, dass sie das Glauben an bequeme Lügen in die Irre geführt hat und brechen mit der Lüge, die Folgen sind noch nicht absehbar. (less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Alice rated it 2 of 5 stars

This bloated book was a disappointment to me. I used to love George's Lynley series, but this one is far too long and has pointless characters, subplots and repetitive descriptions that should have been edited out. I hate it when a writer gets so successful that apparently she either can't edit her own work or no one else dares do it for her. Likewise, I dislike it when any book, but particularly an expensive book from a "name" publisher, has careless errors of the type a decent copy editor woul...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Niki rated it 1 of 5 stars

I dragged myself through this book, all the while "believing the lie" that it would eventually be worth reading. I have enjoyed other books by Elizabeth George. However, while reading this one I continually thought that there was no point to any of the plot. How often does a top level police investigator waste his valuable time on some random aristocrat's special request, and on top of that, drag in some friends, AND they all have to pay their own way to carry out this wild goose chase. No crime...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Judie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Zed Benjamin had a wonderful story about Nicholas Fairclough, a recovering addict from a wealthy family, had a project to help older addicts get off drugs and alcohol. It was proving far more successful than other programs. Unfortunately his editor thought the story was too boring for The Source, a scandal-focused newspaper, and told him to find something to make the story sexier.
Ian Cresswell, Nicholas’s cousin and a highly ranking member of the family bathroom fixture manufacturing firm, had...more Zed Benjamin had a wonderful story about Nicholas Fairclough, a recovering addict from a wealthy family, had a project to help older addicts get off drugs and alcohol. It was proving far more successful than other programs. Unfortunately his editor thought the story was too boring for The Source, a scandal-focused newspaper, and told him to find something to make the story sexier.
Ian Cresswell, Nicholas’s cousin and a highly ranking member of the family bathroom fixture manufacturing firm, had an argument with his partner, went out for a ride in his scull, slipped on the rocks when he tried to dock the boat, fell, hit his head on the rocks, and drowned.
. The police had quickly ruled it an accident but the Bernard Fairclough, the family patriarch, had doubts. A week later, the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, called in Inspector Thomas Lynley and asked him to go underground to the family’s estate and find out if Ian’s death was an accident or a murder.
Lynley was told to not tell anyone about the assignment, but eventually he called in his friends Simon and Deborah St. James and later his Scotland Yard back-up Barbara Havers.
Other major characters in the story include:
• Yaffa Shaw, a student who had just leased a room in Benjamin’s home. His mother was constantly trying to find him a wife and she was the latest, except she was planning to return to Tel Aviv and marry her fiancé;
• Kaveh, Ian’s partner and the man for whom Ian had left his wife;
• Niamh Cresswell, aforementioned wife who was furious about the divorce and did everything she could to make his life miserable, including dumping their children at his home unexpectedly;
• Tim, their severely disturbed 14-year-old son and Gracie, their younger daughter;
• Valerie Fairclough, Bernard’s wife and the woman with the money behind the business;
• Mignon Fairclough, their daughter who lived on the estate and was disabled following a childhood accident;
• Manette and Freddie McGhie, their other daughter and her ex-husband. He had assumed many of Ian’s duties including financial oversight. Despite the divorce, they still shared the same house.
• Alatea Fairclough, Nicholas’s wife who was from Argentina and was his inspiration to stay drug and alcohol-free.
The book runs 608 pages and there is plenty of action to fill them. It’s full of unexpected twists. The title, BELIEVING THE LIE, is a clue that these characters can form an Olympic team in Jumping to Conclusions. It puts the reader in the position of seeing disaster coming and not being able to do anything to prevent it.
If you are an Inspector Lynley fan, you’ll love the book. If you aren’t familiar with him yet this is a good place to start.
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Jan 06, 2013 Mundi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, favorite-series, mystery

I picked this up, read a couple of pages, and the sinister hints about the boy and his nefarious email recipient didn't quite grab me... nor was I sure that I was ready for another of George's crimes-against-children novels (which she does very well, and why they chill me thoroughly, as they are meant to)... but a few weeks later, and I picked it up again, because it was EG fer-cryin'-in-the-night, it had to be good, right?

I read it in nearly one sitting, and then, after sleeping on it, I read t...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Evi G rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was appalled at the idea that even though no crime was committed, Lynley and particularly the loathsome Deborah, felt they had the right to snoop into the personal business of just about everyone, particularly Alatea. What they learned was really none of their damn business. Deborah is a stereotype of a self-absorbed, emotionally-governed female who lacks both reason and accountability . I cannot stand such women in real life and I hated her in the book. Come to think of it, many of George's f...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Mary Gilligan-Nolan rated it 3 of 5 stars

The last in this series for now, I hope Ms. George will continue with it, but a disappointing book I thought. The plot is a friend of Sir David Hillier, Bernard Fairclough, rich and also titled, comes to ask a favour of Hillier, in that he wants someone to look into the death of his nephew, deemed to be an accidental drowning. He wants to find out of his son, a reformed drug addict with a criminal record as a result of his drug taking, had anything to do with Ian Cresswell's death (the nephew)an...more The last in this series for now, I hope Ms. George will continue with it, but a disappointing book I thought. The plot is a friend of Sir David Hillier, Bernard Fairclough, rich and also titled, comes to ask a favour of Hillier, in that he wants someone to look into the death of his nephew, deemed to be an accidental drowning. He wants to find out of his son, a reformed drug addict with a criminal record as a result of his drug taking, had anything to do with Ian Cresswell's death (the nephew)and if it was actually a murder and the police and coroner missed something. Lynley is sent to look into it and is instructed to tell no-one about what he is doing. Isabelle Ardery is not happy and tries to find out what he is up to and where he is. Lynley takes Simon St. James and his wife, Deborah to help him and once again, I find myself getting more than a little annoyed by Deborah's character. She is so self-obsessed and meddling, that in this story, she actually steps over the line and causes some serious drama. The story turns out to be more of a look at family relationships and secrets and lies, than a murder mystery. Lynley's character had no real sense of presence, Barbara Havers, my favourite character, had a separate story-line back in London with her neighbours, but Lynley eventually called on her to help him with research into the backgrounds of the Faircloughs. If it hadn't been for Havers involvement in the story, it would have been a complete waste of my time. Another character I have a problem with liking is Isabelle Ardery. Lynley seems to have lost his dignity in this relationship and is it really realistic that he would become involved with her, so soon after Helen's death? This story seems to meander on a road to nowhere, again, maybe Ms. George is lacking major inspiration after writing so many very long books. The reporter in the story, Zed, really was unnecessary, if he was left out entirely, it would have made no odds really. Deborah was doing basically the same job he was doing and managed nicely to screw things up all on her own. I hope Ms. George returns to form on this series, the ending looks like there will be another. And for heavens sake, give poor Barbara a break and get her a love life.(less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm a fan of the series- sad to think that since she's been writing, my sister's cat Havers died- but personal notes aside, well OK one last one: I told two of my sisters, who are far more into mysteries than I, that I was reading it. One of them said: "Oh she's so long-winded." and the other went "Didn't George find God or something?" I have a lingering cold and need some serious downtime, so in a way a long-winded mystery was just right.

Other reviewers have said this and I totally agree- the D...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Helen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, modern-mystery

We had family relationships in Missing Joseph but now it really focuses on parents and children. We even have a mention of Lynley's sister selling her sheep so she can move closer to their mother. The major father in this story even changed his name so that the family company and property he's married into won't have a name change. One of his twin daughters is spending her life making his miserable because she knows he wanted a son. The son he did get spent his young adulthood downing drugs, alc...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Sandie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I have had this book for several months and have put off reading it because of its length (over 600 pages) and size (2 1/4" thick). But I finally tackled it and it read fairly quickly. The layout, longer chapters with shorter pieces within them which focused on the different characters and places made it easy to find a break in the reading. Although it often was jumpy and hard to skip from one character to another quickly. Whom am I reading about? What did they do last? AND the large size of the...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Siggy Buckley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Being a big fan of her, we prepaid for the book before it came out. For me she is the current master of nice whodunnits.I like her style, characters and scenery except for one book that was out of turn and I never finished that one...where Lynley's wife gets shot by black teenagers.
With this preamble in mind, I made my way though this rather off- puttingly big and heavy oeuvre.
E.G. could have shortened it by 100 pages cutting down on her oh so elaborate descriptions of the English countryside, e...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Lyne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Believing The Lie would have to be one of the silliest
and most disappointing books I've ever read. As a great
fan of Elizabeth George's previous novels, I almost
feel affronted at being given this piece of utter
rubbish. Nothing about this book is believable, and the
worst thing about it is the utter contempt displayed by
Ms George for the true nature and personalities of her
beloved ongoing characters. No-one seems to know who
they are anymore. Barbara Havers as an example, would
never in a mi...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book. A little long... Love when her books go back and fill in spots you didn't know about. Series is good. Story was excellent.

Inspector Thomas Lynley is mystified when he's sent undercover to investigate the death of Ian Cresswell at the request of the man's uncle, the wealthy and influential Bernard Fairclough. The death has been ruled an accidental drowning, and nothing on the surface indicates otherwise. But when Lynley enlists the help of his friends Simon and Deborah St. James, the...more

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Jul 11, 2012 The Cyber Hermit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

**MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**

The rating really hovers between 2.5 stars to 3 for me but I'll give it three since the author managed not to intersperse her chapters with some faux-sociological meanderings about the State of London's Poor and Disenfranchised or a tacky, paper-thin veiling of a redo of the Jamie Bulger case.

Well, I *finally* read EG's book. Does it say anything that I used to read them straightaway when they first came out and now I'm all, eh, I'll get to it?

While *marginally* better th...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Virginia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth George is one of my favorite authors, though her most recent books haven't been as engaging as the original books. So, like some other readers, I held my breath as I started this offering. Somewhat disappointed - yes; where was the mystery? But I was happy to have the full cast of characters present.

George's appeal, to me, has always been her ability to combine plot with character development. She uses the strengths and quirks of the characters to unfold the story, and lets the charac...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Cara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Ugh.

This is a phenomenally disappointing book. Technically, George is a great writer; but she used to marry that technical skill with interesting and believable plots and characters. Now, her strong writing style just emphasizes the many and glaring plot holes, inconsistencies, imbecilities, and out-of-character actions that make up the story.

In order to fully explain my disgust, I have to reveal spoilers because so much of the offensive content is concentrated in the last quarter of the book. F...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Oh, let me count the ways I loathe this book. I generally love the series (count me as someone still missing Helen, but still, love the series). I like Lynley. I like the supporting characters. I like the attention to geography in each of the books. But the series seems to be spiraling out of control since Helen's death. And in this book, there's just so very much not to like. For starters, the mystery at the center of the book seems completely anticlimatic. Turns out there's not much of a myste...more

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Mary Regan I had given the book three stars but think I'll downgrade to 2- and they are both for Havers, who actually behaved true to wonderful type in this book...more
Jun 17, 2012 01:37pm

Susan Indeed--Havers is definitely the bright spot left in the series. I'm disappointed with what's happened to Deborah--I had really liked her earlier. Alt...more
Jul 17, 2012 08:03am

Apr 20, 2012 Melinda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Elizabeth George phoned part of this one in, either that or she got so word-drunk trying to capture the Lake District that she couldn't stop herself. I got so I laughed at the pattern: a little plot or dialogue and then local color, a little more plot/dialogue, more local color, rinse, wash, repeat. She has a nice command of her main characters except for Deborah St James, who has been mercifully absent for so many novels--mercifully because Ms. George always makes her so whiny and obsessed with...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the Inspector Lynley series beginning with the first book, then stopped reading them completely after 'Playing for the Ashes'. There was so much drama between the main characters, and I was missing the mystery.

I decided to try again with 'Believing the Lie'. While I do enjoy the author's ability to tell a good story, there were so many side stories here that it was hard to decide if any of it was worth following. Lynley's wife (Helen, one of the only regular characters who acted like a g...more I read the Inspector Lynley series beginning with the first book, then stopped reading them completely after 'Playing for the Ashes'. There was so much drama between the main characters, and I was missing the mystery.

I decided to try again with 'Believing the Lie'. While I do enjoy the author's ability to tell a good story, there were so many side stories here that it was hard to decide if any of it was worth following. Lynley's wife (Helen, one of the only regular characters who acted like a grown-up) was killed a few books back (8 or 9 months prior to this story), and he has a clandestine relationship with his new supervisor (who is an alcoholic). Just a little bit of baggage there. Simon and his wife Deborah are still trying to have a child; he is talking adoption, she is talking surogacy. And the story hasn't even started yet.

Lynley is assigned by his Big Boss (above his supervisor) to quietly investigate an apparently accidental death-he asks Simon and Deborah to help him out. In short order, we have Lynley's supervisor angry with him, Deborah hounding a woman about conception, a clueless tabloid reporter getting the wrong end of the stick, orphaned children, homosexual relationships, child pornography, a plethora of family secrets...and that is just scratching the surface.

There were so many things going on here, most of them having nothing to do with the business at hand. The relationships were mostly extremely dysfunctional (only one relationship really ended well). For the most part, the main characters (Lynley, Havers (his work partner), Deborah) are stuck in the same ruts they were years ago; one does hope they will grow and mature a bit over time. Simon is the only one who seems to be able to deal with life in an adult manner.

Then there is the ending. Very open-ended for most of the side-stories, and I was really hoping to know more about how the characters would deal with the changes and revelations that had occurred. That shows there was at least some interest in some the characters the author developed...but there were so many of them!(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Rafe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries, 2012-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have extremely mixed feelings about this book.

Also, this review has spoilers. BE WARNED.

Generally, I *really* like Elizabeth George and the world she's created. I adore DS Havers and have deep feelings for Lynley as well. Like many other readers, I had many the ugly cry RE Helen. I do worry though about the rabbit-hole of WTF that George has started to create since Helen's death. Another reviewer expressed joy that the ending of Believing the Lie seems to get Lynley going in a positive directi...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Betted rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

Once again the American writer of top notch British mysteries brings us an Inspector Lynley mystery. Even the producers of Masterpiece Theater consider George to be one of the best authors of British crime novels and it is no surprise that her latest work is of the highest caliber.

This time Lynley is involved in a clandestine love affair with his superior officer but an even higher-up member of the chain of command asks him to secretly investigate an accidental death in the Lake District of Cumb...more
Once again the American writer of top notch British mysteries brings us an Inspector Lynley mystery. Even the producers of Masterpiece Theater consider George to be one of the best authors of British crime novels and it is no surprise that her latest work is of the highest caliber.

This time Lynley is involved in a clandestine love affair with his superior officer but an even higher-up member of the chain of command asks him to secretly investigate an accidental death in the Lake District of Cumbria as a personal favor.

No one there is to know that Lynley is a member of the police so Lynley shows up on a pretense to meet a factory head, Lord Fairclough, who has suspicions that his nephew, a high placed employee, may have been the victim of foul play. Lord Fairclough wants to clear his son Nicholas of suspicion, but discreetly, since the death has been officially declared an accidental drowning. More pointedly, the boathouse where the death occurred is a place frequently visited by Fairclough’s wife, the person who actually owns the factory and estate.

Nicholas is a prodigal son who led a life of drugs and dissipation until he married an exotic South American beauty and returned to the fold to build a new life, but two daughters and the nephews’ families are also members of the Fairclough clan. Ian, the nephew who drowned, left behind a gay lover, a bitter wife and two somewhat confused children. The picture of a dysfunctional family with plenty of motives for murder begins to emerge against the backdrop of the beautiful Lake District.

Lynley enlists the help of his friends Simon and Deborah St. James to help with the undercover investigation. Meanwhile Barbara Havers is in London fending off inquiries and demands from Lynley’s jealous commanding officer who has been left in the dark. She begins updating her appearance with the help of her neighbors while helping Lynley with research on the sly.

The family skeletons at the Fairclough estate begin to rattle as information is gathered and the subplots unfold.

Perhaps one of Elizabeth George’s darker novels, but a satisfying read for lovers of this series, as interweaving lies result in a web of deceit and hidden agendas.
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Mar 12, 2012 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Believing the Lie, by Elizabeth George, b-plus, Narrated by Davina Porter, Produced by Penguin Audio, Downloaded from audible.com.

To start with, I have to say that at the end of the book, the author may have gotten Lynley pointed in a better direction than he has been in since Helen’s death. Here we have Inspector Lynley having an affair with his supervisor, the superintendent. She wants him at her beck and call. But he is asked by the head of Scotland Yard to investigate a death which the local...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Susan Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I give this 3 1/2 stars as the central plot and several of the side ones were so improbable as to be laughable. Still it's such an improvement on the horrible book she wrote after Helen died. I've blocked the name out of my mind as one of two worst books written-the other Jean Auel's latest ripoff.
I worry if George will regain her mojo after killing Helen off. The noticeable decline has just been awful. Still, this one gathered up the familiar cast of characters even if they are in just a ludicr...more

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Mystery

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About Elizabeth George

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Susan Elizabeth George is an American author of mystery novels set in Great Britain. Eleven of her novels, featuring her character Inspector Lynley, have been adapted for television by the BBC as The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

She was born in Warren, Ohio, but moved to the S...more

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Books by Elizabeth George

A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley #1)

Well-Schooled in Murder (Inspector Lynley #3)

This Body of Death (Inspector Lynley #16)

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Quotes from Believing the Lie

“Barbara wanted to go to tea at Dorchester as much as she wanted to give birth to octuplets.” — 2 people liked it

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Believing the Lie (Inspector Lynley #17)

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