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Careless in Red (Inspector Lynley #15)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 6,122 ratings · 742 reviews

In her most eagerly anticipated novel yet, Elizabeth George brings back Scotland Yard's Thomas Lynley to investigate a ruthless crime.

After the senseless murder of his wife, Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley retreated to Cornwall, where he has spent six solitary weeks hiking the bleak and rugged coastline. But no matter how far he walks, no matter how exhausting his d...more

Hardcover, 640 pages

Published May 6th 2008 by Harper (first published 2008)

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Jun 10, 2008 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2008

It’s been four years since we last caught up with Inspector Thomas Lynley and Sgt. Barbara Havers. Four very long years.

Four years made longer by the fact that at the end of With No One As Witness, Elizabeth George left Lynley and the entire series as a cross-roads. Something big happened at the end of the book that left me stunned at the audacity of George to contemplate it, much less pull it off. And it left me eager for more.

And then we got her last book, What Came Before He Shot Her, which w...more

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Sep 04, 2011 L rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, future-kindle-no-mildew

Isn't Elizabeth George terrific?! I love her books and just wish she's crank them out more regularly and quickly. It isn't as if the woman isn't productive, either. It's just that fans want more, always more. Of course then they wouldn't be the same books, would they?

Here we have DS Lynley mourning the loss of his wife. Lynley takes mourning very, very seriously. He's been wandering the coast of Cornwall for weeks, living rough and not especially well. Just walking. Naturally he finds a body. I...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay, I think we’ve got the train back on track. We have Lynley, we have Havers. Whew. This should go without saying, but after the dreck that was "What Came Before He Shot Her", you cannot take these things for granted.

Other than the presence of Lynley and Havers, though, I’m not that crazy about this installment. I didn’t like any of the other (secondary) characters, and actively disliked most of them. The few that I did like eventually ended up annoying me too.. And, after the first third of...more

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Jun 01, 2008 asteroidbuckle rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mystery lovers, readers of the Inspector Lynley series

Shelves: mysteries, crime-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Thomas Lynley, mired deeply in his grief, comes across the body of a young man at the bottom of a cliff during his hike along the South-West Coastal Trail. Soon enough, he gets involved in the investigation into the boy's death, which, of course, has been determined to be a murder.

Enter Ben and Kerra and Daidre and Santo and Dellen and Aldara and Jago and Selevan and Madlyn and Max and Lew and Cadan and Bea and Ray and Pete and Alan and Will and Tammy and yes, Sergeant Havers, too.

Phew.

The bigge...more Thomas Lynley, mired deeply in his grief, comes across the body of a young man at the bottom of a cliff during his hike along the South-West Coastal Trail. Soon enough, he gets involved in the investigation into the boy's death, which, of course, has been determined to be a murder.

Enter Ben and Kerra and Daidre and Santo and Dellen and Aldara and Jago and Selevan and Madlyn and Max and Lew and Cadan and Bea and Ray and Pete and Alan and Will and Tammy and yes, Sergeant Havers, too.

Phew.

The biggest problem I found with this book is, as you may have guessed, there are too many characters. Not all of them are necessary to the plot and many of them are simply there to help Tommy find his way back to his life. To me, Elizabeth George was trying to do too many things at once.

The story was good enough - a young man killed, but not for the reason you think, with suspects aplenty. Who did it? Was it the scorned girlfriend? Her dad? The boy's dad? His sister? The young man who had a thing for the boy's girlfriend? They all had a reason to kill him, of course.

The local Inspector is a hard woman (why are all female cops borderline masculine, huh?) with personal issues that she allows to cloud her judgment. She's in charge and wants things done her way or no way at all. She forces Lynley to become involved in the investigation even though he tries to explain he's not a cop, not anymore at least. He's given it up. She, of course, wants none of it, because she plans to use him to get close to the woman she considers the prime suspect.

In the end, the killer is revealed, but there is no real justice. Tommy is still trying to find a reason to go on, but there are hopeful signs of life. He promises Havers he'll make his way back to London after he's finished his journey up the Cornish coast.

When I saw this book at the store, I was so excited. I had been dying to see what happened to Tommy after the deaths of his wife and son. And while it was great to "see" Tommy again and heartwrenching to discover what he's been going through, the book failed to reach my expectations.

However, to be fair to Ms. George, those expectations were exceedingly high and probably unattainable anyway.

A good book, not a great one, but I still can't wait for the next installment of this terrific series.(less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Grady McCallie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This long, rich mystery does several things, all well. First, although well into the Inspector Thomas Lynley series, it opens shortly after the detective suffers a horrific and wrenching loss that in some sense serves as a reboot for the character. This is the first novel I've read by Elizabeth George, and so came to the novel without personally missing the characters killed off in the previous volume, but I still found the subplot of Lynley's grieving quite powerful, and very well done.

Second,...more

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Jul 28, 2008 EmmaLee Pryor rated it 1 of 5 stars

I picked this book up because I have watched Thomas Linley on Mystery (on PBS) and they were okay. The last one I had seen was where his pregnant wife (why do they always have to be pregnant) had been killed. They had also just gotten back together after being separated. (All the elements to make it truly tragic.) She was killed by a 12 year old with no motive, just a senseless killing. On TV they had a different storyline about what happened. Anyway, he is dealing with that tragedy by walking a...more I picked this book up because I have watched Thomas Linley on Mystery (on PBS) and they were okay. The last one I had seen was where his pregnant wife (why do they always have to be pregnant) had been killed. They had also just gotten back together after being separated. (All the elements to make it truly tragic.) She was killed by a 12 year old with no motive, just a senseless killing. On TV they had a different storyline about what happened. Anyway, he is dealing with that tragedy by walking along the coast with only a backpack to carry small amounts of food. So of course he finds a body and the story progresses from there. This book was irritating in a number of ways, but I think the worst was in the portrayal of families and how dysfunctional all of them are. Worse, Lynley isn't that compelling of a character. Maybe he is if you have read other books in the series, but he is boring and predictable in this book. Of course he meets a woman who is hiding something and it is all a tragic past and he wants her to call him Tommy (his wife did), which she refuses to do and I didn't really understand the full implications behind this, but the author seemed to think it was a fairly big deal. All the people are unhappy, selfish and don't talk to each other. Also, as a veteran mystery reader, it is really frustrating when the police don't ask good questions, or they don't ask the questions all at one time and they have to keep going back to ask obvious ones. For example when they went to talk to the family, they didn't even ask about a girlfriend, who would want to hurt the person, how he had gotten a black eye or things like that. It just draws the novel out even longer, which this one did not need to do. One redeeming part was that one of the women decided to trust and marry her boyfriend. One subplot that was dropped was a character's binge drinking, but in the end he goes back to work for his terrible father. I don't understand all these English novels where one child is favored above another and the rest are treated so terribly. The character of Havers (Lynley's partner) is the only one with a sense of humor and she has some clever lines. The book has some vulgar talk (that doesn't seem needed) and some sensuous descriptions of intimate moments. The mystery was weak also, I guessed who the murderer was and why about a third of the way through. I also think Careless in Crimson would have been a way better title. Everyone is just so unhappy in this book. And then I was really unhappy reading/skimming it as well. I, like the characters in this book, would have an occasional chuckle and smile from Havers comments, but then would revert back to moroseness. Also it may not be fair to rate this book considering it is one of a really long series, but good authors seem to make even individual books within a series stand alone in entertainment value. (less)

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Jun 06, 2008 Kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008-reads, lynley-havers-series, mystery-thrillers, series

#15 of the Havers-Lynley series- This phase of the series follows the death of Helen and Lynley has left Scotland Yard and is walking aimlessly along the English coast. A section of coast that is known for surfing. That was an interesting aspect of this book. When Tommy reaches the area of Casvelyn, he finds a body on the cliffs by the shore. He runs up to a cottage hoping someone is there and breaks the window to get in. He finally finds Daidre who helps him find a phone to call the authorities...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Deb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008-reads, 2012-books-read, kindled-ebook

This was definitely a re-read for me; I first read it in 2008. In the aftermath of Lynley's grief, he's tendered his resignation and embarked on a hike along southern England's Coastal path. One day he discovers a body, and against his desires, he's drawn into the investigation. Throughout the course of the investigation, Lynley begins to surface out of the depths of the paralyzing grief he's experienced, and at the end of the book, in a conversation with Havers, it appears that he will eventual...more

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Jun 14, 2008 Redhedd496 rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who enjoys a great mystery with several plots intwined in the main plot

Elizabeth George at her very best! You begin to feel that the characters are people you know well, and the dead body, the person who committed the murder, had me fooled to the very end!I can usually figure out "whodunit" quickly, so this was a great surprise. The only problem with any of her books, when you're finished with it, you feel a sense of loss because the story is over, and the characters are now no longer a part of your life. I wish she would write the novels quicker, but then, they wo...more

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Mar 22, 2009 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Last book in the Thomas Lynly series. If you like a well written and good detective story read one of Elizabeth George's books.

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Jul 18, 2008 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was so happy to see another Thomas Lynley novel by Elizabeth George. After the last one that she wrote when she had his wife (Helen) and unborn baby killed, I was afraid that she wouldn't write any additional books about him. This one was really good, and I enjoyed it. I don't think that I enjoyed it as much as her other books about him, because I really loved the relationship he had with his wife. But now I have hope for being able to read about him and his co-hort Barbara Havers in future no...more

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Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Elizabeth George is one of my favorite authors. I consider her a master of the English detective/police procedural genre. I� ve looked on her writing as an exemplar of near-perfect prose, a joy to read. Her portrayals of a rather large group of main characters in the Thomas Lynley/Barbara Havers series are so evocative that I have a hard time with what are probably perfectly good portrayals of these characters in the TV series based on the books. George� s descriptions are simply too sharp to be...more Elizabeth George is one of my favorite authors. I consider her a master of the English detective/police procedural genre. I� ve looked on her writing as an exemplar of near-perfect prose, a joy to read. Her portrayals of a rather large group of main characters in the Thomas Lynley/Barbara Havers series are so evocative that I have a hard time with what are probably perfectly good portrayals of these characters in the TV series based on the books. George� s descriptions are simply too sharp to be replaced by anything else.[return][return]However, George did remark some years ago that the reason she had such a large cast is that it would allow her to kill one of them off and still keep the series alive and interesting. In With No One As Witness, she did exactly that, thereby eliminating one of the most empathetic characters in the series, Lynley� s wife, Helen. [return][return]The following book, What Came Before He Shot Her, was only tangentially related to the series, and was the story of the adolescent youth of a Jamaican mother who, abandoned by his mother to live with his older sister, becomes involved in the street gangs and winds up shooting and killing Helen. Because there was no tension in the story� we all knew the outcome-- to me it wound up reading like a sociological study, which is not what I wanted out of George. I wound up not finishing the book.[return][return]So it was with relief that I greeted Careless in Red as a return to and continuation of the series.[return][return]However, the book did not live up to my hopes, which were of a smooth transition back into the series. Transition it is, but not the best, not the caliber of which we know George is capable. In the story, Lynley, to escape his well-meaning and understanding family, friends and colleagues, takes the walking route up the coast of Cornwall. Six weeks into this walk and looking like a homeless beggar, Lynley happens upon the body of a young man in which it appears that the victim has died in a climbing accident. One thing leads to another, and Lynley is fairly sure that the young man was murdered. He stays on to participate in the investigation.[return][return]This is the basis for the plot, which itself is rather well done. But what is the surprise is the radical shift in George� s style of writing. From precise prose where every word seemed perfect and polished, George in this book has developed a looser, more informal style which she does not handle in the same masterly way. It� s so startlingly different that at first it hinders getting into the book; you keep expecting the � real Elizabeth George� to step up, please. Even after you adjust, it still is somewhat uncertain and simply does not fit the personas of the characters she created with her previous style� Lynley does not seem like Lynley, Havers appears like an impersonation of Barbara Havers. Given that a good deal of the strength of George� s books is based on her outstanding characterizations, this is a severe handicap to Careless in Red. It� s interesting to note that in between With no One As Witnessand Careless in Red, George moved to the Seattle area, notorious home (I� ve lived there) to informality and a PC type of vagueness. You worry about George, as if she� s caught a serious infection from which you hope that she recovers fully.[return][return]The book is good but not her best, and in fact so far below in quality to any of the others in the series that you wonder if George is ever going to make it back to the standard which she herself set. Too bad if true.(less)

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Mar 04, 2009 Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Long awaited by Elizabeth George fans, this book deals with Thomas Lynley's struggle to cope with his wife's brutal murder. We all loved Helen; to quote Barbara Havers: "She was bloody brilliant." So, Tommy sets out to walk the Cornish coast in an attempt to come to terms with his grief. And, of course, gets involved in a murder - in fact, discovers the body himself, and then becomes part of the investigation. And, for those of us who love Barbara as much as we love Tommy, she also makes an appe...more Long awaited by Elizabeth George fans, this book deals with Thomas Lynley's struggle to cope with his wife's brutal murder. We all loved Helen; to quote Barbara Havers: "She was bloody brilliant." So, Tommy sets out to walk the Cornish coast in an attempt to come to terms with his grief. And, of course, gets involved in a murder - in fact, discovers the body himself, and then becomes part of the investigation. And, for those of us who love Barbara as much as we love Tommy, she also makes an appearance, although not as early as I would have liked to see it. Along with local police, they all work on this murder set in a colorful, off-season surfer town.

Strengths of the book: connecting with Tommy and Barbara again; a strong subplot about a veterinarian/possible suspect; Elizabeth George's excellent descriptions of the Cornish coast and communities; a plot that's straightforward.

Weaknesses: too many people with weird names (in fact, if I have some spare time, I may try to work some anagrams of some of their names to see if they can be rearranged to spell "California" or some such personal detail from George's life); too much complexity about these people's lives, which, while interesting, was distracting; the lack of maps. A brief comment about maps: any murder mystery would be much helped by maps. George went to such lengths to describe turns and intersections, coves and caves, streets and byways, trips to other places. It would have been so helpful to be able to follow where she was going. She did this in one of her books (the one where Barbara goes on holiday to a beat-up seaside vacation town), and it was great. So, Elizabeth George, if you're reading this, please get yourself to a mapmaker!

Bottom line, the book was good, but not as good as her others. Although we were supposed to draw a lot of parallels to other losses described in the book, it was done in a little bit too clunky of a way. Still, I'm glad Tommy is back at it, although I really don't want him to end up with Daidre.

Also, Barbara Havers, welcome back, too!(less)

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Dec 07, 2008 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read all the Thomas Lynley novels and found them all to be a cut above most detective series, partly because George develops complicated characters who lead complex lives. Careless in Red, despite the somewhat trite title, is more of a sprawling family novel than it is a mystery. Several family sagas are played out, incorporating the intergenerational conflict that binds individual family members to each other and intertwines them for good and ill with other families involved in the story....more

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Mar 10, 2013 Aileen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, mystery-detective

I remember reading the first 6 or 8 George books with real enjoyment, but I got a little sick and tired of the neurotic self-absorption of the 4 main characters (Lynley, Deborah, St James and Helen). After a break of several years, I decided to give this one a try, just to see if I would enjoy her books again. I must say, I was interested enough to finish this lengthy book and I was engaged with the plot and the characters. But I find I have all the same old complaints.

*spoilers ahead!!

First, it...more I remember reading the first 6 or 8 George books with real enjoyment, but I got a little sick and tired of the neurotic self-absorption of the 4 main characters (Lynley, Deborah, St James and Helen). After a break of several years, I decided to give this one a try, just to see if I would enjoy her books again. I must say, I was interested enough to finish this lengthy book and I was engaged with the plot and the characters. But I find I have all the same old complaints.

*spoilers ahead!!

First, it is INCREDIBLE to have a major female character who is presented as a dead-set textbook nymphomaniac and not a single review here even notes this extraordinary choice!! Dellan is presented as a pathetic, needy aging nympho. It entirely defines her character - she has no other personality. No other characteristics. Every single word of dialogue she speaks and every single comment or description of her relates to her sexuality. And it is clear that her rampant sexuality is dangerous to those around her, especially her children. Won't someone please think of the children?! Dellan's nymphomania indirectly leads to the murder of her son. You know what? That's just not good enough. That is lazy, ugly, misogynistic bullshit.

Secondly, the book begins with Lynley stumbling on a days- or weeks-long coastal walk - barely coping, almost suicidal with grief. We are told he sleeps where he falls, has no changes of clothing, apparently has not bathed during the entire walk. Extreme reaction but okay, I can swallow that. Within a few chapters, however, he is falling in love with someone else. Wha....? Are you kidding....? So much for the overwhelming grief!?

There are so many holes in the plot. As another reviewer says, it is grating when the police carry out these desultory interviews which don't canvass the victim's life in any thorough way at all. Also, I am annoyed when characters in books don't talk to their own family in any direct or clear way. None of the characters in this book seem to speak directly to anyone about the past or the present. Even the most mundane facts are made mysterious. Everything is kept secret and only referred to in cryptic indirect ways. If that's then only way that an author can preserve their plot devices, then they are not writing well.

Lynley's new squeeze drags out the action because she lies about her whereabouts and movements to cover up the fact that her parents are gypsies. That's right. She would rather RISK BEING ACCUSED OF MURDER, and jeopardize the murder inquiry because she is ashamed of her family origins. FFS!

This is a long-winded, shambling book. Like so many successful authors, George seems to have gotten too big to be properly edited these days. Just as an example, have a glance over the murderer's 'speculation/deniable confession'. How many times does he say 'he - or she - could've been a woman' or 'him - or her - remember it could have been a woman.' Yeah, we get it, we get it! I was itching to get out the red pencil from about chapter 3.

But, despite all these criticisms and many more, I still enjoyed reading this book. It is a testament to George's talent that she can carry us through all the frustrations and poor plotting/writing. She is original, her characters and plots are interesting and often take us to unexplored regions. I love Havers as a foil to Lynley et al. I liked Bea and Roy and Pete.

George needs a good old-fashioned editing!(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Leya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

It's been ages since I last read a Thomas Lynley book by Elizabeth George. I was a little turned off by what had happened to his wife. I didn't like the author's decision to kill her off, so basically I was pouting and upset....I finally got over it and picked up Careless in Red.

Thomas Lynley comes across a body while he's hiking through the Cornish coastline. And that's how Inspector Lynley becomes involved in the case, although he does not want to a part of the investigation. He is done with t...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Erica Hughes rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I tend to judge books on two scales: the plot, and the writing. Their quality is really independent of each other, and I'd hazard to guess that most books are strong on one and weak on the other. I've always loved Elizabeth George's books because she is great at both.

That was not the case with Careless in Red.

The plot is a pretty solid 4-star George plot. (I consider In the Presence of the Enemy and A Traitor to Memory to be 5-star plots--those books are incredible. The rest of her work is 4 to...more I tend to judge books on two scales: the plot, and the writing. Their quality is really independent of each other, and I'd hazard to guess that most books are strong on one and weak on the other. I've always loved Elizabeth George's books because she is great at both.

That was not the case with Careless in Red.

The plot is a pretty solid 4-star George plot. (I consider In the Presence of the Enemy and A Traitor to Memory to be 5-star plots--those books are incredible. The rest of her work is 4 to 4.5.) There are lots of suspects, and it's not really possible to guess whodunnit until pretty close to the reveal. The motive behind the murder is a classic Georgian tragic twist. Interest in the plot kept me reading through the really abysmal writing.

One of two things happened with this book. Either it was not written by George at all but by an imitator that's been hired by the publisher to keep the franchise going after George herself got too burned out; or George submitted a first draft that never got revised or edited.

Normally I love George's writing style and the way she dives into character's lives, exposing all their doubts and regrets and anxieties, and the mundane tragedies of everyday life. Her close-third person perspective and stream-of-consciousness style is normally engaging, even compelling. Not so this time. This time it's redundant and meandering, overstating subtext, dwelling on nothing. The same goes for her description of landscape--normally this adds to the atmosphere, but this time it was, frankly, boring. I frequently felt like I was reading a geology textbook on the Cornish cliffs, and a dry one at that. It was not possible to keep my mind from wandering while she went on for paragraphs about what this or that particular type of gravel is called.

I think George is tired of writing Lynley mysteries. I can't really blame her. I'm rather tired of Lynley, too. I wish she'd move on to writing about Havers and Nkata instead--let Lynley become the new Hillier and take a back seat. Instead I think she's just phoning these new books in, and I suspect that once you've written as many bestsellers as she has, editors don't take too much of a red pen to your work anymore. Or maybe she has a new editor who's not very good at their job. Careless in Red reads like an early draft to me, in which George is still telling the story to herself, getting her facts straight, taking whatever diversions in the path she comes across; and it never got that round of tightening and polish that most of her books have undergone.

I'm not encouraged by what I've heard of the subsequent books, but I'll probably work my way through them anyway, mostly because I want to know how Havers's life is going to develop. I think we'll probably never see another Traitor to Memory, though. (less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've long been a fan of Elizabeth George and her Inspector Lynley mystery series. I found this book to be somewhat of a disappointment, however, for a number of reasons. First, I have to say the flaws have nothing to do with the writing style. George is one of the best mystery writers out there today and her writing remains as strong as ever, even though the first Lynley book was published more than 20 years ago.
My objections have more to do with the plot than anything else. Although I thought...more I've long been a fan of Elizabeth George and her Inspector Lynley mystery series. I found this book to be somewhat of a disappointment, however, for a number of reasons. First, I have to say the flaws have nothing to do with the writing style. George is one of the best mystery writers out there today and her writing remains as strong as ever, even though the first Lynley book was published more than 20 years ago.
My objections have more to do with the plot than anything else. Although I thought it was a nice touch for George to open the narrative with Inspector Lynley (Tommy) wandering forlornly along the English coast near Cornwall as an act of grief associated with the passing of his wife, this stands in too sharp a contrast with him then "falling for" another woman throughout subsequent pages. Perhaps this is unfair of me and a left-over bias for the much beloved Helen Lynley, who was murdered in the previous novel,but I just couldn't accept Tommy "moving on" so quickly. I give George credit for being subtle and not hitting the reader over the head with Tommy's burgeoning feelings of warmth toward Dairdre but well - it is what it is - too much too soon, especially in light of his solitary sojourn along the English coast. This journey, we are informed at novel's opening, lasts at least 43 days.
My second critique: At the risk of giving too much away, the revelation of Dairdre's past is somewhat anticlimatic, given the repeated instances in the book where it is revealed she has been caught in lies regarding key details in the murder investigation. I can only surmise George had a pang of conscience and panicked at the idea that our hero Tommy is -gasp - not only falling for another woman so quickly after Helen but he may actually be falling for a femme fatale.
My final critique: The ending is just awful. Again, too much of an anticlimax. Not only do we FINALLY find out who the murderer is but after he/she admits in so many words to doing the crime, the evidence can't be used because the confession is not really a confession but an allegorical revelation. It's just puzzling and frustrating. I suppose I must be spoiled by all those classic whodunnits where the murderer is caught, goes to trial and then jail and it's all wrapped up in a neat little package. Careless in Red is definitely not one of those types of mysteries. (less)

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May 26, 2012 Macha rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 & 1/2 stars. this one didn't quite gel for me as well as Lynley stories usually do. a large and interesting cast of characters to lend their varied PoVs, one theme of catastrophic loss in different permutations, another of daddy issues, another of lies and identity issues, a lovely dark and oppressive setting along the Cornwall coast - what was not to like? i guess it seemed to me to belabor its various points a tad too often, manipulate the characters and their stories a bit too much to g...more

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Jun 28, 2011 mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: women-s-fiction, relationships

Sixty-eight year old “Grandie,” caretaker of Tammy, 17 years old and pious, a quote typically obstinate female teenager says: “Love’s a bitch of a thing,” to his drinking pal, 70 year old itinerate surfing guru Jago Reeth, who responds with, “It’s a killer, that.” As they quaff beers in the local pub. Fifty-eight year old female Detective Inspector Bea Hannorford ponders the three primary motives for murder 1) sex 2) power 3) money i/r/t the murder of 18 year old Santo Kerne, a quote typically o...more Sixty-eight year old “Grandie,” caretaker of Tammy, 17 years old and pious, a quote typically obstinate female teenager says: “Love’s a bitch of a thing,” to his drinking pal, 70 year old itinerate surfing guru Jago Reeth, who responds with, “It’s a killer, that.” As they quaff beers in the local pub. Fifty-eight year old female Detective Inspector Bea Hannorford ponders the three primary motives for murder 1) sex 2) power 3) money i/r/t the murder of 18 year old Santo Kerne, a quote typically obstinate and sex-crazed teen boy, at the same time she bemoans her own love quest for a replacement romantic partner, musing that all men in her age group carry so much baggage and are so pathetic as to drive a woman to drink. And then there’s New Scotland Yard’s SWF detective sergeant Barbara Havers who has long ago resigned herself to the vibrator, and also the 44 year old mother of the victim who will F almost anyone between doing her forsaken and infatuated (with her) sullen husband; and then the mysterious 31 year old SWF veterinarian and her 45 year old super-sexed client-pal, and cider farmer – who likes boys and men concurrently – just to keep the excitement level up. And there is also the 18 years and pregnant, just-dumped girlfriend of-and-by the victim; and her brother, another typical obstinate sex-crazed teen boy who wants to F the willing and able mother of Santo, who is grieving in her own strange way. Who dunnit? Well, maybe recently retired and grieving (b/c of the murder of his beloved wife) 38 year old New Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley can help. Whaddya think?

The author is a highly acclaimed “New York Times Bestselling-“ writing in the genre of “psychological suspense.” I call it woman’s fiction and pretty much just trite and typical. Woman’s fiction meaning it stars middle-aged independent woman who are coming to grips with life w/o a husband and struggling to manage wayward teens and economics. And yes, they always become entrepreneurs in the country. But what do I know? I’m a past middle-aged DWM, sometimes referred to as Drinking Writer Man – not ironically wrestling with the same life circumstance as the women, who bore me to the point of drinking alone when not on the “beaver hunt” for unspoiled and/or uncorrupted and not yet bitter, not yet scared, and not yet resentful female company. In other words youngish, intelligent, funny, attractive SWFs, which are rarer than beautiful, female dryads and mermaids, apparently. Maybe those old salts are on to something.
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Aug 08, 2010 Annabelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

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May 31, 2010 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-audio-books, 2010-mysteries

Careless in Red, by Elizabeth George, B-plus, produced by Harper Collins, This is the 14th book, I believe in the Lynley series. In this one, Inspector Superintendent Lynley resigns his position as superintendent of Scotland Yard because he cannot come out of the depression he is in following the senseless murder of his wife, Helen. Lynley has been walking the Cornish coast for 43 days. He is withdrawn, doesn’t eat much, hasn’t showered or changed clothes in a long time, and looks nothing like h...more Careless in Red, by Elizabeth George, B-plus, produced by Harper Collins, This is the 14th book, I believe in the Lynley series. In this one, Inspector Superintendent Lynley resigns his position as superintendent of Scotland Yard because he cannot come out of the depression he is in following the senseless murder of his wife, Helen. Lynley has been walking the Cornish coast for 43 days. He is withdrawn, doesn’t eat much, hasn’t showered or changed clothes in a long time, and looks nothing like his usual self. On the 43rd day, he finds the body of a young man at the bottom of a cliff. It is in an isolated spot and he ends up breaking into a nearby cabin to see if there’s a phone, which there isn’t. The owner of the cabin, a female veterinarian, also a recluse, comes home and the two report the body to the police. At first Lynley tries to keep his identity secret as he doesn’t want to be drawn into the investigation, but ultimately he is drawn into the investigation as it becomes clear the young man didn’t fall down the cliff accidentally. It is hard here to go from seeing Lynley at the beginning of the book practically catatonic to being able to solve the crime. I also am getting the feeling that George is manipulating her characters more than I like, in the way Patterson and his co-writer have manipulated the women’s murder club. In this book, it seems that she is starting the process of having sexual tension created around Lynley-too soon in my view after Helen’s death. But I’m more concerned about what she is doing to Barbara Havers. She’s almost made a caricature out of her. Havers is a survivor, and a woman who has had to overcome many things to stay in the Scotland Yard police force, but she’s always reported as sloppy, eating greasy food, living in clothes she’s owned for a decade, etc. I have always liked Havers as a character and I don’t want her made into a caricature-kind of an offensive portrayal of a working class woman. I’ll go on reading these books because I basically still like the characters. (less)

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Jun 27, 2009 Vivisection rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychological-mysteries, murder-most-british, supporting-characters-i-love

There are books meant to be read pool/beach side in the hot sun with sweat dripping down your face, one hand shielding your eyes from the sun all the while angling your book so that you may read it. They don't have complicated plots--Janet Evanovich comes to mind. As does any bodice ripper romance. Light, fluffy books that don't require much thought are for summer waterside recreation.

There are also books to be read on the plane. See above considerations.

800 page novels filled with complicated...more

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Jun 02, 2009 Rod rated it 4 of 5 stars

The cover of this book tells us that ‘Inspector Lynley Is Back’. Regular readers will know what this means though I didn’t know he’d gone away.

The title is unusually good, but I can’t say why without giving away too much of the plot. It refers to a femme fatale by the name of Dellen, who likes to wear red. The ‘careless’ goes straight to the heart of the matter.

As crime writing goes, this has a lot going for it. First of all, and though there is a death, it occurs before the action begins so the...more The cover of this book tells us that ‘Inspector Lynley Is Back’. Regular readers will know what this means though I didn’t know he’d gone away.

The title is unusually good, but I can’t say why without giving away too much of the plot. It refers to a femme fatale by the name of Dellen, who likes to wear red. The ‘careless’ goes straight to the heart of the matter.

As crime writing goes, this has a lot going for it. First of all, and though there is a death, it occurs before the action begins so there is no description of violence leading to death. In this it is a welcome relief to some of Val McDermid’s books or the ludicrous stories in the Midsomer Murders TV series. The interest lies not in gruesome detail but in character and in piecing together the past events which have led to the present death. The plot is so well constructed that when you finish this book you could read it again and find new significance in some of the exchanges, for example, those between Dellen and her husband Ben when they are questioned by Detective Inspector Bea Hannaford. This book is undoubtedly a good read, and any criticism is with that in mind.

For me, there were so many characters with unusual names I found it hard going at first. One of these, Cadan, goes everywhere with a parrot. If I assembled all the remarks this bird makes I doubt if anyone would find it credible. If I were editing this book I’d lose the parrot.
‘Pooh said, ‘Polly wants a shag. Polly wants a shag,’ displaying, not for the first time, the level of inapposition to which he was capable of sinking at a moment’s notice.’ (page 161, paperback edition)

This quote leads me to my next concern. The book could do with fewer words: ‘displaying, not for the first time, the level of inapposition to which he was capable of sinking at a moment’s notice.’

The author has a tendency to over-write. It reminds me of note-spinning but with words. Here’s another example: ‘It was, praise God or praise whomever one felt like praising when praise was called for, the last radiator.’ (page 160)

And another: ‘His golden retriever bounded up to him. Her exploration of the other dog’s pertinent orifices complete, Lily was ready for another throw of the tennis ball.’ (page 455)

To me this comes across as a pedantic tendency and there are too many instances of it.
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Dec 15, 2010 Mrsgaskell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 8-star, library

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Jan 30, 2011 Bob rated it 4 of 5 stars

My second Elizabeth George and sequence wise just earlier than my first one. Not a problem though, this one like the first was long at 623 pages, with many characters involved in the telling. There was a mystery as Inspector Linley has left the Yard following the killing of his wife and embarked on a long solitary walk along the Cornish coast trail. At one point he discovers the body of a young man at the foot of the cliff he was climbing, having no phone he finds a lonely cottage and with no on...more

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May 09, 2010 Rebecca Maines rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I'll admit it: I'm glad Helen is dead. I found her insufferable as a character and Thomas Lynley's attraction to her inexplicable. Killing her off was the best thing that could happen for this series.

Now Thomas is grieving for her, and has left his life and work behind to walk the coast. Naturally, he stumbles on a corpse and despite his intent to stay away is drawn into the investigation. In addition to his partner Barbara Havers (who seems to be on excellent terms these days with her aggressi...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Christina Mitchell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Long live DS Barbara Havers!!!

I've read a few of the Inspector Lynley series by this time. No use covering old ground in this review. Hence, these drippings of opinion are dedicated to the disheveled delight of a detective. She has a hairstyle no doubt maintained by a pair of clothing shears kept in her medicine cabinet, a body best described as one that itself will probably be grateful when it gives out, and eating habits that would make junk-foodies cringe [I restate from a previous review......more

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May 19, 2009 Khaya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteriesthrillers

Disappointing. For starters, the book was way too long and the build-up was extremely slow. Elizabeth George has enjoyed a successful career, with good reason mostly, and she seems to have reached the point where people are afraid to edit her. It happens to a lot of authors, and it's unfortunate. Even the best authors need editors, especially after they've started believing their own hype.

There were also too many confusing subplots. I kept forgetting which pairs were brother and sister and which...more Disappointing. For starters, the book was way too long and the build-up was extremely slow. Elizabeth George has enjoyed a successful career, with good reason mostly, and she seems to have reached the point where people are afraid to edit her. It happens to a lot of authors, and it's unfortunate. Even the best authors need editors, especially after they've started believing their own hype.

There were also too many confusing subplots. I kept forgetting which pairs were brother and sister and which were boyfriend and girlfriend, whose father was who, whose father owned the surfing store and whose father was building the extreme sports place and which of them forbade his son to surf, when that son was the murder victim (but which family did he come from again?). There was one subplot in particular which took up a lot of room and was, in my view, completely unnecessary not to mention boring.

Besides this, much of the book was unrealistic and required just a bit too much suspension of disbelief. Inspector Lynley, grieving for his lost wife and extremely vulnerable, is suddenly asked -- rather, compelled -- to participate in a murder investigation, even though he handed in his badge a while back, even though it's not his city, even though his capacity in the investigation is not an official one and he doesn't seem to be on the payroll so his actual level of responsibility is unclear, even though there are growing concerns about his ability to maintain balance in light of his recent loss. Huh? Is this in fact how police forces operate? In a murder investigation? I realize it was a small town with an understaffed police force, but the whole thing seemed just a bit contrived -- a way to get Lynley into the picture and create dramatic conflict around his actions and emotional state at the same time. In addition to being ludicrous in many respects, the plot was even repetitive with all the sociopathic nymphomaniac older women coupling with hormonally driven younger men, all of whom typified lazy, unmotivated, immature adolescents.

I've always enjoyed Elizabeth George's Lynley/Havers series for its psychological complexity and exploration of characters and relationships. Here, I felt she tried for that but didn't quite achieve it. You have this divorced couple where the husband is dying to take her back and she's resisting for bizarre reasons, including an apparently baseless assumption that he spends all his time having cheap affairs with beautiful younger women. You have this other middle-aged couple, married at least 20 years, where the woman has betrayed him repeatedly on a variety of levels and he has chosen to remain with her, with continuing lust (lust which is far more suited to 20-year-old newlyweds than to middle-aged people married 20 years) for her as the only apparent factor in this decision. Finally, one of the murder suspects is hiding her past in a way that appears incriminating. But when that past is finally revealed, it's not only pretty strange (we're talking "The Glass Castle" here) but unclear why she would risk incriminating herself simply because she wants to hide her "Glass Castle" origins.

Sigh. Even Barbara Havers, my favorite Elizabeth George character, doesn't really figure into the story until more than halfway through and seems only faintly her snappy self.

I've been a fan of the series, and I may yet pick up the next one if she writes it. But this one really wasn't worth the 720 pages.(less)

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Jul 18, 2011 Lauren Good rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

If this were a meal, I’d say it wasn’t particularly satisfying. It’s as if we kept nibbling around the edges of the meaty story, with the server placing a steaming pile of appetizers in front of us, just to snatch it away after a few bites, replacing it with a salad, snatching it away, and rotating all the different courses. We get bits and pieces of everything, getting to know everyone and everything in the village of Casvelyn, but not getting to spend enough time with the cold and greasy main...more

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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)

For the Sake of Elena (Inspector Lynley #5)

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“Les micro-ondes n'étaient-ils pas une invention merveilleuse? N'avaient-ils pas simplifié la vie de tout le monde? Si seulement il existait un appareil comparable, dans lequel on puisse déposer les gens, pas pour les réchauffer mais pour les rendre différents…” — 1 person liked it

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Careless in Red (Inspector Lynley #15)

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