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Inspector Lynley #4
Une Douce vengeance
Une nouvelle affaire du train postal n'agiterait pas davantage Scotland Yard. Thomas Lynley, huitième comte d'Asherton, le plus élégant des inspecteurs de la maison, annonce son mariage avec la photographe en vogue Deborah Cotter.
Un week-end de fiançailles se prépare en Cornouailles, dans la propriété familiale de l'aristocrate policier. Mais la présence d'un futur beau-père hostile, d'un ami et rival dangereux et d'un frère drogué empoisonne la fête. Et la garden-party tourne au cauchemar lorsqu'on découvre, consciencieusement mutilé et châtré, le cadavre d'un journaliste local. Pour Lynley, la comédie mondaine risque de s'achever en noire tragédie. Surtout si les fantômes du passé s'en mêlent.
Un week-end de fiançailles se prépare en Cornouailles, dans la propriété familiale de l'aristocrate policier. Mais la présence d'un futur beau-père hostile, d'un ami et rival dangereux et d'un frère drogué empoisonne la fête. Et la garden-party tourne au cauchemar lorsqu'on découvre, consciencieusement mutilé et châtré, le cadavre d'un journaliste local. Pour Lynley, la comédie mondaine risque de s'achever en noire tragédie. Surtout si les fantômes du passé s'en mêlent.
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
1160 people are currently reading
3427 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth George
104 books5,436 followersLibrarian 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 San Francisco Bay Area when she was eighteen months old. She was a student of English, receiving a teaching certificate. While teaching English in the public school system, she completed an advanced degree in psychology.
Her first published novel was A Great Deliverance in 1988, featuring Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, a Scotland Yard inspector of noble birth; Barbara Havers, Lynley's assistant, from a very working-class background; Lady Helen Clyde, Lynley's girlfriend and later wife, of noble birth as well; and Lynley's friends Simon and Deborah St. James.
This Elizabeth George is distinct from the other author named Elizabeth George (Christian author).
Series:
* Inspector Lynley
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 San Francisco Bay Area when she was eighteen months old. She was a student of English, receiving a teaching certificate. While teaching English in the public school system, she completed an advanced degree in psychology.
Her first published novel was A Great Deliverance in 1988, featuring Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, a Scotland Yard inspector of noble birth; Barbara Havers, Lynley's assistant, from a very working-class background; Lady Helen Clyde, Lynley's girlfriend and later wife, of noble birth as well; and Lynley's friends Simon and Deborah St. James.
This Elizabeth George is distinct from the other author named Elizabeth George (Christian author).
Series:
* Inspector Lynley
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 790 reviews
August 10, 2011
I do like Elizabeth George's style, and her way with a mystery, but this novel epitomizes everything in her Lynley series I find the most irritating. This particular book is set before the first in the series, A Great Deliverance. Which means it's Lynley without Havers. Havers only has a very brief appearance here, more a cameo, late in the book, two appearances less than a page each and a couple of mentions.
That leaves us with Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, up to his family manor Howenstow in Cornwall for an "engagement weekend" to introduce his fiance Deborah Cotter to his family; Lady Helen and Simon St James accompany him. The subplots involving Deborah, Simon and Helen in the other books have been my least favorite feature. Too often coincidences stretching credibility had been used to involve them in the mystery and their emotional entanglements too much a soap opera. At least in this story, since they are central to the mystery, it seems far less a distraction. And George is at the top of her game here plot-wise. I do like her way with red herrings and feints--she certainly kept me guessing to the end with more than one twist or turn.
But yes, I miss Havers and her working class sensibilities scraping against Lynley's upper class crust. At times here, such as when George has people ignoring a near-rape as an unpleasantness to be smoothed over, or when Lynley bungles in securing a crime scene, I couldn't help but wonder what Havers would have made of that. Havers and Lynley compliment each other, both in professional and in a literary sense, and I do think her being missing bumps this installment down a notch.
That leaves us with Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, up to his family manor Howenstow in Cornwall for an "engagement weekend" to introduce his fiance Deborah Cotter to his family; Lady Helen and Simon St James accompany him. The subplots involving Deborah, Simon and Helen in the other books have been my least favorite feature. Too often coincidences stretching credibility had been used to involve them in the mystery and their emotional entanglements too much a soap opera. At least in this story, since they are central to the mystery, it seems far less a distraction. And George is at the top of her game here plot-wise. I do like her way with red herrings and feints--she certainly kept me guessing to the end with more than one twist or turn.
But yes, I miss Havers and her working class sensibilities scraping against Lynley's upper class crust. At times here, such as when George has people ignoring a near-rape as an unpleasantness to be smoothed over, or when Lynley bungles in securing a crime scene, I couldn't help but wonder what Havers would have made of that. Havers and Lynley compliment each other, both in professional and in a literary sense, and I do think her being missing bumps this installment down a notch.
July 8, 2014
Technically, this fourth entry in the Inspector Lynley series is a prequel, taking place about a year before the events of the first novel, “A Great Deliverance.” Realistically though, this book is placed exactly where it needs to be in the series. After the bombshell that Deborah Cotter St. James laid on her husband, Simon, at the end of the previous book, Elizabeth George takes us back just far enough to get a real understanding of the original dynamics that led every character to that last point in time in that previous book.
Although written in third-person, the primary POV in this novel is that of Simon St. James. A brilliant move on Ms George’s part, Simon is practically the only character, major or minor, who does not wish “a suitable vengeance” on someone. Quite frankly, he hates himself too much to hate anyone else.
As for the others, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth Earl of Asherton, has sought and achieved vengeance against his mother for fifteen years. At the age of 17, he caught her “in flagrante delicto” with his father’s doctor in the room next door to the dying man. For well over a decade, as the Earl, he has controlled both the property and the purse strings of the extremely large estate in Cornwall. Punishing her with long silences, few visits and absolutely no physical touch, Lynley will not even allow a single portrait or photograph of his father to be displayed at the estate as long as his mother chooses to reside there. Oh, yes – vengeance is mine, sayeth Lynley!
Deborah Cotter has, in her mind and her heart, declared vengeance against Simon St. James. Even though Deborah is eleven years younger than Simon, they basically grew up together as her father was a highly placed employee in the wealthy St. James household. Deborah’s mother died when she was seven and Simon was critically injured and severely disabled in a car accident with Lynley shortly after the mother’s death. Despite their age difference, these circumstances bonded them together tightly. However, when Deborah was seventeen, Simon sent her to America to finish her college studies in photography, despite the fact that he loved her and she had professed her love for him. And for the last three years, Deborah has heard not one word from him, not a letter, not a phone call, nothing. But she has heard from Lynley, Simon’s best friend. He has called her often and has visited her in America multiple times. He has courted her slowly and dearly. She is no longer a woman scorned. She has become Lynley’s lover and she has accepted his proposal of marriage. Now, at age 21, she is returning to London and has made very specific plans as to how she will make Simon pay for the hurt he laid on her. Oh, yes – vengeance is mine, sayeth Deborah!
Peter Lynley is Thomas Lynley’s younger brother. When their mother betrayed their father and then the father died, Thomas, in his hate and his grief, essentially abandoned his pre-teen little brother. With no one to guide him during these critical years of youth, Peter eventually descended through self-pity and depression into an addiction to cocaine. Thomas has the title, the estate, the money, the Bentley, the rank with Scotland Yard. And Peter hasn’t enough for his next fix. Hearing that Lynley is bringing Deborah to Cornwall to celebrate his engagement, Peter heads there too, with plans and announcements of his own. Peter is determined that Thomas will pay for all those years of abandonment, and not all the payment will be in money. Oh, yes – vengeance is mine, sayeth Peter!
And let’s not forget Sergeant Barbara Havers. She is not yet Thomas Lynley’s partner. In fact, she does not even personally know him at this point. She just knows him by reputation – his title, his wealth, his position in the Yard, his purported sexual conquests. And for this, she despises him. When Peter Lynley falls afoul of the law in relation to a murder and her boss is assigned to the case, Barbara is ecstatic. She looks Thomas Lynley straight in the face and telegraphs her glee and her intentions. Oh, yes – vengeance is mine, sayeth Havers!
Unfortunately, the dance card of hate is still not yet filled. One other character feels that he has been humiliated at the hands of his peers. And the plans for vengeance he sets in motion even transcend death.
So where is the murder in all this soap opera? On or about page 115 of the mass-market paperback edition, we find the body of Mick Cambrey, with a fractured skull and sexually mutilated. He is a journalist, son of the Cornwall paper’s owner, the son-in-law of Lynley’s estate manager and reputedly a notorious womanizer. Thus, the sexual mutilation comes across as yet another instance of “a suitable vengeance.”
Mick is just the first of four people who will die within one week, that same week that Lynley has taken Deborah, Simon and Lady Helen Clyde to Cornwall for the engagement festivities. Lynley is out of his jurisdiction from a police standpoint, although he and Simon investigate anyway. However, almost everyone involved is either related to Lynley by blood, employment or emotion. He is really not at the top of his game and he knows it. Simon’s ability to compartmentalize in the face of physical and emotional pain pulls the investigation together. But, basically, Lady Helen is the only principle character without a dog in this fight, so to speak. So she does what she does best, she mediates, she coordinates, and she uses both her high society skills and her acting ability to gain information for Lynley.
Elizabeth George’s writing throughout this novel is rich, full and expressive. Her characters are, for the most part, high born and/or well educated and she writes a vocabulary to match. Her physical descriptions of people and locations are crisp and clear. Her characters are multi-dimensional and she does not paint them by description or dialogue with any particular society’s morality brush. They are who they are, they think and say what they will, and they live with the consequences.
The entries in this series are usually classified as British police procedurals specializing in murder investigations. But this book, in particular, and the series is general, is not really about murder. It is about five intertwined characters: Lynley, Simon, Deborah, Lady Helen and Havers. Murder is only the catalyst that effects changes in these characters’ lives and affects the dynamics between them. This series is about people’s lives, not about people’s deaths.
Even being about people’s lives, these entries, particularly this one, are not capable of being classified as romantic suspense either. Even if there are intimate relationships involved and there are mysteries and murders, the emotional, as well as the investigative, content is dark and sometimes quite stressful to absorb. There are no overt or erotic sexual scenarios. While much is alluded to or implied, nothing is gratuitous or sensationalized. And, if you need an HEA at the end, don’t look here. In this particular entry, Prince Charming does not get Cinderella, justice is not served, and every one of our characters reaches the last page grappling with some form of a personal living hell.
Although written in third-person, the primary POV in this novel is that of Simon St. James. A brilliant move on Ms George’s part, Simon is practically the only character, major or minor, who does not wish “a suitable vengeance” on someone. Quite frankly, he hates himself too much to hate anyone else.
As for the others, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth Earl of Asherton, has sought and achieved vengeance against his mother for fifteen years. At the age of 17, he caught her “in flagrante delicto” with his father’s doctor in the room next door to the dying man. For well over a decade, as the Earl, he has controlled both the property and the purse strings of the extremely large estate in Cornwall. Punishing her with long silences, few visits and absolutely no physical touch, Lynley will not even allow a single portrait or photograph of his father to be displayed at the estate as long as his mother chooses to reside there. Oh, yes – vengeance is mine, sayeth Lynley!
Deborah Cotter has, in her mind and her heart, declared vengeance against Simon St. James. Even though Deborah is eleven years younger than Simon, they basically grew up together as her father was a highly placed employee in the wealthy St. James household. Deborah’s mother died when she was seven and Simon was critically injured and severely disabled in a car accident with Lynley shortly after the mother’s death. Despite their age difference, these circumstances bonded them together tightly. However, when Deborah was seventeen, Simon sent her to America to finish her college studies in photography, despite the fact that he loved her and she had professed her love for him. And for the last three years, Deborah has heard not one word from him, not a letter, not a phone call, nothing. But she has heard from Lynley, Simon’s best friend. He has called her often and has visited her in America multiple times. He has courted her slowly and dearly. She is no longer a woman scorned. She has become Lynley’s lover and she has accepted his proposal of marriage. Now, at age 21, she is returning to London and has made very specific plans as to how she will make Simon pay for the hurt he laid on her. Oh, yes – vengeance is mine, sayeth Deborah!
Peter Lynley is Thomas Lynley’s younger brother. When their mother betrayed their father and then the father died, Thomas, in his hate and his grief, essentially abandoned his pre-teen little brother. With no one to guide him during these critical years of youth, Peter eventually descended through self-pity and depression into an addiction to cocaine. Thomas has the title, the estate, the money, the Bentley, the rank with Scotland Yard. And Peter hasn’t enough for his next fix. Hearing that Lynley is bringing Deborah to Cornwall to celebrate his engagement, Peter heads there too, with plans and announcements of his own. Peter is determined that Thomas will pay for all those years of abandonment, and not all the payment will be in money. Oh, yes – vengeance is mine, sayeth Peter!
And let’s not forget Sergeant Barbara Havers. She is not yet Thomas Lynley’s partner. In fact, she does not even personally know him at this point. She just knows him by reputation – his title, his wealth, his position in the Yard, his purported sexual conquests. And for this, she despises him. When Peter Lynley falls afoul of the law in relation to a murder and her boss is assigned to the case, Barbara is ecstatic. She looks Thomas Lynley straight in the face and telegraphs her glee and her intentions. Oh, yes – vengeance is mine, sayeth Havers!
Unfortunately, the dance card of hate is still not yet filled. One other character feels that he has been humiliated at the hands of his peers. And the plans for vengeance he sets in motion even transcend death.
So where is the murder in all this soap opera? On or about page 115 of the mass-market paperback edition, we find the body of Mick Cambrey, with a fractured skull and sexually mutilated. He is a journalist, son of the Cornwall paper’s owner, the son-in-law of Lynley’s estate manager and reputedly a notorious womanizer. Thus, the sexual mutilation comes across as yet another instance of “a suitable vengeance.”
Mick is just the first of four people who will die within one week, that same week that Lynley has taken Deborah, Simon and Lady Helen Clyde to Cornwall for the engagement festivities. Lynley is out of his jurisdiction from a police standpoint, although he and Simon investigate anyway. However, almost everyone involved is either related to Lynley by blood, employment or emotion. He is really not at the top of his game and he knows it. Simon’s ability to compartmentalize in the face of physical and emotional pain pulls the investigation together. But, basically, Lady Helen is the only principle character without a dog in this fight, so to speak. So she does what she does best, she mediates, she coordinates, and she uses both her high society skills and her acting ability to gain information for Lynley.
Elizabeth George’s writing throughout this novel is rich, full and expressive. Her characters are, for the most part, high born and/or well educated and she writes a vocabulary to match. Her physical descriptions of people and locations are crisp and clear. Her characters are multi-dimensional and she does not paint them by description or dialogue with any particular society’s morality brush. They are who they are, they think and say what they will, and they live with the consequences.
The entries in this series are usually classified as British police procedurals specializing in murder investigations. But this book, in particular, and the series is general, is not really about murder. It is about five intertwined characters: Lynley, Simon, Deborah, Lady Helen and Havers. Murder is only the catalyst that effects changes in these characters’ lives and affects the dynamics between them. This series is about people’s lives, not about people’s deaths.
Even being about people’s lives, these entries, particularly this one, are not capable of being classified as romantic suspense either. Even if there are intimate relationships involved and there are mysteries and murders, the emotional, as well as the investigative, content is dark and sometimes quite stressful to absorb. There are no overt or erotic sexual scenarios. While much is alluded to or implied, nothing is gratuitous or sensationalized. And, if you need an HEA at the end, don’t look here. In this particular entry, Prince Charming does not get Cinderella, justice is not served, and every one of our characters reaches the last page grappling with some form of a personal living hell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2023
I went into this book expecting the fourth book in the series, but instead I got a prequel. I was taken back to a time when St. James and Lynley loved the same woman, Deborah Cotton. She appears to have loved them both at once and makes a real disaster of the whole thing.
A Suitable Vengeance takes place at Howenstowe, the country seat of Thomas Lynley, 8th Lord Asherton. He has taken Deborah there to celebrate their engagement, but nothing goes to plan. There are far too many melodramatic moments (the scene on the beach is ridiculous). Eventually after many pages there is a murder, and Lynley and St. James investigate which actually makes the whole book worth reading.
Of course the author writes beautifully, the Cornish scenery is lovely and the mystery is excellent. I am giving it three stars because I was always keen to keep going, but I wished the characters had been a little less overwrought. I have great hopes for the next one!
A Suitable Vengeance takes place at Howenstowe, the country seat of Thomas Lynley, 8th Lord Asherton. He has taken Deborah there to celebrate their engagement, but nothing goes to plan. There are far too many melodramatic moments (the scene on the beach is ridiculous). Eventually after many pages there is a murder, and Lynley and St. James investigate which actually makes the whole book worth reading.
Of course the author writes beautifully, the Cornish scenery is lovely and the mystery is excellent. I am giving it three stars because I was always keen to keep going, but I wished the characters had been a little less overwrought. I have great hopes for the next one!
April 25, 2024
Wow, there's only one interesting mystery about this book and it is: WHERE HAS MY REVIEW GONE?
2 days ago it was here on GR, black and white, and now it's just gone without a trace.
Hmm.
Question is, could the Lynley and Havers duo solve the crime?
Possibly, but only after 400 pages of
- mind numbing navel-gazing and self-absorption
- all kinds of relationship-angst that could credit at least 4 YA novels
- immature behaviour in their relationships to other, very unappealing and uninteresting people.
And maybe my review will reappear ... or .. not?
2 days ago it was here on GR, black and white, and now it's just gone without a trace.
Hmm.
Question is, could the Lynley and Havers duo solve the crime?
Possibly, but only after 400 pages of
- mind numbing navel-gazing and self-absorption
- all kinds of relationship-angst that could credit at least 4 YA novels
- immature behaviour in their relationships to other, very unappealing and uninteresting people.
And maybe my review will reappear ... or .. not?
May 29, 2020
When journalist Mick Cambrey is found dead, castrated, local opinion is that he got what was coming to him. Inspector Lynley of Scotland Yard investigates the murder in his hometown Howenstow where he knows everybody from his childhood. As the investigation proceeds another murder occurs.
A Suitable Vengance is the fourth book by Elizabeth George about Inspector Lynley and I listened to an audio edition of it published by Bantam Audio Publishing of 1991. I jumped right into A Suitable Vengance and I felt it worked well as a standalone. I am curious what happened to Lynley in the 3 previous installments. In this early release Havers only makes a brief “guest appearance” working with the local investigator. She has not met Lynley at this point.
The story is set in and around idyllic Cornish village of Howenstow. He takes on the investigation assisted by Simon St James. As they are outside their jurisdiction, they are not working in any real professional capacity; more or less as private citizens when investigating the murder of Mick Cambrey.
The plot of A Suitable Vengance has a number of fascinating elements. We get to read about cocaine trafficking, experiments with cancer drugs, cross dressing, posh lifestyle and complicated, bad relationships.
Main character is Inspector Thomas Lynley, 8th Lord Asherton who is heir to the Howenstow estate, has a seriously complicated relationship with his estranged mother following her infidelity. Fortunately as the story progressed, they both to become a little more mature about the incident.
Secondary character Peter Lynley is Inspector Lynley’s younger brother who is a drop out of Oxford. He is addicted to cocaine and lives from one fix to the next. I felt very sorry for him as he felt abandoned by his older brother when very young and kind of gave up on his own life.
To choose a favorite character in this story feels hard. Thomas seemed to be the hero and Peter more of tragic character. My least favorite I think was the first victim’s father Harry Cambrey, who was creating and trying to keep up a lie about his son to shield the family from prejudice.
My favorite part of the plot was descriptions of the posh lifestyle of the Lynleys. Reminiscent of environments from Downton Abbey set in a crime fiction story. It included everything from dinner parties and big social events to descriptions of the manor house itself.
A Suitable Vengance (Inspector Lynley #4) by Elizabeth George is a story with a mix of very fascinating elements ranging from cocaine trafficking to drug experiments. Including twists and turns a very surprising ending. As I am curious about the main character’s relationships, I will definitely go back and pick up on that storyline.
Fans of Elizabeth George would love A Suitable Vengance, as would readers of crime fiction.
Similar authors to explore might be Louise Penny or P.D. James.
Thank you to Kristiansand Public Libraray for providing me with this audio CD edition of A Suitable Vengance which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.
My rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: exiting plot, great character development, surprise ending
A Suitable Vengance is the fourth book by Elizabeth George about Inspector Lynley and I listened to an audio edition of it published by Bantam Audio Publishing of 1991. I jumped right into A Suitable Vengance and I felt it worked well as a standalone. I am curious what happened to Lynley in the 3 previous installments. In this early release Havers only makes a brief “guest appearance” working with the local investigator. She has not met Lynley at this point.
The story is set in and around idyllic Cornish village of Howenstow. He takes on the investigation assisted by Simon St James. As they are outside their jurisdiction, they are not working in any real professional capacity; more or less as private citizens when investigating the murder of Mick Cambrey.
The plot of A Suitable Vengance has a number of fascinating elements. We get to read about cocaine trafficking, experiments with cancer drugs, cross dressing, posh lifestyle and complicated, bad relationships.
Main character is Inspector Thomas Lynley, 8th Lord Asherton who is heir to the Howenstow estate, has a seriously complicated relationship with his estranged mother following her infidelity. Fortunately as the story progressed, they both to become a little more mature about the incident.
Secondary character Peter Lynley is Inspector Lynley’s younger brother who is a drop out of Oxford. He is addicted to cocaine and lives from one fix to the next. I felt very sorry for him as he felt abandoned by his older brother when very young and kind of gave up on his own life.
To choose a favorite character in this story feels hard. Thomas seemed to be the hero and Peter more of tragic character. My least favorite I think was the first victim’s father Harry Cambrey, who was creating and trying to keep up a lie about his son to shield the family from prejudice.
My favorite part of the plot was descriptions of the posh lifestyle of the Lynleys. Reminiscent of environments from Downton Abbey set in a crime fiction story. It included everything from dinner parties and big social events to descriptions of the manor house itself.
A Suitable Vengance (Inspector Lynley #4) by Elizabeth George is a story with a mix of very fascinating elements ranging from cocaine trafficking to drug experiments. Including twists and turns a very surprising ending. As I am curious about the main character’s relationships, I will definitely go back and pick up on that storyline.
Fans of Elizabeth George would love A Suitable Vengance, as would readers of crime fiction.
Similar authors to explore might be Louise Penny or P.D. James.
Thank you to Kristiansand Public Libraray for providing me with this audio CD edition of A Suitable Vengance which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.
My rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: exiting plot, great character development, surprise ending
February 27, 2020
I have appreciated Elizabeth George’s talent, skill, and creativity from the beginning and collect her softcovers and hardcovers with pleasure. Crime mysteries are not the type I favour. But we acquaint her characters so well as family, who go to work in professional capacities and who all have good hearts; that I enjoy this perspective. I am so much a fan of the Thomas Lynley series, I loved this personal story filling in events six years prior. Some readers complained about the shift in direction. I thrive on originality and a personal touch! This book is for fans.
It is ideally situated, after Simon married Deborah and Thomas fell in love with Helen. It behoves compassion for the close knit peers, friends, and couples; to see the history after we are equipped with a measuring stick of the positive outcomes it reaches. We loathed Barbara Havers until she made an effort to befriend her colleagues. We felt aggrieved about her personal loss in the previous novel. Her positive growth is the highest. Elizabeth might have gotten the idea later, to elaborate on the history but I love her decision to show it. It portrays an exceptional team with vulnerable personal flaws to overcome. Simon was cowardly about pursuing Deborah and Thomas was brave, to establish peace with his Mother and brother. His Mother was no saint and Deborah’s Father stops viewing himself as merely a domestic servant.
“A Suitable Vengeance” 1991, is no less a complicated mystery, with multidirectional plotlines, than the other cases. The cast of characters were so many, with some of the incidents accidental or unplanned; no one would sort out all the motives and denouements. I always say, let stories show you where they will go. I am as eager as ever to read the sequel.
It is ideally situated, after Simon married Deborah and Thomas fell in love with Helen. It behoves compassion for the close knit peers, friends, and couples; to see the history after we are equipped with a measuring stick of the positive outcomes it reaches. We loathed Barbara Havers until she made an effort to befriend her colleagues. We felt aggrieved about her personal loss in the previous novel. Her positive growth is the highest. Elizabeth might have gotten the idea later, to elaborate on the history but I love her decision to show it. It portrays an exceptional team with vulnerable personal flaws to overcome. Simon was cowardly about pursuing Deborah and Thomas was brave, to establish peace with his Mother and brother. His Mother was no saint and Deborah’s Father stops viewing himself as merely a domestic servant.
“A Suitable Vengeance” 1991, is no less a complicated mystery, with multidirectional plotlines, than the other cases. The cast of characters were so many, with some of the incidents accidental or unplanned; no one would sort out all the motives and denouements. I always say, let stories show you where they will go. I am as eager as ever to read the sequel.
June 20, 2019
Seriously you guys. I hard shrugged this book throughout. Why George decided to throw out a book that shows events that took place before the first book in the series baffles me. Also there's just a look at Havers and that's it. I cannot read a whole book following Lynley and St. James again. My head was done in. Also the casual way that everyone reacted when a character was almost raped just made my jaw drop. Also the plot line following who murdered several people and why was beyond convoluted.
"A Suitable Vengeance" I think takes place at least 3 years before the start of "A Great Deliverance." In this we have some of the same characters we know today (Lynley, St. James, Lady Helen, and Deborah) but of course at different places in their lives. We see Lynley in a relationship and engaged. We know that St. James has feelings for her, but because of an accident leaving him disabled he is reluctant to be with her. Lynely asks Deborah and others to come to his family home, Howenstow, in order to formally propose to Deborah. Of course a murder takes place that leaves a lot of questions and then leads to the death of another person. Lynely and St. James start investigating when it appears their family members (Lynlely's brother and St. James's sister) may be involved in some way.
Lady Helen continues to be the best thing about this series. I ended up despising Deborah through this whole book pretty much. She's exhausting. Lynely seemed to just be there and most of the story hangs on St. James. I don't mind being in his POV for the most part, he seems to be constantly struggling to not show people what he is feeling. We get a brief glimpse of Havers and I was ticked. Seriously, you need Lynley and Havers together, you can see without her in his life and vice versa. I think if Havers had been on the scene you would have had someone on the scene to look at things that they all kept overlooking in their rush to protect others or lie to each other about the habits of the rich and titled.
The writing was fine, the flow was off though. I just didn't follow much of what anything was going on and we kept having twists and people going well so this is what happened and then it would be, nope this is what really happened. I ceased caring after about the third or fourth revelation.
The ending was just a letdown. I already know what happened with all of the parties in this story so I didn't care. The resolution to the murders had me going okay...that's super complicated. I felt like I needed a flow chart to understand how everyone and thing was linked together.
"A Suitable Vengeance" I think takes place at least 3 years before the start of "A Great Deliverance." In this we have some of the same characters we know today (Lynley, St. James, Lady Helen, and Deborah) but of course at different places in their lives. We see Lynley in a relationship and engaged. We know that St. James has feelings for her, but because of an accident leaving him disabled he is reluctant to be with her. Lynely asks Deborah and others to come to his family home, Howenstow, in order to formally propose to Deborah. Of course a murder takes place that leaves a lot of questions and then leads to the death of another person. Lynely and St. James start investigating when it appears their family members (Lynlely's brother and St. James's sister) may be involved in some way.
Lady Helen continues to be the best thing about this series. I ended up despising Deborah through this whole book pretty much. She's exhausting. Lynely seemed to just be there and most of the story hangs on St. James. I don't mind being in his POV for the most part, he seems to be constantly struggling to not show people what he is feeling. We get a brief glimpse of Havers and I was ticked. Seriously, you need Lynley and Havers together, you can see without her in his life and vice versa. I think if Havers had been on the scene you would have had someone on the scene to look at things that they all kept overlooking in their rush to protect others or lie to each other about the habits of the rich and titled.
The writing was fine, the flow was off though. I just didn't follow much of what anything was going on and we kept having twists and people going well so this is what happened and then it would be, nope this is what really happened. I ceased caring after about the third or fourth revelation.
The ending was just a letdown. I already know what happened with all of the parties in this story so I didn't care. The resolution to the murders had me going okay...that's super complicated. I felt like I needed a flow chart to understand how everyone and thing was linked together.
November 13, 2009
Elizabeth George creates a strange universe where an assault and attempted rape (boyfriend on girlfriend) is viewed by a bevy of bystanders (all acquaintances or relatives of the pair) who bring it to a stop, but then some aristocratic code of silence (they are "all too self-servingly well-bred") prevents them from ever mentioning it, or bringing it to the attention of law enforcement - even though it happens on property owned by a Scotland Yard inspector - or attempting to file charges. In this universe, called Cornwall, a father shows a picture of his son to a Lady (that would be an aristocratic female) and asks, "Is this the kind of man you'd say no to if he asked you to spread your legs, missy?" Also people say things like, "You've never been close to feeling anything for anyone. Why on earth should you? After all, you've got science. You don't have to feel passion." Uh huh.
At first I was very confused about who was dating whom, until I realized this must be a prequel. Havers and Lynley aren't paired up yet; she makes a very brief appearance late in the book.
At first I was very confused about who was dating whom, until I realized this must be a prequel. Havers and Lynley aren't paired up yet; she makes a very brief appearance late in the book.
March 8, 2013
When you're reading a whodunnit and the crime doesn't appear until after page 100, you should take the hint that maybe it isn't the right book for you.
I've read a few other Elizabeth George books and knew that Lynley was a bit of a simp and his friend St. James wasn't really much better, but this book exaggerated those annoying qualities to such a degree that portions were nearly unreadable. The mystery, once it got going, was adequate. Unfortunately the Harlequin-style writing buried the fun under multiple layers of "who gives a shit."
I've read a few other Elizabeth George books and knew that Lynley was a bit of a simp and his friend St. James wasn't really much better, but this book exaggerated those annoying qualities to such a degree that portions were nearly unreadable. The mystery, once it got going, was adequate. Unfortunately the Harlequin-style writing buried the fun under multiple layers of "who gives a shit."
January 8, 2015
A Suitable Vengeance is the fourth book in Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series, but chronologically it occurs years before the first three. In it we see the main characters much younger and gain far more insight into the tangled relationships of Lynley, Deborah, and St. James. Given how much those relationships make me want to shake each one of the players hard, this was my least favorite so far. The mystery itself was interesting, but bizarre in a way that did not redeem the book. I did enjoy the revelations regarding Lynley's relationship with his family, but again, those did not do enough to redeem the book. Not weak enough to put me off the series, but not what I would call good.
June 18, 2017
Confusion sets in quickly as nowhere on the book cover, or any dates in the text indicate that this the fourth book in the 'Inspector Lynley' series, is set way back before the first book 'A Great Deliverance'. Having figured that out despair quickly set in.
The triangle of Lynley, St James and Deborah is so tedious and downright uninteresting, it seems the height of desperation to spend almost 300 pages waffling on and on about them. Previous books have of course referred to their tangled pasts, and as overblown as it is, it just about works. Sadly George has given into the temptation to explain everything in detail.
Everything is overwritten, no cliche is left out. George can write but the prose here tries far too hard to be Literary while the romantic aspects would have been rejected by Mills & Boon. Her attempts at local dialects are unconvincing and her sense of place, non-existent. Worst of all the Unholy trio are just drowning in self-pity. I loathed each and every one of them. St James and Deborah's relationship now feels distinctly sleazy, while Deborah's appeal to so many is obscure.
The murder mystery is not terrible but who really cares?
The publishers should have passed on this one.
The triangle of Lynley, St James and Deborah is so tedious and downright uninteresting, it seems the height of desperation to spend almost 300 pages waffling on and on about them. Previous books have of course referred to their tangled pasts, and as overblown as it is, it just about works. Sadly George has given into the temptation to explain everything in detail.
Everything is overwritten, no cliche is left out. George can write but the prose here tries far too hard to be Literary while the romantic aspects would have been rejected by Mills & Boon. Her attempts at local dialects are unconvincing and her sense of place, non-existent. Worst of all the Unholy trio are just drowning in self-pity. I loathed each and every one of them. St James and Deborah's relationship now feels distinctly sleazy, while Deborah's appeal to so many is obscure.
The murder mystery is not terrible but who really cares?
The publishers should have passed on this one.
February 4, 2009
The story is very complex, one that explains the background of several characters of this Inspector Lynley mystery series .After reading the 3 first books I had trouble with the sequences of events regarding the characters things seem to be out of synch. I was trying to remember what happened to them previously and I found it conflicted with the way they are presented now. The plot in my view is a bit flat, it starts out interesting enough but it drags on and on. The characters are self -absorbed, full of themselves compared to the previous books making it hard to relate to them. I agree with others who suggest it would have made a wonderful short story.
January 25, 2025
Mostly a backstory pre-Havers although she does make a cameo appearance. Lynley backstory with a pretty great plot.
October 10, 2015
If the reader could get past the guilt complexes of the main characters, there is probably a good mystery here.....but 3/4 of the narrative deals with the guilt of unrequited love, guilt over minor incidents from the past, guilt over adultery, guilt over physical infirmities and just plain guilt over anything you choose. It made me feel guilty reading about it.
This is a prequel to the DI Thomas Linley/Simon St. James series that attempts to explain the relationships of the main characters. There is such angst that I am surprised they all didn't just commit suicide and escape their self-imposed suffering. I was not engaged and struggled to complete this book....I was looking for a good Elizabeth George mystery, not a psychological study.
This is a prequel to the DI Thomas Linley/Simon St. James series that attempts to explain the relationships of the main characters. There is such angst that I am surprised they all didn't just commit suicide and escape their self-imposed suffering. I was not engaged and struggled to complete this book....I was looking for a good Elizabeth George mystery, not a psychological study.
May 8, 2020
AROUND THE WORLD OF CRIME/MYSTERY
1991
So, ahem, maybe quinine isn't such a great cure-all? If you read the paperback version (Bantam Trade 2007) skip the author's "Acknowledgements" printed up front, before the novel begins. It contains the solution to a couple of the book's subplots. AND, what SHOULD have been up front (that this is a prequel to George's first Lynley novel) isn't. But these issues are rather minor.
CAST - 1 star: In the first 3 volumes, it's clear Detective Havers doesn't like Lynley. We learn why: he's a jerk (stealing his best friend's girl) and twice here doesn't bother to secure crime scenes, and whines like a 7-year-old, and more. Havers, the best character in the 4 volumes I've now read, appears here for a few pages then disappears quickly, no doubt holding her nose from this stinker. Both Lynley and Simon St. James are madly in love with Deborah, but we never learn why. Most of this book is melodrama of the worst order: people wallowing in their own stupid mistakes. And dressing in mummies clothing...not that that's a bad thing, except mummy doesn't do goth very well.
ATMOSPHERE - 1 star. There's this Old Mill. Problem is, The Hardy Boys solved that mystery in the 1920s. Readers will solve it faster than anyone here in the book. Yes, I like Country House Party mysteries, but oh, this one is relentless in rain, mud, more rain, convenient cliffs from which to throw evidence (or yourself, to escape this mess), boathouses not guarded (but a convenient witness sees all), Irish gun-running (maybe), drug experiments, drug-selling (from the opening acknowledgement), cross-dressing, bar-hopping, guy and girlfriend switching, mummy-has-affair -while-daddy-dies-in-next-room, teas...oh, EVERYTHING. If it's raining, we get a page. If it's NOT, still a paragraph of weather. Men, pay strict attention to who is holding sharp knives, and, like the very smart vicar, you may want to think about an extra-strong codpiece for protection if attending another House Party by this author.
CRIME(S) - 2 star: You name it, it's here. All the 7 deadly sins, at least 9 of the 10 Commandments are violated, and a penis is chopped off for good measure. Fun times, right? See, that's the BIG FLAW. If you're gonna do an English Country House Party, you don't do this. You might have someone hit on the head, or you might develop a board game or something, but no, you don't chop at genitalia. This chosen genre is one of fun, entertainment, a bit of humor maybe. But oh, this is one ugly book. Did I mention a stupendously twisted sexual assault scene in daylight, witnessed by many, and no one cares at all or even bothers to report it to the cops? It begins with a naked guy, a naked girl, and another guy (all on a beach) wearing a shirt so he must rip his pants to shreds during the scene. Sorry, it's 1990, and this might be an aristocratic family, but no, I didn't believe it for a second. Still, I gotta give George 2 stars for this element: nothing is overlooked.
INVESTIGATION - 2 stars: Okay, Havers shows up, looks around, rolls her eyes, and quickly exits. So, there are about 5 decent pages. Oh, and the vicar puts on a codpiece.
RESOLUTION - 1 star: The opening acknowledgement resolves most of the book (inexplicable move by the author), the first chapter clearly reveals the cross-dressing, who it is, and why. So that's all you really need to read.
SUMMARY: 1.4 stars. But why will I read at least one or two more in this series? First, Havers is a fabulous creation. 2nd, Havers at some point is gonna get a big promotion, Lynley will be fired for incompetence and for bedding anything that moves, and hopefully we're done with mutilated genitals. Oh, and child torture from the 3rd book. These are just 2 of my least favorite things in literature.
1991
So, ahem, maybe quinine isn't such a great cure-all? If you read the paperback version (Bantam Trade 2007) skip the author's "Acknowledgements" printed up front, before the novel begins. It contains the solution to a couple of the book's subplots. AND, what SHOULD have been up front (that this is a prequel to George's first Lynley novel) isn't. But these issues are rather minor.
CAST - 1 star: In the first 3 volumes, it's clear Detective Havers doesn't like Lynley. We learn why: he's a jerk (stealing his best friend's girl) and twice here doesn't bother to secure crime scenes, and whines like a 7-year-old, and more. Havers, the best character in the 4 volumes I've now read, appears here for a few pages then disappears quickly, no doubt holding her nose from this stinker. Both Lynley and Simon St. James are madly in love with Deborah, but we never learn why. Most of this book is melodrama of the worst order: people wallowing in their own stupid mistakes. And dressing in mummies clothing...not that that's a bad thing, except mummy doesn't do goth very well.
ATMOSPHERE - 1 star. There's this Old Mill. Problem is, The Hardy Boys solved that mystery in the 1920s. Readers will solve it faster than anyone here in the book. Yes, I like Country House Party mysteries, but oh, this one is relentless in rain, mud, more rain, convenient cliffs from which to throw evidence (or yourself, to escape this mess), boathouses not guarded (but a convenient witness sees all), Irish gun-running (maybe), drug experiments, drug-selling (from the opening acknowledgement), cross-dressing, bar-hopping, guy and girlfriend switching, mummy-has-affair -while-daddy-dies-in-next-room, teas...oh, EVERYTHING. If it's raining, we get a page. If it's NOT, still a paragraph of weather. Men, pay strict attention to who is holding sharp knives, and, like the very smart vicar, you may want to think about an extra-strong codpiece for protection if attending another House Party by this author.
CRIME(S) - 2 star: You name it, it's here. All the 7 deadly sins, at least 9 of the 10 Commandments are violated, and a penis is chopped off for good measure. Fun times, right? See, that's the BIG FLAW. If you're gonna do an English Country House Party, you don't do this. You might have someone hit on the head, or you might develop a board game or something, but no, you don't chop at genitalia. This chosen genre is one of fun, entertainment, a bit of humor maybe. But oh, this is one ugly book. Did I mention a stupendously twisted sexual assault scene in daylight, witnessed by many, and no one cares at all or even bothers to report it to the cops? It begins with a naked guy, a naked girl, and another guy (all on a beach) wearing a shirt so he must rip his pants to shreds during the scene. Sorry, it's 1990, and this might be an aristocratic family, but no, I didn't believe it for a second. Still, I gotta give George 2 stars for this element: nothing is overlooked.
INVESTIGATION - 2 stars: Okay, Havers shows up, looks around, rolls her eyes, and quickly exits. So, there are about 5 decent pages. Oh, and the vicar puts on a codpiece.
RESOLUTION - 1 star: The opening acknowledgement resolves most of the book (inexplicable move by the author), the first chapter clearly reveals the cross-dressing, who it is, and why. So that's all you really need to read.
SUMMARY: 1.4 stars. But why will I read at least one or two more in this series? First, Havers is a fabulous creation. 2nd, Havers at some point is gonna get a big promotion, Lynley will be fired for incompetence and for bedding anything that moves, and hopefully we're done with mutilated genitals. Oh, and child torture from the 3rd book. These are just 2 of my least favorite things in literature.
March 8, 2019
"Als lezer dien je hier dus eigenlijk een beetje te vergeten wat je eerder al las, want de verschillende relaties zitten hier heel anders in elkaar dan we gewend zijn." https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2019...
January 25, 2017
Es ist wirklich schon ewig her, seit ich diese Reihe gelesen hab - ich glaube, ich bin damals bis zu Band 11 gekommen ... und ich war wirklich begeistert! Aber dann hat sich mein Interesse am Genre etwas verschoben und ich hab sie nicht mehr weitergelesen.
Umso schöner, jetzt wieder ganz frisch einzusteigen, denn ich hab beim Lesen gemerkt, dass mir zwar die Figuren alle einigermaßen bekannt sind, aber an die Handlung konnte ich mich nicht mehr erinnern!
Der Einstieg ist eigentlich sehr ungewöhnlich, denn der erwartete Mord passiert erst relativ spät. Die Autorin zeichnet erstmal ein sehr genaues Charakterbild aller Figuren und vor allem auch die Familienkonstellation vom Protagonisten Thomas Lynley und seinen Freunden. Das war aber keineswegs langweilig sondern eher faszinierend, denn jeder von ihnen hat sein Päckchen zu tragen und die Beziehungen untereinander sind mehr als verstrickt.
Die Ermittlungen selber und die Zusammenhänge wirkten manchmal etwas konstruiert, aber die Autorin hat sich die überraschende Aufklärung bis ganz zum Schluss aufgehoben. Man konnte gut miträtseln, denn es waren viele Figuren involviert und auch das Motiv war nicht einfach herauszufinden.
Vom Stil her merkt man, dass es doch schon einige Jahre her ist, gerade was die Charaktere betrifft, erinnert das Verhalten und Denken doch eher an "früher" - was aber jetzt nicht negativ zu bewerten ist - es war für mich nur etwas ungewohnt. Ich weiß ja noch ungefähr, wie sich die Beziehungen untereinander entwickeln werden, deshalb war es für mich keine Überraschung am Ende, aber mit diesem ersten Band setzt Elizabeth George eine gute Grundlage für die folgenden Bände. Auf die bin ich jetzt schon sehr gespannt, denn soweit ich mich erinnere, stehen da die Ermittlungen mehr im Vordergrund und vor allem auch Lynleys zukünftige Partnerin beim Scotland Yard, die hier nur einen kurzen Auftritt hatte.
Ich war nicht ganz so begeistert wie vor 20 Jahren aber ich hab mich gleich wieder in der Geschichte wohl gefühlt und bin jetzt gespannt auf den nächsten Teil.
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
Umso schöner, jetzt wieder ganz frisch einzusteigen, denn ich hab beim Lesen gemerkt, dass mir zwar die Figuren alle einigermaßen bekannt sind, aber an die Handlung konnte ich mich nicht mehr erinnern!
Der Einstieg ist eigentlich sehr ungewöhnlich, denn der erwartete Mord passiert erst relativ spät. Die Autorin zeichnet erstmal ein sehr genaues Charakterbild aller Figuren und vor allem auch die Familienkonstellation vom Protagonisten Thomas Lynley und seinen Freunden. Das war aber keineswegs langweilig sondern eher faszinierend, denn jeder von ihnen hat sein Päckchen zu tragen und die Beziehungen untereinander sind mehr als verstrickt.
Die Ermittlungen selber und die Zusammenhänge wirkten manchmal etwas konstruiert, aber die Autorin hat sich die überraschende Aufklärung bis ganz zum Schluss aufgehoben. Man konnte gut miträtseln, denn es waren viele Figuren involviert und auch das Motiv war nicht einfach herauszufinden.
Vom Stil her merkt man, dass es doch schon einige Jahre her ist, gerade was die Charaktere betrifft, erinnert das Verhalten und Denken doch eher an "früher" - was aber jetzt nicht negativ zu bewerten ist - es war für mich nur etwas ungewohnt. Ich weiß ja noch ungefähr, wie sich die Beziehungen untereinander entwickeln werden, deshalb war es für mich keine Überraschung am Ende, aber mit diesem ersten Band setzt Elizabeth George eine gute Grundlage für die folgenden Bände. Auf die bin ich jetzt schon sehr gespannt, denn soweit ich mich erinnere, stehen da die Ermittlungen mehr im Vordergrund und vor allem auch Lynleys zukünftige Partnerin beim Scotland Yard, die hier nur einen kurzen Auftritt hatte.
Ich war nicht ganz so begeistert wie vor 20 Jahren aber ich hab mich gleich wieder in der Geschichte wohl gefühlt und bin jetzt gespannt auf den nächsten Teil.
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
April 25, 2017
This was a decent murder mystery, but mostly it's a soap opera starring Lynley and his friends and family, set on his family estate in Cornwall. This book is a prequel, covering events that occurred several years before the first book in this series, so you already know how all of the drama is going to be resolved.
Havers only appears briefly, in a couple of unflattering scenes.
I find that I like Lady Helen more and more, and that I rather dislike Deborah.
I can't say there was anything extraordinary about the book, but as soon as I finished it, I wanted to pick up the next one. It's a good thing my mom loaned me a whole stack of these.
Havers only appears briefly, in a couple of unflattering scenes.
I find that I like Lady Helen more and more, and that I rather dislike Deborah.
I can't say there was anything extraordinary about the book, but as soon as I finished it, I wanted to pick up the next one. It's a good thing my mom loaned me a whole stack of these.
December 7, 2021
I had been putting this one off over and over since I’d heard it was a sort of prequel to the series and didn’t have Havers as much of a character. But it turned out to be better than I was afraid it would be. The love triangle was boring beyond, but it was nice to be able to get to know these characters better. The mystery itself wasn’t thrilling, but Elizabeth George is so readable. In short, this was a solid book.
July 21, 2019
The more I read Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley books, the better I like her works. Looking forward to the next volume.
March 29, 2011
Fourth (publication-wise) in the Inspector Lynley mystery series set in modern-day London, A Suitable Vengeance is so incredibly well titled as vengeance abounds throughout the story. Tommy’s anger with his mother, Deb’s anger with Simon, Peter’s anger with Tommy, Justin and Mick’s actions, Sidney’s emotions, Mark’s activities…it’s endless.
The Chronology of the Series
A Suitable Vengeance is, chronologically, first in the series as it tells the tale of Deborah’s return from school in America with her engagement to Tommy during her visit with Tommy’s family in Cornwall. ALL of which takes place well before A Great Disappearance in which Barbara Havers is collecting Tommy for a case from Simon and Deborah’s wedding.
The Story
So, that said, lordy, what a convoluted, swirling tide of clues is this. The primary story is of Simon’s desperate and undeclared love for Deborah set against her and Tommy’s involvement, which leads us to the family weekend at Tommy’s estate in Cornwall, Howenstow---Tommy has proposed and Deborah is to meet the family.
And what a weekend to remember. The local Lothario is murdered with a particularly nasty cut with more murders following and all the suspects are connected to Howenstow. Tommy may be Scotland Yard but we’re not on his patch. And this is where I get frustrated with George. Tommy is a Detective Inspector with Scotland Yard and he is screwing up all over the place not behaving like the policeman he is. He does nothing to secure the initial crime scene. He withholds evidence. He searches for evidence on his own. Why not hire on some divers to search the sea for the case instead of having a couple of the lads diving with masks and snorkels??
My Take
I guess I’m expecting the world especially with how masterfully George pulls all these red herrings into a simple cohesive solution. George is amazing in her attention to detail, the situations she creates, and the tension she builds (even though I have a pretty good idea of how things will end as I’m already three stories into the future when I read this story).
The Cover
The cover is rather painterly with a very suitable subject---the rocks off the Cornish coast which play such a role in opening the case.
The Chronology of the Series
A Suitable Vengeance is, chronologically, first in the series as it tells the tale of Deborah’s return from school in America with her engagement to Tommy during her visit with Tommy’s family in Cornwall. ALL of which takes place well before A Great Disappearance in which Barbara Havers is collecting Tommy for a case from Simon and Deborah’s wedding.
The Story
So, that said, lordy, what a convoluted, swirling tide of clues is this. The primary story is of Simon’s desperate and undeclared love for Deborah set against her and Tommy’s involvement, which leads us to the family weekend at Tommy’s estate in Cornwall, Howenstow---Tommy has proposed and Deborah is to meet the family.
And what a weekend to remember. The local Lothario is murdered with a particularly nasty cut with more murders following and all the suspects are connected to Howenstow. Tommy may be Scotland Yard but we’re not on his patch. And this is where I get frustrated with George. Tommy is a Detective Inspector with Scotland Yard and he is screwing up all over the place not behaving like the policeman he is. He does nothing to secure the initial crime scene. He withholds evidence. He searches for evidence on his own. Why not hire on some divers to search the sea for the case instead of having a couple of the lads diving with masks and snorkels??
My Take
I guess I’m expecting the world especially with how masterfully George pulls all these red herrings into a simple cohesive solution. George is amazing in her attention to detail, the situations she creates, and the tension she builds (even though I have a pretty good idea of how things will end as I’m already three stories into the future when I read this story).
The Cover
The cover is rather painterly with a very suitable subject---the rocks off the Cornish coast which play such a role in opening the case.
January 11, 2022
If you're starting this series, start here. It's actually the groundwork and gives the background into the lives of our main characters, thus making "A Great Deliverance" easier to understand. I started with "A Great Deliverance" and had a time figuring out the relationships, and so much was never really clear. However, I thoroughly enjoyed what has been dubbed as book #1, but this story created a greater empathy in me, toward our main character of Lynley.
This story is of Lynley, being engaged to Deborah, and taking her home for the weekend's engagement announcement. What happens though, is a new murder case directly connected to Lynley's estate. There's never a dull moment with these main characters, professionally and personally, gathering evidence, putting their own lives in more jeopardy. So many times, the evidence seems to lead to the undeniable guilty party, then more clues are found, exonerating the accused.
This series was started many years ago, so I've much catching up to do. Glad I discovered this talented author.
This story is of Lynley, being engaged to Deborah, and taking her home for the weekend's engagement announcement. What happens though, is a new murder case directly connected to Lynley's estate. There's never a dull moment with these main characters, professionally and personally, gathering evidence, putting their own lives in more jeopardy. So many times, the evidence seems to lead to the undeniable guilty party, then more clues are found, exonerating the accused.
This series was started many years ago, so I've much catching up to do. Glad I discovered this talented author.
January 6, 2023
My favorite so far, which is weird because I was kind of dreading this prequel to the Inspector Lynley series - right or wrong, I always think a prequel can only be boring. I want to know what happens next. I do not care what happened before.
I'm not even sure what made this one better. It still contained words like "glaucous" and "furcate" and one word (which I have thankfully forgotten) had no dictionary entry at all on Kindle. It also outdid itself in the "Lords and Ladies ignore horrific crimes because they are Lords and Ladies and thus feel they have that option." On the bright side the pacing was good, the mystery was interesting and the angst struck me as less extreme than in previous books.
Had I lost my patience with this one I might have ended my engagement with Inspector Lynley immediately. As it stands he has been redeemed somewhat but is still on book probation, so to speak. On to #5.
I'm not even sure what made this one better. It still contained words like "glaucous" and "furcate" and one word (which I have thankfully forgotten) had no dictionary entry at all on Kindle. It also outdid itself in the "Lords and Ladies ignore horrific crimes because they are Lords and Ladies and thus feel they have that option." On the bright side the pacing was good, the mystery was interesting and the angst struck me as less extreme than in previous books.
Had I lost my patience with this one I might have ended my engagement with Inspector Lynley immediately. As it stands he has been redeemed somewhat but is still on book probation, so to speak. On to #5.
December 20, 2018
Oh geez, I wish I’d known this was a prequel before I sprung for it on audible. George just plods along in this book, apparently confident that we readers want to hear the super detailed emotional ups and downs of these upper class folk, which was super boring because the whole thing was a foregone conclusion! Definitely not her best effort. Without Barbara Havers, the whole crowd seems shallow and overly similar, a fact which is driven home by George’s relentless attempts to prove that her characters are different. The fine shades of difference amongst their characters, when repeated in endless exposition, made the book feel like a draft from creative writing workshop in which the author was trying envision her characters, which was perhaps a useful exercise, but not worthy. I’ve noticed before the reliance George puts on coincidences, characters from one group just happen to witness something crucial to a mystery totally unrelated. They all fall in and out of love with each other. This tendency to make it all fit neatly together erodes my ability to suspend disbelief and ejects me from the story and into editor mode. And the seething emotions are all just a bit over the top, right?
If I hadn’t been sick and doing a bit of multitasking by sketching while listening to the audiobook I probably would have given up. And yet, because I’m a damn completist about series I probably would have at least skimmed it to the end if I’d been reading it in paper.
If I hadn’t been sick and doing a bit of multitasking by sketching while listening to the audiobook I probably would have given up. And yet, because I’m a damn completist about series I probably would have at least skimmed it to the end if I’d been reading it in paper.
June 1, 2022
Turned out to be much better, had a really slow start with alot of development of setting up the scenes and situations but after the first 130 pafes or so it quickly picked up.
It could have honstly started off with less background as it did detract from the story and made it difficult to want to continue reading but it was worth the push.
I admit I was angry at the naivety of sydney, after almost being raped. How could you be so foolish to think brooke loved you after his actions. To top it off everyones reluctance to bring up peter and sashas nonchalance as this was happening really disgusted me.
As with the authors previous books in this series, it kept you guessing as to who the culprit or culprits were in this book as well. From dealing with a drug addicted brother to dealing with his feelings towards his mother, lynly had quite a bit on his table.
St james on the other hand, having to try and live with his love for Deborah, which he had to stifle, which as we all know,didnt,happen.
With various unforseen twists and turns, shocking revelations about the victims, this definetly was worth a 4 star rating.
It could have honstly started off with less background as it did detract from the story and made it difficult to want to continue reading but it was worth the push.
I admit I was angry at the naivety of sydney, after almost being raped. How could you be so foolish to think brooke loved you after his actions. To top it off everyones reluctance to bring up peter and sashas nonchalance as this was happening really disgusted me.
As with the authors previous books in this series, it kept you guessing as to who the culprit or culprits were in this book as well. From dealing with a drug addicted brother to dealing with his feelings towards his mother, lynly had quite a bit on his table.
St james on the other hand, having to try and live with his love for Deborah, which he had to stifle, which as we all know,didnt,happen.
With various unforseen twists and turns, shocking revelations about the victims, this definetly was worth a 4 star rating.
September 22, 2009
This book is a snooze-fest. The characters that were so interesting in the first three books are made out to be weak and self-absorbed. Havers is such an interesting character and she hardly makes an appearance in this book. As for the mystery - it was really drawn out and dull. When I read her first three novels I found I could not put them down. I actually have to force myself to pick this one up. I'm not sure I want to continue on to the fifth. Is it worth it?
June 29, 2020
In Elizabeth George's A Suitable Vengeance, the 4th installment in the Inspector Lynley Mystery series, this novel deals with hard-core topics that went straight to the jugular. It all started when Lynley announced his engagement to Deborah Cotter and brought her home. At the time of the merry celebration, his brother Peter storms into the festivities with his girlfriend. He haven't seen him in years. Meanwhile, Nancy Chambrey discovers her husband Mick's dead body in his office and calls for help, signaling Lynley and Simon St. James to come to her aid. At the gruesome sight, they wait for the Met Police to come to her home. This started his investigation into Chambrey's murder and dug right into his personal life and his career as a reporter. Meanwhile, St. James assists him and deals with his sister's Sidney's issue with her boyfriend Justin Brooke. But later, they fight and argue, when he took a nosedive off the cliff that ended his life. Between Lynley and St. James, they try to piece together the connection between both deaths when Peter asks for Lynley's help when his girlfriend is found dead in his bed. While he tried to set things right with his brother and to clear his name, both Lynley and St. James discovers the road that led them to a miracle cancer drug that was behind it all. In the end, they came to the same conclusion on who done it and why with a shocking ending to tie up the loose ends in this compelling and dark mystery.
June 24, 2024
Review #2 - June 2024
I revisited two series this year - this one and Pendergast. In both series I got hung up on one book that I didn't like. I decided this was the year to push through and get it over with. I'm glad I did. I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would and I'm relieved that I get to move forward and get more Havers and Lynley in my life.
Some things in this book I liked, and others were kind of the worst.
No Havers - 1 "I miss you" star
Lady Helen - 5 "thank you for having a brain" stars
Deborah - 1 "why are you the worst?" star
Deborah and St. James Relationship - 1 "ew, I never realized the age difference and that you 'watched her grow up'" star
Learning more about Lynley's Family - 5 "love it" stars
The Mystery 3.5 "" stars
The Setting and Character Descriptions 5 "always great" stars (Geroge really is brill at showing versus telling)
This book is a prequel and we get to see Tommy and Deborah when they are engaged. (This was SUPER rough.) They are going for a weekend at Tommy's estate with friends and fam to celebrate. Unfortunately, people start dying (quite a lot!) and even though Tommy isn't officially on the case it involves a lot of people he knows and love so he and St. James start investigating on their own.
I think one of the hardest parts of this book for me was the theme of drug addiction. I'm not a fan of reading about that. I know how painful and horrible addiction is, for everyone involved. It's not my favorite topic.
My least favorite part in the other books is the focus on St. James and Deborah. I've always found those tangents dull and eye-roll inducing. I've never liked Deborah and this book just confirmed and solidified my loathing. Apparently everyone loves her but there has never been any reason given for this obsession. She just goes around taking photos nonstop and they all try and baby her. I think she's kind of the worst. On the other hand, this book made me like Helen even more.
There are a LOT of red herrings in the mystery, so be ready for that. I had a hard time keeping up with all the "it's you! JK, it's not" scenarios playing out at the end.
Already have book 5 on hold! I'm looking forward to it.
Review #1 - 2019
Oi. I didn't realize, at first, that this novel was taking us far back into the past. Back before Lynley and Havers even really knew each other.
I do not like prequels. They feel pointless to me, because we all already know the outcome. I don't really care about all the personal relationships between Lynley, Lady Helen, St. James, etc. That's the least interesting part of this series. I tried toughing it out, but I kept caring less and less, so I finally gave up. It also kind of dulled my enthusiasm to keep reading the series. I'll take a break and pick up with book 5 later on.
I revisited two series this year - this one and Pendergast. In both series I got hung up on one book that I didn't like. I decided this was the year to push through and get it over with. I'm glad I did. I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would and I'm relieved that I get to move forward and get more Havers and Lynley in my life.
Some things in this book I liked, and others were kind of the worst.
No Havers - 1 "I miss you" star
Lady Helen - 5 "thank you for having a brain" stars
Deborah - 1 "why are you the worst?" star
Deborah and St. James Relationship - 1 "ew, I never realized the age difference and that you 'watched her grow up'" star
Learning more about Lynley's Family - 5 "love it" stars
The Mystery 3.5 "" stars
The Setting and Character Descriptions 5 "always great" stars (Geroge really is brill at showing versus telling)
This book is a prequel and we get to see Tommy and Deborah when they are engaged. (This was SUPER rough.) They are going for a weekend at Tommy's estate with friends and fam to celebrate. Unfortunately, people start dying (quite a lot!) and even though Tommy isn't officially on the case it involves a lot of people he knows and love so he and St. James start investigating on their own.
I think one of the hardest parts of this book for me was the theme of drug addiction. I'm not a fan of reading about that. I know how painful and horrible addiction is, for everyone involved. It's not my favorite topic.
My least favorite part in the other books is the focus on St. James and Deborah. I've always found those tangents dull and eye-roll inducing. I've never liked Deborah and this book just confirmed and solidified my loathing. Apparently everyone loves her but there has never been any reason given for this obsession. She just goes around taking photos nonstop and they all try and baby her. I think she's kind of the worst. On the other hand, this book made me like Helen even more.
There are a LOT of red herrings in the mystery, so be ready for that. I had a hard time keeping up with all the "it's you! JK, it's not" scenarios playing out at the end.
Already have book 5 on hold! I'm looking forward to it.
Review #1 - 2019
Oi. I didn't realize, at first, that this novel was taking us far back into the past. Back before Lynley and Havers even really knew each other.
I do not like prequels. They feel pointless to me, because we all already know the outcome. I don't really care about all the personal relationships between Lynley, Lady Helen, St. James, etc. That's the least interesting part of this series. I tried toughing it out, but I kept caring less and less, so I finally gave up. It also kind of dulled my enthusiasm to keep reading the series. I'll take a break and pick up with book 5 later on.
November 15, 2018
A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George. (Inspector Lynley, #4)
There is so much in this one book that to review it by bringing just some of the highlights to the surface will take some doing. Let me begin by saying anything falling simply as one would expect into place does not exist within these pages. Relationships-the building up and tearing down of lives does.
Deborah Cotter has returned from three years abroad in the States. Her engagement to Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley will be formally announced during their gala week-end at Howenstow.
The festivities, however, are not as merry as planned due to the deepening sorrow heaved on Simon St. James. His lose of so dear a friend and lover as Deborah has pierced his heart. St. James copes with his pain the only way he knows how to-through his work. His unending forensic work.
A familiar face from Lynley's past appears among the close knit crowd as Peter Lynley makes his entrance. The years of drug addiction have taken a toll on the Inspector's younger brother. Peter's face almost ghost like while his clothes hang on his skeletal frame. Lady dorothy Lynley has after all these many years both her sons under one roof at home in Howenstow.
So many lives in conflict with each other at an impasse to find any resolution.
Shortly thereafter a young woman with a baby in her arms comes running up to Lynley crying out hysterically that her husband has been murdered. The game begins as Inspector Lynley and St. James re thrown into one of the most diabolical cases they've ever encountered.
This was my 4th Inspector Lynley book. I've seriously developed an attachment to these characters and especially to the in-depth and eloquent writing by this gifted author.
There is so much in this one book that to review it by bringing just some of the highlights to the surface will take some doing. Let me begin by saying anything falling simply as one would expect into place does not exist within these pages. Relationships-the building up and tearing down of lives does.
Deborah Cotter has returned from three years abroad in the States. Her engagement to Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley will be formally announced during their gala week-end at Howenstow.
The festivities, however, are not as merry as planned due to the deepening sorrow heaved on Simon St. James. His lose of so dear a friend and lover as Deborah has pierced his heart. St. James copes with his pain the only way he knows how to-through his work. His unending forensic work.
A familiar face from Lynley's past appears among the close knit crowd as Peter Lynley makes his entrance. The years of drug addiction have taken a toll on the Inspector's younger brother. Peter's face almost ghost like while his clothes hang on his skeletal frame. Lady dorothy Lynley has after all these many years both her sons under one roof at home in Howenstow.
So many lives in conflict with each other at an impasse to find any resolution.
Shortly thereafter a young woman with a baby in her arms comes running up to Lynley crying out hysterically that her husband has been murdered. The game begins as Inspector Lynley and St. James re thrown into one of the most diabolical cases they've ever encountered.
This was my 4th Inspector Lynley book. I've seriously developed an attachment to these characters and especially to the in-depth and eloquent writing by this gifted author.
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August 27, 2018A Suitable Vengeance is next in the series in order of publication, but it actually takes place some years before the rest of the series. Lynley is back at the family estate to introduce his fiancé to his mother, and in the midst of much drama, a journalist gets killed.
I tried and tried, but really could not get into it. The first sections are almost entirely about supposed adults moping around like emo teenagers, and it was extremely annoying. These people clearly do not want to be happy (Simon St. James, I'm particularly looking at you). There's also an element of creepiness in Simon's obsession with Deborah. Deborah is the daughter of his manservant, Cotter, and she grew up in his house. Simon is 11 years older than her, and to be honest, it felt a bit as if he'd been grooming her as she grew up. Pretty disturbing.
That, plus the knowledge that the book is supposed to be set almost entirely in George's cringey, forelock-tugging interpretation of the world of English aristocracy, put me off. Plus, this takes place before Lynley met Havers, so I couldn't even look forward to her coming in and pricking these people's self-importance (reading the reviews on goodreads I see that she does show up at some point, but not for long).
I'm hoping this one is not necessary to continue reading the series (well, I'm pretty sure it isn't, since I enjoyed the later books just fine when I first read them).
MY GRADE: This was a DNF.
I tried and tried, but really could not get into it. The first sections are almost entirely about supposed adults moping around like emo teenagers, and it was extremely annoying. These people clearly do not want to be happy (Simon St. James, I'm particularly looking at you). There's also an element of creepiness in Simon's obsession with Deborah. Deborah is the daughter of his manservant, Cotter, and she grew up in his house. Simon is 11 years older than her, and to be honest, it felt a bit as if he'd been grooming her as she grew up. Pretty disturbing.
That, plus the knowledge that the book is supposed to be set almost entirely in George's cringey, forelock-tugging interpretation of the world of English aristocracy, put me off. Plus, this takes place before Lynley met Havers, so I couldn't even look forward to her coming in and pricking these people's self-importance (reading the reviews on goodreads I see that she does show up at some point, but not for long).
I'm hoping this one is not necessary to continue reading the series (well, I'm pretty sure it isn't, since I enjoyed the later books just fine when I first read them).
MY GRADE: This was a DNF.
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