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Inspector Lynley #1
A Great Deliverance
To this day, the low, thin wail of an infant can be heard in Keldale's lush green valleys. Three hundred years ago, as legend goes, the frightened Yorkshire villagers smothered a crying babe in Keldale Abbey, where they'd hidden to escape the ravages of Cromwell's raiders.
Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. And I'm not sorry."
Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley—and in their own lives as well.
Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. And I'm not sorry."
Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley—and in their own lives as well.
413 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
3065 people are currently reading
31113 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth George
102 books5,503 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 2,626 reviews
May 26, 2025
Sorry for all the fans of Elizabeth George (my mum included) but for me this novel was pretty bad.
The reason I was not impressed include but are not limited to:
- the two main characters who were so different from each other they felt like two caricatures. Also, they were so extreme in some of the characterisation that they became unbelievable. While the aristocratic Lynley was a blond god, kind, and so sexy that all women immediately opened their legs to him, his working class partner, Barbara, was ugly, badly dressed, hysteric and with a huge emotional baggage.
- Lynley's sex life. This isn't a bloody Bond movie or a badly written romance. It was another of those books where I almost fractured my eyeballs from so much rolling. We are constantly reminded how irresistible this Adonis of Scotland Yard is. Of course he is hopelessly in love with a woman he cannot have but that does not stop him to score a few others throughout the book for good measure.
- The American Idiot, who was such an unbelievable character. The writer is American so I could not understand why she made that guy to be such a moron. His presence in the book had absolutely not sense and added nothing to the plot. It only made Americans appear badly.
- The murder investigation. There was so much clutter about class differences between the two MCs, about the greatness of Lynley and about all kinds of crime unrelated drama that I almost forgot this was supposed to be a murder investigation. I really could not care about who the killer was by the end of the novel. I actually skipped the last 50 pages and read half of the last chapter to get over with it
The reason I was not impressed include but are not limited to:
- the two main characters who were so different from each other they felt like two caricatures. Also, they were so extreme in some of the characterisation that they became unbelievable. While the aristocratic Lynley was a blond god, kind, and so sexy that all women immediately opened their legs to him, his working class partner, Barbara, was ugly, badly dressed, hysteric and with a huge emotional baggage.
- Lynley's sex life. This isn't a bloody Bond movie or a badly written romance. It was another of those books where I almost fractured my eyeballs from so much rolling. We are constantly reminded how irresistible this Adonis of Scotland Yard is. Of course he is hopelessly in love with a woman he cannot have but that does not stop him to score a few others throughout the book for good measure.
- The American Idiot, who was such an unbelievable character. The writer is American so I could not understand why she made that guy to be such a moron. His presence in the book had absolutely not sense and added nothing to the plot. It only made Americans appear badly.
- The murder investigation. There was so much clutter about class differences between the two MCs, about the greatness of Lynley and about all kinds of crime unrelated drama that I almost forgot this was supposed to be a murder investigation. I really could not care about who the killer was by the end of the novel. I actually skipped the last 50 pages and read half of the last chapter to get over with it
August 19, 2017
This is a series I have been meaning to start for ages and I am so glad I have got around to it at last! This book is great! It has everything I like in a mystery.
1. A really attractive, talented, charismatic main character who knows exactly what he is doing. And so far he does not appear to be an alcoholic or have any other unappealing trait as most MCs in crime books do these days. (although as this book was written in 1988 nearly everyone smokes all the time)
2. Due also to the date it was written there is a lovely historical aspect to everything. It's all done without mobiles and computers, and life in general seems calmer.
3. The story is good, gritty and totally gripping. The last scenes in the psychiatric hospital made me reach for the tissues.
4. The author knows how to write. Just occasionally she gets a bit carried away with setting her scenes but she does it so nicely I can forgive her.
5. Best of all there are a LOT more books in the series. I love a good series:)
If you have not read this yet I strongly recommend it!
1. A really attractive, talented, charismatic main character who knows exactly what he is doing. And so far he does not appear to be an alcoholic or have any other unappealing trait as most MCs in crime books do these days. (although as this book was written in 1988 nearly everyone smokes all the time)
2. Due also to the date it was written there is a lovely historical aspect to everything. It's all done without mobiles and computers, and life in general seems calmer.
3. The story is good, gritty and totally gripping. The last scenes in the psychiatric hospital made me reach for the tissues.
4. The author knows how to write. Just occasionally she gets a bit carried away with setting her scenes but she does it so nicely I can forgive her.
5. Best of all there are a LOT more books in the series. I love a good series:)
If you have not read this yet I strongly recommend it!
March 31, 2020
This is a novel that had been sitting on my tbr list for some time. Though the idea of picking it up really peaked my interest, I think the fact that a number of books in the series are quite long put me off. Since I’m retired, I finally figured if I was ever going to read long books, now’s the time.
This is a terrific British tale, surprisingly written by an American author. Elizabeth George is a wonderful writer. Her prose is reminiscent of old-time British writing, though not as stilted. Every page or so contains a word I was unfamiliar with, and I loved using the kindle dictionary to learn the definitions. I really didn’t find this to be a flow-breaker as the book moves along at a relatively leisurely pace as it is; furthermore, many of these words have meanings that are clear in the context they are used, so one really doesn’t need a dictionary to understand the content.
Characterization is outstanding. Our protagonist, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, is also the eighth earl of Asherton. He is newly paired with Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers who has difficulty getting along with others and low self esteem. As they pair up in an effort to discover the truth about a number of unfortunate occurrences in rural England, we learn their fascinating back stories and see them attempt to form some sort of working relationship. This tale has a large cast. I did have a bit of trouble remembering who was who, so was happy I was reading on the kindle with its helpful “search” button.
The author has a real handle on delivering imagery to the reader. I feel like I grasped a true sense of the British countryside in this novel.
The plot is captivating. There are quite a few threads and threadlets to keep track of, but all came together beautifully at the end. I would, however, have liked the pace of the final revelations to have been slower so that I could better savor the unraveling of the puzzles.
Ms. George makes liberal use of Shakespearian references. This will be a delight for Shakespeare lovers. Alas, I have never been much of a fan of his so feel I missed out a bit here.
I found A Great Deliverance engaging enough to continue on with the series. In fact, if not for a ridiculously late spring blizzard, I would have immediately trekked down to the library for a copy of book 2. Oh well, that will be a book I can look forward to on another day. I highly recommend A Great Deliverance to all lovers of British crime stories with great characterization and sense of place.
This is a terrific British tale, surprisingly written by an American author. Elizabeth George is a wonderful writer. Her prose is reminiscent of old-time British writing, though not as stilted. Every page or so contains a word I was unfamiliar with, and I loved using the kindle dictionary to learn the definitions. I really didn’t find this to be a flow-breaker as the book moves along at a relatively leisurely pace as it is; furthermore, many of these words have meanings that are clear in the context they are used, so one really doesn’t need a dictionary to understand the content.
Characterization is outstanding. Our protagonist, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, is also the eighth earl of Asherton. He is newly paired with Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers who has difficulty getting along with others and low self esteem. As they pair up in an effort to discover the truth about a number of unfortunate occurrences in rural England, we learn their fascinating back stories and see them attempt to form some sort of working relationship. This tale has a large cast. I did have a bit of trouble remembering who was who, so was happy I was reading on the kindle with its helpful “search” button.
The author has a real handle on delivering imagery to the reader. I feel like I grasped a true sense of the British countryside in this novel.
The plot is captivating. There are quite a few threads and threadlets to keep track of, but all came together beautifully at the end. I would, however, have liked the pace of the final revelations to have been slower so that I could better savor the unraveling of the puzzles.
Ms. George makes liberal use of Shakespearian references. This will be a delight for Shakespeare lovers. Alas, I have never been much of a fan of his so feel I missed out a bit here.
I found A Great Deliverance engaging enough to continue on with the series. In fact, if not for a ridiculously late spring blizzard, I would have immediately trekked down to the library for a copy of book 2. Oh well, that will be a book I can look forward to on another day. I highly recommend A Great Deliverance to all lovers of British crime stories with great characterization and sense of place.
April 25, 2024
For me, the author's Inspector Lynley series checks all the boxes why I give "modern" detective fiction a wide berth.
1) useless, mind-numbingly boring navel-gazing of the detectives for 290 pages out of 400 - CHECK
2) (as a consequence of 1) story moving at a drunken snail's pace - CHECK
3) (as a consequence of 1 & 2) there's hardly any info about the ongoing investigation - CHECK
4) (as a consequence of 1 & 3) almost non-existent police procedurals - CHECK
Personally, I also could not find any traces of the celebrated "dynamics" between detective Lynley (the detective aristocrat - yeah, sure) & B. Havers (the working-class sidekick) even later in the series, for back then I was a masochist & read a few other books of the series.
Both were bland and cliched and I did not care for them a bit, so the fact that I had to be in their heads all the bloody time, doing the oh-so-exciting navel-gazing with them made it an almost excruciating reading process.
1) useless, mind-numbingly boring navel-gazing of the detectives for 290 pages out of 400 - CHECK
2) (as a consequence of 1) story moving at a drunken snail's pace - CHECK
3) (as a consequence of 1 & 2) there's hardly any info about the ongoing investigation - CHECK
4) (as a consequence of 1 & 3) almost non-existent police procedurals - CHECK
Personally, I also could not find any traces of the celebrated "dynamics" between detective Lynley (the detective aristocrat - yeah, sure) & B. Havers (the working-class sidekick) even later in the series, for back then I was a masochist & read a few other books of the series.
Both were bland and cliched and I did not care for them a bit, so the fact that I had to be in their heads all the bloody time, doing the oh-so-exciting navel-gazing with them made it an almost excruciating reading process.
November 8, 2021
UPDATE 2/1/17 ...
I found "A Great Deliverance" as outstanding on second read as I did the first time around. My 5***** rating remains unchanged.
George's ability to present an evolving and developing character is outstanding for any genre, but even more so for a mystery story, where character is often far subordinate to plot. This is especially true of the characters who continue in George's series but also for the the main one-off's. We don't ever get it all at once, but in pieces, each one adding to what builds into a nuanced understanding of the character's strengths and weaknesses.
George also has a great facility for moving quickly from one venue/character to another while always assuring the reader does not lose the thread of the story. This avoids ever having scenes which are too long. We are always dealing with a fresh aspect of the story.
Finally, a criticism, sort of. George's descriptions of places is superb, but I think she sometimes overdoes it with unnecessary detail, which I usually skimmed.
PREVIOUS COMMENTS ...
This is the first of the Lynley-Havers stories, and also the first that I am re-reading. I hope I don't remember too much of the plot (it's been 10 years at least) but my real purpose in re-reading is to study George's writing techniques. Her use of setting, development of character, and plot surprises, among other elements, are superb. For fans of Elizabeth George who are also writers, I recommend Write Away: One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life.
George unfolds the layers of a complicated story in a way that builds the emotion and tension but never leaves the reader confused. There are many characters whose roles keep evolving, but George always gives the reader the 2-3 words that assure you always know the connection of the character to previous points in the story. (NOTE: This contrasts so vividly with books like Wolf Hall and The Casual Vacancy (first half) where the authors make no such effort and the reader is often left adrift.)
Much of the emotion in "A Great Deliverance" comes from the relationship between Lynley and Havers, as each helps the other deal with debilitating attitudes that threaten their personal and professional futures.
I didn't realize until very recently that this was George's first novel. Wow!
I found "A Great Deliverance" as outstanding on second read as I did the first time around. My 5***** rating remains unchanged.
George's ability to present an evolving and developing character is outstanding for any genre, but even more so for a mystery story, where character is often far subordinate to plot. This is especially true of the characters who continue in George's series but also for the the main one-off's. We don't ever get it all at once, but in pieces, each one adding to what builds into a nuanced understanding of the character's strengths and weaknesses.
George also has a great facility for moving quickly from one venue/character to another while always assuring the reader does not lose the thread of the story. This avoids ever having scenes which are too long. We are always dealing with a fresh aspect of the story.
Finally, a criticism, sort of. George's descriptions of places is superb, but I think she sometimes overdoes it with unnecessary detail, which I usually skimmed.
PREVIOUS COMMENTS ...
This is the first of the Lynley-Havers stories, and also the first that I am re-reading. I hope I don't remember too much of the plot (it's been 10 years at least) but my real purpose in re-reading is to study George's writing techniques. Her use of setting, development of character, and plot surprises, among other elements, are superb. For fans of Elizabeth George who are also writers, I recommend Write Away: One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life.
George unfolds the layers of a complicated story in a way that builds the emotion and tension but never leaves the reader confused. There are many characters whose roles keep evolving, but George always gives the reader the 2-3 words that assure you always know the connection of the character to previous points in the story. (NOTE: This contrasts so vividly with books like Wolf Hall and The Casual Vacancy (first half) where the authors make no such effort and the reader is often left adrift.)
Much of the emotion in "A Great Deliverance" comes from the relationship between Lynley and Havers, as each helps the other deal with debilitating attitudes that threaten their personal and professional futures.
I didn't realize until very recently that this was George's first novel. Wow!
September 24, 2025
Wow, I did not realize it had been written in the late 80s.
I think it holds up as a really good book.
I knew it was older simply because the "big twist" was fairly obvious to me throughout the entire story. And honestly, I think anyone reading it today would 100% guess it, as well.
It might have been more shocking 30something years ago, though.
BUT.
The real pleasure in this one wasn't the mystery of the crime. It was the mystery of the detectives.
You have these two personalities, both of them with some serious damage, serious secrets. And you misunderstand so much at first - especially about Havers.
She's so incredibly unlikable. Even to herself! My god, she's just awful. She epitomizes a self-destructive person who takes every chance to ruin her own happiness.
But they why got me. She's one that you kind of have to ride out till the end to really appreciate.
Lynley was...almost too good to be true.
Wealthy & handsome, smart & intitutive, kind & empathetic, elite...? Did I miss anything?
The poor little rich boy who didn't get the one thing he truly wanted. Love. Yes, his crippled best friend ended up with the love of his life. <--there's more there to be unpacked, I believe.
I'm in for more of these.
Recommended.
I think it holds up as a really good book.
I knew it was older simply because the "big twist" was fairly obvious to me throughout the entire story. And honestly, I think anyone reading it today would 100% guess it, as well.
It might have been more shocking 30something years ago, though.
BUT.
The real pleasure in this one wasn't the mystery of the crime. It was the mystery of the detectives.
You have these two personalities, both of them with some serious damage, serious secrets. And you misunderstand so much at first - especially about Havers.
She's so incredibly unlikable. Even to herself! My god, she's just awful. She epitomizes a self-destructive person who takes every chance to ruin her own happiness.
But they why got me. She's one that you kind of have to ride out till the end to really appreciate.
Lynley was...almost too good to be true.
Wealthy & handsome, smart & intitutive, kind & empathetic, elite...? Did I miss anything?
The poor little rich boy who didn't get the one thing he truly wanted. Love. Yes, his crippled best friend ended up with the love of his life. <--there's more there to be unpacked, I believe.
I'm in for more of these.
Recommended.
February 5, 2011
I initially saw the television adaptation of this book on PBS Mystery!. I was moved by the dark, Yorkshire setting and the budding friendship of Lynley and Havers. It had such a gritty conclusion, that I went to the library the next day and checked out the next book in the series. That was almost 9 years ago! After finishing book six in the series last year, I felt it was time to read the book that started it all.
I can't believe I waited so long! Thus far, this my favorite book in the series! From the beginning, there's an onslaught of disappointments and ghosts among the protagonists. Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, who has recently been demoded to a uniform policewoman, is put back into the detective role when a "delicate" case is brought before Scotland Yard. To her utter horror, she is partnered with the infamous Inspector Thomas Lynley. Apart from having a well-known reputation as a rogue, he also happens to be the eight earl of Asherton, which only widens the barrier between the staunch, blue collar Barbara. He isn't his usual carefree self either. He's just watched his best friend marry his ex-fiance and seen them off on their honeymoon.
The case? Set your mind to the gray, windy moors of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. There, in the sleepy Yorkshire village of Keldale, a respectable farmer and his dog are found decapitated inside a barn. Seated next to the headless body, is the farmer's daughter. Found in her best dress and an axe in her lap, her only words when she is found are "I did it. And I'm not sorry." Open and shut case? I think not! The village priest and locals maintain that as sweet and caring as she was, Roberta Teys couldn't have possibly murdered her own father in such a brutal way.
What follows is a careful investigation into dark closets and past sins. What makes this book so much more than a Scotland Yard mystery is George's ability to marry historical and literary elements with the here and now. It's amazing! I didn't expect to find so many allusions to Shakespeare and the Brontes, or that they would be critical to understanding the whole case. Check this book out sometime. If you don't have the patience, I recommend the BBC's The Inspector Lynley Mysteries television series.
I can't believe I waited so long! Thus far, this my favorite book in the series! From the beginning, there's an onslaught of disappointments and ghosts among the protagonists. Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, who has recently been demoded to a uniform policewoman, is put back into the detective role when a "delicate" case is brought before Scotland Yard. To her utter horror, she is partnered with the infamous Inspector Thomas Lynley. Apart from having a well-known reputation as a rogue, he also happens to be the eight earl of Asherton, which only widens the barrier between the staunch, blue collar Barbara. He isn't his usual carefree self either. He's just watched his best friend marry his ex-fiance and seen them off on their honeymoon.
The case? Set your mind to the gray, windy moors of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. There, in the sleepy Yorkshire village of Keldale, a respectable farmer and his dog are found decapitated inside a barn. Seated next to the headless body, is the farmer's daughter. Found in her best dress and an axe in her lap, her only words when she is found are "I did it. And I'm not sorry." Open and shut case? I think not! The village priest and locals maintain that as sweet and caring as she was, Roberta Teys couldn't have possibly murdered her own father in such a brutal way.
What follows is a careful investigation into dark closets and past sins. What makes this book so much more than a Scotland Yard mystery is George's ability to marry historical and literary elements with the here and now. It's amazing! I didn't expect to find so many allusions to Shakespeare and the Brontes, or that they would be critical to understanding the whole case. Check this book out sometime. If you don't have the patience, I recommend the BBC's The Inspector Lynley Mysteries television series.
November 17, 2016
OFFICIAL BLURB
A friend gave me the first book as a gift, and after finishing it, I ventured off into the author's other works, just to discover that it was the beginning of 19 books in this Inspector Lynley series. Digging deeper into the history of the series, I also discovered that it was turned into a popular television series, covering several seasons. Let's face it, the Brits love their murder mysteries and they know how to bring these stories alive. I'm really a sucker for it. Cannot leave them alone.
The easy flow of the plot and story line keeps the reader committed to the prose. It reminds me of the cozy Agatha Christie novels. The author managed to built accurate characters. For instance, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley is truly noble in his conduct, apart from having the appropriate bloodline as well. Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers acts authentically as a product of the lower income groups with less veneer and polish. Her people-skills are also a problem in her interaction with the public.
Since I am not a fan or groupie of the British class system, I couldn't care less who were blessed by birth to be better than the rest of us, thus did not get excited about the possible lords and ladies tripling down the word-lanes of this narrative. I also did not hail Barbara Havers as the ultimate representative of the working class, due to her unresolved issues driving me a little bit bonkers. That doesn't mean that her character was not authentic, on the contrary. The overall emphasizing of the class system should have been expected, we're in Britain after all, but it did scratch my back with a steel brush from time to time. And then there was the depiction of the poor fat (and) unlovely Roberta Teys as a mortally despicable soul.
All the grown ups in the village were guilty of her condition and her conduct. Nobody cared to listen when she tried to find some help. The only solution she had to protect herself, was to eat....and eat.... and eat. When she was finally successful and the focus moved from her to someone else she loved, she made a plan on her own. The grown ups turned their heads away from the revolting, obese little girl, hoping the problem will go away. They turned their backs on a lonely scared little girl. She had no one to trust. It makes me wonder: are you allowed by society, or by yourself, to have chubby, happy-faced obese friends? No? Well, it's a sad world we're living in, isn't it?
So yes, my hackles were a bit up with these insecure anti-obesity lot, a bunch of scoundrels if you ask me, and that includes the Catholic priest. But that's my problem. Everybody in the world has problems, that one is mine, for sure.
And then I wonder: if you decapitate someone in self defense, can it be regarded as murder? I don't think so. Even if it was premeditated, I probably would have been an accomplice in this instance! Worse, if I was in on the deal, some people, and I am not naming names here, would have hanged from the rafters by their stems, like pumpkins.
Now, that was not the main focus of my reading experience. It's just a 'so by the way' - observation.
The overall experience was a good one. I enjoyed it. And I will certainly read the second book. After that I will have to see...
But really, any murder mystery groupie, like yours truly, will simply grab onto this series and release the breaks! Just go for it. It's one of the best!
To this day, the low, thin wail of an infant can be heard in Keldale's lush green valleys. Three hundred years ago, as legend goes, the frightened Yorkshire villagers smothered a crying babe in Keldale Abbey, where they'd hidden to escape the ravages of Cromwell's raiders.Susan Elizabeth George is an American author writing murder mysteries set in Great Britain. She's doing a good job, since she mastered the English dialogue so well, that I would never have suspected her being American.
Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. And I'm not sorry."
Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley—and in their own lives as well.
A friend gave me the first book as a gift, and after finishing it, I ventured off into the author's other works, just to discover that it was the beginning of 19 books in this Inspector Lynley series. Digging deeper into the history of the series, I also discovered that it was turned into a popular television series, covering several seasons. Let's face it, the Brits love their murder mysteries and they know how to bring these stories alive. I'm really a sucker for it. Cannot leave them alone.
The easy flow of the plot and story line keeps the reader committed to the prose. It reminds me of the cozy Agatha Christie novels. The author managed to built accurate characters. For instance, Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley is truly noble in his conduct, apart from having the appropriate bloodline as well. Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers acts authentically as a product of the lower income groups with less veneer and polish. Her people-skills are also a problem in her interaction with the public.
Since I am not a fan or groupie of the British class system, I couldn't care less who were blessed by birth to be better than the rest of us, thus did not get excited about the possible lords and ladies tripling down the word-lanes of this narrative. I also did not hail Barbara Havers as the ultimate representative of the working class, due to her unresolved issues driving me a little bit bonkers. That doesn't mean that her character was not authentic, on the contrary. The overall emphasizing of the class system should have been expected, we're in Britain after all, but it did scratch my back with a steel brush from time to time. And then there was the depiction of the poor fat (and) unlovely Roberta Teys as a mortally despicable soul.
All the grown ups in the village were guilty of her condition and her conduct. Nobody cared to listen when she tried to find some help. The only solution she had to protect herself, was to eat....and eat.... and eat. When she was finally successful and the focus moved from her to someone else she loved, she made a plan on her own. The grown ups turned their heads away from the revolting, obese little girl, hoping the problem will go away. They turned their backs on a lonely scared little girl. She had no one to trust. It makes me wonder: are you allowed by society, or by yourself, to have chubby, happy-faced obese friends? No? Well, it's a sad world we're living in, isn't it?
So yes, my hackles were a bit up with these insecure anti-obesity lot, a bunch of scoundrels if you ask me, and that includes the Catholic priest. But that's my problem. Everybody in the world has problems, that one is mine, for sure.
And then I wonder: if you decapitate someone in self defense, can it be regarded as murder? I don't think so. Even if it was premeditated, I probably would have been an accomplice in this instance! Worse, if I was in on the deal, some people, and I am not naming names here, would have hanged from the rafters by their stems, like pumpkins.
Now, that was not the main focus of my reading experience. It's just a 'so by the way' - observation.
The overall experience was a good one. I enjoyed it. And I will certainly read the second book. After that I will have to see...
But really, any murder mystery groupie, like yours truly, will simply grab onto this series and release the breaks! Just go for it. It's one of the best!
March 29, 2012
I was surprised to dislike this book intensely. I'd not read (or seen) any Inspector Lynley and I was expecting to enjoy this tale of an aristocrat police detective. It's the first in the series and sometimes the first outing is not the best whilst an author is establishing characters but I am really not sure I can bear to try another unless the author has been given a sound talking-to and promised to reform. It has left my teeth feeling as if the enamel has been stripped off.
I can cut the plot itself some slack because it is now over 20 years old and in the intervening years we have all become a lot wiser and sadder about similar real life situations and the journey to the conclusion we'd already arrived at and dismissed as too blinking obvious was satisfyingly twisty. There were some glimmers of interesting potential threads which may or may not progress in a more satisfactory manner in later novels but too many were piled onto this first in the series.
For the rest... it was just offensive somehow, from the completely unrealistic depiction of police procedure (I got very confused at the beginning, I assumed it was a period piece rather than intended to be contemporary) to the way in which women are described. I felt that the relentless emphasis on the pitiable loathsomeness of several female characters crossed a boundary for me... and the portrayal of the American dentist probably should have done. I think the overall idea is to have some theme of the British class system running through the series and it could have worked if it hadn't been handled in such a crass overblown manner.
What a disappointment!
I can cut the plot itself some slack because it is now over 20 years old and in the intervening years we have all become a lot wiser and sadder about similar real life situations and the journey to the conclusion we'd already arrived at and dismissed as too blinking obvious was satisfyingly twisty. There were some glimmers of interesting potential threads which may or may not progress in a more satisfactory manner in later novels but too many were piled onto this first in the series.
For the rest... it was just offensive somehow, from the completely unrealistic depiction of police procedure (I got very confused at the beginning, I assumed it was a period piece rather than intended to be contemporary) to the way in which women are described. I felt that the relentless emphasis on the pitiable loathsomeness of several female characters crossed a boundary for me... and the portrayal of the American dentist probably should have done. I think the overall idea is to have some theme of the British class system running through the series and it could have worked if it hadn't been handled in such a crass overblown manner.
What a disappointment!
February 7, 2018
A 61 yr old farmer lies in his barn, brutally murdered, his head chopped off......the head lying a few yards from the body, where it had rolled after being severed. His grossly obese daughter sits beside his headless body, seated on a stool, holding the bloody axe that killed him and says “I did it. I’m not sorry.” Or did she......?
Two unlikely detectives from New Scotland Yard are paired together to solve the case. Inspector 'Lord Asherton’ Lynley is a wealthy upper class handsome man, while Sergeant Havers is a working class, unattractive, bitter, woman who has a history of not getting along with any of her previous Inspectors. This odd pairing adds to the tension as they both graple with their demons & each other while trying to solve the case.
Elizabeth George was an english teacher and it shows in her writing. She includes many classic literary references in this book to such works as The Picture of Dorian Gray, Phantom of the Opera, The Tennant of Wildfell Hall & Shakespeare’s Peneles;
“One sin, I know, another doth provoke
Murders as near to lust as flame to smoke”
A very good story with compelling characters and an ending that shocked & surprised me.
Highly recommended
Two unlikely detectives from New Scotland Yard are paired together to solve the case. Inspector 'Lord Asherton’ Lynley is a wealthy upper class handsome man, while Sergeant Havers is a working class, unattractive, bitter, woman who has a history of not getting along with any of her previous Inspectors. This odd pairing adds to the tension as they both graple with their demons & each other while trying to solve the case.
Elizabeth George was an english teacher and it shows in her writing. She includes many classic literary references in this book to such works as The Picture of Dorian Gray, Phantom of the Opera, The Tennant of Wildfell Hall & Shakespeare’s Peneles;
“One sin, I know, another doth provoke
Murders as near to lust as flame to smoke”
A very good story with compelling characters and an ending that shocked & surprised me.
Highly recommended
July 8, 2017
Mixed feelings on this one.
Lynley and Havers are fascinating characters, complex and marvelously well-drawn (except for one somewhat gratuitous Lynley interlude). I love the way Havers is allowed to express her resentment and how her inbred distrust and dislike of nobility is thwarted by Lynley's compassion and decency.
There are some interesting secondary characters, as well, my favourite being the little girl, Bridie, and her pet duck, Dougal.
However, at times the book is too description-heavy (not quite purple prose--perhaps "lavender"?), and there are too many point of view switches.
It may be that George based the horrible American tourist on someone real, but I thought he was one of the most absurd caricatures of the ugly American I have ever seen, too awful and ridiculous to be believable--and he wasn't even necessary. The things he drops bits of gossip about could've been discovered other ways.
Also, I found some of the coincidences, contrasts, and connections rather contrived. For example, it would've been enough that Lynley's friend Simon be crippled, but he has to be unattractive, as well, dark to Lynley's fair--and the fact is underscored by having Havers think the two men are like Apollo and Hephastus. I don't want to get into plot spoilers, so I won't list other specific quibbles.
All that being said, I liked Lynley and Havers so much that I want to give the second book in the series a try (and hope that I'll find fewer things to criticise).
Lynley and Havers are fascinating characters, complex and marvelously well-drawn (except for one somewhat gratuitous Lynley interlude). I love the way Havers is allowed to express her resentment and how her inbred distrust and dislike of nobility is thwarted by Lynley's compassion and decency.
There are some interesting secondary characters, as well, my favourite being the little girl, Bridie, and her pet duck, Dougal.
However, at times the book is too description-heavy (not quite purple prose--perhaps "lavender"?), and there are too many point of view switches.
It may be that George based the horrible American tourist on someone real, but I thought he was one of the most absurd caricatures of the ugly American I have ever seen, too awful and ridiculous to be believable--and he wasn't even necessary. The things he drops bits of gossip about could've been discovered other ways.
Also, I found some of the coincidences, contrasts, and connections rather contrived. For example, it would've been enough that Lynley's friend Simon be crippled, but he has to be unattractive, as well, dark to Lynley's fair--and the fact is underscored by having Havers think the two men are like Apollo and Hephastus. I don't want to get into plot spoilers, so I won't list other specific quibbles.
All that being said, I liked Lynley and Havers so much that I want to give the second book in the series a try (and hope that I'll find fewer things to criticise).
September 11, 2017
Rating: 4 solid stars of five
The Publisher Says: To this day, the low, thin wail of an infant can be heard in Keldale's lush green valleys. Three hundred years ago, as legend goes, the frightened Yorkshire villagers smothered a crying babe in Keldale Abbey, where they'd hidden to escape the ravages of Cromwell's raiders.
Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. And I'm not sorry."
Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley—and in their own lives as well.
My Review: The first book of the ongoing Inspector Lynley/DS Havers series, this book reads more like the fourth or fifth in the series, which I intend as a compliment. The author is very assured as she tells the story of a murder in an idyllic North Country village, one that seems from the start to be open-and-shut. As always in a mystery, though, there are many many twists and turns to the tale. Family secrets from every imaginable quarter. Horrible crimes past, as well as present, suppurate through the skin of the story, causing the characters to blanch regularly. (Readers too.) Lynley, an urbane and polished public school/Oxford First beauty, comes alive as a wounded man of many facets and a sharp, critical eye. His emotional acuity is high order; his past, as we know it so far, explains that quite well. Havers, who here in the first book is presented in all her hideous glory as receiving a Very Last Chance at being permanently assigned to Scotland Yard's prestigious Criminal Investigation Division, seems hell-bent for leather on tossing the opportunity away because, as Lynley says, "{she's} mad at him" and justifiably so.
But, in patented mystery fashion, miscreants are punished and those less culpable find some measure of relief from their hideous, tormented sadness. Hard to argue with those results since they occur so seldom in reality.
Is murder always wrong? Can you be sure of your answer? I know I've never been able to be absolutist about the topic. Reading this book, I felt absolutism and unimpeded judgment flapping their flightless wings desperately, sensing their ever-deeper immersion into the stock-pot of my subconscious.
I don't know about you, but there are times I think a good murdering rampage would do the world a power of good. Problem is, the bad guys have the weapons.
And reading this book, well, I just don't know that justice as practiced by the courts and described by the laws can really do a good enough job. And believe you me, that thought scares the bejabbers out of me. It makes me think about the nature of crime, and of punishment, and of the intersection of the two; it makes me afraid of the apparently boundless human capacity to commit horrible acts; and it makes me think hard about what I want out of my time on this planet...and whether I'm doing a single thing to make that want become fact.
A very great deliverance indeed, this book. In entertaining me, it also grew me up a little more.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Publisher Says: To this day, the low, thin wail of an infant can be heard in Keldale's lush green valleys. Three hundred years ago, as legend goes, the frightened Yorkshire villagers smothered a crying babe in Keldale Abbey, where they'd hidden to escape the ravages of Cromwell's raiders.
Now into Keldale's pastoral web of old houses and older secrets comes Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton. Along with the redoubtable Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley has been sent to solve a savage murder that has stunned the peaceful countryside. For fat, unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the old stone barn beside her father's headless corpse. Her first and last words were "I did it. And I'm not sorry."
Yet as Lynley and Havers wind their way through Keldale's dark labyrinth of secret scandals and appalling crimes, they uncover a shattering series of revelations that will reverberate through this tranquil English valley—and in their own lives as well.
My Review: The first book of the ongoing Inspector Lynley/DS Havers series, this book reads more like the fourth or fifth in the series, which I intend as a compliment. The author is very assured as she tells the story of a murder in an idyllic North Country village, one that seems from the start to be open-and-shut. As always in a mystery, though, there are many many twists and turns to the tale. Family secrets from every imaginable quarter. Horrible crimes past, as well as present, suppurate through the skin of the story, causing the characters to blanch regularly. (Readers too.) Lynley, an urbane and polished public school/Oxford First beauty, comes alive as a wounded man of many facets and a sharp, critical eye. His emotional acuity is high order; his past, as we know it so far, explains that quite well. Havers, who here in the first book is presented in all her hideous glory as receiving a Very Last Chance at being permanently assigned to Scotland Yard's prestigious Criminal Investigation Division, seems hell-bent for leather on tossing the opportunity away because, as Lynley says, "{she's} mad at him" and justifiably so.
But, in patented mystery fashion, miscreants are punished and those less culpable find some measure of relief from their hideous, tormented sadness. Hard to argue with those results since they occur so seldom in reality.
Is murder always wrong? Can you be sure of your answer? I know I've never been able to be absolutist about the topic. Reading this book, I felt absolutism and unimpeded judgment flapping their flightless wings desperately, sensing their ever-deeper immersion into the stock-pot of my subconscious.
I don't know about you, but there are times I think a good murdering rampage would do the world a power of good. Problem is, the bad guys have the weapons.
And reading this book, well, I just don't know that justice as practiced by the courts and described by the laws can really do a good enough job. And believe you me, that thought scares the bejabbers out of me. It makes me think about the nature of crime, and of punishment, and of the intersection of the two; it makes me afraid of the apparently boundless human capacity to commit horrible acts; and it makes me think hard about what I want out of my time on this planet...and whether I'm doing a single thing to make that want become fact.
A very great deliverance indeed, this book. In entertaining me, it also grew me up a little more.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
April 2, 2023
I usually dock a star if an animal is killed because that fictional horror is always needless. The reasoning in this police case was especially preposterous. A million other distractions could have been devised for a human murder; not committing an animal's. That was the most disturbing revelation, in a very domestically disturbing novel. However this mystery, its characters, their compassion, and personal histories are so stunningly well-written that five stars are amply earned.... as is my instant fandom!
That I hesitated to read the Elizabeth George series pieced together in my home for years, is surprising given how well I like it and how compellingly authored it is. If I had had any doubt, after it taking a couple of chapters to clarify the protagonists and get down to character acquaintance; the ending throws your emotions for a loop. After sudden revelations of such horrible darkness, around the variety of victims about whom we care, and to suddenly light up their prospects with such soaring hope? It was a triumphant, joyful ending that nearly had me tearing up and I am not that kind of reader!
Brava, Elizabeth and this was merely your 1988 début! I prefer to stagger literature I love, as special treats or my go-to literature to soothe my soul. However, I feel tempted to rejoin this cast of wonderful, realistic, feeling characters much sooner.
Now that sergeant Barbara Havers has, through this repugnant Scotland Yard's case, released her own family's pain and confided it at last to inspector Thomas Lynley; I can't wait to see their friendship take flight. She impressively solved the most important clues. I appreciate that the impeccable and caring Thomas is not a smugly perfect Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes. There is a lot of respect for women herein and teamwork.
That I hesitated to read the Elizabeth George series pieced together in my home for years, is surprising given how well I like it and how compellingly authored it is. If I had had any doubt, after it taking a couple of chapters to clarify the protagonists and get down to character acquaintance; the ending throws your emotions for a loop. After sudden revelations of such horrible darkness, around the variety of victims about whom we care, and to suddenly light up their prospects with such soaring hope? It was a triumphant, joyful ending that nearly had me tearing up and I am not that kind of reader!
Brava, Elizabeth and this was merely your 1988 début! I prefer to stagger literature I love, as special treats or my go-to literature to soothe my soul. However, I feel tempted to rejoin this cast of wonderful, realistic, feeling characters much sooner.
Now that sergeant Barbara Havers has, through this repugnant Scotland Yard's case, released her own family's pain and confided it at last to inspector Thomas Lynley; I can't wait to see their friendship take flight. She impressively solved the most important clues. I appreciate that the impeccable and caring Thomas is not a smugly perfect Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes. There is a lot of respect for women herein and teamwork.
July 28, 2018
First the superficial. I'm having a hard time getting over how annoying a couple of the characters were. The horribly caricatured American tourist was too much - I ended up skipping any passage with him. And felt he was completely unnecessary to the plot. It's difficult to enjoy a book when you have such antipathy to ridiculous characters.
I did like Lynley, but his partner... I'm sure that she will get better as the series progresses, but did she really have to shriek and shrill so much? And shouldn't a police sergeant have a bit more control over herself?
To be fair, it was written in the 1980s, and suffers some from the trends of the time. It dwells far too long on psycho-babble and torturous interpersonal relationships and family problems, and moves onto fairly explicit descriptions of sexual abuse, which didn't come across as that much worse than everyone else's psychological turmoil. Everyone's internal struggles seemed highly exaggerated, except for the actual victims of crimes.
Ok, so maybe I didn't like it all that much? But I liked Lynley. Keep Lynley and ditch the rest, and we might have something I don't cringe to read.
I did like Lynley, but his partner... I'm sure that she will get better as the series progresses, but did she really have to shriek and shrill so much? And shouldn't a police sergeant have a bit more control over herself?
To be fair, it was written in the 1980s, and suffers some from the trends of the time. It dwells far too long on psycho-babble and torturous interpersonal relationships and family problems, and moves onto fairly explicit descriptions of sexual abuse, which didn't come across as that much worse than everyone else's psychological turmoil. Everyone's internal struggles seemed highly exaggerated, except for the actual victims of crimes.
Ok, so maybe I didn't like it all that much? But I liked Lynley. Keep Lynley and ditch the rest, and we might have something I don't cringe to read.
August 20, 2017
I had the terrible misfortune of reading this book this weekend, and I fervently wish that I could unread it so I could have two days of my life back. You, too, could read it, if you want the nonstop sex of a Law & Order: SVU, the shocking ickyness of a V.C. Andrews, and the fascinating character development of a basket of sock puppets.
This aggravating novel stars:
- Man Too Rich and Sexy For His Own Good (Who Can't Have the Woman of His Dreams :( boohoo)
- Stubborn Woman With No Sex Appeal and Therefore No Self-Esteem (Who Has Family Issues At Home :( boohoo)
- a petite harem of women who want to sleep with aforementioned Man, described in such a flurry of breasts and thighs that I wondered whether we were discussing humans or fried chicken
- English folks too poor and uneducated to do anything but fuck all day - including family members who are actively fucking / want to fuck each other; people who fuck to make other people jealous; and couples who make it abundantly clear that instead of being interviewed about a murder, they would rather be fucking
- and a dead dog.
Charming it is not. Clever? Not by a long shot. Literary masterpiece? Nah.
I don't know about you, but I'm headed back to my safe microcosm of witty, fun, slightly more cheerful whodunits set in pre-1960s English countryside and starring either men too old or girls too young to be boning all the fucking time.
This aggravating novel stars:
- Man Too Rich and Sexy For His Own Good (Who Can't Have the Woman of His Dreams :( boohoo)
- Stubborn Woman With No Sex Appeal and Therefore No Self-Esteem (Who Has Family Issues At Home :( boohoo)
- a petite harem of women who want to sleep with aforementioned Man, described in such a flurry of breasts and thighs that I wondered whether we were discussing humans or fried chicken
- English folks too poor and uneducated to do anything but fuck all day - including family members who are actively fucking / want to fuck each other; people who fuck to make other people jealous; and couples who make it abundantly clear that instead of being interviewed about a murder, they would rather be fucking
- and a dead dog.
Charming it is not. Clever? Not by a long shot. Literary masterpiece? Nah.
I don't know about you, but I'm headed back to my safe microcosm of witty, fun, slightly more cheerful whodunits set in pre-1960s English countryside and starring either men too old or girls too young to be boning all the fucking time.
August 15, 2014
I finished this book last night and I was filled with mixed emotions. After reading this I thought Is it O.K. to murder someone? Even though I could never do this, I now have a different view on this question. The ending was just full of horror. It was almost too much for me to handle. I really did like the book though.
This book starts out with Inspector Lynley of Scotland Yard in a village of Keldale, investigating a murder there with Sergeant Barbara Havers. Sergeant Havers gets demoted from her job because she can't get along with others. She is very unpleasant to work with, and the William Tey's murder case is her last chance to prove herself. If she messes up she will be left without a job. There is a problem though, Havers can't stand Inspector Lynley who is known as the Golden Boy and is a womanizer. They are both opposites as Lynley is very good looking and wealthy and Havers lives in poverty and is dumpy and just ordinary.
Roberta Teys is found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the stone barn beside her Father's. corpse. Her first and last words were I did it, and I am not sorry. Roberta is sent to the Barnstingham Mental Asylum by her cousin Richard Gibson who inherits William Teys farm. When Inspector Lynley and Haver's meet their destination in Keldale, the village is deserted. The peaceful village becomes the site of romantic rivalries and deep dark secrets. It seems that William Teys is very well liked in his community. Why would his young wife Tessa abandon him and her two daughters? Why would Gillian, Roberta older sister run away at the age of sixteen and never come back. Also there is the matter of the baby ghost whose cries originate from the stones of ancient Keldale Abbey. The people in Keldale are determined to make this a hard investigation for the unlikely pair!
This book starts out with Inspector Lynley of Scotland Yard in a village of Keldale, investigating a murder there with Sergeant Barbara Havers. Sergeant Havers gets demoted from her job because she can't get along with others. She is very unpleasant to work with, and the William Tey's murder case is her last chance to prove herself. If she messes up she will be left without a job. There is a problem though, Havers can't stand Inspector Lynley who is known as the Golden Boy and is a womanizer. They are both opposites as Lynley is very good looking and wealthy and Havers lives in poverty and is dumpy and just ordinary.
Roberta Teys is found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the stone barn beside her Father's. corpse. Her first and last words were I did it, and I am not sorry. Roberta is sent to the Barnstingham Mental Asylum by her cousin Richard Gibson who inherits William Teys farm. When Inspector Lynley and Haver's meet their destination in Keldale, the village is deserted. The peaceful village becomes the site of romantic rivalries and deep dark secrets. It seems that William Teys is very well liked in his community. Why would his young wife Tessa abandon him and her two daughters? Why would Gillian, Roberta older sister run away at the age of sixteen and never come back. Also there is the matter of the baby ghost whose cries originate from the stones of ancient Keldale Abbey. The people in Keldale are determined to make this a hard investigation for the unlikely pair!
December 20, 2012
I wavered between strongly disliking this book, actively despising the author and reading it in a compulsive how could this get any worse kind of way.
The plot in brief: a lord who for reasons unknown works in scotland yard is paired up with a working class police woman to solve a grisly decapitation in Yorkshire.
I understand some suspension of belief is par for the course when you read a crime thriller and that the depth of character plotting is not a universal strength of the genre. But there are limits to what one can stomach. In this book the stereotypes are so wooden that they creak slowly before expiring under the weight of accumulated cliches. The Americans are coarse, the aristocrats are splendid, the villagers are lusty, the working class resentful and in need of guidance from their betters blah di blah. One possible explanation is that the author read cold comfort farm and thought it was a documentary, then was force fed mills and boon and Agatha Christie until this grotesque caricature was spewed out made even stupider by the fact that everyone acts like they were based in 1930s England that only PG Woodhouse ever imagined but it is set in the 1980s. The other possible explanation is that the author has no shame and a tenuous grip on reality.
Even weirder is that these stock stereotypes are raging hormonal messes who self articulate their emotions in a continuous inner dialogue that is wince inducing.
The worst bit is that the last 5 pages are actually rather decent and this could have been an ok thriller instead of intellectual excrement.
The plot in brief: a lord who for reasons unknown works in scotland yard is paired up with a working class police woman to solve a grisly decapitation in Yorkshire.
I understand some suspension of belief is par for the course when you read a crime thriller and that the depth of character plotting is not a universal strength of the genre. But there are limits to what one can stomach. In this book the stereotypes are so wooden that they creak slowly before expiring under the weight of accumulated cliches. The Americans are coarse, the aristocrats are splendid, the villagers are lusty, the working class resentful and in need of guidance from their betters blah di blah. One possible explanation is that the author read cold comfort farm and thought it was a documentary, then was force fed mills and boon and Agatha Christie until this grotesque caricature was spewed out made even stupider by the fact that everyone acts like they were based in 1930s England that only PG Woodhouse ever imagined but it is set in the 1980s. The other possible explanation is that the author has no shame and a tenuous grip on reality.
Even weirder is that these stock stereotypes are raging hormonal messes who self articulate their emotions in a continuous inner dialogue that is wince inducing.
The worst bit is that the last 5 pages are actually rather decent and this could have been an ok thriller instead of intellectual excrement.
January 11, 2022
My first introduction to the Inspector Lynley series was book 9. I read it years and years ago when my father handed it to me and told me to try it out. Later I might have watched an episode or two of the show, but don't remember a single thing from it. Now that I have finished the first book, I can clearly see why the series caught the attention of so many. The characters of Lynley and Havers have so much complexity to them. Their personality and moods display in so many shades that they really put to shame many other inspectors/sergeant's in the same genre. Havers wants to do well and succeed in her job, but cannot control her anger. It's no wonder she's like this considering parents are often the ones who teach us how to maturely handle stress and frustration and hers seem like perhaps they weren't able to model that behavior effectively for her. Lynley seems to be a caring individual, but lives with regrets. I believe there is still more to learn about him.
I listened to this on audio, but it was much more than just a simple narration. My version was the one by Donada Peters who expertly narrated the story. But it was when we reached the emotional climax of the story - the part where we get to the heart of everything and why the murder occurred that I realized how incredibly good Donada was. She wasn't narrating. She was acting. Acting out the trauma of the character. Acting out the mood of the character, the reasoning, the anger, the sadness, the guilt, the...everything. It was gut-wrenching and heart-breaking to listen to. I was stunned. I still am stunned. I think back to it and realize how emotionally draining it must have been for Donada to read and act out this part of the book. She poured it all out. And it was wonderful.
I will probably continue on in the series. My only quibble (well, just the one I will mention) I wasn't a fan at-all of the American tourist/dentist. He seemed to be a caricature, but of what I'm not sure. But he was awful and shouldn't have been created the way he was. But I am eager to learn more about Lynley and Havers and when I do, it will absolutely be on audio.
Rating: 4 stars
I listened to this on audio, but it was much more than just a simple narration. My version was the one by Donada Peters who expertly narrated the story. But it was when we reached the emotional climax of the story - the part where we get to the heart of everything and why the murder occurred that I realized how incredibly good Donada was. She wasn't narrating. She was acting. Acting out the trauma of the character. Acting out the mood of the character, the reasoning, the anger, the sadness, the guilt, the...everything. It was gut-wrenching and heart-breaking to listen to. I was stunned. I still am stunned. I think back to it and realize how emotionally draining it must have been for Donada to read and act out this part of the book. She poured it all out. And it was wonderful.
I will probably continue on in the series. My only quibble (well, just the one I will mention) I wasn't a fan at-all of the American tourist/dentist. He seemed to be a caricature, but of what I'm not sure. But he was awful and shouldn't have been created the way he was. But I am eager to learn more about Lynley and Havers and when I do, it will absolutely be on audio.
Rating: 4 stars
February 9, 2017
Surely a great next step in my exploration of the mystery genre would be to read a book by the great Elizabeth George, right? Nope.
This was the most atrocious book I have ever read. The novel started off badly enough, with no central character's journey to follow and a series of disjointed, head-hopping scenes. About halfway through, the story started to pull together, but we'd still take lurching jaunts off into the utterly boring and irrelevant backstory and activities of minor characters who I couldn't even attempt to keep straight. With all the head-hopping, it was hard to know who was telling the story at a particular moment, and it was impossible to care.
Almost everyone in the book was unpleasant, grating, and obnoxious. TMI about everyone's meaningless activities and miserable and bitter thoughts; TMI about everyone's sex lives. The male inspector, who ought to have been the central character, was a cardboard cut-out idiotic SLUT whose behavior was somehow justified by the unrequited love he was dealing with. (I don't think I've ever used the word slut in my whole life, but after suffering through this book, I can put it in all caps and not even care.)
I only kept reading to find out the mystery resolution, and then that was even more disturbing and terrible and absolutely atrocious. I cannot believe that I slogged and endured through this entire miserable book to get to such a dark, twisted, disturbing, and AWFUL resolution. I did sort of see it coming, but I didn't think the book would /really/ go there. It did, and I HATED IT. This book was absolutely vile and had zero redeeming qualities.
I try to write respectful negative reviews, but if the author disrespected the reading community enough to publish this absolute garbage, then I can very well rant as forthrightly as I want. THIS IS THE WORST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, AND I HATE IT. The end.
This was the most atrocious book I have ever read. The novel started off badly enough, with no central character's journey to follow and a series of disjointed, head-hopping scenes. About halfway through, the story started to pull together, but we'd still take lurching jaunts off into the utterly boring and irrelevant backstory and activities of minor characters who I couldn't even attempt to keep straight. With all the head-hopping, it was hard to know who was telling the story at a particular moment, and it was impossible to care.
Almost everyone in the book was unpleasant, grating, and obnoxious. TMI about everyone's meaningless activities and miserable and bitter thoughts; TMI about everyone's sex lives. The male inspector, who ought to have been the central character, was a cardboard cut-out idiotic SLUT whose behavior was somehow justified by the unrequited love he was dealing with. (I don't think I've ever used the word slut in my whole life, but after suffering through this book, I can put it in all caps and not even care.)
I only kept reading to find out the mystery resolution, and then that was even more disturbing and terrible and absolutely atrocious. I cannot believe that I slogged and endured through this entire miserable book to get to such a dark, twisted, disturbing, and AWFUL resolution. I did sort of see it coming, but I didn't think the book would /really/ go there. It did, and I HATED IT. This book was absolutely vile and had zero redeeming qualities.
I try to write respectful negative reviews, but if the author disrespected the reading community enough to publish this absolute garbage, then I can very well rant as forthrightly as I want. THIS IS THE WORST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, AND I HATE IT. The end.
May 31, 2009
In this, the first Inspector Lynley mystery, Elizabeth George unrolls a particularly hideous plot and typically unappealing supporting cast of characters. Even our main characters, Lynley and Havers, are unappealing; Lynley is a serious slut who apparently will bed down with any redhaired woman and who crippled his best friend in a drunk driving accident, and Havers is shapeless yet also barrel-shaped and has tiny pig eyes. Oh, and Lynley is blond. (In my mind he became antiques expert identical twins Leigh and Leslie Keno of Antiques Roadshow.) For those of us who watched Lynley on Mystery before we read the books, much of this will be shocking, as we know Lynley and his wife are raven-haired and Havers usually looks a little sloppy, but nowhere near barrel-shaped and pig-eyed.
The book (published in 1988) does feel quite dated (but so does every George mystery) - sex abuse that will be obvious to readers goes unnoticed by the detectives until the end, and they are mystified by the psychological aspects of food hoarding.
The book (published in 1988) does feel quite dated (but so does every George mystery) - sex abuse that will be obvious to readers goes unnoticed by the detectives until the end, and they are mystified by the psychological aspects of food hoarding.
January 21, 2022
I was surprised by this story for more than one reason.
First, I didn't expect this story to be so dark. The resolution of a few threads is really somber. For some reason, I expected it to be something of a cozy mystery. Although I am not sure why. The fact that Lynley and Havers are solving the case where the daughter killed her father by chopping his head off with an ax should give some hints. Motivations of the various characters are often quite dark, and the secrets that come to light are also often filled with violence. You will find some really tough scenes.
So, if you're looking for a light and fun story about small-town crimes, this isn't that kind of book. Especially if you are sensitive to sexual or child abuse, don't read it.
Another thing that surprised me are the main characters. They are much more psychologically complicated than I initially thought. Havers, for example, is an exceptionally interesting woman, also because I'm not sure if I like her. But I think the author wanted to achieve just such an effect. On the one hand, we find Havers unpleasant and unkind, and on the other hand, we feel sorry for her because life is not easy for her and she is very lonely. Lynley is also much more complicated than I expected. I like that the author has given him other features as well, and it is not only that he likes women and is an aristocrat. I am very curious how their further work relations will develop and whether they will ever become friends or even lovers.
Overall, I liked this story very much. The complicated characters, both the pair of main characters and the townspeople, added a fascinating element to the story. The plot was also really exciting. A lot of things surprised me. I was truly into this story.
I am adding another book in this series to my tbr pile. I definitely recommend it, especially to those who are looking for some really dark secrets in a small quiet town.
First, I didn't expect this story to be so dark. The resolution of a few threads is really somber. For some reason, I expected it to be something of a cozy mystery. Although I am not sure why. The fact that Lynley and Havers are solving the case where the daughter killed her father by chopping his head off with an ax should give some hints. Motivations of the various characters are often quite dark, and the secrets that come to light are also often filled with violence. You will find some really tough scenes.
So, if you're looking for a light and fun story about small-town crimes, this isn't that kind of book. Especially if you are sensitive to sexual or child abuse, don't read it.
Another thing that surprised me are the main characters. They are much more psychologically complicated than I initially thought. Havers, for example, is an exceptionally interesting woman, also because I'm not sure if I like her. But I think the author wanted to achieve just such an effect. On the one hand, we find Havers unpleasant and unkind, and on the other hand, we feel sorry for her because life is not easy for her and she is very lonely. Lynley is also much more complicated than I expected. I like that the author has given him other features as well, and it is not only that he likes women and is an aristocrat. I am very curious how their further work relations will develop and whether they will ever become friends or even lovers.
Overall, I liked this story very much. The complicated characters, both the pair of main characters and the townspeople, added a fascinating element to the story. The plot was also really exciting. A lot of things surprised me. I was truly into this story.
I am adding another book in this series to my tbr pile. I definitely recommend it, especially to those who are looking for some really dark secrets in a small quiet town.
October 11, 2016
I've been in a book slump for the longest time. Well, I've been in a slump in general, for the longest time. I'd been having "one of those days" for the past couple of weeks, and this book got me out of it.
I was apprehensive about starting this book after the disappointment that was J.D. Robb, but this did not disappoint. Elizabeth George is an exceptional writer. She pens what seems, from the onset, a cosy mystery, a la Ms. Marple or the likes, but gradually turns out to be something much darker and more sinister. She takes time to build her characters, and the story itself; she has the knack of portraying her characters as realistic, rather than as empty shells of people merely existing to progress the story. Each of her characters have both good and bad attributes to them; you can't really hate any of them. This book marks the introduction of the characters that spawned the popular PBS detective series based on the titular Inspector Lynley, and his friends and foes. Inspector Lynely is the proverbial prodigal son, the golden boy - Eton-and-Oxford educated, attractive, and an Earl, no less. Reputed for his impeccable suits as much as for his skills as a cop, he is paired with the frumpish, difficult, and self-loathing Sgt. Barbara Havers. Havers is, as it is always in tales like this, the polar opposite of Lynley. Think Andy Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada, but as a cop. Thirty year old Barb lives with her parents on the "wrong side of Acton" in utter mediocrity. Her parents are, it seems from the beginning, slightly crazy. Also weak and frail, both physically and emotionally. The reasons, of course, are mentioned later in the novel, but one can't but wonder...
Due to her innate inability to work well with others, she was demoted from the CID, but is paired with our good Inspector to travel to the beautiful countryside of York to solve what seems to be the gruesome murder of a man by his daughter. Eager to prove her chops, she sets out to perform reasonably well during the course of the investigation, only to, for lack of a better word, fuck up, because of her bitterness and anger. That is not to say that she doesn't do her bit for the case; she does. If I had to fault Ms. George for anything, it would be for Barb's excruciatingly annoying inner monologue. Barb is not only self-deprecating, she also hates everyone and everything else in the world. While I would forgive such bitterness in a 16 year-old, it doesn't bode well with me when the character is about twice that age. Having said that, I also kind of understand where the self-loathing comes from, so I don't completely blame her. Also in the novel, are newly-weds Simon and Deborah St. James, characters that I came to adore; similar were my feelings towards Lady Helen Clyde, Lynley's special lady friend. Ms. George teaches you that with a little help from your friends, anything is possible. Even apprehending a "cold-blooded killer". Wonderfully interwoven with references and elements from popular gothic novels, especially the Bronte novels, A Great Deliverance hits all the right notes. There is, of course, also the curious incident of the dog at the nighttime.
There is definite comic relief provided in the novel, by way of Hank and JoJo somethingortheother, two over the top, crass Americans totally taken by the "English charm" and looking for the "verified, certified poop" about everything they come across. Ms. George plays wonderfully with the dry elements of British humour that I have come to love in such novels. It's hard to believe that she's actually American. There's elements of goth and horror in the book, also, but in its essence, the book remains a classic whodunit that will leave you saying "damn, I could've seen that coming, but I didn't."
I was apprehensive about starting this book after the disappointment that was J.D. Robb, but this did not disappoint. Elizabeth George is an exceptional writer. She pens what seems, from the onset, a cosy mystery, a la Ms. Marple or the likes, but gradually turns out to be something much darker and more sinister. She takes time to build her characters, and the story itself; she has the knack of portraying her characters as realistic, rather than as empty shells of people merely existing to progress the story. Each of her characters have both good and bad attributes to them; you can't really hate any of them. This book marks the introduction of the characters that spawned the popular PBS detective series based on the titular Inspector Lynley, and his friends and foes. Inspector Lynely is the proverbial prodigal son, the golden boy - Eton-and-Oxford educated, attractive, and an Earl, no less. Reputed for his impeccable suits as much as for his skills as a cop, he is paired with the frumpish, difficult, and self-loathing Sgt. Barbara Havers. Havers is, as it is always in tales like this, the polar opposite of Lynley. Think Andy Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada, but as a cop. Thirty year old Barb lives with her parents on the "wrong side of Acton" in utter mediocrity. Her parents are, it seems from the beginning, slightly crazy. Also weak and frail, both physically and emotionally. The reasons, of course, are mentioned later in the novel, but one can't but wonder...
Due to her innate inability to work well with others, she was demoted from the CID, but is paired with our good Inspector to travel to the beautiful countryside of York to solve what seems to be the gruesome murder of a man by his daughter. Eager to prove her chops, she sets out to perform reasonably well during the course of the investigation, only to, for lack of a better word, fuck up, because of her bitterness and anger. That is not to say that she doesn't do her bit for the case; she does. If I had to fault Ms. George for anything, it would be for Barb's excruciatingly annoying inner monologue. Barb is not only self-deprecating, she also hates everyone and everything else in the world. While I would forgive such bitterness in a 16 year-old, it doesn't bode well with me when the character is about twice that age. Having said that, I also kind of understand where the self-loathing comes from, so I don't completely blame her. Also in the novel, are newly-weds Simon and Deborah St. James, characters that I came to adore; similar were my feelings towards Lady Helen Clyde, Lynley's special lady friend. Ms. George teaches you that with a little help from your friends, anything is possible. Even apprehending a "cold-blooded killer". Wonderfully interwoven with references and elements from popular gothic novels, especially the Bronte novels, A Great Deliverance hits all the right notes. There is, of course, also the curious incident of the dog at the nighttime.
There is definite comic relief provided in the novel, by way of Hank and JoJo somethingortheother, two over the top, crass Americans totally taken by the "English charm" and looking for the "verified, certified poop" about everything they come across. Ms. George plays wonderfully with the dry elements of British humour that I have come to love in such novels. It's hard to believe that she's actually American. There's elements of goth and horror in the book, also, but in its essence, the book remains a classic whodunit that will leave you saying "damn, I could've seen that coming, but I didn't."
April 6, 2024
I read this book 30 years ago and didn’t remember much of the details to be honest. One of my bookclubs here decided to read the series together. I didn’t have time to reread the paperback, but I did want a refresher and found an abridged audio book on Spotify. It was very well done and I felt like they did justice to both the police investigation behind the murder and the character development, which is what always kept me returning to the series. I think I read 6 or 7 of them, not sure. Maybe I’ll continue further this time.
At any rate, it’s a pretty horrible outcome, the reasons behind the murder etc and it’s pretty twisty despite being fairly obvious what actually happened.
At any rate, it’s a pretty horrible outcome, the reasons behind the murder etc and it’s pretty twisty despite being fairly obvious what actually happened.
November 19, 2014
Goodness Gracious, I love this series. Elizabeth George is, in my opinion, the best mystery writer alive today. The ending hits you like a slap and yet you're left wondering how in the world you never saw it coming. Of course THAT was what was happening! But Elizabeth George is a master manipulator and character constructor. There are few characters in literature I enjoy more than Barbara Havers and Sir Thomas Lynley. The ins and outs of their relationship over the course of this series is enthralling. I enjoyed going back and revisiting the start of their partnership and friendship. They are an odd couple that is a match made in heaven, or at least in the Scotland Yard. Highly, highly recommended!!!!
December 6, 2019
I was really looking forward to trying out the Inspector Lynley series and decided to start out with ‘A Great Deliverance’, the first of twenty Lynley-Havers stories. I was pretty much unimpressed. I found myself unable to warm to either of the two detectives, had no interest in the class difference that is the key focus of their partnership, and lost the will to carry on when the caricatured American dentist made his appearance. Not my cup of tea!
April 8, 2008
Don't let the public television series distract you - they mostly just took the names and killed off most of the players.
For a treat and a journey that only your willingness NOT to read reviews can preserve, begin here at the beginning. The arc of personal story that runs behind the crimes and through the novels is truly wonderful, and her brilliant portrayal of race and class issues builds to the truly startling "With No One As Witness" and the revelatory "What Came Before He Shot Her."
George has grown so much as a writer over the course of this series -by these last two she was taking chances some of her most devoted readers resent. For me it was the opposite. She does truly transcend the genre - or raises the bar - and i would follow her anywhere.
And of course if you can listen, I think it's even better. Both of the women who read her books (Donata Peters and Davina Porter) are truly gifted performers - and they bring so much to the story by letting us hear the class-marking variety of accents.
For a treat and a journey that only your willingness NOT to read reviews can preserve, begin here at the beginning. The arc of personal story that runs behind the crimes and through the novels is truly wonderful, and her brilliant portrayal of race and class issues builds to the truly startling "With No One As Witness" and the revelatory "What Came Before He Shot Her."
George has grown so much as a writer over the course of this series -by these last two she was taking chances some of her most devoted readers resent. For me it was the opposite. She does truly transcend the genre - or raises the bar - and i would follow her anywhere.
And of course if you can listen, I think it's even better. Both of the women who read her books (Donata Peters and Davina Porter) are truly gifted performers - and they bring so much to the story by letting us hear the class-marking variety of accents.
September 23, 2018
A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George.
A book like this comes along perhaps once in a lifetime. Each character so intense with emotional depth adding to the story that creates an atmosphere impossible to abandon. I was unable to turn away from the characters and the story they brought to life with the turning of each page. I must thank another reader/reviewer for recommending this author.
Inspector Lynley has been assigned CID Barbara Havers to accompany him on this case. Pairing these two personalities could be more than just a hit or miss in sleuthing. Their lives and way of thinking couldn't be further apart. This case begins with the murder of a father found in a barn decapitated. His youngest daughter alongside him confessing to his murder. The reasoning or madness that lie behind this scene is to be determined in a complicated tale with lives so entangled that only a master of detection could hold the key that unlocks these many deep dark secrets.
This was a story so riveting it deserves only the very highest of recommendations.
A book like this comes along perhaps once in a lifetime. Each character so intense with emotional depth adding to the story that creates an atmosphere impossible to abandon. I was unable to turn away from the characters and the story they brought to life with the turning of each page. I must thank another reader/reviewer for recommending this author.
Inspector Lynley has been assigned CID Barbara Havers to accompany him on this case. Pairing these two personalities could be more than just a hit or miss in sleuthing. Their lives and way of thinking couldn't be further apart. This case begins with the murder of a father found in a barn decapitated. His youngest daughter alongside him confessing to his murder. The reasoning or madness that lie behind this scene is to be determined in a complicated tale with lives so entangled that only a master of detection could hold the key that unlocks these many deep dark secrets.
This was a story so riveting it deserves only the very highest of recommendations.
May 25, 2024
I love British detective shows.
Not the hardcore ones, but the ones set in small hamlets, where multiple people end up dying and you wonder how this village can survive with all these murders taking place. You know the kind.
They have this gentle feel, that is missing from American crime drama (which I also love. Holla SVU and NCIS!). It's just so dang polite. Americans are always busting in, shooting everything. Have you seen the new Hawaii-50? How can anyone travel to Hawaii with so many gun fights taking place on the streets?
In British crime drama, it's more like, "I'm terribly sorry but I'm going to have to arrest you now." with a response of "oh drat." There's also more of that tongue-in-cheek humor that the British have nailed. It's quite delightful.
Inspector Lynley reads just like a British Crime TV show. I ate it right up. I couldn't stop reading. It made me ridiculously happy.
Sergeant Havers is being given one last shot at working with an inspector. She's turned all the others off with her prickly (bitchy, ahem) behavior. Her last chance is with Inspector Lynley.
This is bittersweet.
Lynley is an aristocrat, an earl. Havers is working class and definitely hates people using their "status" to get ahead. Her boss insists that Havers can learn something from Lynley.
The mystery is a particularly gory one. A decapitated body is found and the daughter says she did it and she's not sorry. The whole town, though, insists this just couldn't be. Roberta is not the type. Missing daughters, bigamy, and terrible secrets abound.
I should mention, the crimes themselves are not actually "gentle." That's more a feeling of the setting and the players. The actual crimes are fairly grisly and disturbing. (As crimes typically are.) Even though I could see where this book was headed, I was still torn up about it.
The characters are a blast. Watching Havers learn and grow was beautifully done. Lynley is a dreamboat.
You really can't help but fall a bit in love with him.
I immediately started reading book 2 and I've already checked out up through book 6. Needless to say, I'm hooked. (Review #1 - January 2019)
Review #2 - May 2024
Oooo! I still love this! I'll be honest, back in the day, I never made it past book three because book four did something I don't like - it's a flashback book, the whole book goes back into the past and I'm NOT a fan. I never read any "prequels" and I honestly couldn't care less about the backstory, but the completionist in me wouldn't let me just move on, so this series, like the One Ring, lay forgotten and passed out of all knowledge.
A couple of weeks ago, this series randomly came floating back to me. I remembered how much I loved it. I got the audio this time, and had an absolute delight. I soaked up every minute. My poor memory made it so I didn't even remember the resolution. I had an inkling, though, this time. All those episodes of
I love the many facets to Havers' and Lynley's personalities. I'm excited to watch them grow in the rest of the series. I'm going to persevere through book four this time around. I think the audiobook will help.
Not the hardcore ones, but the ones set in small hamlets, where multiple people end up dying and you wonder how this village can survive with all these murders taking place. You know the kind.
They have this gentle feel, that is missing from American crime drama (which I also love. Holla SVU and NCIS!). It's just so dang polite. Americans are always busting in, shooting everything. Have you seen the new Hawaii-50? How can anyone travel to Hawaii with so many gun fights taking place on the streets?
In British crime drama, it's more like, "I'm terribly sorry but I'm going to have to arrest you now." with a response of "oh drat." There's also more of that tongue-in-cheek humor that the British have nailed. It's quite delightful.
Inspector Lynley reads just like a British Crime TV show. I ate it right up. I couldn't stop reading. It made me ridiculously happy.
Sergeant Havers is being given one last shot at working with an inspector. She's turned all the others off with her prickly (bitchy, ahem) behavior. Her last chance is with Inspector Lynley.
This is bittersweet.
Lynley is an aristocrat, an earl. Havers is working class and definitely hates people using their "status" to get ahead. Her boss insists that Havers can learn something from Lynley.
The mystery is a particularly gory one. A decapitated body is found and the daughter says she did it and she's not sorry. The whole town, though, insists this just couldn't be. Roberta is not the type. Missing daughters, bigamy, and terrible secrets abound.
I should mention, the crimes themselves are not actually "gentle." That's more a feeling of the setting and the players. The actual crimes are fairly grisly and disturbing. (As crimes typically are.) Even though I could see where this book was headed, I was still torn up about it.
The characters are a blast. Watching Havers learn and grow was beautifully done. Lynley is a dreamboat.
You really can't help but fall a bit in love with him.
I immediately started reading book 2 and I've already checked out up through book 6. Needless to say, I'm hooked. (Review #1 - January 2019)
Review #2 - May 2024
Oooo! I still love this! I'll be honest, back in the day, I never made it past book three because book four did something I don't like - it's a flashback book, the whole book goes back into the past and I'm NOT a fan. I never read any "prequels" and I honestly couldn't care less about the backstory, but the completionist in me wouldn't let me just move on, so this series, like the One Ring, lay forgotten and passed out of all knowledge.
A couple of weeks ago, this series randomly came floating back to me. I remembered how much I loved it. I got the audio this time, and had an absolute delight. I soaked up every minute. My poor memory made it so I didn't even remember the resolution. I had an inkling, though, this time. All those episodes of
I love the many facets to Havers' and Lynley's personalities. I'm excited to watch them grow in the rest of the series. I'm going to persevere through book four this time around. I think the audiobook will help.
April 30, 2020
To me, this book has one of the most astonishing conclusions that I have ever read. The first 90% of the book is a fairly good English murder/mystery, but not amazing literature. The last 10% grabs you by the throat and just shakes you. Oustanding, fantastic, unbelievable, and in a debut novel. I did not see any of this foreshadowed in the story, although in retrospect all the clues are there. Wow! Highly recommended to anyone who can handle adult literature.
January 29, 2018
This book is such a disappointment. I had to put it down because the author's utter disgust with fat people became too much. George has 2 types of women characters: beautiful, thin, charming ones and fat "cows" with shrill voices. The number of jokes about how no one would sleep with a fat woman take away from whatever story there is.
Abandoned at page 150.
Abandoned at page 150.
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