Finished reading the latest addititon to the Inspector Lynley series from Elizabeth George.
Hoping for the best, withholding judgement 'til the end, crossing my fingers:
Believing the Lie continues the backward slide into mediocrity of this collection.
George "killed her darling" with the death of Helen, Inspector Lynley's wife.
In response to the outrage of fans to the predestined demise of Helen, George's next book,
What Came Before He Shot Her, lays down the challenge that she can make these same fans come to
care about Helen's murderer. That non-formulamatic story of a young blood and his patchwork family in gritty London delivered on that goal. This is George's best work. And not a Lynley or a Bentley in sight.
Careless in Red: a decent run at showing Lynley coming out of extreme grief. The setting was worth the read. There's a scene in this one with Havers, eating, showing her chipped tooth, that I still retain.
This Body of Death : Great title: While the Characters have different bodies, both living and dead, from previous books, and this is a new setting, all of them are insanely familiar.
Same internal workings as former characters in earlier books.
Maybe that's a theme, but they all seem to be revisits from previous stories. Can't say, but I was bored. The forest and ponies should have been used to a bigger advantage . Finished it anyway, out of loyalty
and respect for my own time.
Believing the lie: Finished it, and congratulated myself for it.
From the author, perhaps: a question: Can I write a good detective story where the question is
"Did a murder actually happen?" I say she can, and she did. I was happy that the novel was lengthy,
just not satisfied with the depth of any of the overly numerous plots and subplots.
Why bring up the Pele Project with its
concept of rehab for long term aged addicts and go nowhere with it?
Yet, have the main puzzle revolve around marital and sexual woes, oft visited, oft dissected, and bringing nothing new.
This was almost a bodice ripper romance novel.
Thankfully, we get a hint that Barbara and the University professor will be back in the next issue\
and at center stage.
What George does best, the painting and spinning of Barbara Havers, she does so infrequently that it's only a tease. Probably delights her, as an author, but to this reader, it's frustrating.
Thankfully, there are PBS reruns, and thanks to them for taking the Havers character and running with it,
although in an entirely different direction.
Ms George: Elizabeth Ardery? Really? Snooze button.
My least favorite book of the series: for sake of Elena,
My favorite: What Came before He shot her: which made me stand up and cheer for the author when I finished it and slammed it shut, in exhaustion and exultation of great concept, great writing, great pushing oneself and one's audience. bravo.
Dana J
Hoping for the best, withholding judgement 'til the end, crossing my fingers:
Believing the Lie continues the backward slide into mediocrity of this collection.
George "killed her darling" with the death of Helen, Inspector Lynley's wife.
In response to the outrage of fans to the predestined demise of Helen, George's next book,
What Came Before He Shot Her, lays down the challenge that she can make these same fans come to
care about Helen's murderer. That non-formulamatic story of a young blood and his patchwork family in gritty London delivered on that goal. This is George's best work. And not a Lynley or a Bentley in sight.
Careless in Red: a decent run at showing Lynley coming out of extreme grief. The setting was worth the read. There's a scene in this one with Havers, eating, showing her chipped tooth, that I still retain.
This Body of Death : Great title: While the Characters have different bodies, both living and dead, from previous books, and this is a new setting, all of them are insanely familiar.
Same internal workings as former characters in earlier books.
Maybe that's a theme, but they all seem to be revisits from previous stories. Can't say, but I was bored. The forest and ponies should have been used to a bigger advantage . Finished it anyway, out of loyalty
and respect for my own time.
Believing the lie: Finished it, and congratulated myself for it.
From the author, perhaps: a question: Can I write a good detective story where the question is
"Did a murder actually happen?" I say she can, and she did. I was happy that the novel was lengthy,
just not satisfied with the depth of any of the overly numerous plots and subplots.
Why bring up the Pele Project with its
concept of rehab for long term aged addicts and go nowhere with it?
Yet, have the main puzzle revolve around marital and sexual woes, oft visited, oft dissected, and bringing nothing new.
This was almost a bodice ripper romance novel.
Thankfully, we get a hint that Barbara and the University professor will be back in the next issue\
and at center stage.
What George does best, the painting and spinning of Barbara Havers, she does so infrequently that it's only a tease. Probably delights her, as an author, but to this reader, it's frustrating.
Thankfully, there are PBS reruns, and thanks to them for taking the Havers character and running with it,
although in an entirely different direction.
Ms George: Elizabeth Ardery? Really? Snooze button.
My least favorite book of the series: for sake of Elena,
My favorite: What Came before He shot her: which made me stand up and cheer for the author when I finished it and slammed it shut, in exhaustion and exultation of great concept, great writing, great pushing oneself and one's audience. bravo.
Dana J


















