Genre: Psychological Suspense MysteryHow I read it: I own it.
What attracted me to the book: I admit, I saw the Lynley mysteries on TV before I actually picked up one of her books. But, when I read this book, I wanted to read all of them.
What it worth the money? Yes.
Who should read this book: This is another psychological suspense. I don't know why I pick some of the most gory books but this one is another. She doesn't describe in detail the gore but the scenes are disturbing nonetheless.
Summary (from amazon): Roberta Teys, a silent, obese adolescent, is accused of killing her church-going father with an axe. The detectives sent by Scotland Yard to investigate are a mismatched pair. Inspector Thomas Lynley is smooth, attractive and utterly upper-class; "stubby, sturdy" detective-sergeant Barbara Havers, conscious of her plain appearance and lower-class origins, considers Lynley a "sodding little fop." Thrown together, they weigh the general conviction in the village that Roberta could not possibly have wielded the bloody axe against mounting evidence that damns the now catatonic girl. In sifting slowly through the ashes of the past, the detectives find enough horrific skeletons in every closet to lead them to a climax unexpectedly loaded with fire and fury. While Lynley seems rather bland despite emotion roiling beneath the surface, it is Havers' painful secrets and driving rage that encourage one to overlook decidedly uneven passages in this essentially intriguing psychological thriller.
My thoughts: When I write, I don't add a lot of details and descriptions, in the first of this series, neither does George. I can't say that about her future books. I found she became more and more wordy as the years went on. But, let's not focus on her later novels but her first.
What do I love best about this mystery? The character Havers. She's such a wonderful off-the-wall character. She's the opposite of her partner. Lynley's a handsome, titled detective and she's poor, not good-looking and kinda mouthy.
I have to say, the story is wonderful, Haver's is wonderful but some of the characters (Helen and Deborah) I found annoying. Perhaps it's because we want the two main characters to get on more but Lynley seems so distracted by those in her personal life.
Bottom Line: If you haven't read a George novel yet, start with this one.
Rating:
11 comments:
Sounds good - as long as I read it in the mornings! I don't need any more nightmares :)
Jemi, yes, it will leave you haunted.
ann
Ooo, I'm always looking for new books to read. I'll definitely check this out!
I love psychological thrillers- love them. However, I'm like Jemi in that I need to read them in daylight-perhaps with no weapons in short reach. I have never read a book by George but will now.
Ann - Thanks for mentioning this book. It really is a fine, fine novel, and although I agree that it's disturbing, it is also haunting. I'm a fan of this series.
I read this about three years ago and it still haunts me! Thanks for highlighting a great writer and a provoking read!
No I haven't read an Elizabeth George novel yet, though I have heard a lot about it. Will take your advice and start with this one, when I do.
I haven't read any and this one sounds interesting. Enjoyed the review. This one is now going on my wish list.
Will have to read this one, good review.
Elizabeth George is one of my favourite authors - I've read everything she's written. Some I like better than others, but I find her character development top-notch. I do wish sometimes, however, that she wouldn't write as if she'd swallowed a thesaurus. Her vocabulary is miles above mine!
I love reading Elizabeth George. I also watched the Lindly series on TV and fell in love with the characters. I also started with A Great Deliverance. I believe I've read most of her books and even did a blog post on Elizabeth George because I admire her so much. Yes, her novels have become wordy, but I love to sink into the couch and cuddle up with one of her novels.
Great blog you have. I'll make sure to check it out more often.
M.J. Macie
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