*** 1/2 - This is the first in Elizabeth George's acclaimed Inspector Lynley mysteries. Now that I've read several of the series, I think I've put my finger on why they always seem to be hovering just above average for me. I enjoy her writing and her plotting - but all of her stories deal with situations that make me very uncomfortable.A savage murder has been committed in the bucolic English countryside. Fat, unhappy Roberta Teys is found near the body of her father, clutching a bloody axe, and all she will say is "I did it, and I'm not sorry." Scotland Yard's golden boy Detective Inspector Lynley (also the 8th Earl of Asherton) is sent to investigate along with scruffy, scrappy and perpetually angry Barbara Havers - who is being given one last chance to play nicely with a partner before being relegated to a position on the beat.
This is where Lynley and Havers first meet, and here more than in any of the others that I've read, the differences between their situations are absolutely glaring. Everything about Lynley seems to go right - his title, his career, and even his tragically doomed love affair only seems to lend him more empathy and intuition. He is so perfect that it's unsurprising that Havers views him with instant hostility. But she goes overboard to the point where I wondered why she was so desperate to sabotage everything she had worked for so hard.
As usual, the main thing in A Great Deliverance isn't really the case that Lynley and Havers are working on. Instead the focus is on the characterization of the investigating team and their relationship. And here, it's pretty frustrating. If I had come to this novel first (you know, that pesky thing called reading in order), and I hadn't seen some of the excellent BBC productions based on these novels, I'm not sure I would have come back to George.
This is even more true because of the issues George addresses within the mystery. There's very little I can say about what disturbed me here without spoiling the mystery, so I won't go into any detail. But these novels tend to make me quite uncomfortable - there's always an undercurrent of the sordid. I suppose I shouldn't expect any different from a novel about crime and the nastier darker sides of humanity that lead to murder, but there's something about George's writing that really drives home that this sort of thing is real. And that upsets me.
If you want a CSI, a Law & Order, or a Closer in book form, Elizabeth George's novels aren't the way to go. They're gritty and seedy - and if that's more your mystery/thriller style, I'd say go for it.
Book 3: Well-Schooled in Murder
Book 5: For the Sake of Elena
Interested in other opinions?
3 comments:
I love Elizabeth George - she's my favourite mystery writer. I love the recurring characters. It is important to read these in order because of those characters and their development! I always tell people this when I recommend her. I found it took her a while to find her writing style and it wasn't until book 3 or 4 that she found her stride - but once found, it's a great thing! Havers is one of the greatest characters in mystery fiction, IMHO!
WC - I definitely think reading these in order is important to watch the characters develop, but I'm still glad my first taste was later on when Havers and Lynley had worked out some of their differences.
I definitely enjoy the way Elizabeth George writes, so I'll be sticking with the characters for a while.
Have you seen the BBC versions?
Yeah, I saw the first two and I was NOT impressed. I hated the cast - particularly the actors they chose for Havers and Lynley. I also thought they messed with the stories too much, so I've decided to just not watch them at all anymore. I like to keep things in my mind the way they are with these characters.
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