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Inspector Lynley #6
Missing Joseph
Deborah and Simon St. James have taken a holiday in the winter landscape of Lancastershire, hoping to heal the growing rift in their marriage. But in the barren countryside awaits bleak The vicar of Wimslough, the man they had come to see, is dead—a victim of accidental poisoning. Unsatisfied with the inquest ruling and unsettled by the close association between the investigating constable and the woman who served the deadly meal, Simon calls in his old friend Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley. Together they uncover dark, complex relationships in this rural village, relationships that bring men and women together with a passion, with grief, or with the intention to kill. Peeling away layer after layer of personal history to reveal the torment of a fugitive spirit, Missing Joseph is award-winning author Elizabeth George's greatest achievement.
592 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
819 people are currently reading
2982 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth George
102 books5,495 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 652 reviews
October 31, 2011
Elizabeth George is one of the premier “English-mystery” writers. As it happens, she lives and writes in California, but she apparently studied in England and does locale-specific research before each new novel. She’s very good at capturing the local dialect and geographic description, but, my goodness, I suspect she must have a peculiar love life because the characters of the two novels I’ve read have such bizarre, intertwined lives.
Her main character is Inspector Thomas Lynley, a certifiable Earl, who is in love with Lady Helen, who at one time had an affair with Lynley’s best friend and colleague, forensic pathologist Simon St. James, who is married to Deborah, who had an earlier affair with Lynley and lost his baby. Deborah is quite a few years younger than St. James and was apparently his ward — it’s not completely spelled out in this one, but my wife, who is a great fan of George assures me that reading them in order will straighten things out. Whew!
Lynley’s acerbic partner is Sergeant Barbara Havers. I think I like her character the best because she is so good at putting Lynley in his place. Anyway, in this novel, the local vicar, Mr. Sage, has been killed by accidentally ingesting water hemlock (a nasty, poisonous plant) inadvertently provided to him for dinner by Mrs. Juliet Spence, who is in love with the local constable, Colin Shepherd.
Shepherd’s investigation clears Mrs. Spence, whose daughter Maggie is sleeping with Nick, who wants to be a vet. In the meantime, Polly, daughter of the local 20 stone (English measure of weight) witch, is in love with Colin (who later rapes her), but she in turn is being lusted after by Brendon, who was forced to marry—after he got her pregnant— Rebecca, whom he utterly loathes but was reluctant to retreat from because he is a lawyer in the firm owned by her father. Whew, again!
In any case, Lynley becomes involved because St. James and Deborah have gone on holiday to this little town, and St. James realizes that something is fishy about the death of the vicar. The inquest and coroner had ruled the death an accident, following a rather clumsy investigation by Colin who, as I mentioned, is having an affair with the lady who administered the poisonous herbs mistakenly thinking they were parsnips. Apparently, New Scotland Yard CID inspectors can run around investigating closed cases in other jurisdictions willy-nilly.
Actually, this is a riveting novel with very interesting characters, but I do worry about Ms. George’s love life.
Her main character is Inspector Thomas Lynley, a certifiable Earl, who is in love with Lady Helen, who at one time had an affair with Lynley’s best friend and colleague, forensic pathologist Simon St. James, who is married to Deborah, who had an earlier affair with Lynley and lost his baby. Deborah is quite a few years younger than St. James and was apparently his ward — it’s not completely spelled out in this one, but my wife, who is a great fan of George assures me that reading them in order will straighten things out. Whew!
Lynley’s acerbic partner is Sergeant Barbara Havers. I think I like her character the best because she is so good at putting Lynley in his place. Anyway, in this novel, the local vicar, Mr. Sage, has been killed by accidentally ingesting water hemlock (a nasty, poisonous plant) inadvertently provided to him for dinner by Mrs. Juliet Spence, who is in love with the local constable, Colin Shepherd.
Shepherd’s investigation clears Mrs. Spence, whose daughter Maggie is sleeping with Nick, who wants to be a vet. In the meantime, Polly, daughter of the local 20 stone (English measure of weight) witch, is in love with Colin (who later rapes her), but she in turn is being lusted after by Brendon, who was forced to marry—after he got her pregnant— Rebecca, whom he utterly loathes but was reluctant to retreat from because he is a lawyer in the firm owned by her father. Whew, again!
In any case, Lynley becomes involved because St. James and Deborah have gone on holiday to this little town, and St. James realizes that something is fishy about the death of the vicar. The inquest and coroner had ruled the death an accident, following a rather clumsy investigation by Colin who, as I mentioned, is having an affair with the lady who administered the poisonous herbs mistakenly thinking they were parsnips. Apparently, New Scotland Yard CID inspectors can run around investigating closed cases in other jurisdictions willy-nilly.
Actually, this is a riveting novel with very interesting characters, but I do worry about Ms. George’s love life.
August 23, 2011
I loved the first Lynley mystery, A Great Deliverance, which moved me to tears and I rated five stars. I really like George's style of writing--it flows so well--and her detectives--especially Havers, even over Lynley. I've read that the later books (there are 16 to date) are stronger than the early ones, but so far, with an uptick here and there along the way (I did love Well-Schooled in Murder) these novels seem to be getting weaker, not stronger.
The book opens with Deborah St. James angsting over her inability to have a child. She takes refuge from the rain in a museum, and contemplates a Da Vinci Madonna and child. A man, who turns out to be a vicar, sits down next to her and mutters it's "missing Joseph." That it seems so few pictures of the infant Jesus include his father. Deborah finds a connection with the man, and she and her husband Simon go up to visit him in Lancashire--only to find he's died in what's been ruled to be an accidental poisoning.
As you might be able to tell from that title, the relationship between parent and child is key in both the mystery and the arc of the recurring characters. How it features in this mystery though defines far-fetched and overwrought. In fact no one in this novel acts in any way I find credible.
There are two things that just kill this for me though. One is the almost complete absence of Havers. I really couldn't care less about the St Jameses or their marriage. I find Deborah whiny and annoying. What I loved in the first Lynley novel was the acerbic, working class Havers, and how she played off the smoothly aristocratic Lynley. So my favorite character is practically absent, staying down in London, while my least favorite character is far too much to the fore. Also, yes, though I like George's writing and tend to think she's more than just a decent genre writer, I do want to read a good mystery, and like the preceding book, For the Sake of Helena, George cheats, entering into the mind of the murderer in a way that should strike the person off the suspect list. It makes me wary of reading more of George. I will be reading the next book in the series however, and dearly hope there'll be a lot less of the St Jameses, and a lot more of Havers.
The book opens with Deborah St. James angsting over her inability to have a child. She takes refuge from the rain in a museum, and contemplates a Da Vinci Madonna and child. A man, who turns out to be a vicar, sits down next to her and mutters it's "missing Joseph." That it seems so few pictures of the infant Jesus include his father. Deborah finds a connection with the man, and she and her husband Simon go up to visit him in Lancashire--only to find he's died in what's been ruled to be an accidental poisoning.
As you might be able to tell from that title, the relationship between parent and child is key in both the mystery and the arc of the recurring characters. How it features in this mystery though defines far-fetched and overwrought. In fact no one in this novel acts in any way I find credible.
There are two things that just kill this for me though. One is the almost complete absence of Havers. I really couldn't care less about the St Jameses or their marriage. I find Deborah whiny and annoying. What I loved in the first Lynley novel was the acerbic, working class Havers, and how she played off the smoothly aristocratic Lynley. So my favorite character is practically absent, staying down in London, while my least favorite character is far too much to the fore. Also, yes, though I like George's writing and tend to think she's more than just a decent genre writer, I do want to read a good mystery, and like the preceding book, For the Sake of Helena, George cheats, entering into the mind of the murderer in a way that should strike the person off the suspect list. It makes me wary of reading more of George. I will be reading the next book in the series however, and dearly hope there'll be a lot less of the St Jameses, and a lot more of Havers.
July 17, 2019
Wow. So "Missing Joseph" packs a punch. George really looks at a variety of relationships and in the end you kind of want to go why do women even deal with men? Except in the case of St. James and his wife Deborah where she continues to be the worst. There's also a look at the mother and child relationship and how those differ with regards to fathers. There is the usual mess with Deborah and honestly that's the main reason why I dropped this book a star. It's getting old. I hope George moves on from this story-line in the next book.
When St. James and Deborah go to visit Lancastershire they find out that a vicar that Deborah met and was behind the visit is dead. He accidentally digested hemlock and the local constable (Colin Shephard) found the woman (Mrs. Juliet Spence) who accidentally provided him the hemlock was cleared. The locals feel differently though since Shepard and Mrs. Spence are lovers. When St. James starts going over how hemlock is first diagnosed he has questions about how a known herbalist could have accidentally picked it and given it to someone to eat. He calls up Inspector Lynley who is happy to be away from Helen at the moment and the two men investigate.
I thought George actually did a better job with the secondary characters in this one than with the main ones. Juliet is a woman with a past and she was reluctant to become involved with Shephard but did. She's torn between her love of her daughter and wanting to keep her from doing something she will regret to wanting to still be with Shephard even though she knows it can't last.
Maggie Spence is 13 and I wanted to hug her. She's tied up in missing a father she never knew and telling herself she is in love with a 15 year old boy who is just as clueless as she is. Maggie is determined to get the family that she wants to make her feel loved.
Shepherd was garbage. George developed him very well though but there's a scene that made me rage. His blindness of things and his treatment of women is definitely a theme that keeps playing out in George's books.
Polly, a childhood friend of Shephard who practices Wicca who wanted Shephard to love her is the most changed by the end of this book. With her realizing eventually that just because you love someone does not mean that they deserve that love was heartbreaking.
Brendan who fancies himself in love with Poppy and is regretting the marriage he got forced into with the local rich man's daughter.
Lynley and Helen have become exhausting. Get married or don't, I just don't want to read about it anymore. George shows though that Lynley wants to dominate Helen though and marriage to him would mean that she would be there for him always. I just shook my head. St. James is the only male character that understands what marriage and love is. He keeps dealing with Deborah and her insistence on trying to get pregnant though the doctor has flat out told her she needs to give herself a year at least to wait to try again or she may end up dying. Her acting as if St. James is the selfish one gave me a headache.
Havers was barely in this one. I was ticked about that. We get to see her moving on from her family home and becoming more settled in the next stage of her life which was good.
The writing was graphic at times. Warning there is a rape scene in the book that had me checking my alarm was on before I fell asleep. The flow was a bit slow at first with just St. James and Deborah and I felt myself getting bored which hasn't happened before. Things picked up anytime we left those two behind.
The setting of Lancastershire was interesting. It seemed to be a fairly liberal place with people not really focusing on religion. That said, there was a lot of ugliness going on that George manages to tap into when you follow the primary and secondary characters.
The ending was a shocker. I honestly didn't know who the perpetrator(s) was and why they did it. When we get to the reveals I was like oh my goodness! I think ending it on the villagers after Lynley and others had left was a good idea. We can get a semblance of an idea of what will happen next.
When St. James and Deborah go to visit Lancastershire they find out that a vicar that Deborah met and was behind the visit is dead. He accidentally digested hemlock and the local constable (Colin Shephard) found the woman (Mrs. Juliet Spence) who accidentally provided him the hemlock was cleared. The locals feel differently though since Shepard and Mrs. Spence are lovers. When St. James starts going over how hemlock is first diagnosed he has questions about how a known herbalist could have accidentally picked it and given it to someone to eat. He calls up Inspector Lynley who is happy to be away from Helen at the moment and the two men investigate.
I thought George actually did a better job with the secondary characters in this one than with the main ones. Juliet is a woman with a past and she was reluctant to become involved with Shephard but did. She's torn between her love of her daughter and wanting to keep her from doing something she will regret to wanting to still be with Shephard even though she knows it can't last.
Maggie Spence is 13 and I wanted to hug her. She's tied up in missing a father she never knew and telling herself she is in love with a 15 year old boy who is just as clueless as she is. Maggie is determined to get the family that she wants to make her feel loved.
Shepherd was garbage. George developed him very well though but there's a scene that made me rage. His blindness of things and his treatment of women is definitely a theme that keeps playing out in George's books.
Polly, a childhood friend of Shephard who practices Wicca who wanted Shephard to love her is the most changed by the end of this book. With her realizing eventually that just because you love someone does not mean that they deserve that love was heartbreaking.
Brendan who fancies himself in love with Poppy and is regretting the marriage he got forced into with the local rich man's daughter.
Lynley and Helen have become exhausting. Get married or don't, I just don't want to read about it anymore. George shows though that Lynley wants to dominate Helen though and marriage to him would mean that she would be there for him always. I just shook my head. St. James is the only male character that understands what marriage and love is. He keeps dealing with Deborah and her insistence on trying to get pregnant though the doctor has flat out told her she needs to give herself a year at least to wait to try again or she may end up dying. Her acting as if St. James is the selfish one gave me a headache.
Havers was barely in this one. I was ticked about that. We get to see her moving on from her family home and becoming more settled in the next stage of her life which was good.
The writing was graphic at times. Warning there is a rape scene in the book that had me checking my alarm was on before I fell asleep. The flow was a bit slow at first with just St. James and Deborah and I felt myself getting bored which hasn't happened before. Things picked up anytime we left those two behind.
The setting of Lancastershire was interesting. It seemed to be a fairly liberal place with people not really focusing on religion. That said, there was a lot of ugliness going on that George manages to tap into when you follow the primary and secondary characters.
The ending was a shocker. I honestly didn't know who the perpetrator(s) was and why they did it. When we get to the reveals I was like oh my goodness! I think ending it on the villagers after Lynley and others had left was a good idea. We can get a semblance of an idea of what will happen next.
May 11, 2019
"Een atypische Elizabeth George die heel erg verschilt ten opzichte van de voorgaande delen"
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2019...
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2019...
March 22, 2025
These continue to get better and better.
February 17, 2021
I liked “Missing Joseph” the least of any Elizabeth George story and she has broached disturbing corners of crime. It received 3 stars, for twists and turns of creativity and story complexity that are to be admired. It however, abounded in distasteful characters with very little relief from bleakness and too numerous subplots interposing. Deborah continued her wearisome lament that Simon did not understand her unwillingness to adopt children, after miscarriages. Her grievances had been aired out enough. They should have helped Thomas Lynley investigate without any more couples drama.
This 1993 novel was filled with stories having no purpose except as red herrings and to explore youth issues. Too many were unconnected to the crime case. The worst addition was a sexual assault. Even only described in introduction, the brutality of a hurting body afterwards was disturbing. The victim and her Mom did not charge him but Thomas made clear that he knew what the creep did. Her Wiccan Mom delivered a beautiful healing moment, with compassion about the commonly pushed notion of “sinning”. No God-Goddess punishes, nor ever believes that anyone deserves harm.
The mystery eventually focused on investigating the history of a minister, who was killed after visiting a lady and her daughter. They were all new in town. We observe escapades of that schoolgirl and two friends. The most needless side story entailed a man marrying a woman he disliked. The central mystery was complex but years outside of reader knowledge. The plot widens to a city family, after Thomas and company follow a scarce scattering of clues. The topic of bonds in adopted families is touching but Deborah’s and Simon’s grievances need to be phased out. I sympathize with Barbara Havers and her Mom; the aspect of Thomas’s partner that I enjoy following the most.
This 1993 novel was filled with stories having no purpose except as red herrings and to explore youth issues. Too many were unconnected to the crime case. The worst addition was a sexual assault. Even only described in introduction, the brutality of a hurting body afterwards was disturbing. The victim and her Mom did not charge him but Thomas made clear that he knew what the creep did. Her Wiccan Mom delivered a beautiful healing moment, with compassion about the commonly pushed notion of “sinning”. No God-Goddess punishes, nor ever believes that anyone deserves harm.
The mystery eventually focused on investigating the history of a minister, who was killed after visiting a lady and her daughter. They were all new in town. We observe escapades of that schoolgirl and two friends. The most needless side story entailed a man marrying a woman he disliked. The central mystery was complex but years outside of reader knowledge. The plot widens to a city family, after Thomas and company follow a scarce scattering of clues. The topic of bonds in adopted families is touching but Deborah’s and Simon’s grievances need to be phased out. I sympathize with Barbara Havers and her Mom; the aspect of Thomas’s partner that I enjoy following the most.
June 17, 2014
Am I the only person bothered by the violent rape where there are no charges brought against the perpetrator in this book?! It seems the only strong women in this series are victims, the main female characters are self-indulgent prima donnas - i.e. Deborah and Helen. No wonder so many fans are drawn to Havers!
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July 15, 2016Sets a record, even for George, in that there isn't a single relationship in this volume that appears to be workable for even a moment. Fathers scorn sons, mothers smother daughters, lovers are all unrequited if not downright delusional, spouses literally can't stand to speak a word to each other, and ultimately neighbors kill neighbors. Existentialism is not dead, it's just moved to a small English village.
After garnering quite a bit of criticism earlier in her career for characters who were too verbally facile, George appears to be particularly relishing the depiction of the dim-witted, hysterical, and terminally denial-prone. There are also some swift caricatures of snobbery, judgmental piety, narcissistic immaturity, and unexplained male gold-digging. This story would put anyone off love, when every form of it is portrayed as an excuse for unrelenting punishment and naked will to power. Treasure for the misanthropic.
After garnering quite a bit of criticism earlier in her career for characters who were too verbally facile, George appears to be particularly relishing the depiction of the dim-witted, hysterical, and terminally denial-prone. There are also some swift caricatures of snobbery, judgmental piety, narcissistic immaturity, and unexplained male gold-digging. This story would put anyone off love, when every form of it is portrayed as an excuse for unrelenting punishment and naked will to power. Treasure for the misanthropic.
October 17, 2020
AROUND THE WORLD OF CRIME AND MYSTERY
NORTH AMERICAN AUTHOR/BRITISH MYSTERY - 1993
I'm reading these in order, how does this one compare to the previous five? On page 565 (of 567), the author writes, "One cannot hate while one is engaged in the process of dying." To me, that's BS, as we are all in the process of dying, and yea, I see hate everywhere, everyday, from teens to those who've passed 100 years of life. Just had to get that off my chest.
CAST - 5: George's description of Constable Colin Shephard's further descent into madness is stupendously portrayed in a few scenes about about 3/4ths of the way through the book. If you've read this, you know the scenes. If you haven't, just be prepared. A rape is involved, and George doesn't hold back when she writes the before, during, and after portions. I'd say these passages could educate many men, as it did me. Things I just had never thought about. Over the top? Close, but if you don't understand the many aspects of rape, this can go a long way to your understanding, as it did for me. The book stars with Vicar Robin Sage dead, the apparent victim of an accidental poisoning. The wealthy Brendon is ambitious and marries Rebecca for money and prestige, and that story represents a problem with this book: it just feels like it's here for word count. Juliet Spence is fascinating and her past a big mystery while her daughter Maggie, at 13th has become sexually active. Then we have Lynley from Scotland Yard and his now six-novels-in affair with Helen. I found it interesting that Lynley particularly enjoys Mozart who really isn't known as a particularly highbrow musician among the highbrow circle. I see Lynley in his Bentley with Khachaturian or Debussey. Or, is the author informing us that Lynley, all in all, is rather average but with some bucks? Rita Larkin is portrayed as a nasty piece of work. Unfortunately, this series best character, Barbara Havers, is practically invisible, and she is carrying the series, imo. More Havers and less Brendon/Rebecca would have improved this novel immensely: very good cast verging on great but not quite 5 stars. But when St. James (forensics) argues his case for adoption, his wife, Deborah, responds with "I want to be a real mother. I want to experience it. I want the child" I found George's/St. James response brilliant and telling and oh so true. He says, about parenting a child, "It shouldn't be an act of ego...And if it is for you, then I think you've mistaken what being a parent is all about." I have never had a child. But I'm absolutely sure that it IS about being a great parent, it IS about giving your all to raise a child, and it ISN'T ALL about giving birth. Personally, I see too many people give birth (I'm talking about men and women and procreation) who have no business at all being parents, aren't, and are ruinous to a child. So, I gotta go with 5 stars after all as George knows her people and few authors in any genre go so deep as George does throughout this novel. I'd say there is a great 300-page non-mystery novel here.
ATMOSPHERE - 4: Looking out over the small town of Lancashire is a rocky, rounded projection of a rolling hill and from this view one can see it all. George loves to take us up high like she does in her Cambridge novels, her characters study everyone and everything below: God (or some mere mortal) is judging...and perhaps murdering. But on this rocky landing, 'witches' have, for hundreds of years and even at present, cast spells for love and happiness and even death. From this landing can be seen an architectural horror, haunted of course, which is being remodeled but is much used by the local teens-and sometimes adults-for some sexytime. About Crofter's Inn, a hotel, George writes, "...the building was a combination of the county's tan limestone and millstone grit." I like the atmosphere the author portrays here: this town has simply grew from the ground. And with that growth has come the worst of humanity. There is much about poisons in marshes and swamps and it's rather educational. But, every time a character goes on the run there is a snowstorm then a convenient and warm barn appears. And the investigators know which barn...every single time. No one freezes as blankets and a thermos of tea appears just at the last second and along about the third time or so this happens, I just had to laugh.
CRIME - 4: An admission to the Vicar's murder (it was no accident) occurs early in the novel, so I'm giving nothing away. But there are crimes on top of crimes, lies and more lies, and the explanation of the title itself is just a heart-breaker. Nothing original here about the crimes, but there are many: the past comes back and karma is brutal.
INVESTIGATION - 3: Just too many subplots popping up. And I think most readers will reach a correct conclusion about 200 pages before the novel ends.
RESOLUTION - 3: Since we pretty much know it all by page 400, there is then 167 pages of 'talking about stuff'. It's not necessarily boring but for me, George resorts to a completely unnecessary chase scene after pretty much all is said and done. She's too good for a cliche of an ending.
SUMMARY - 3.8: There are some problems here in this novel: it's too long mainly or rather it's 2 novels. But the opening scene is a beauty and the first half of this novel is about as good as mysteries can get. Likewise, it's as good as any fictional psychological-study novel I've read. I do think George is getting better with this 6th outing: I just know there is a 5-star masterpiece by George on the horizon.
NORTH AMERICAN AUTHOR/BRITISH MYSTERY - 1993
I'm reading these in order, how does this one compare to the previous five? On page 565 (of 567), the author writes, "One cannot hate while one is engaged in the process of dying." To me, that's BS, as we are all in the process of dying, and yea, I see hate everywhere, everyday, from teens to those who've passed 100 years of life. Just had to get that off my chest.
CAST - 5: George's description of Constable Colin Shephard's further descent into madness is stupendously portrayed in a few scenes about about 3/4ths of the way through the book. If you've read this, you know the scenes. If you haven't, just be prepared. A rape is involved, and George doesn't hold back when she writes the before, during, and after portions. I'd say these passages could educate many men, as it did me. Things I just had never thought about. Over the top? Close, but if you don't understand the many aspects of rape, this can go a long way to your understanding, as it did for me. The book stars with Vicar Robin Sage dead, the apparent victim of an accidental poisoning. The wealthy Brendon is ambitious and marries Rebecca for money and prestige, and that story represents a problem with this book: it just feels like it's here for word count. Juliet Spence is fascinating and her past a big mystery while her daughter Maggie, at 13th has become sexually active. Then we have Lynley from Scotland Yard and his now six-novels-in affair with Helen. I found it interesting that Lynley particularly enjoys Mozart who really isn't known as a particularly highbrow musician among the highbrow circle. I see Lynley in his Bentley with Khachaturian or Debussey. Or, is the author informing us that Lynley, all in all, is rather average but with some bucks? Rita Larkin is portrayed as a nasty piece of work. Unfortunately, this series best character, Barbara Havers, is practically invisible, and she is carrying the series, imo. More Havers and less Brendon/Rebecca would have improved this novel immensely: very good cast verging on great but not quite 5 stars. But when St. James (forensics) argues his case for adoption, his wife, Deborah, responds with "I want to be a real mother. I want to experience it. I want the child" I found George's/St. James response brilliant and telling and oh so true. He says, about parenting a child, "It shouldn't be an act of ego...And if it is for you, then I think you've mistaken what being a parent is all about." I have never had a child. But I'm absolutely sure that it IS about being a great parent, it IS about giving your all to raise a child, and it ISN'T ALL about giving birth. Personally, I see too many people give birth (I'm talking about men and women and procreation) who have no business at all being parents, aren't, and are ruinous to a child. So, I gotta go with 5 stars after all as George knows her people and few authors in any genre go so deep as George does throughout this novel. I'd say there is a great 300-page non-mystery novel here.
ATMOSPHERE - 4: Looking out over the small town of Lancashire is a rocky, rounded projection of a rolling hill and from this view one can see it all. George loves to take us up high like she does in her Cambridge novels, her characters study everyone and everything below: God (or some mere mortal) is judging...and perhaps murdering. But on this rocky landing, 'witches' have, for hundreds of years and even at present, cast spells for love and happiness and even death. From this landing can be seen an architectural horror, haunted of course, which is being remodeled but is much used by the local teens-and sometimes adults-for some sexytime. About Crofter's Inn, a hotel, George writes, "...the building was a combination of the county's tan limestone and millstone grit." I like the atmosphere the author portrays here: this town has simply grew from the ground. And with that growth has come the worst of humanity. There is much about poisons in marshes and swamps and it's rather educational. But, every time a character goes on the run there is a snowstorm then a convenient and warm barn appears. And the investigators know which barn...every single time. No one freezes as blankets and a thermos of tea appears just at the last second and along about the third time or so this happens, I just had to laugh.
CRIME - 4: An admission to the Vicar's murder (it was no accident) occurs early in the novel, so I'm giving nothing away. But there are crimes on top of crimes, lies and more lies, and the explanation of the title itself is just a heart-breaker. Nothing original here about the crimes, but there are many: the past comes back and karma is brutal.
INVESTIGATION - 3: Just too many subplots popping up. And I think most readers will reach a correct conclusion about 200 pages before the novel ends.
RESOLUTION - 3: Since we pretty much know it all by page 400, there is then 167 pages of 'talking about stuff'. It's not necessarily boring but for me, George resorts to a completely unnecessary chase scene after pretty much all is said and done. She's too good for a cliche of an ending.
SUMMARY - 3.8: There are some problems here in this novel: it's too long mainly or rather it's 2 novels. But the opening scene is a beauty and the first half of this novel is about as good as mysteries can get. Likewise, it's as good as any fictional psychological-study novel I've read. I do think George is getting better with this 6th outing: I just know there is a 5-star masterpiece by George on the horizon.
October 9, 2014
My absolute least favorite of this series, so far--almost enough to put me off the series, but I'll read the next one and see if George returns to form. It's as though the author had a great idea for the outline of the plot and then couldn't think of how to get from the beginning to the end except through moderately graphic sex scenes involving almost every secondary character in the book. It's not an exploration of human sexuality at different ages and stages, it's just mildly titillating filler, with some witchcraft thrown in to boot. And Deborah's attitudes toward possible adoption of a child become redundant. In addition, the way Lynley figured out the central mystery seems a bit unrealistic and pat. This one just didn't work for me. I expect it's an outlier in this otherwise fine series; I hope so.
June 22, 2020
This is a mystery the reader could not solve because the author does not provide the needed info upfront. I’d be okay with that, but I was not okay with the treatment of rape in this novel. It felt exploitative AND this is the second novel in this series in which a rape goes unpunished. It creeped me out to be in the rapist’s head. I really like Elizabeth George’s writing style but I’m not a fan of detailed violence, especially sexual violence, and this book was just too much for me.
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July 18, 2018
Read for the second time either late last year or earlier this year.
A great novel, beautifully written with real characters that Elizabeth George develops throughout the Inspector Lynley series.
A great novel, beautifully written with real characters that Elizabeth George develops throughout the Inspector Lynley series.
April 13, 2019
I found this sixth book particularly frustrating. Elizabeth George’s women are whiny, inarticulate, selfish, and dependent. Lynley and St James are great when they’re doing their jobs but are impatient, selfish, domineering, paternal. Havers is immature and superfluous and at Lynley’s beck and call.
This installment was particularly annoying because George spent an inordinate amount of time delving into the hysterical and childish ramblings of confused children and numbering the tedious and mostly manufactured issues the adults have. I loved this series a few books ago. Now I’m wondering if Lynley and Helen and St James and Deborah will EVER have a mature conversations and make and honor adult commitments.
This installment was particularly annoying because George spent an inordinate amount of time delving into the hysterical and childish ramblings of confused children and numbering the tedious and mostly manufactured issues the adults have. I loved this series a few books ago. Now I’m wondering if Lynley and Helen and St James and Deborah will EVER have a mature conversations and make and honor adult commitments.
February 2, 2025
3.5 stars
This starts off very slow, but I liked the mystery very much. The end didn’t leave me satisfied .
Characters 7
Atmosphere 7
Writing Style 7
Premise 7
Execution/Plot 7
Execution/Pace 6
Execution/Setup 7
Enjoyment/Engrossment 7
This starts off very slow, but I liked the mystery very much. The end didn’t leave me satisfied .
Characters 7
Atmosphere 7
Writing Style 7
Premise 7
Execution/Plot 7
Execution/Pace 6
Execution/Setup 7
Enjoyment/Engrossment 7
July 20, 2017
A vicar dies of poisoning and it's dismissed as an accident. Months later, Inspector Lyndley's attention is drawn to the case and he finds reasons to suspect murder.
George is a good writer, and for the most part this book is no exception. However, she described so much sex--consensual and non, and both teenage and adult--that bore no relevance to the plot, that it became ridiculous. She also tended to ramble on with colloquies, soul searching, and elaborate descriptions. Furthermore, the plot hinged on one huge coincidence. The story itself was still interesting, the development of personal relationships between recurring characters was good, and the ending was poignant. The real problem is that the tale could have been told succinctly in about half the pages, and been a much better book.
George is a good writer, and for the most part this book is no exception. However, she described so much sex--consensual and non, and both teenage and adult--that bore no relevance to the plot, that it became ridiculous. She also tended to ramble on with colloquies, soul searching, and elaborate descriptions. Furthermore, the plot hinged on one huge coincidence. The story itself was still interesting, the development of personal relationships between recurring characters was good, and the ending was poignant. The real problem is that the tale could have been told succinctly in about half the pages, and been a much better book.
August 25, 2018
A masterpiece.
After grinding my way through so many of the latest “psychological” mysteries, it’s so satisfying to be back in the thrall of a truly skilled writer.
This one is #6 of her work, and I have to pace myself so I don’t burn through them and have none left.
If you haven’t read Elizabeth George, please read them in order - the personal relationships between Lynley, St.James, Deborah, Helen, and the redoubtable Barbara Havers is more than half the joy.
After grinding my way through so many of the latest “psychological” mysteries, it’s so satisfying to be back in the thrall of a truly skilled writer.
This one is #6 of her work, and I have to pace myself so I don’t burn through them and have none left.
If you haven’t read Elizabeth George, please read them in order - the personal relationships between Lynley, St.James, Deborah, Helen, and the redoubtable Barbara Havers is more than half the joy.
June 9, 2010
Meh, def. not my favorite Inspector Lynley book. I thought it was boring and that it dragged on to where I wanted to gouge my eyes out! Luckily, that is rare with this series!!
April 17, 2021
My first Elizabeth George novel. Inspector or Lord Lynley and is sidekick Havers are a good combination. Along with St James his scientific friend and Deborah St James wife.
The story is set in Lancaster in the middle of winter. The vicar Robin Sage is found dead from accidental hemlock poisoning. Juliet Spence is cleared of murder but doubts remain about her innocence. Did the local constable Colin not look closely enough at the death and who is also sleeping with her. Maggie the 13 year old daughter of Juliet was close to the vicar and is also sleeping with her boyfriend. Lynley after a fight with his lover Helen a neurotic spoilt wealthy woman accepts the invitation to go to the village of Winslough and investigate the death of the vicar.
What follows is an exploration of a mothers life, the disappearance and possible death of Suzanna the vicars wife 15 years previously. What is the motive for the vicars death? Did Polly the vicars housekeeper cause his death and is she the good witch she appears to be? Digging into the vicars past we follow a story of social services, tragedy and ultimately a decision Lynley does not want to do but has no choice. A great story.
The story is set in Lancaster in the middle of winter. The vicar Robin Sage is found dead from accidental hemlock poisoning. Juliet Spence is cleared of murder but doubts remain about her innocence. Did the local constable Colin not look closely enough at the death and who is also sleeping with her. Maggie the 13 year old daughter of Juliet was close to the vicar and is also sleeping with her boyfriend. Lynley after a fight with his lover Helen a neurotic spoilt wealthy woman accepts the invitation to go to the village of Winslough and investigate the death of the vicar.
What follows is an exploration of a mothers life, the disappearance and possible death of Suzanna the vicars wife 15 years previously. What is the motive for the vicars death? Did Polly the vicars housekeeper cause his death and is she the good witch she appears to be? Digging into the vicars past we follow a story of social services, tragedy and ultimately a decision Lynley does not want to do but has no choice. A great story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2017
*re-read*
Ein wirklich gut durchdachter Krimi, nur zwischendurch gabs ein paar kleine Längen :)
Ein wirklich gut durchdachter Krimi, nur zwischendurch gabs ein paar kleine Längen :)
January 15, 2026
2.5
I thought the story was so-so. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the pub and the village (it gave me a bit of a Louise Penny/Three Pines feel). I own more books in this series, and hope that I enjoy them more than I did this one.
I thought the story was so-so. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the pub and the village (it gave me a bit of a Louise Penny/Three Pines feel). I own more books in this series, and hope that I enjoy them more than I did this one.
June 7, 2020
Once again Elizabeth George writes a compelling mystery but allowing the focus to shift from Lynley to Deborah as she struggles with her desire to have a child and her infertility. Her concerns become a larger question of parenting, the rights of the parent, and the grief at the loss of a child. It was wonderful to sink back in Lynley's world but I do hope the next installment show more of Lynley and Havers.
December 18, 2017
Pesantemente prolisso dove proprio non ce n'era bisogno. Esageratamente straziante e lacrimevole nei restanti punti.
June 7, 2022
A 2.75 to a 3. Rounded up.
I didnt feel thoroughly satisfied with the ending of this particular instalment. I needed poly to have justice. To add with this, it cpuld have been ahorter as alot of the scene and character development was unnecessary. It spent alot of time going through backstories that amounted to nothing. Little disaapointed.
I didnt feel thoroughly satisfied with the ending of this particular instalment. I needed poly to have justice. To add with this, it cpuld have been ahorter as alot of the scene and character development was unnecessary. It spent alot of time going through backstories that amounted to nothing. Little disaapointed.
February 26, 2020
I really love the intricately woven stories of Elizabeth George. Although it’s a series that’s best done in order so that you can really plumb the depths of the main characters and how their past intertwines into the present bit by bit, it doesn’t feel like a slog or in any which way boring. If anything, it adds to the wonderful depth of this jewel of a series. Where one character dominates one particular book, the next brings one of the others into the forefront, gradually giving such a wonderful rounding out of each. Glorious! Then she tops it off with a wonderfully convoluted story line of murder where most of the people who inhabit the particular place the crime happened to be committed are also a suspect.
Plus - I love love love a book where I have to actually look up words. They are always a spot on description of the situation, or are the obscure naming of parts that you wouldn’t have a clue of unless you happen to be a history major or a religion major or whatever. It enriches the reading so much more so.
This one has a very clever title too but I won’t get into any depth of it as it equally gives insight and a definite clue to the who dunnit. I’ll leave that for you to savor!
Do yourself a favour and read this!
Plus - I love love love a book where I have to actually look up words. They are always a spot on description of the situation, or are the obscure naming of parts that you wouldn’t have a clue of unless you happen to be a history major or a religion major or whatever. It enriches the reading so much more so.
This one has a very clever title too but I won’t get into any depth of it as it equally gives insight and a definite clue to the who dunnit. I’ll leave that for you to savor!
Do yourself a favour and read this!
August 26, 2017
I have never been particularly fond of American novelists writing British whodunits. Apart from the fact that they need twenty pages to say that "Gosh, it's chilly tonight" or twist English phrases -like : "He looked out/the window", Martha Grimes's specialty- I have never found any truly talented and have always wondered why on earth they felt the urge to follow in the footsteps of P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, Reginald Hill and many other brilliant and genuinely BRITISH writers. They definitely are not my mug of instant coffee.
As for Inspector Lynley's mysteries I must have switched off with Missing Joseph, when I became really fed up with seeing Tommy and Helen wriggle in the throes of their oh-so-complicated relationship. No wonder their maker ensured that they would never produce a child, first by having Helen loose her unborn baby then by brutally killing her. She must have thought that their offspring could only be insufferable.
Books by Elizabeth George are all right to read on a bus, a train, a plane or in a doctor's waiting room. What we froggies call 'railway station literature'. There is worse...
As for Inspector Lynley's mysteries I must have switched off with Missing Joseph, when I became really fed up with seeing Tommy and Helen wriggle in the throes of their oh-so-complicated relationship. No wonder their maker ensured that they would never produce a child, first by having Helen loose her unborn baby then by brutally killing her. She must have thought that their offspring could only be insufferable.
Books by Elizabeth George are all right to read on a bus, a train, a plane or in a doctor's waiting room. What we froggies call 'railway station literature'. There is worse...
December 4, 2019
content warning (for the book, not this review): sexual assault- violent rape
okay... yeah... no.
nope.
so 'missing joseph' was a total slog. i found it awkward and clunky, and very disjointed. there's just a lot going on here, and - for me - it did not come together very well. the main characters are still completely appealing, though barbara havers is not as present in this instalment of the series. she's a bit on the fringes of this one, with a couple of (slightly) longer moments where we get to spend more time with her. the mystery itself... was okay-ish, though a bit of a wacky stretch, really. as well, there is this tangential story arc that felt purposeless to me, and i'm still pondering that. the final few pages were an odd choice for how to wrap this story up.
while this book was a dud for me... i will press on with the series. i thought i was maybe an outlier in finding book #6 disappointing, but in scanning the GR reviews i am definitely not alone. the series is a favourite with several of my reading friends, so i'm just taking #6 as an unfortunate blip.
onward!
okay... yeah... no.
nope.
so 'missing joseph' was a total slog. i found it awkward and clunky, and very disjointed. there's just a lot going on here, and - for me - it did not come together very well. the main characters are still completely appealing, though barbara havers is not as present in this instalment of the series. she's a bit on the fringes of this one, with a couple of (slightly) longer moments where we get to spend more time with her. the mystery itself... was okay-ish, though a bit of a wacky stretch, really. as well, there is this tangential story arc that felt purposeless to me, and i'm still pondering that. the final few pages were an odd choice for how to wrap this story up.
while this book was a dud for me... i will press on with the series. i thought i was maybe an outlier in finding book #6 disappointing, but in scanning the GR reviews i am definitely not alone. the series is a favourite with several of my reading friends, so i'm just taking #6 as an unfortunate blip.
onward!
December 14, 2017
Missing Joseph is book 6 in Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley series. The book begins with a chance meeting with a vicar, who ends up “accidentally” poisoned. The mystery here is well plotted and has quite a few twists and turns before the final reveal. The side plots are equally important as the main mystery here with emotional upheaval in Lynley’s personal life and in St. James’ marriage. The characters in this series are really well drawn and fully fleshed out and they are what really keep me coming back for more. Great book in an excellent series.
February 8, 2019
At times I'm not sure why I keep reading these. Every time I think the main characters personal angst is finally over at the end of one book, it returns in spades at the start of the next. And each book has had a lot of sex in it. I didn't notice till the 4th or 5th one. I know sex and passion often lead to murder, but every single time?
But anyway, I guess I do still like the main characters and the twists and turns of the mystery.
SPOILER P.S.
I was really hoping the constable was going to kill himself at the end of this one. He deserved to die for what he did.
But anyway, I guess I do still like the main characters and the twists and turns of the mystery.
SPOILER P.S.
I was really hoping the constable was going to kill himself at the end of this one. He deserved to die for what he did.
March 10, 2018
Elizabeth George explores the subject of motherhood in this sixth installment of the Inspector Lynley series. The title refers not only to the underlying subject of the mystery but also to a specific painting of the Madonna and Child and others with the same subject matter which often exclude any depiction of Joseph, the father.
The series continues with the agonizing difficulty Deborah St James is having trying to carry a child to term after two years of marriage. She has had several pregnancies that resulted in miscarriages and her continued attempts to bear a child are threatening her health. She blames herself and sees the abortion she had in her earlier years in America as God’s punishment for her ongoing grief. Her husband Simon has long ago forgiven her for whatever she views as her past mistakes and is anxious to adopt a child. But Deborah insists she wants their own biological child. She wants a family she and Simon create together not a family they apply for by filling out adoption forms. The couple has had many long conversations on the topic and it is destroying what up to now has been a very happy marriage.
They decide to take a short vacation to get their minds off the issue and head north for the country air and the invigorating long walks on the moors, the hills and the fields. Deborah has chosen a stay at the Crofter’s Inn in Lancashire, the home of Robin Sage an Anglican priest she once met while wandering in a museum. The two had shared a few moments of conversation in the National Gallery one rainy day and she had found his counsel comforting. She hopes to meet him again on this trip and introduce him to Simon. But when they arrive they discover the vicar has died, apparently from an accidental poisoning. Juliet Spence a local herbalist had the vicar for dinner one evening and served him what she thought was wild parsnip for dinner. But the herb was actually water hemlock and the vicar died an ugly death before reaching home that evening.
Deborah and Simon wonder how a herbalist could ever mix up these two plants which have very specific identifying features. They are even more surprised to hear that the local constable Colin Shephard, who happens to be Juliet’s lover, carried out the investigation into Sage’s death alone. As they listen to the local gossip in the pub, they also learn that the vicar had been counseling Juliet’s thirteen year old daughter Maggie. Juliet is a single mother. Her husband Eddie Spence, Maggie’s father, a racing car driver, died in a car crash many years ago. Maggie has been obsessed with finding her father, but her mother has never given her many details about him.
Complicating matters further is the fact that Colin Shephard’s father Kenneth Shepherd is a retired D.C.I. from the regional constabulary at Hutton-Preston. Kenneth Shepherd’s final act before retiring was to keep the local CID at Clitheroe out of the entire affair. Considering the CID includes the very people trained to determine if a death is an accident, a suicide or murder, this fact arouses even more suspicion. After a cursory investigation, the coroner’s inquest ruled the case a death by misadventure, an accidental poisoning. Although there does not appear to be anything blatantly illegal, Simon and Deborah know the entire investigation is odd and irregular. Simon immediately calls his friend Thomas Lynley from New Scotland Yard to reopen the case.
The two discover there are many troubled relationships and long held secrets in the village in Lancashire and like many small places gossip is rampant. There is witchcraft, a crumbling Victorian mansion undergoing renovations, suicide, rape, lovesick teenagers, unrequited love, crib death and a shotgun wedding that create an unusual and complicated puzzle they must unravel. There are several supporting but fully fleshed suspects and the reader has an opportunity to listen to their version of events with their eyes and ears. George’s ability to take the reader into the minds and through the eyes of each of this array of supporting characters adds to the intricate multi-layered plot.
George also brings us up to date with the four main characters that provide the ongoing backdrop to her novels. It is now two months after the last book, “For The Sake of Elena”. Thomas Lynley and Lady Helen are now lovers and Lynley desperately wants Helen to marry him but is having difficulty convincing her. Lady Helen is well aware of Lynley’s playboy reputation and has concerns about his general attitude toward women. She is beginning to feel like one of Lynley’s squalid Saturday night scores. They both have had past affairs and Lynley believes they both have to live with that knowledge but Lady Helen is determined not to be treated as an object and is worried about a permanent commitment to a man known as a womanizer. Their long planned trip to Greece is interrupted by this spat and Lynley, anxious to avoid more confrontation, quickly hurries off to Lancashire when his friend Simon Allcourt St James calls him about what he believes to be a sloppy investigation into a case that may in fact be murder.
Sergeant Barbara Havers, still overwhelmed with guilt over placing her mother in a nursing home is in the process of preparing the family home to be sold. The house has not been properly maintained for years and there is much repair work to be done. The money from the sale will help her with the rent for her new home in a studio flat in Chalk Farm but more importantly it will fund her mother’s stay in the suitable home Barbara has finally found for her. Regretfully the reader hears little of Barbara in this volume and she doesn’t even appear until almost halfway through the book, relegated to a small role researching something for Simon and Thomas. Her fans may be disappointed she is not more fully present.
Some readers enjoy George’s description of the issues the four people who provide the backdrop for her mysteries face in their upper class lives. Other’s feel it resembles a soap opera and have little patience with the long descriptive passages, simply wanting to read a mystery and insisting George get on with it. I find myself in the former category although I admit to sometimes feeling the pages a little too overwrought and repetitive and I simply want these people to move on with their lives. Barbara’s continuing guilt over placing her mother, her concerns about what that change means in establishing her own life and Deborah’s continuing anguish over her inability to carry a pregnancy are good examples of this tendency for George to dig long and deep about their personal issues.
This novel includes some interesting dialogue among Maggie Spence’s school friends which I thought was spot on and especially well done. The reader feels like a secreted eavesdropper, hidden in a corner of the room while oblivious teens unaffectedly spill their secrets, taunt one another about their sexual experiences and continue the gossip that pervades the village.
This is a solid and interesting mystery which will capture the reader’s attention and is one of the stronger entries in the series.
The series continues with the agonizing difficulty Deborah St James is having trying to carry a child to term after two years of marriage. She has had several pregnancies that resulted in miscarriages and her continued attempts to bear a child are threatening her health. She blames herself and sees the abortion she had in her earlier years in America as God’s punishment for her ongoing grief. Her husband Simon has long ago forgiven her for whatever she views as her past mistakes and is anxious to adopt a child. But Deborah insists she wants their own biological child. She wants a family she and Simon create together not a family they apply for by filling out adoption forms. The couple has had many long conversations on the topic and it is destroying what up to now has been a very happy marriage.
They decide to take a short vacation to get their minds off the issue and head north for the country air and the invigorating long walks on the moors, the hills and the fields. Deborah has chosen a stay at the Crofter’s Inn in Lancashire, the home of Robin Sage an Anglican priest she once met while wandering in a museum. The two had shared a few moments of conversation in the National Gallery one rainy day and she had found his counsel comforting. She hopes to meet him again on this trip and introduce him to Simon. But when they arrive they discover the vicar has died, apparently from an accidental poisoning. Juliet Spence a local herbalist had the vicar for dinner one evening and served him what she thought was wild parsnip for dinner. But the herb was actually water hemlock and the vicar died an ugly death before reaching home that evening.
Deborah and Simon wonder how a herbalist could ever mix up these two plants which have very specific identifying features. They are even more surprised to hear that the local constable Colin Shephard, who happens to be Juliet’s lover, carried out the investigation into Sage’s death alone. As they listen to the local gossip in the pub, they also learn that the vicar had been counseling Juliet’s thirteen year old daughter Maggie. Juliet is a single mother. Her husband Eddie Spence, Maggie’s father, a racing car driver, died in a car crash many years ago. Maggie has been obsessed with finding her father, but her mother has never given her many details about him.
Complicating matters further is the fact that Colin Shephard’s father Kenneth Shepherd is a retired D.C.I. from the regional constabulary at Hutton-Preston. Kenneth Shepherd’s final act before retiring was to keep the local CID at Clitheroe out of the entire affair. Considering the CID includes the very people trained to determine if a death is an accident, a suicide or murder, this fact arouses even more suspicion. After a cursory investigation, the coroner’s inquest ruled the case a death by misadventure, an accidental poisoning. Although there does not appear to be anything blatantly illegal, Simon and Deborah know the entire investigation is odd and irregular. Simon immediately calls his friend Thomas Lynley from New Scotland Yard to reopen the case.
The two discover there are many troubled relationships and long held secrets in the village in Lancashire and like many small places gossip is rampant. There is witchcraft, a crumbling Victorian mansion undergoing renovations, suicide, rape, lovesick teenagers, unrequited love, crib death and a shotgun wedding that create an unusual and complicated puzzle they must unravel. There are several supporting but fully fleshed suspects and the reader has an opportunity to listen to their version of events with their eyes and ears. George’s ability to take the reader into the minds and through the eyes of each of this array of supporting characters adds to the intricate multi-layered plot.
George also brings us up to date with the four main characters that provide the ongoing backdrop to her novels. It is now two months after the last book, “For The Sake of Elena”. Thomas Lynley and Lady Helen are now lovers and Lynley desperately wants Helen to marry him but is having difficulty convincing her. Lady Helen is well aware of Lynley’s playboy reputation and has concerns about his general attitude toward women. She is beginning to feel like one of Lynley’s squalid Saturday night scores. They both have had past affairs and Lynley believes they both have to live with that knowledge but Lady Helen is determined not to be treated as an object and is worried about a permanent commitment to a man known as a womanizer. Their long planned trip to Greece is interrupted by this spat and Lynley, anxious to avoid more confrontation, quickly hurries off to Lancashire when his friend Simon Allcourt St James calls him about what he believes to be a sloppy investigation into a case that may in fact be murder.
Sergeant Barbara Havers, still overwhelmed with guilt over placing her mother in a nursing home is in the process of preparing the family home to be sold. The house has not been properly maintained for years and there is much repair work to be done. The money from the sale will help her with the rent for her new home in a studio flat in Chalk Farm but more importantly it will fund her mother’s stay in the suitable home Barbara has finally found for her. Regretfully the reader hears little of Barbara in this volume and she doesn’t even appear until almost halfway through the book, relegated to a small role researching something for Simon and Thomas. Her fans may be disappointed she is not more fully present.
Some readers enjoy George’s description of the issues the four people who provide the backdrop for her mysteries face in their upper class lives. Other’s feel it resembles a soap opera and have little patience with the long descriptive passages, simply wanting to read a mystery and insisting George get on with it. I find myself in the former category although I admit to sometimes feeling the pages a little too overwrought and repetitive and I simply want these people to move on with their lives. Barbara’s continuing guilt over placing her mother, her concerns about what that change means in establishing her own life and Deborah’s continuing anguish over her inability to carry a pregnancy are good examples of this tendency for George to dig long and deep about their personal issues.
This novel includes some interesting dialogue among Maggie Spence’s school friends which I thought was spot on and especially well done. The reader feels like a secreted eavesdropper, hidden in a corner of the room while oblivious teens unaffectedly spill their secrets, taunt one another about their sexual experiences and continue the gossip that pervades the village.
This is a solid and interesting mystery which will capture the reader’s attention and is one of the stronger entries in the series.
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