Book Description
The career of playwright Joy Sinclair comes to an abrupt end on an isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands when someone drives an eighteen-inch dirk through her neck. Called upon to investigate the case in a country where they have virtually no authority, aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, grapple for both a motive and a murderer. Emotions run deep in this highly charged drama, for the list of suspects soon includes Britain’s foremost actress, its most successful theatrical producer, and the woman Lynley loves. He and Havers must tread carefully through the complicated terrain of human relationships while they work to solve a case rooted in the darkest corners of the past and the unexplored regions of the human heart. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Repeat reading
Rereading this book after several years. Still a great book and much better than the TV version.

Masterful
EG's eye for detail is superb and she deftly weaves a plot of byzantine intricacy against a background of wonderful Scottish scenery and thespian intrigue.So accurate is her narrative that one forgets that it is fiction, and picks up the occasional reference that goes astray - e.g. the Royal Scottish Police helicopter, but that it is truly nit picking.This is a an engaging read that fully entertains and leaves me looking for the next one.

Just as Good as Her First Book
Payment in Blood is my 2nd Elizabeth George book but certainly not my last.Besides being a good mystery story, it is also the continuation of Detective Lynley & Havers personal life.While her first novel, A Great Deliverance, focused on the prickly but determined Barbara Havers, this second novel is all about the charming but no less complex partner, Thomas Lynley.

This murder mystery is set in a cold, gray, chilly castle in Scotland where a group of actors and their director are staying so they can work on a play written by the talented writer Joy Sinclair.Unfortunately, Ms. Sinclair is murdered on the very first night of their arrival to the remote castle.A dagger right through her neck, ugh.Scotland Yard is called and all the suspects are locked in a room while Lynley & Havers along with forensic scientist, Simon St. Allcourt gather clues.

What made this story so interesting was the dilema that Detective Lynley faces when it appears that his good friend (aka love interest) Helen Clyde is in the room with the only access to the victim.Is she the killer?Is it the man that she is sleeping with who happens to be the murder victim's cousin.Lynley is conflicted by the desire to protect Helen but also by a burning jealousy to blame her boyfriend.In the pursuit of justice, the lines are a little blurred when Lynley allows this jealousy to get the best of him when he goes after the boyfriend with a vengeance.Is he on the right trail....read Payment in Blood to find out.I can't wait to read her next novel.

Payment In Blood
I have not long been a reader of Elizabeth George but in short time I have read every one of her books.I so highly recommend her that I would like to take an ad out for the best writer, of mystery fiction, I've read.I don't care which book you pick up, it will be excellent.And, each book has a surprise ending.I challenge anyone to know what will eventually happen anywhere from page one to 7/8th the way through!No stop, erudite entertainment.

Love + Jealousy + Murder = A Very Complex Investigation
Elizabeth George takes the cool Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley and turns his world upside down.For unknown and possibly public relations reasons, Scotland Yard sends Lynley outside of his jurisdiction to Scotland to take over an investigation after a fetching playwright is found murdered in her bed.

But, the guest in the adjoining room is Lynley's much beloved Lady Helen Clyde.To Lynley's chagrin, it turns out that Lady Helen has been sharing her boudoir.Naturally, she must be interrogated.How will Lynley bear up?

Lynley is clearly distraught by dealing with the situation and is soon making big mistakes.How will that affect the investigation?Well, it's not good . . . but fortunately Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers is on duty with Lynley.

Although this is a mystery, the book succeeds more as an investigation into the English class system and its weaknesses.With Barbara Havers standing in for every person in her role as skeptical seeker after truth, we see the rotten underpinnings of having a hereditary elite in place.How far has the rot spread?Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out.

The mystery itself takes some tangled turns that will provide much entertainment.

I graded the book down a bit.Some scenes didn't resonate with my impressions of this character from the last book.I thought that Ms. George had Lynley's head spinning a bit more than seems likely from what we learned about him in A Great Deliverance.

The book is a very important one in the series though.Frequent references in future books are made to the events in this one.You will enrich your enjoyment of future books if you read Payment in Blood.
... Read more

Book Description

The police never suspected a serial killer was at large until they found the fourth murdered boy -- the first white victim -- his body draped over a tomb in a London graveyard. Suddenly a series of crimes and a potential public relations disaster have Scotland Yard on the defensive, scrambling to apprehend a maniac while avoiding accusations of racism.

Customer Reviews (44)

VeryDisappointed
It took me two years to finish this book.I adore Elizabeth George and always eagerly await her next novel.But, this book was so boring that I kept putting it down and picking it up and putting it down and picking it up.Very unusual for me to do.I have to confess that I read the "What Came Before He Killed Her" before I finished this novel. That book was far more palatable, but, overlong as is this book. By the time I finished both books I really didn't care "who did it." I must admit that I felt very sad at what happened.I will not give it away in case anyone reading this posting has not read either book.

Hey! These characters are not real people
Some of this book's negative reviews, even outraged ones, have fascinated me. I too have read all of George's police procedurals. I favor British works in this genre and must remind myself that George is American. Regardless of a book's length, I am usually sad when it ends. For me it is like saying "so long" to a good friend who has stopped by for a visit and I don't know when she will be back.

I just learned that Elizabeth George returns later this Spring. I called my daughter who is 17, away at school, and also an avid George fan. My daughter will certainly welcome her back.

My five stars is not only for George. It is for this particular book, a weighty and complex novel that just happens to be a mystery but crosses into the designated genre of literature.

Finally, a reminder: George is not dead, only one of her characters.

Was not long enough for me!
I discovered Elizabeth George's Lynley / Havers series years ago in an English bookstore in the south of France during a long vacation.I gathered up every book she had published to date and inhaled them. Since then, I've read each of the series as they've been published."With No One As Witness" is one of her very best -- shocking, gripping, and not long enough for me.

a "weeper"
Like tragedies and to be depressed?Then this book and this author are for you.The pleasure of the intricate mystery puzzle cannot compensate, in my opinion, for the tragic ending (the main character loses his beloved new family).So a caution, if you like the "good guys" to win and the "bad guys" to lose, DON'T read this author.This was my first E. George novel and it's also my last.Given the storyline descriptions of previous novels, this book is probably characteristic of the series so George is off my list -- so many authors, so little time!

"He was in need of redemption"
After a disappointing A Place of Hiding, Elizabeth George goes back to the basics, bringing back Havers and taking the series to the next level. George has always distinguished her novels by creating a product that is distinctly different from the typical police procedural. The differentiating factor is that she spends a considerable amount of time telling us about the personal lives of the characters. As a result, you will get much more enjoyment from reading this series in order, so if you are new to George's work, I recommend that you go back to the beginning: A Great Deliverance. For those that have been following this series, fasten your seat belts, because not only are you going to get a story with a devious serial killer that is hard to catch, but also on where there will be some important developments in the lives of the main characters.

Four boys have been murdered, but it was not until recently that the police and the Scotland Yard realized that there is a serial killer out there. The situation can be best described as a public relations nightmare, since only the last victim is white, and there are likely to be some accusations about this, probably justified. The good news is that all of our beloved characters make an appearance in this novel, Lynley, Havers, St. James, Nkata and even Havers' neighbors and Nkata's object of desire.

I liked the way in which George provides the story with several layers, transforming it in a mesmerizing read. For example, the pressure by the press on the Scotland Yard generates serious problems between Superintendent Lynley and his superior. There is also the issue of the previous demotion of Havers and now the promotion of one of her friends, trying to assuage the fire of public opinion. The relationship between Havers and Azhar, Nkata and his romantic pursue of Yasmine, and Lynley and Helen's soon-to-be-born son are other important storylines.

The writing is superb, and that is the only reason why George can write a 700+ page novel without us losing interest at any point. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the omniscient narrator that allowed us a look into the killer's mind, allowing for a better understanding of his motives. Finally, there is the big surprise towards the end, which some people may not like, but I think that sometimes it is necessary to shake things up a little. Ultimately, this is one of the best books in the series, and I am already looking forward to what comes next. ... Read more

Book Description

A kind and well-loved woman was brutally and inexplicably murdered—the pregnant wife of a respected police inspector—and her death has left Scotland Yard shocked and searching for answers. Perhaps most horrifying of all, the trigger of the weapon that killed her was apparently pulled by a stranger . . . a twelve-year-old boy.

Customer Reviews (25)

200 pages too long
I was tempted to stop reading in the early part of the book, but forced myself to continue - a 12 hour plane ride will do that!The book would have had more impact if it was 200 pages shorter: The prelude was on the point of being tedious, with the incessant piling on of troubled youth, an insane mother, oversexed black women and a dilect that was difficult to read, and the undeveloped poetic genius of an 11 year old boy.Do all poor London people, blacks as well as Arab,talk like this? - The denouement was anticlimatic, with it's almost "Law and Order" fading out before resolution is presented.I assume that this is merely a way of leading into a sequal.

Reading this book hurt!!
I agree with the majority of the prior reviewers - this was not a good novel to read.The book did not pull me in at all; it just left me depressed.Having read a prior Inspector Lynley series book, I eagerly awaited Elizabeth George's "What Came before He Shot Her."When I started reading, I broke my rule of reading only 10 percent of the book's pages before I decide whether to continue reading, however, I kept going, be grudgingly, to page 300 before I realized that reading this novel was painful.Moreover, I still did not know what the real basis of the story after all those pages.Ms. George seemed to go on and on about minutia.

Overall, the author's writing was not bad; it was she just did not know when to stop writing (707 pages - come on; this was not an epic).In addition, I had very little empathy for the majority of the characters.Yes, they had a rough life with weighted circumstances, but Ms. George's writing did not lead me to want to care.

After pick this book up for the third time I decide I would give it another chance and read the last 150 pages of the book.After reading a couple of pages, I realized I could not read any more because it still hurt and reading should not hurt.

Unless you are a die-hard Elizabeth George fan, I would not recommend this.For me, the pages I did read were a waste of my precious reading time.

What Came Before He Shot Her
I am a huge fan of Elizabeth George and eagerly await each new Lynley mystery; however, I have to say this book was a complete departure from her previous works.About a third of the way through I quit reading. I don't mind some sex, violence, drugs etc. but when this is all the book is about, forget it!

This is NOT a Lynley/Havers mystery, BUT...
It is, essentially, the anatomy of a murder.It describes the events leading up to the conclusion of E. George's last work "With No One As Witness", however the connection starts taking shape only towards the end of this book.As an E. George's fan and after having enjoyed all the Lynley/Havers mysteries, I was truly looking forward to find out some answers to the unexpected and tragic ending of her previous book, but the more I read, the more my eagerness became deflated.Simply, I was expecting a sequel, and this is not it.

However, my feelings were not hurt, so to speak, as it is also true that the more I read, the more I appreciated the story line, which I would define, at this point, essential for the understanding -or, at least, for coming to terms- with what had happened previously.This is a well written tale of a dysfunctional and troubled family in North Kensington, London.As usual, I have appreciated the author's ever-present deep psychological insights.Also, the inclusion of slang language dialogues, where needed, represents the main characters vividly and real-life-like.Some descriptions and situations resulting from impossibly hard and complicated circumstances are simply heartbreaking.

I would categorize this book almost as a statement about those people born into less fortunate families and backgrounds.It is a work of fiction and simultaneously a sad reminder of how things can go wrong in real life if proper support lacks in many ways, for reasons that may commonly be considered avoidable but are, more often than not, beyond control, despite the well meaning efforts made by most people (some families themselves, authorities etc.) to avoid degeneration and degradation.
Conspiracy of silence and exterior toughness as means of survival dominate the scene but, predictably, they do not lead to definite/satisfactory/proper solutions but rather contribute towards the perpetuation of a cycle hard to break.Easier said than done, for both fictitious and nonfictional events.

I am now most definitely anticipating E. George's next Lynely/Havers book, "Careless In Red", which should be the "real" sequel to "With No One As Witness".

What Came Before He Shot Her
This is possibly the worst book I have ever read.It hard to read; it is depressing and the ending makes you wish you had not wasted the time it took to read it.What Came Before He Shot Her ... Read more

Book Description
Award-winning author Elizabeth George gives us an early glimpse into the lives of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James, and Lady Helen Clyde in a superlative mystery that is also a fascinating inquiry into the crimes of the heart.Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton, has brought to Howenstow, his family home, the young woman he has asked to be his bride.But the savage murder of a local journalist is the catalyst for a lethal series of events that shatters the calm of a picturesque Cornwall village and embroils Lynley and St. James in a case far outside their jurisdiction—and a little too close to home.When a second death follows closely on the heels of the first, Lynley finds he can't help taking the investigation personally—because the evidence points to a killer within his own family.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

Reading this is like watching paint dry
I couldn't get into this book at all.I kept waiting for the mystery and all I got was slow-going personal information.

I was also very confused in the beginning as to who was whom.I enjoy brief physical descriptions of characters and there was not much of that.My imagination couldn't get a grasp of these characters at all and I just couldn't relate to or identify with any of them.

I had to put it down after 100 pages.I didn't want to waste my time.

Aristrocratic deceit
Written in the early 90's ...who would believe an entire household playing head games with attempted rape, addiction, violence and deceit, not to mention marital abuse, and murder most foul?There is an elephant in the middle of the room in every scene. Painful to watch everyone pretending that everything is just fine. A bunch of royal misfits who are pathetic. Surely a murder mystery could have SOME minor characters with a bit of spine. I have run out of patience to see if anyone will eventually behave in an interesting or authentic manner. Think I will return my copy half-read. Ms. George does seem to stress the down and dirty and violent. I loved the PBS series, Inspector Lynley.

Terrible book - full of melodrama - completely unrealistic
I enjoyed reading the first three books in this series. Each was an improvement on the previous one. But this book is awful. The fact that this book is a prequel to the series does not affect my review. But the writing is just terrible. The characters make the most outlandish and hyperbolic statements. No one talks like these characters! Their behavior is often at odds with their characters. Written in the style of a harlequin romance; there is absolutely nothing subtle about emotions or reactions. I think that the book was plotted in advance and the characters were written to meet the requirements of the plot. Never mind that none of the characters behave in a realistic manner. Never mind that the characters are only caricatures. I cannot recommend this book to anyone.

Terrific Book
In A SUITABLE VENGEANCE by Elizabeth George, the author explores the back-story between Inspector Lynley, St. James, Deborah and Lady Helen. During a rare weekend visit to his estate in Cornwall to celebrate his engagement to Deborah Cotter, Lynley becomes involved in the vicious murder of the local newspaper publisher. During the course of solving the crime, Ms. George delves into the history of St. James' accident, the relationship between St. James, Lynley, Deborah and Lady Helen, and the reason for the estrangement between Lynley and his mother and brother. While Ms. George always makes sure that her mysteries are solved, she does not always have happy resolutions for her characters. Reading this book only makes some of the later books in the series more poignant as it deepens the reader's understanding of all the characters. This is a fine book that will definitely touch your heart.

A Real Page Turner
After reading WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS, I had to go back and re-read A SUITABLE VENGEANCE by Elizabeth George so I could refresh my memory of the intertwining relationships between Inspector Lynley, Lady Helen, St. James and Deborah. This is a beautifully rendered novel as Ms. George explores the painful history of the four main characters' relationships-- and Lynley's unhappy family relationships.

The mystery is suitably intriguing as Lynley battles against the fear that one of his relatives may be involved in a brutal crime. It is also fun to go back and see the early days of Barbara Havers and Lynley, before they became partners.

This remains one of my favorites of Elizabeth George's books, one that I will probably read several more times.
... Read more

Book Description
When thirteen-year-old Matthew Whately goes missing from Bredgar Chambers, a prestigious public school in the heart of West Sussex, aristocratic Inspector Thomas Lynley receives a call for help from the lad's housemaster, who also happens to be an old school chum.Thus, the inspector, his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, and forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James find themselves once again outside their jurisdiction and deeply involved in the search for a child—and then, tragically, for a child killer.Questioning prefects, teachers, and pupils closest to the dead boy, Lynley and Havers sense that something extraordinarily evil is going on behind Bredgar Chambers's cloistered walls.But as they begin to unlock the secrets of this closed society, the investigation into Matthew's death leads them perilously close to their own emotional wounds—and blinds them to the signs of another murder in the making....


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Great Read
I think this is my third read of an Elizabeth George novel.I loved them from the first, and (so far) found this the best. The character development is wonderful, and I had no idea who "did it" `till the end.Kudos!

Good Reading
I love this author. All her books are great. Book arrived in great shape and price was right.

George's naivete on Human Sexuality
I was dismayed by Ms. George'm s constant reference pairing Pedophilia with homosexuality. Further demonstrating her English provincial mores of this perversion by allowing her protagonist, Inspector Lynley to actually protect a fellow classmate and not disclose or better yet arrest the fellow for possessing "child pornography"(even giving it a name seems to relegate it's status to acceptable seems beyond comprehension).

Well-Schooled in Murder Mysteries
Elizabeth George is, in my opinion, the standard by which all English detective novels are measured. This -- one of her early books -- is as finely plotted and written as any in the Lynley-Havers series.

Lynley is asked to investigate a missing child at a private school, and he and Havers are thrust into a world of lies, intrigue, and twisted passions, thinly veiled in upper-class civility.

Everyone has a secret, and Lynley is charged with unraveling the web of lies that threatens to destroy more than one life The resolution is full of twists, turns, and surprises.

A good Lynley & Havers novel
If you enjoy the series you'll like this one. ... Read more

Book Description

Where can women get the wisdom that will help them make theright choices in the many decisions of life? How can they develop a faith thatwont waver or crumble when theyre overwhelmed by lifes trials andtemptations? The book of James answers these questions and more and providespractical guidance on many issues that affect Christian women daily, such as¼

• persevering  through lifes troubles
• putting on a heart of patience
• planning the future with God in mind

An encouraging resource for women who yearn to experiencereal spiritual growth!

Customer Reviews (2)

Great for Women's Small Groups
As a women's small group leader, I love E George's study guides.They combine the benefits of a true Bible Study with the application of a women's concept study.Too bad she doesn't have guides on ALL of the books of the Bible!

Excellent for group or individual Bible study
I recently led a women's Bible study on James using this book and it was very well received.The content does not dig deep into theology, but is a very basic study on the book of James with excellent application of his teaching into your own personal life.We easily covered about four chapters each week.It does not have daily lessons, so it is up to the individual to set his or her own pace.It is written for women, but men could also benefit from this study. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In Deception on His Mind Sergeant Barbara Havers places herselfat the center of an investigation in Essex concerning the mysterious death of a recently arrived immigrant from Pakistan. Although still recovering from the broken ribs and nose (received at the end of In the Presence of the Enemy), Havers convinces herself that she needs to stay on the job in order to help her neighbor Taymullah Azhar and his elfin daughter Hadiyyah who have a familial connection to the dead man. As is typical with Elizabeth George's novels (this is the 10th in a popular and powerful series),the murder and its investigation are the central feature of the story. But in this case they are also the means by which she explores the Pakistani experience in a foreign and not always friendly culture. As Havers herself notes, the food may well have improved in Britain with an increasingly diverse population, but that same population has "engendered a score of polyglot problems." Whether or not the dead man is a victim of a racially motivated crime is only one of the questions Havers tries to sort out. The result, with George's typically complex characterizations and deft plot turns, is a deeply satisfying novel. Fans of Havers's superior officer, Thomas Lynley, and his lady love Helen Clyde will be disappointed as the two are off on their honeymoon. But with Lynley out of the picture, Havers, with her prickly personality, caustic tongue, and sound investigative skills, comes well and truly into her own. Nitpickers might question one aspect of the final denouement--motive and opportunity are securely in place but the means are on the outskirts of unbelievable. Still, the book is a rich and enjoyable one that continues to tickle the imagination well after it has been shelved amidst other favorites. --K.A. CrouchBook Description
Balford-le-Nez is a dying seatown on the coast of Essex. But when a member of the town's small but growing Asian community, is found dead on its beach, his neck broken, sleepy Balford-le-Nez ignites. Working solo, without her long-time partner Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, Sergeant Barbara Havers must probe not only the mind of a murderer and a case very close to her own heart, but the terrible price people pay for deceiving others...and themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (82)

Exhausting
I plowed through this with my boots on. By the middle of the book it was interesting but not an easy read. That would have been ok, except by the time I waded through 600+ pages, I find she just zips up the book. There should have been even more pages! After all this, we are left with unanswered questions. If there is a sequel, I won't bother.

Great Writing
Ths is my first Elizabeth George novel and won't be my last. The author is a very talented author and there was great character development. I will admit that I was somewhat disappointed in the ending as there were a lot of loose ends which were not tied up. I am HOPING there will be a sequel to this nvel so I can find out how everything turned out with her wonderful characters.

great book!
I love Elizabeth George and her characters never cease to amaze me.The plot can be quite macabre and a lot of the scenes seem so real, it's scary.Great stuff to read!

A Slow 750 Page Mega Novel and Then a Bad Ending, or Essentially No Ending, Yikes!!!
This is my first Elizabeth George novel and it was a great disappointment. What was the author thinking? She is a good writer but the structure and length is simply awful here. I think she got caught up with her writing experience and lost sight of what makes a good novel. Somehow a simple police novel became longer than Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, 300 pages longer than Dostoevsky, believe it or not.

The novel opens strongly with a good hook: a murder on a beach on the English east coast. But, then that incident is followed by the long introduction of character after character, each with a detailed introduction. By page 100, the reader starts to think about terminating the read. By page 250 the plot has become clear and the motivation to read the whole 750 page novel has evaporated. Why read another 500 pages when we know who are the bad guys? After that I could not read each and every page. It was a mindless read that would take two or three days, and I skipped forward to page 600 or so where I picked up the story - without missing a heartbeat - and continued to read each and every word. It appeared that I had missed nothing of consequence in my jump over hundreds of pages. The novel ended inconclusively about 150 pages later and my hunch about the outcome was 75% correct. Overall, this was a bad reading experience.

There are many fundamental problems here. The two protagonists are two female police officers but they do not act like police officers. There seems to be no crime scene investigation, and for example, one of them walks around the hotel room of the victim picking up and examining objects at random. Was that room ever investigated properly? There are no police procedures in what is supposed to be a police story. So, that element lacks realism.

Secondly, the level of conversation is at a banal level, where the women use words such as "snigger" and other slang. They have a lot of mindless talk and not much action. Every 50 pages or so there is a sex related incident which I presume that is supposed to keep the reader interested.

There are lots of characters living in the seaside community in the UK, including a large group of Pakistani immigrants. The victim is a Pakistani male so a question is whether or not this is a hate crime. That is a main plot element here. The author handles this well, but again, these sections are far too long and inconclusive.

So, the problem is length, far too long. This is not War and Peace, it is a detective story: 750 pages! And, the primary character, Barbara, a police woman from Scotland Yard is not that sympathetic a character. George's famous Inspector Lynley plays no important role here.

This is a novel that should be 350 pages but somehow survived the edit and was published as a 750 page mega-novel. It is a novel to avoid: 3 stars.

unbelievable ending ruins a decent book
*be warned, spoilers ahead* There are plenty of reviews here so mine will be superfluous, but I can't pass up the opportunity to vent about this book. There are lots of good things in her little snapshot of British race relations, small town politics, etc. But as a mystery, the book falls flat with a completely stupid ending. There is no possible way that the murderer could have done the murder as it is described in the book. George has spent considerable (!) time building up a picture of the cloistered existence of these Pakistani women: they rarely leave the house, they are never seen by strange men, etc. etc. etc. and suddenly we're supposed to believe this woman sneaks out of the house to trail a guy around long enough to figure out his habits and routines, then she steals a jet-ski, races across the sea to set up an elaborate trap to murder him while making it appear as an accident (not noticing the other person lurking around watching), and jet-skis home, all unnoticed by her ever-present family members? Give me a break. It's lazy writing and it's insulting to readers to give them a crap ending like that after ALL that build-up.
... Read more

Book Description

Elizabeth George takes readers through a thoughtprovokingstudy of Peters teachings on handling trials and persecutions, including:suffering for doing good; understanding the mysteries of God; and fanning theflame of faith. The special heart response sections offer readers suggestionsto help them apply biblical truths to their lives and focus on the amazingglory God promises.

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful Insights into Much Needed Truth
Elizabeth George writes with a very personal style which makes the reader feel that you are learning and growing together with her.She writes without apology from a woman's viewpoint, laying out the truth of God's Word and letting the Word speak for itself.The truth of 1 Peter about the qualities of a gentle and quiet spirit are so misunderstood in our day.We are reminded of how precious they are to God and how beautiful is the woman who seeks after these qualities.The author greatly encourages the pursuit of knowing God and becoming a woman of God.This book is a classic for women, showing that the woman who has these qualities also gains quiet strength and beauty.

Peace....
of mind is what comes after doing this study on 1Peter. Elizabeth George brings to the table a life that is walking in peace and she wants to share her experience with you.

Best for Women's Studies
This amazing little study put together by Elizabeth George is currently being used by our church's women's class. It has encouraged much discussion, is clearly Biblical, and simple, yet direct. There is no doubt left in any person's mind that this study is relevent for women of today who are facing many complex issues, and need Biblical hope and direction in problem solving for the future. Give this book a try for a young women's new study, small group, etc. You will not be disappointed !!

great book to study
I led a Bible study last year on 1Peter and we really felt God convicting us as how to depend on Him to make us gentle and quiet.At first we kept feeling that we really blew it but as we progressed we knew that it had to be the grace of God to help us conform to the image of Christ.I find Mrs. George's books very much in line with the written word of God and a real encouragement to live our lives to His glory. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Award-winning novelist Elizabeth George (A Great Deliverance, Well-Schooled in Murder) returns with In Pursuit of a Proper Sinner, her 10th installment in the Lynley-Havers series. Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley has his work cut out for him: two mutilated corpses are found in a prehistoric stone circle in Derbyshire. One is the daughter of Lynley's former mentor, Andy Maiden.

What's more, the inspector's partner, Barbara Havers, has been suspended and is facing criminal charges of assault and attempted murder. Was Havers really saving a drowning child or was she disobeying orders? Why, then, did she fire a rifle at the detective chief inspector, and how could Lynley ethically justify it? As he grapples with the ramifications of his partner's radical insubordination, the case in Derbyshire grows in daunting complexity.

Once again, Elizabeth George delivers an intricately woven plot, which efficiently navigates the reader through nearly 600 pages. Along the way, readers will be introduced to a delightful cast of supporting characters from the dowdy Phoebe who finds the first gory cadaver to the stately Andy Maiden: "His face was drawn with exhaustion, and his growth of peppery whiskers fanned out from his moustache and shadowed his cheeks." And, of course, fans will get an eyeful of George's trademark, her vivid descriptions of death: "At her feet, a young man lay curled like a foetus, dressed head-to-toe in nothing but black, with that same colour puckering burnt flesh from eye to jaw on one side of his face." --Rebekah WarrenAmazon.com Audiobook Review
The narrative talents of English stage actor Derek Jacobi are put to excellent use in this intriguing mystery of a double murder most foul. Author Elizabeth George presents her popular detectives Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers with one of their most grisly and difficult cases ever as they search for clues to a bloody crime while struggling to repair their own strained partnership. George's mystery bobs, weaves, twists, and turns from a packed West End theater through the sumptuous halls of a country manor and into the desolate reaches of the high country moors before revealing its delightfully wicked and suspenseful conclusion. Jacobi tackles the complex plot and diverse cast of characters with relish, working his theatrical skills into an outstanding performance. (Running time: 6 hours, 4 cassettes) --George LaneyBook Description
Calder Moor is a wild and deadly place: many have been trapped in the myriad limestone caves, lost in collapsed copper mines, injured on perilous gritstone ridges. But this time, when two bodies are discovered in the shadow of the ancient circle of stones known as Nine Sisters Henge, it is clearly not a case for Mountain Rescue. The corpses are those of a young man and woman. Each met death in a different fashion. Each died violently. To Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, brought in to investigate by special request, this grisly crime promises to be one of the toughest assignments of his career. For the unfortunate Nicola Maiden was the daughter of a former officer in an elite undercover unit, a man Lynley once regarded as a mentor. Now, as Lynley struggles to find out if Nicola's killer was an enemy of her father's or one she earned herself, a disgraced Barbara Havers, determined to redeem herself in the eyes of her longtime partner, crisscrosses London seeking information on the second murder victim. Yet the more dark secrets Lynley and Havers uncover, the more they learn that neither the victims nor the suspects are who they appear to be. And once again they come up against the icy realization that human relationships are often murderous...and that the blood that binds can also kill. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (128)

If you're a mystery fan reading them in order, this is probably where you should stop.
I have been an Elizabeth George fan for years, mostly because she has had nice tight plots and Havers has been a very real character, touching and exasperating at the same time.

I wish somebody had been around to tell me when to quit, so that I did not go on to read the later books where the series went downhill so badly.

You can see the signs in this book, which is too long, includes some very unrealistic and unlikely situations, and has the characters behaving in the stupidest possible manner in order to move the story along.

Still, it's readable; it does tell a story.It's not as excellent as the early Lynley-Havers books were, but it's passable.The next one she wrote, A Traitor to Memory, really isn't.That one is over 200 pages too long, wallows around taking forever to tell a simple and rather dull story, and it shows all too clearly that Ms George has lost interest in her characters.From there she goes on to write one without Lynley and Havers, A Place of Hiding, in which Simon and Deborah fail to carry the weak plot and you have to listen to Deborah whine about her own shortcomings for hundreds of pages; then she writes one, With No One as Witness, that takes the regular characters and centers the story on them to the point where the angst overwhelms the thin story at tedious length.As I write this, the most recent book, What Came Before He Shot Her, isn't really a mystery at all, but what passes for a psychological study of a young murderer who apparently has troubles of his own that explain his murdering.

Please don't get me wrong; the first books are still very good, and I don't want to deny her any praise for them; she's earned her right to go off in a different direction and try not using a proper editor if she wishes to, and good luck to her.But if you are a reader who likes a good mystery story with all sorts of twists and red herrings and a process of solving the mystery to observe, enjoy, and try to anticipate--well, stop here, say thanks to the lady, and move on to some other series.If you've never read P.D. James, her writing is always restrained and elegant, the mystery element is always honest, and she has never written a book without having a story to carry it along; she never tears up her characters as a substitute for a good plot.

In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner
If you have read any of Elizabeth George's mystery's before, then you will not be surprise by this one.It's fun, easy reading.I've been reading her books for awhile now and enjoy the characters she writes about.

For me, the end of Elizabeth George
I have long been a fan of Elizabeth George, and have been especially impressed with her development of Barbara Havers' character; however, I found this book to be depressing and repellent, relying on gratuitous descriptions of kinky sex as a plot device. These are mental pictures I do NOT want to see. . .and are NOT what I read for. I was SO disappointed. . .and in fact, have hoped that this was just the result of an editor standing over Ms. George's shoulder pointing out that sex is what sells books. I fear that Ms. George is only too willing to buy into that, and I'm sorry to see it happen. It's a waste of a fine talent.

George at her best!
By far, one of George's best. Excellent character development and plotline. FYI, there are references to S&M that some readers might find disturbing.

Too dark and too long
I remember reading "Playing for the Ashes" and "For the Sake of Elena" many years ago and really enjoying them.I hadn't read any of EG in a few years and decided to check her out again a few months ago by reading this book and "In the Presence of the Enemy" which I read just prior to this one. I was disappointed with this one.

What struck me most negatively in both these books after reflecting on how much I enjoyed her previous novels were the creepy and obsessive references to sex.Both these books overdid it.In this one, I didn't need to know so much about the S&M scene - it seemed almost gratuitious.The result is a dark, ominious feeling throughout which made it a downer of a read during our rainy winter.I was surprised to find how much I came to dislike Lynley - he seemed so inflexible.Barbara seemed like everso the doormat, though Nkata was likeable.The book was way too long, and I found myself close to not finishing it - I ended up caring so little for the characters in the end.

I would have liked to have seem Havers' relationship with Azhar developed more.

If you are a EG fan, you'll probably enjoy it - it was well written.But not that satisfying for me.I think I'll head back to Tony Hillerman and the Southwest! ... Read more

Book Description
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.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

English Classic with Pen and Plot Twists
As a writer myself, I was in awe of Ms. George's writing style, vocabulary and finesse-and I was totally blown away after learning "A Great Deliverance" was her first novel. I am looking forward to reading her latest "Lynley" novel because I know from being an avid reader and a writer that the first book is rarely the best as an author (like in all professions) must hone their craft. Ms. George has an exceptional talent for "sizing people up" with the written word without revealing whodunnit! She sets a scene that makes one feel they are roaming the English countryside and creates characters who are easy to love or hate. Great job Ms. George!

Lynly and Havers at their best
This is not for the beginner in the Lynly Series.This is near the end...at least of the published ones.All these book are great murder mysteries with wonderful characters that become like family.

good book
I love Elizabeth George and her style of writing.You think you know what the plot will be but it's always a surprise.Very dark.

A Fine Debut Heralds Brilliance to Come
A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George is the author's well-written debut.There is a good mystery in a small township known as Keldale Abby.The gruesome killing of a man and his dog brings in Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers.Lynley hails from the rich upper class, and is a handsome man, while Havers comes from a poor lower class family, and is a plain looking woman.Though this novel has many strong points including a smooth and almost poetic writing style by George, and an evocative small town and its denizens, its real strength comes from the introduction to the two compelling lead charachters.There relationship and how it grows, not just in this book, but in the books to follow, is the real strength of this series.

This is a solid 3.5 star novel.

Where's the beef
First a disclaimer:I was drawn to read Elizabeth George after having read 10's of rave comments about her books.I had run out of mysteries on my shelf so decided to give her a try.

Maybe I've been wallowing too long in the Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiassin school of mysteries but I found this to be even more plodding than most british mysteries.There was all this convoluted useless nonsense about the backstories on the oh, so class conscious pair of police colleagues.Then there was the sudden inprobable device to solve the mystery with people related to each other in the most absurd arrangement. ... Read more

Book Description

Women long for a meaningful prayer life but the demands of family,work, and home can get in the way of good intentions. Elizabeth George,bestselling author and popular teacher, leads women to deeper communication with God.

Sharing from personal experience and biblical insights, Elizabethencourages women to create, nurture, and grow a prayer life as they:

• overcome the ten main obstacles to prayer
• discover when and how to talk to God
• pray from the heart for daily needs

Whether a woman has a strong dialogue with God or is justbeginning her journey of prayer, this offering provides the guidance and thespiritual direction she needs to answer Gods call to be a woman of prayer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book on prayer
This book is excelent! If you are looking to improve your prayer life and make changes NOW about it, this is the book. Like most of Elizabeth's book, it's really practical so if you really want to, it will take you to make changes and improve your prayer life. Also, it will give a whole different perspective about the importance of prayer in a christian woman's life. You'll wonder how could you pray so little and still go on!! Also, she begins each chapter with a quote, they are all really good, motivational and most important, biblical.

You Only Need One
I own a bunch of Elizabeth George's books that are available here and on christian books, even 1 written by both Elizabeth and her husband Jim.

Sorry to say, but in my opinion, once you have one of her books, you have all of her books.

They all pretty much say the same thing, just re organized in each book.

So if this is your first Elizabeth George Book, great! I think you'll enjoy it. But if you are considering purchasing this book as a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc-I wouldn't because you've already got the book pretty much in your first E. George book.

She does it again
I LOVE Elizabeth George's "A Woman After God's Own Heart." I have wore out my copy from reading it so many times.I did not expect to like this book as much as I like that one!It was just wonderful.Just like the other book, Elizabeth points back to Scripture and then gives you practical things to do.So many books tell you what you need to do, but fail to tell you HOW to do it.I was inspired after reading this book, I got some new ideas about my prayer life, and I am just thrilled.
I suspect I will read this book over and over as well. ... Read more

Book Description
"The story begins with my father, actually, and the fact that I'm the one who's answerable for his death.  It was not my first crime, as you will see, but it is the one my mother couldn't forgive."

In her astonishing New York Times bestseller, acclaimed author Elizabeth George reveals the even darker truth behind this startling confession. Playing for the Ashes is a rich tale of passion, murder and love in which Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers once again find themselves embroiled in a case where nothing—and no one—is really what it seems.  Intense, suspenseful and brilliantly written, Playing for the
Ashes will make readers "search out the sleuthing pair's first six adventures...a treasure," as Cosmopolitan predicted in their review. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Playing for the ashes
This is a great Inspector Lynley Mystery book written by Elizabeth George..It is over 600 pages long and is a book you don't want to put down before you finished it.

Deep knowledge of the human mind
Like allways in EG's mysteries, excellent plot and well-defined characters. She must have some studies in psychology! Made me loose some sleep, as I stayed awake reading... And it made me like Lynely even more, with all his stong and not-so-strong points, which make him "human" (if I can say that about a character...)

playing for the ashes
In this mystery, champion English cricketeer Kenneth Fleming is found dead as a result of arson. Because he doesn't smoke, the
scenario looks like possible arson. The suspects include his wife and eldest son, as well as the older teacher and mentor with whom he has a complex relationship. Half the book is narrated by the wayward daughter of the teacher, who is dying from ALS and whose troubled relationship with her mother she is pressed to resolve by her animal-rights activist boyfriend.

As usual, George does parent-child dynamics very well. Less interesting is the relationship between Lynley and his upper crust wife, but perhaps I'm in the minority.

Agnonizing and Inspiring
How grateful I am to have recently stumbled upon Elizabeth George's extraordinary mystery novels.I have acquired all of them now, but after reading two in a row, I feel I need to come up for air.

Playing for the Ashes is a heart-rending example of the law of natural consequences, not only for the self-flagelating Olivia and her savior, Chris, but also for all the other pain-wracked characters.The ARM storyline gave me strong ambivilent feelings:as an animal lover, I was horrified; as a possible future beneficiary of medical research, I was grudgingly accepting. Lots of parallels existed between Livie and the broken animals she rescued.

And, speaking of parallels, in the light of her last request to her mother, I felt like Olivia had spent her entire life "playing for the ashes."

If you have a tendency to skim over parts of dialogue to get the the "good stuff," don't do it in this case.Put the book down for a little while & then pick it back up & read and appreciate every word.

Best Buy
I see other people agree with me that this is perhaps Elizabeth George's best novel.I thought it was absorbing all the way through and it kept me guessing.The ending was less disappointing than usual. Some things were never tied up:How did the killer know how to make that complex device?Note that when it first comes up.Also why was Olivia so hatefilled?I really thought George was going to reveal incest at the end as per usual but, dear reader, rest assured, she doesn't.The relationship between Lynley and Havers (and Helen) is charming as usual.It doesnt come across at all in the PBS movie.I think the British class system has a lot to do with it.The Lynley/Havers relationship would be impossible in America. Havers is more of a young kathy Bates type but very respectful which isn't an american trait at all. Maybe Jodie Foster could have played her if she gained some weight and messed her face up a little like Charlize Theron did in "Monster."And Lynley is an aristocrat something unknown in america; sharp dresser, lithe, blond, and very attractive to the ladies.An older Prince William could play him.The administration doesn't trust Lindley because they think he is merely dabbling in police work and they don't trust Havers because she is hotheaded.But they bring out the best in each other and are a great team which isn't muddled up with sex/love as it would have to be in America. ... Read more

Book Description

Esther was in the right place at the right time. When Godsguiding hand made her queen over a foreign race, she used her influence to saveher people. Women of every age and walk of life will discover how to

• cultivate an abiding trust in God
• depend wholly upon God in prayer
• prepare for and persist in the assignments God gives

As women are obedient to Gods leading, they will findstrength and inner beauty flowing through them as they positively affect thelives of those around them.

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Study
Elizabeth George always produces an excellent study. This one about Esther is no exception. This one is handy because the verses from the book of Esther are right there in text. There are other Bible verses that one needs to look up, but all of it helps bring the reader to the heart of Esther and reveals her dependence on God and her bravery. I am using this study in our girls' high school home school because it is so good.

So powerful and refreshing
This Bible study is such a blessing.I have read the book of Esther many times, but this is the first time that I have taken such a simple but powerful look at the real Esther and just what she was all about.She was a faithful servant and followed every instruction to the letter, but she had back bone like no other.To sit across a feast table and accuse Haman of his wrong doing showed so much strength.This book is truly a book of Strength and Beauty.So simply put and easy to apply to our own lives. Elizabeth George is a wonderful writer for today's women. ... Read more

Book Description

More than 300,000copies of Elizabeth Georges Growth and Study Guides have been sold! And nowcomes Elizabeths A Mother AfterGods Own Heart Growth and Study Guide! This companion to the book of thesame name gives moms more insights and opportunity for personal growth throughadditional scripture references, detailed questions, and practical lifeapplications. Perfect for group or individual study.

Book Description
Elena Weaver was a surprise to anyone meeting her for the first time.In her clingy dresses and dangling earrings she exuded a sexuality at odds with the innocence projected by the unicorn posters on her walls.While herembittered mother fretted about her welfare from her home in London, inCambridge—where Elena was a student at St. Stephen's College—her father and his second wife each had their own very different image of the girl.As for Elena, she lived a life of casual and intense physical and emotionalrelationships, with scores to settle and goals to achieve--until someone, lying in wait along the route she ran every morning, bludgeoned her to death.

Unwilling to turn the killing over to the local police, the university calls in New Scotland Yard.Thus, Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and hispartner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, enter the rarefied world ofCambridge University, where academic gowns often hide murderous intentions.

For both officers, the true identity of Elena Weaver proves elusive. Each relationship the girl left behind casts new light both on Elena and on those people who appeared to know her best—from an unsavory Swedish-bornShakespearean professor to the brooding head of the Deaf Students Union.

What's more, Elena's father, a Cambridge professor under consideration for a prestigious post, is a man with his own dark secrets.While his past sins make him neurotically dedicated to Elena and blind to her blacker side,present demons drive him toward betrayal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Fantastic Series!
Elizabeth George is a modern day Agatha Christie. Her books keep you guessing until the end!

Rotate in your grave, Dorothy L. Sayers!
This book gives a new dimension to the term "bad". The characters are either totally improbable or equally totally unpalatable (some are both), their self-conscious soul-searching is fatuous and lacks any credibility or basis in real life. One can't help feeling that the "heroine" was an utter bitch who fully got what she derserved, although I doubt that this was the author's intention, and in the end it was, of course, all the men's fault.

The author knows zilch about the English upper classes. A gentleman with a monogrammed handkerchief, children of an upper class mother calling their aunt "auntie", to name just two of countless whince-making gaffes... It is incredible.

Pity one can'taward "minus" stars!

intriguing mystery
When a deaf university student is found murdered on her daily run, the college is in an uproar. When Detectives Thomas Lynley and his partner Barbara Havers investigate they discover the various intrigues in the girl's life: she was pregnant and sexually involved with several men, including a professor.Meanwhile, her jealous mother and stepmother clash, and it is discovered that her father was having an affair.Red herrings abound in this satisfying, intriguing mystery, and the murderer is almost impossible to see coming.

New Depths of Character Amid a Transparent Plot
I love novels that do character development well.In the typical English murder mystery, the victim is usually a bloodless body which quickly disappears from the story after dying.A department store dummy would serve as well.

The beauty of For The Sake of Elena is that Ms. George does a thorough and fascinating job of describing the victim.Elena is an unusual character as well in that she lives somewhere between the hearing and the deaf world, finding solace in neither one.As a spirited woman with strong opinions, she finds herself able to twist the people and events around her into new directions.

In the background, Lynley uses Elena's death as a reason to pursue Lady Helen to Cambridge where she has gone to avoid him.His haunted pursuit of Lady Helen will ring strongly with those who love romantic novels.Barbara Havers also finds herself torn between pillar and post in trying to care for her aging mother while maintaining her career.Lynley and Havers soldier on through this complication in a way that will remind you of an old married couple dealing with adversity.It's solid stuff!

The book's major disappointment is the murder mystery.It's painfully transparent, and the red herrings are too obviously red to be any good.

Had Ms. George planned to write a romantic novel instead, this book would probably have worked much better as she magnificently displays all of the positive and negative aspects of attraction and romance for your full consideration.

Very good, but some flaws
A very enjoyable read - E. George's mysteries are definitely a cut above the usual.I enjoy the dynamics of the relationship between Lynley and Havers.I did think that the relationship between Lynley and Lady Helen was a bit over-wrought and I did get tired of how much time was spent on it.

But overall, I enjoyed the book. ... Read more

Book Description
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 news: 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.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Like as the waves...
Shakespeare's wonderful sonnet begins "Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore," and when George brought in the character of Barbara Havers in the midst of trying to move out of her parents' house, I thought of the sonnet. Not because the writing compares to Shakespeare's, but because the story proceeds in waves. The wave of the main story -- the murder mystery at the center -- gets to a certain point, and then comes another wave of a different story, the problems in the St. James marriage, perhaps, or the angst of Maggie who is sexually active at 13, or the desperation of the local constable Colin who is romantically involved with Maggie's "Mum." Or Barbara Havers's reluctance to make the transition in her life.

Then, perhaps, comes the main story again, but I've grown impatient while skipping large portions of the novel to get to the main story and find out what's happening with Lynley.

Writing in waves with multiple points of view while developing the stories of several different characters might be an interesting way of structuring a novel, but it doesn't work for me. It impedes the forward motion of the novel, so that the story neither "hastens" nor "all forwards does contend."

I left off the novel where Lynley has called Havers. I may yet finish it. Maybe.

Missing sleep reading this book.
As usual, Elizabeth George hits another home run with this book. Her natural talent to weave a mystery into the fabric of our favorite detective's increasingly interesting life is fantastic.Couldn't put it down -- but can never put her books down.

Determined
Missing Joseph marks the half way point of my determination to read all of the Lynley/Havers George mysteries. Her series is most definitely in the tradition of the English mystery novel (although not as gritty say as Ruth Rendell) with a soap opera melodrama twist. She writes more in the vein of Christie and Sayers-a bit updated of course.They are very easy and pleasurable reads and George writes a palatable mystery. I let her unfold her story and really don't try to outwit the detectives. This novel,however, was pretty obvious from the beginning once you got into the Lanchester village and learned of the main characters. All the detectives did was discover the circumstances.

Now my take on the characters so far. George writes in parallel storylines. It is more and more obvious as I get further and further in the series. I have read ( and I am a bit surprised concerning the dislike of Deborah) that George sees the character of Deborah more like herself. I like Deborah and her husband, Simon. In my opinion their marriage is an examination of contemporary marriage. And I find their entire love story very romantic in that it truly reflects a love based on unselfishness and deep commitment based on the needs of the spouse-trying to achieve a balance of the self with the couple.

The balance between the couples, for me reflects the Shakespearean quote concerning life being a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think. Deborah, the creative artist/photographer, is our feeler. Simon, being a man is a wonderful combination of both-after all men are suppose to be natural problem solvers and that is why the couple conflicts but their mutual love is a strong foundation and what allows to continually search in how to make lemonade out of the lemons they have been handed in their life and marriage.

Their marriage ( and I know Lynley and Helen eventually marry with dire consequences) contrasts greatly with the Lynley and Helen relationship. Both are basically "good" people without a clue as to what they need or what they want or what the whole concept of love is about. Talk about comm