Bestseller George's richly rewarding 16th novel to feature Det. Insp. Thomas Lynley (after Careless in Red) offers an intricate plot that will satisfy even jaded fans of psychological suspense. Aggressively career-minded Isabelle Ardery, the new acting superintendent of London's Metropolitan Police, boldly manages to lure Lynley, who's been grieving over his wife's murder, back from Cornwall to look into a murder case. The body of Jemima Hastings, a young woman recently relocated from Hampshire, has turned up in a London cemetery. With suspects in both locales and numerous leads to follow and interviews to conduct, Ardery succeeds in raising the hackles of Det. Sgt. Barbara Havers, Det. Insp. John Stewart, and other members of the investigating team. George tantalizes with glimpses of a horrific earlier murder case; showcases Lynley at his shrewdest, most diplomatic best; and confounds readers with a complex array of evidence, motives, and possible solutions. 6-city author tour. (May)
George explores her characters' dreams and fears with a penetrating grace that makes reading her books a joy.” — Washington Post Book World
“George has once again delivered a thick, knotty, densely plotted mystery. As always, it isn’t a book to tear through in an hour, but one to read slowly, over many sittings, and savor.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Dark, unrelenting, and powerful.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A rich, unsettling work.” — Richmond Times Dispatch
“A spellbinding tale of mystery and murder.” — Oklahoman
“This is the kind of mystery that Elizabeth George does best….Ms. George has done a brilliant job…and this is probably her best mystery in years.” — Washington Times
“Elizabeth George writes exceptional mysteries, with intelligent, complex plots and well-developed characters....Her pace is skillful.” — Daily American (PA)
“A hauntingly memorable experience.” — New York Journal of Books
“Richly rewarding…offers an intricate plot that will satisfy even jaded fans of psychological suspense.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“George’s dense plotting style and complex characterization are on full display as Lynley and Havers, working separately, try to uncover the truth.” — Romantic Times
“[George’s] Inspector Lynley novels are very substantial psychological thrillers, big, deeply intelligent, rich in characterization...and atmospheric as a walk on the moors with a faithful bloodhound.” — Sullivan County Democrat (NY)
“This Body of Death is wonderful.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Captivating…the writer’s insights into social and emotional issues make her work deeply rewarding.” — Seattle Times
“An intricate mystery.” — Iron Mountain Daily News (MI)
This is the kind of mystery that Elizabeth George does best….Ms. George has done a brilliant job…and this is probably her best mystery in years.
A hauntingly memorable experience.
New York Journal of Books
Elizabeth George writes exceptional mysteries, with intelligent, complex plots and well-developed characters....Her pace is skillful.
A rich, unsettling work.
George explores her characters' dreams and fears with a penetrating grace that makes reading her books a joy.
Washington Post Book World
A spellbinding tale of mystery and murder.
George has once again delivered a thick, knotty, densely plotted mystery. As always, it isn’t a book to tear through in an hour, but one to read slowly, over many sittings, and savor.
George’s dense plotting style and complex characterization are on full display as Lynley and Havers, working separately, try to uncover the truth.
This Body of Death is wonderful.
[George’s] Inspector Lynley novels are very substantial psychological thrillers, big, deeply intelligent, rich in characterization...and atmospheric as a walk on the moors with a faithful bloodhound.
Sullivan County Democrat (NY)
Captivating…the writer’s insights into social and emotional issues make her work deeply rewarding.
An intricate mystery.
Iron Mountain Daily News (MI)
This Body of Death is wonderful.
George has once again delivered a thick, knotty, densely plotted mystery. As always, it isn’t a book to tear through in an hour, but one to read slowly, over many sittings, and savor.
Captivating…the writer’s insights into social and emotional issues make her work deeply rewarding.
Seattle Times on This Body of Death
George’s dense plotting style and complex characterization are on full display as Lynley and Havers, working separately, try to uncover the truth.
Romantic Times on This Body of Death
This Body of Death is wonderful.
San Francisco Chronicle on This Body of Death
[George’s] Inspector Lynley novels are very substantial psychological thrillers, big, deeply intelligent, rich in characterization...and atmospheric as a walk on the moors with a faithful bloodhound.
Sullivan County Democrat (NY) on This Body of Death
An intricate mystery.
Iron Mountain Daily News (MI) on This Body of Death
A master of the British mystery.
Ms. George can do it all, with style to spare.
Ms. George can do it all, with style to spare.
A spellbinding tale of mystery and murder.
Oklahoman on This Body of Death
Elizabeth George writes exceptional mysteries, with intelligent, complex plots and well-developed characters....Her pace is skillful.
Daily American (PA) on This Body of Death
A rich, unsettling work.
Richmond Times Dispatch on This Body of Death
This is the kind of mystery that Elizabeth George does best….Ms. George has done a brilliant job…and this is probably her best mystery in years.
Washington Times on This Body of Death
A hauntingly memorable experience.
New York Journal of Books on This Body of Death
George has once again delivered a thick, knotty, densely plotted mystery. As always, it isn’t a book to tear through in an hour, but one to read slowly, over many sittings, and savor.
Entertainment Weekly on This Body of Death
Elizabeth George writes exceptional mysteries, with intelligent, complex plots and well-developed characters....Her pace is skillful.
A rich, unsettling work.
A spellbinding tale of mystery and murder.
As the complexity of this mystery unfolds, the subtle and nuanced quality of John Lee's narration becomes more and more apparent. The body of a young woman is found stabbed and abandoned in an isolated London cemetery, but her roots lead to a unique nature and pony preserve in New Forest. While Lynley and the investigating team grapple with Acting Superintendent Ardrey, plot details with far-reaching consequences are revealed. Just when one thinks the elusive solution is within sight, more dark secrets and surprises cloud the knotty clues—but not Lee's admirable pacing, sustained through the lengthy work. He performs the women's voices particularly well and captivates with subtle foreign accents. His talent ranges throughout the diverse British, and even London, regional accents. A.W. 2011 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
Tragedy blights lives in a dozen different ways. Grieving widower Thomas Lynley (Careless in Red, 2008, etc.) returns to New Scotland Yard to assist temporary Acting Superintendent Isabelle Ardery, who is acerbic, volatile and an alcoholic in denial. This potent cocktail hardly helps her relationship with her ex, her sons and Lynley's old staff, or produces sound judgments regarding the investigation of Jemima Hastings's murder. Jemima, who dealt with the death of her parents by leaping into love every chance she got, whether or not the man cared for her, had recently ended a relationship with Hampshire thatcher Gordon Jossie, although her usual pattern had been to stay until she was dumped. What caused the rift? Jossie, now intimately involved with a woman named Gina, has two dark secrets, one horrific, the other promising a financial windfall if he takes advantage of it. Did these secrets lead him to murder Jemima? Isabelle considers a schizophrenic musician her prime suspect for the killing. But with the help of Barbara Havers, who's crotchety about Lynley's growing attachment to Isabelle, Lynley digs away at Jemima's neighbors in her London rooming house, where venality collides with tragedy. Dark, unrelenting and powerful, though it would have been even finer without the schizophrenic ramblings, the descriptions of every shop along the High Street, the primer on thatching, the plight of New Forest ponies and Isabelle's constant retreats to the ladies' room for a swig of vodka and a breath mint.
