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Inspector Lynley #21
Something to Hide
Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back in the next Lynley novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George.
When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community, and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, which has far-reaching cultural associations having nothing to do with life as he knows it. In his pursuit of a killer determined to remain hidden, he's assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. They must sort through the lies and the secret lives of people whose superficial cooperation masks the damage they do to one another.
When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community, and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, which has far-reaching cultural associations having nothing to do with life as he knows it. In his pursuit of a killer determined to remain hidden, he's assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. They must sort through the lies and the secret lives of people whose superficial cooperation masks the damage they do to one another.
704 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2022
2,673 people are currently reading
6,369 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth George
82Ìýbooks5,281ÌýfollowersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. .
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:
*
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:
*
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,539 reviews
December 4, 2021
I’m badly out of step with the majority of reviewers because didn’t get on with Something To Hide at all, I’m afraid. I found it long-winded, slow and very overdone.
The main story, when we finally get to it, involves Lynley, Havers and Nkata investigating the murder of a fellow detective, which eventually leads to an organisation committing female genital mutilation. This is a very important issue, but I found the storytelling so slow and turgid that I simply couldn’t get into it at all. I’m all for thorough research, a well-painted background and carefully developed characters, but Elizabeth George tells us so much in painstaking (and for me, pain-giving) and repetitive detail I began to skim and didn’t feel I was missing much. I think the book, at 600-odd pages, could have done with some severe editing down.
Others have plainly loved this book, so do read more reviews before being put off by mine, but it wasn’t for me.
(My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley.)
The main story, when we finally get to it, involves Lynley, Havers and Nkata investigating the murder of a fellow detective, which eventually leads to an organisation committing female genital mutilation. This is a very important issue, but I found the storytelling so slow and turgid that I simply couldn’t get into it at all. I’m all for thorough research, a well-painted background and carefully developed characters, but Elizabeth George tells us so much in painstaking (and for me, pain-giving) and repetitive detail I began to skim and didn’t feel I was missing much. I think the book, at 600-odd pages, could have done with some severe editing down.
Others have plainly loved this book, so do read more reviews before being put off by mine, but it wasn’t for me.
(My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley.)
January 8, 2023
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This latest release by the talented Elizabeth George was a very thought-provoking and powerful read that will stay with me for a very long time.
This is one of my all-time favorite series. With Ms. George only releasing books every few (2-3) years, I always wait until I can reserve a period of time with no other interruptions to totally lose myself in her words.
A police woman is murdered. Now it’s up to Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and the full cast of characters we’ve come to love, to find the killer of their fellow detective.
There were many characters and storylines running throughout but was easily able to keep it all straight to the end. (If that’s not great writing I don’t know what is!)
I’ve heard many readers felt that at over 700 pages the book was too long. As a reader who normally prefers her books shorter, this was the one time I didn’t want it to end. Absorbing every word, grateful that she didn’t rush any part of the storyline.
I chose to listen to the audio version. (Audio is just over 21 hours). And WOW! The narrator Simon Vance, was positively amazing. I was drawn in by his voice, as the whole world faded away while I listened. Which could have been dicey since I listened while I drove into work on the freeway!.
I will definitely be listening to the next installment, but expecting it will be years before I have that opportunity. It will be worth the wait!
This latest release by the talented Elizabeth George was a very thought-provoking and powerful read that will stay with me for a very long time.
This is one of my all-time favorite series. With Ms. George only releasing books every few (2-3) years, I always wait until I can reserve a period of time with no other interruptions to totally lose myself in her words.
A police woman is murdered. Now it’s up to Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and the full cast of characters we’ve come to love, to find the killer of their fellow detective.
There were many characters and storylines running throughout but was easily able to keep it all straight to the end. (If that’s not great writing I don’t know what is!)
I’ve heard many readers felt that at over 700 pages the book was too long. As a reader who normally prefers her books shorter, this was the one time I didn’t want it to end. Absorbing every word, grateful that she didn’t rush any part of the storyline.
I chose to listen to the audio version. (Audio is just over 21 hours). And WOW! The narrator Simon Vance, was positively amazing. I was drawn in by his voice, as the whole world faded away while I listened. Which could have been dicey since I listened while I drove into work on the freeway!.
I will definitely be listening to the next installment, but expecting it will be years before I have that opportunity. It will be worth the wait!
December 8, 2021
Inspector Linley #21
3.5 stars rounded up.
DS Teo Bontempi is working with a task force led by DCD Mark Phinney investigating North Londons Nigerian community. When Teo is murdered Linley, Havers and Nkata have a difficult task ahead to get to the truth about her murder and to ascertain exactly what is going on within the community.
There are quite a lot of plot threads to follow but at the heart of it is the very dark and disturbing topic of FGM. Elizabeth George writes about this with clarity and with skill, leaving the reader with no doubts but she also does this with sensitivity and without judgement. The storyline of Bankole family is a good one and I like how this into connects with the central theme but also somehow personalises it and makes it matter more to the reader. The case the team are investigating is by no means straightforward one as there are personal things in DS Bontempi’s life that really muddy the waters and complicate things. There is a lot of wool pulling, lying, apparent cooperation but less than actual all of which throws the team off their stride. It’s a complex and heartbreaking storyline with many a plot twist and turn. I really like the team led by Linley who after this number of books these characters feel like old friends but you are also invested in their lives and over the years we’ve certainly been on some rollercoasters with them! There’s always a good balance of the personal as well as the investigation and as per usual Linleys life is complicated.
However, over the years of writing these books the author is giving us more and more detail and I’m sorry to say much as I love these books that you do get lost in all the depth. It could’ve easily been cut down by between 100 to 200 pages and not lost plot momentum as there are some superfluous scenes. There are a lot of characters to get your head around too which further complicates things. It takes a long while for the story to warm up as there’s a lot of scene setting.
Overall though, Elizabeth George does write really good stories with excellent characters but I do hope the next one is edited more stringently and we get a more streamlined and faster paced read.
3.5 stars rounded up.
DS Teo Bontempi is working with a task force led by DCD Mark Phinney investigating North Londons Nigerian community. When Teo is murdered Linley, Havers and Nkata have a difficult task ahead to get to the truth about her murder and to ascertain exactly what is going on within the community.
There are quite a lot of plot threads to follow but at the heart of it is the very dark and disturbing topic of FGM. Elizabeth George writes about this with clarity and with skill, leaving the reader with no doubts but she also does this with sensitivity and without judgement. The storyline of Bankole family is a good one and I like how this into connects with the central theme but also somehow personalises it and makes it matter more to the reader. The case the team are investigating is by no means straightforward one as there are personal things in DS Bontempi’s life that really muddy the waters and complicate things. There is a lot of wool pulling, lying, apparent cooperation but less than actual all of which throws the team off their stride. It’s a complex and heartbreaking storyline with many a plot twist and turn. I really like the team led by Linley who after this number of books these characters feel like old friends but you are also invested in their lives and over the years we’ve certainly been on some rollercoasters with them! There’s always a good balance of the personal as well as the investigation and as per usual Linleys life is complicated.
However, over the years of writing these books the author is giving us more and more detail and I’m sorry to say much as I love these books that you do get lost in all the depth. It could’ve easily been cut down by between 100 to 200 pages and not lost plot momentum as there are some superfluous scenes. There are a lot of characters to get your head around too which further complicates things. It takes a long while for the story to warm up as there’s a lot of scene setting.
Overall though, Elizabeth George does write really good stories with excellent characters but I do hope the next one is edited more stringently and we get a more streamlined and faster paced read.
September 28, 2024
In this 21st book in the 'Inspector Lynley' series, the Scotland Yard detective and his team investigate the death of a policewoman. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowing the characters makes it more entertaining.
Detective Sargeant Teodora (Teo) Bontempi, a woman of Nigerian heritage, is found unconscious in her apartment, suffering from a head injury.
The policewoman later dies in the hospital, and because this is the death of a cop, the case immediately goes to Scotland Yard.
Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Thomas Lynley.....
.....and his team, Detective Sargeant Barbara Havers and Detective Sargeant Winston Nkata, get the case.
The detectives soon discover that Teo had been part of a small squad investigating the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). This procedure, which involves slicing off a female's external genitalia, is done to 'cleanse and purify' the girl for marriage. The practice is illegal in England but still practiced in Somali and Nigerian communities. FGM is sometimes carried out as early as infancy and almost always on very young girls, and Teo herself had undergone the procedure many years ago.
Teo was trying to shut down covert FGM clinics and arrest practitioners, usually untrained Somali or Nigerian women who use box cutters, glass slivers, knives, razor blades, and the like for 'the surgery.' Teo also spoke at community meetings and schools, to educate people about the horrors of FGM, which often leaves girls with lifelong pain and chronic infections. Some girls are even driven to suicide from the agony and humiliation.
To investigate Teo's homicide, Lynley's squad interviews Teo's co-workers, family, friends, and acquaintances; examines CCTV footage; looks at phones and phone records; examines computers; etc. This leads the detectives to many persons of interest, including Teo's inner circle and members of the Nigerian community. Thus, as the story unfolds we meet numerous characters, including:
� Teo's former boss DCS Mark Phinney and his wife Pietra.
Mark and Pietra have a severely disabled pre-pubescent daughter, and the ongoing strain has made them more like roommates than spouses. Mark was having an affair with Teo.
� A Nigerian family composed of Abeo Bankole, his wife Monifa, their 18-year-old son Tani, and their 8-year-old daughter Simi. Abeo is an old-style Nigerian man who thinks he's king of his household, and uses his fists to prove it.
Both Monifa and Abeo seem determined to 'cleanse' little Simi via FGM, while Tani wants to save his sister from the abhorrent practice.
� Teo's estranged husband Ross Carver. Teo and Ross are amicably separated, and Ross claims he still loved his wife. Ross visited Teo on the day she was injured, and alleges she asked to speak with him. Ross is now preparing to move back into the apartment he once shared with Teo.
� Teo's sister Rosie. Rosie is a beautiful woman who instinctively flirts with any man in her vicinity. Rosie was heard arguing with Teo, and says it's because Teo wasn't attentive enough to their father, who had suffered a stroke.
� A Nigerian woman called Zawadi, who runs an anti-FGM organization called Orchid House.
Girls in danger of FGM can seek help at Orchid House, which will hide them away while Zawadi 'negotiates' with the parents. As it happens, Thomas Lynley's friend, photographer Deborah St. James, is working with Orchid House to publish a book of photos and stories about girls who suffered from FGM, to be used in schools.
� A medical practitioner who claims to repair (as much as possible) women who have undergone FGM.
As always in this series, we get a peek at the personal lives of many characters, which adds a lot to the story. For instance:
� DS Winston Nkata, who's almost 6'6" tall, lives his dad and mom - who calls him Jewel. Winston's mom is a gem herself, who's anxious to learn Nigerian cooking for the restaurant she owns. It's interesting to see the Nigerian dishes, which would be fun to taste.
� DS Barbara Havers always dresses in a T-shirt; drawstring pants, and high-top sneakers, and her clothes often harbor food stains. Barbara can't pass a take-out shop without buying a meal, and her oversize purse holds crackers, candy bars, custard cremes, hard candies, Pop-Tarts, etc, for emergencies. Barbara's co-worker at Scotland Yard, secretary Dorothea Harriman, is always trying to arrange activities for Barbara and herself to meet men, like tap-dancing, sketching, badminton, family camp, and the like - though Barbara says she's NOT INTERESTED in romance. All this has fun consequences in the story.
� Acting DCS Thomas Lynley is still involved with zoo veterinarian Daidre Trahair, though he seems more invested in the relationship than she does, largely because of Daidre's difficult past. The relationship appears to approach a turning point in this book.
Thomas (who's actually a Lord) has a manservant who takes care of the house and leaves meals for Thomas to warm up, like steak and kidney pie minus the kidneys (which Thomas hates.) 🙂
� Photographer Deborah St. James lives with her husband, forensic specialist Simon St. James, and her father Cotter in a beautiful house commensurate with their wealth.
Deborah and the men have a difference of opinion about a young Nigerian girl who's been hidden away by Orchid House, and there's some man-splaining that infuriates Deborah. 🙂 Deborah also experiences resentment from Nigerian women at Orchid House, who'd prefer to work with a black photographer.
This is a very long book, and some reviewers have criticized the extraneous elements. I didn't mind at all. I enjoyed reading about the hunt for Teo's killer, the attempt to save young Simi from being cut, and everything going on with the characters.
I'm a long-time fan of the series and highly recommend the novel.
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January 30, 2022
Elizabeth George is one of my favorite authors. Over the course of thirty three years and twenty novels, she has created an ongoing series that combines mystery, absorbing character development and social concerns. Her most recent release, � Something to Hide,� is her most politically and socially conscious novel,dealing with the difficult topic of female genital mutilation( FGM).
Two storylines propel the plot. The expository threads are complicated and take time to develop as they establish a variety of perspectives through the actions and thoughts of the characters. The first strand involves Inspector Lynley’s team investigating the murder of a fellow police officer while she was working on a task force in North London’s Nigerian community. The second storyline portrays a Nigerian family, the Bankoles. They are dominated by an overbearing father who has a traditional and controversial belief in long practiced Nigerian values. His view of the role of women and the way to raise children are not necessarily in tune with those held in his new host country.His two children, a teenaged boy and a younger girl, become a center of conflict surrounding the relevance of these traditional values.
These two plot points begin to intersect around the central theme, drawing in the array of characters that Ms George has developed throughout the series. The plot develops at a reasonably brisk pace and unfolds a wide ranging spectrum of ideas and personalities as the characters interact.
Once the novel’s elements fuse, the reader is rewarded with an engaging mystery and a thought provoking social treatise. We witness a clash of cultural and generational values and are left to evaluate how to properly resolve this tension. An ancillary concern is the role of entitlement and privilege in dealing with marginalized or disenfranchised communities. When are well meaning people actually harmful despite their best intentions? These socially philosophical questions are central to the resolution of the narrative, resulting in a well crafted creation that blends excitement with thought provoking issues.
This novel is an ambitious undertaking. I am partial to novels that raise issues through the interplay of its characters. This novel fulfills that standard. Elizabeth George has never been parsimonious in her verbiage and never stints in providing research. This novel is no exception, examining this difficult topic sensitively and from many viewpoints.It will leave the reader well informed on a difficult issue while engaged in an absorbing plot.4.5 stars rounded to 5.
Two storylines propel the plot. The expository threads are complicated and take time to develop as they establish a variety of perspectives through the actions and thoughts of the characters. The first strand involves Inspector Lynley’s team investigating the murder of a fellow police officer while she was working on a task force in North London’s Nigerian community. The second storyline portrays a Nigerian family, the Bankoles. They are dominated by an overbearing father who has a traditional and controversial belief in long practiced Nigerian values. His view of the role of women and the way to raise children are not necessarily in tune with those held in his new host country.His two children, a teenaged boy and a younger girl, become a center of conflict surrounding the relevance of these traditional values.
These two plot points begin to intersect around the central theme, drawing in the array of characters that Ms George has developed throughout the series. The plot develops at a reasonably brisk pace and unfolds a wide ranging spectrum of ideas and personalities as the characters interact.
Once the novel’s elements fuse, the reader is rewarded with an engaging mystery and a thought provoking social treatise. We witness a clash of cultural and generational values and are left to evaluate how to properly resolve this tension. An ancillary concern is the role of entitlement and privilege in dealing with marginalized or disenfranchised communities. When are well meaning people actually harmful despite their best intentions? These socially philosophical questions are central to the resolution of the narrative, resulting in a well crafted creation that blends excitement with thought provoking issues.
This novel is an ambitious undertaking. I am partial to novels that raise issues through the interplay of its characters. This novel fulfills that standard. Elizabeth George has never been parsimonious in her verbiage and never stints in providing research. This novel is no exception, examining this difficult topic sensitively and from many viewpoints.It will leave the reader well informed on a difficult issue while engaged in an absorbing plot.4.5 stars rounded to 5.
January 17, 2022
Needs editing
I've noticed of late that publishers seem to have given up on editing successful authors, even when they need it. After the first 50 or so pages of this book, I skipped any chapter that was not about one of the detectives. I skimmed chapters about the detectives social lives. I was able to determine the killer immediately upon introduction. So, as much as I like this series, I can only recommend this book with reservations, and the advice to skim as much as possible.
I've noticed of late that publishers seem to have given up on editing successful authors, even when they need it. After the first 50 or so pages of this book, I skipped any chapter that was not about one of the detectives. I skimmed chapters about the detectives social lives. I was able to determine the killer immediately upon introduction. So, as much as I like this series, I can only recommend this book with reservations, and the advice to skim as much as possible.
January 18, 2022
This series has evolved over the years and the more recent volumes have more pages and include more details and social awareness of topics that might otherwise not receive our attention. This one focuses on female genital mutilation, referred to as FGM. It is evident that Elizabeth George researched the topic and the culture of the people that continue this practice. Overall the writing is absorbing and insightful, particularly in the area of relationships between couples and family members.
My favorite characters continue to be Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. I've enjoyed experiencing their character development over the series and going through their trials and tribulations with them. In this volume we meet Nkata's parents. I enjoyed learning of the warm bond they share. I remember reading somewhere that more adult children are vacationing with with parents and it is heartening to hear of good family relationships. In this case the rapport of the Nkata family adds some light and contrast to the abusive relationships of the Bankole family. It's a truly absorbing tale.
Favorite quotes:
"As Havers might have put it, they were spitting into a very strong head wind."
"Greek food and chips with ale to wash it down sounded perfect to her. She unpacked her food, delved for ketchup in the fridge, excavated for malt vinegar from a selection of what she called 'rescue condiments' that she kept in the cupboard." - Barbara Havers
"You have to learn to forgive yourself." - Simon St. James
My favorite characters continue to be Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. I've enjoyed experiencing their character development over the series and going through their trials and tribulations with them. In this volume we meet Nkata's parents. I enjoyed learning of the warm bond they share. I remember reading somewhere that more adult children are vacationing with with parents and it is heartening to hear of good family relationships. In this case the rapport of the Nkata family adds some light and contrast to the abusive relationships of the Bankole family. It's a truly absorbing tale.
Favorite quotes:
"As Havers might have put it, they were spitting into a very strong head wind."
"Greek food and chips with ale to wash it down sounded perfect to her. She unpacked her food, delved for ketchup in the fridge, excavated for malt vinegar from a selection of what she called 'rescue condiments' that she kept in the cupboard." - Barbara Havers
"You have to learn to forgive yourself." - Simon St. James
May 22, 2022
Started fine, but then doggedly dragged on. As for the ending, what end? 3 of 10 stars
January 23, 2022
When you pick up an Elisabeth George novel, you know you’re in for a superbly written story, with engaging characters and an interesting plot. This 21st Lynley novel is exactly that. The topic this time is female genital mutilation and focuses on the struggles between family members who want to stick to ‘the old ways� from their Nigerian culture, and the ones that learn to think different about it. It’s cleverly done that a young teenage boy, born and bred in England, is horrified when he hears what his father is planning to be done to his little sister. He’s even more horrified when he learns that his mother is by no means able to stand up to his father. Well, this father is some character� he’s the kind of man who terrorizes his family all in the name of ‘he’s head of the household and knows what’s best�. Of course having affairs, behaving like a bully and slapping your wife and children around is not ‘the best�.
While we read about FGM and how this family gets stuck into the hidden world of ‘nurses� who operate on (very) small girls, we also read about Teo Bontempi, a colleague of Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers who is found unconscious in her apartment, to die later in hospital. It soon appears that both stories are intertwined in a complicated way.
Although I found the plot interesting and just love Elisabeth George’s beautiful style, the story started out quite slow and it could have done with less information about the exact things the characters were doing or planning to do. However, I could well relate to certain characters � and learned to dislike others � and it was good to have more background information on Nkata. I’m curious as to the next book will focus more on the personal life of Tommy, Barbara, Winston and even Dorothea.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder&Stoughton for this review copy.
While we read about FGM and how this family gets stuck into the hidden world of ‘nurses� who operate on (very) small girls, we also read about Teo Bontempi, a colleague of Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers who is found unconscious in her apartment, to die later in hospital. It soon appears that both stories are intertwined in a complicated way.
Although I found the plot interesting and just love Elisabeth George’s beautiful style, the story started out quite slow and it could have done with less information about the exact things the characters were doing or planning to do. However, I could well relate to certain characters � and learned to dislike others � and it was good to have more background information on Nkata. I’m curious as to the next book will focus more on the personal life of Tommy, Barbara, Winston and even Dorothea.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder&Stoughton for this review copy.
January 19, 2022
Wish I could be more enthusiastic about this book. I've read every Inspector Lynley book and enjoyed them but this one was a struggle. A very important subject matter and well-researched but so much padding! What was the editor thinking - I actually skimmed some of it which I've never done with the author's books previously. The 'dialect' is very annoying and unnecessary, I don't remember it being used in earlier books and we can pick up the nature of the characters from speech rhythms. Not to mention the peculiar choice of words used by the main characters. I've given it three stars for the research. Also the rambling on about irrelevant matters was boring. Had to force myself to finish it although skimmed a bit once I'd learned whodunnit.
May 28, 2023
How many of you are familiar with the Inspector Lynley series, probably also made famous by the long-running crime drama mysteries series which aired from 2001 to 2008?
The protagonist Detective Inspector Tommy Lynley is paired with Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. In addition to the tensions involved in solving murder cases, the series is built on clashes of personality, gender and class with Lynley as a polished man and a peer of the realm and Havers, described as a bit untidy, more from a working class background. They are all based on Elizabeth George’s books. Something to Hide is the 21st book in her series. You don’t need to read the others to read this one, it is a stand alone.
I excitedly ordered the book at the library, and then it was donated to our Little Free Library Shed, so that made me even happier. (Yes, I cancelled my library order.) So, needless to say, I couldn’t wait to crack open this book.
The basic description for the book was very compelling � “When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death.� Now that sounded like something to read…but, as soon as I saw that the book was 687 pages, I felt a bit intimidated. Why oh why do authors believe they need to write books with this many pages?
After much contemplation, I said to myself, “Self, do it. What could it hurt, you love Inspector Lynley.� So, I began to read.
Oh my goodness. I was not a happy reader. I found it very long-winded, slow and very overdone with so many different characters to follow, I was getting dizzy. And where was Inspector Lynley? Where was the crime?
Inspector Lynley doesn’t show up until page 119. As it turns out the crime of murder was announced on page 130 but as readers we were given nothing more than that. So, for the first 129 pages, the readers are dealing with a bunch of characters doing a bunch of stuff we have no idea why.
Of course, as any mystery lovers know, there is a reason they are all doing whatever they are doing � but, to be honest, at this point, do we care?
And, do I want to wade through 557 more pages to find out if the book was worth it � when I am not even invested in the characters up to page 130?
Even Inspector Lynley seems to be spending his time on the pages just arguing with his girlfriend. So, having said all I have said, is this really a review? Or a “book venting� disappointment?
I don’t even think I have the patience to skip ahead to the end.
The protagonist Detective Inspector Tommy Lynley is paired with Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. In addition to the tensions involved in solving murder cases, the series is built on clashes of personality, gender and class with Lynley as a polished man and a peer of the realm and Havers, described as a bit untidy, more from a working class background. They are all based on Elizabeth George’s books. Something to Hide is the 21st book in her series. You don’t need to read the others to read this one, it is a stand alone.
I excitedly ordered the book at the library, and then it was donated to our Little Free Library Shed, so that made me even happier. (Yes, I cancelled my library order.) So, needless to say, I couldn’t wait to crack open this book.
The basic description for the book was very compelling � “When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death.� Now that sounded like something to read…but, as soon as I saw that the book was 687 pages, I felt a bit intimidated. Why oh why do authors believe they need to write books with this many pages?
After much contemplation, I said to myself, “Self, do it. What could it hurt, you love Inspector Lynley.� So, I began to read.
Oh my goodness. I was not a happy reader. I found it very long-winded, slow and very overdone with so many different characters to follow, I was getting dizzy. And where was Inspector Lynley? Where was the crime?
Inspector Lynley doesn’t show up until page 119. As it turns out the crime of murder was announced on page 130 but as readers we were given nothing more than that. So, for the first 129 pages, the readers are dealing with a bunch of characters doing a bunch of stuff we have no idea why.
Of course, as any mystery lovers know, there is a reason they are all doing whatever they are doing � but, to be honest, at this point, do we care?
And, do I want to wade through 557 more pages to find out if the book was worth it � when I am not even invested in the characters up to page 130?
Even Inspector Lynley seems to be spending his time on the pages just arguing with his girlfriend. So, having said all I have said, is this really a review? Or a “book venting� disappointment?
I don’t even think I have the patience to skip ahead to the end.
March 8, 2022
I binge read this overly long book. I have eagerly followed this series since its inception but I was disappointed with this novel. It centred around the issue of female genital mutilation. I was very aware of a disjunct between the seriousness of this topic and the somewhat cartoonish characterisation that Lynley, Havers, Nkata, the St Jameses, Dee and Lynley’s bewildering love interest have been reduced to.
I was also perplexed by some of the editing decisions. We talk about Black people with a capital B. So why are white people not accorded a capital W? That’s just one. Others were turns of phrase that just didn’t ring true. I didn’t note them because I was reading too quickly. I was trying to find some coherence in the narrative, and hoping that it was going to move forward. It did but at a glacial pace. There seemed to be an awful lot of repetition, and I felt bogged down by it.
Perhaps I am doing this book a disservice. Others wax lyrical about it and I am glad that they don’t think that Ms George’s talent has dimmed. I feel it has.
I was also perplexed by some of the editing decisions. We talk about Black people with a capital B. So why are white people not accorded a capital W? That’s just one. Others were turns of phrase that just didn’t ring true. I didn’t note them because I was reading too quickly. I was trying to find some coherence in the narrative, and hoping that it was going to move forward. It did but at a glacial pace. There seemed to be an awful lot of repetition, and I felt bogged down by it.
Perhaps I am doing this book a disservice. Others wax lyrical about it and I am glad that they don’t think that Ms George’s talent has dimmed. I feel it has.
April 12, 2022
Great read� review to follow!
May 31, 2023
Something to Hide (Inspector Lynley, #21) by Elizabeth George.
I had to think long and hard before attempting to write a review for this "unedited" book. Where oh where was the editor? If there even was one. Repetitive beyond belief. Let's just say as I listened to the 3rd disc it was the exact words used for the 1st disc. Astonishing! If it comes to a choice of writing an extra lengthy novel as opposed to an average length novel...take the average length rather than repeating over and over the same boring phrases just to have a lengthy book.
As if that wasn't miserable enough...where was Inspector Lynley? No where to be found until after 75% of the book was written. Excuse me! That was the main reason I started listening to this book. The main character-the Inspector.
The subject of this book was heart breaking, but ruined due to the mismanagement of the book in general. I will think long and hard before reading/listening to another book by this author.
I had to think long and hard before attempting to write a review for this "unedited" book. Where oh where was the editor? If there even was one. Repetitive beyond belief. Let's just say as I listened to the 3rd disc it was the exact words used for the 1st disc. Astonishing! If it comes to a choice of writing an extra lengthy novel as opposed to an average length novel...take the average length rather than repeating over and over the same boring phrases just to have a lengthy book.
As if that wasn't miserable enough...where was Inspector Lynley? No where to be found until after 75% of the book was written. Excuse me! That was the main reason I started listening to this book. The main character-the Inspector.
The subject of this book was heart breaking, but ruined due to the mismanagement of the book in general. I will think long and hard before reading/listening to another book by this author.
January 15, 2022
Oh this was just awful. And I’m so disappointed because I have loved the Lynley books. I actually cried when his wife died in an earlier book.
But this was just terrible.
Whites can’t ever be good people? Can’t ever understand? CRT in pop fiction.
The story meanders forever. About a third is over before we even see Lynley and crew.
I was happy to see St James and Deborah back. And Peach.
But this was just terrible.
Whites can’t ever be good people? Can’t ever understand? CRT in pop fiction.
The story meanders forever. About a third is over before we even see Lynley and crew.
I was happy to see St James and Deborah back. And Peach.
April 12, 2022
George’s 21st offering in the popular mystery series featuring New Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, and Detective Sgts. Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata addresses the cultural practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). It begins with the murder of Teo Bontempi, a Black police officer working on a special north London task force to end the practice. No surprise, there are several possible suspects that have to be investigated.
A key subplot follows the Nigerian Bankole family whose patriarch is violent, cruel and determined to subject his 8-year-old daughter, Simisola, to the practice to ensure a ‘good bride price�. He is also determined to force an arranged marriage on his 18-year-old son, Tanimola.
George clearly has done a considerable amount of research for this book. However, the story would have benefitted from some strong editing. It is a LONG book and the New Scotland Yard is not even introduced until after 100 pages have been read. On the other hand, I learned a lot about the despicable practice of FGM, and the Nigerian/North London culture.
A key subplot follows the Nigerian Bankole family whose patriarch is violent, cruel and determined to subject his 8-year-old daughter, Simisola, to the practice to ensure a ‘good bride price�. He is also determined to force an arranged marriage on his 18-year-old son, Tanimola.
George clearly has done a considerable amount of research for this book. However, the story would have benefitted from some strong editing. It is a LONG book and the New Scotland Yard is not even introduced until after 100 pages have been read. On the other hand, I learned a lot about the despicable practice of FGM, and the Nigerian/North London culture.
January 23, 2022
A griping mystery with an important subject but got over complicated and just too, too long
I do love Elizabeth George and her British characters and London setting mysteries so I could not wait to get to this one. So I did not hesitate even with a 700+ page count. I knew that the story in all its complications would likely carry me through to the end. It always had in the previous 20 in the series.
This story too has a lot going for it.
A Nigerian family living in London. The parents having strong cultural ties to the Nigerian community while their children (a boy 18 and a girl 8) are becoming increasingly British. Add into this mix the murder of a female Nigerian detective who is working to stop the practice of female circumcision that is done to young girls in this culture so they arrive at planned marriages "pure". The story refers to this practice as FGM (female genital mutilation) and indeed that is what it is. As a midwife I did see this, thankfully only a few times, but it is quite horrifying to see the aftermath in grown women and how it affects and scars their lives both mentally and physically. Definitely a practice that is difficult to understand and is now illegal in Britain. The story is largely a police procedural surrounding the murder of the detective and the young man in the family trying to keep his 8 year old sister from having FGM.
Well crafted and most interesting to read though medical aspects are kept to a minimum. It was just too long and added a lot of drama that did little to move the story forward. A worthy subject however and on audio one could speed up the narration when the story was veering off course. Hated to do this with the lovely voice of Simon Vance as he is a narrator of the finest quality but Elizabeth George just got carried away with the number of threads and red herrings she was trying to weave together in this one. Still a well crafted mystery and did wrap up well in the end.
I do love Elizabeth George and her British characters and London setting mysteries so I could not wait to get to this one. So I did not hesitate even with a 700+ page count. I knew that the story in all its complications would likely carry me through to the end. It always had in the previous 20 in the series.
This story too has a lot going for it.
A Nigerian family living in London. The parents having strong cultural ties to the Nigerian community while their children (a boy 18 and a girl 8) are becoming increasingly British. Add into this mix the murder of a female Nigerian detective who is working to stop the practice of female circumcision that is done to young girls in this culture so they arrive at planned marriages "pure". The story refers to this practice as FGM (female genital mutilation) and indeed that is what it is. As a midwife I did see this, thankfully only a few times, but it is quite horrifying to see the aftermath in grown women and how it affects and scars their lives both mentally and physically. Definitely a practice that is difficult to understand and is now illegal in Britain. The story is largely a police procedural surrounding the murder of the detective and the young man in the family trying to keep his 8 year old sister from having FGM.
Well crafted and most interesting to read though medical aspects are kept to a minimum. It was just too long and added a lot of drama that did little to move the story forward. A worthy subject however and on audio one could speed up the narration when the story was veering off course. Hated to do this with the lovely voice of Simon Vance as he is a narrator of the finest quality but Elizabeth George just got carried away with the number of threads and red herrings she was trying to weave together in this one. Still a well crafted mystery and did wrap up well in the end.
October 6, 2021
When asked the name of my favorite author, the name Elizabeth George is what first comes to mind. As I said in 2018, reviewing The Punishment She Deserves (5 stars), “I LOVE Elizabeth George, and have been reading the Inspector Lynley novels (or, as I prefer to call them, the Lynley-Havers novels) since the mid-1990s when introduced to them by a fellow librarian when we were stuck in an airport.� There are now 20 or 21 in the series, and Something To Hide is the latest.
I was super excited to get a copy of Something To Hide from Penguin GroupViking and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I had no idea what it was about, only that I was being reunited with Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers � good enough for me!
So, here’s the thing: the Lynley-Havers books always include a cdentral mystery, but there is also a significant amount of character development as well as a focus on a particular topic. The characters have become people we KNOW, so I was happy to have both Thomas and Barbara present in the story. When I began reading, I was in the dark about the topic in this latest book: FGM, or female genital mutilation For anyone unfamiliar with it, you can Google it to get way more information than you probably want, but essentially “Female Genital Mutilation comprises all procedures involving the removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).� Although it is illegal in England, where there are many immigrants (the Pakistani community in particular has been woven into several prior Lynley stories), and it helps to know that FGM is practiced in 31 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.(It’s most prevalent in Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea, and Mali, where 90% or more of women aged 15 to 49 have been subjected to FGM. In this particular story, the focus is on Nigerian women. Although the practice is declining in Nigeria since it was outlawed in 2012, it is still quite common). I’m personally horrified by the practice, particularly the common practice of having it done by people without the proper training or instruments to perform even the simplest surgical procedure, but it is central to this amazing book, and Ms. George covers this sensitive topic without being overly judgmental (hard to do) or getting too clinical � she makes her points where needed.
The initial storyline revolves around the murder of a female police detective who died while participating in a task force in the Nigerian community in North London. Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, and is his usual refined and intelligent self, despite being thrown into cultural issues which have totally been outside his life as a Lord. Both Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata are part of the story, with the Nkata family being a welcome addition to the recurring case of characters in this series.
The question comes up as to whether the murder of the detective was related to her work with the task force, trying to prevent FGM (something she knew a lot about, as she was a victim of it herself). She knows that the �...hideous practice of mutilating girls was not going to end simply because there were people who wanted it to end.� Despite being transferred out and away from the task force, she has continued to explore the situation, but she also has an estranged husband and jealous sister, who may or may not be related to her death. So it takes some digging to find out who might have wanted her dead and why.
A parallel storyline involves a traditional Nigerian immigrant family, which includes parents, a teenage son, and an 8-year old daughter. The domineering father has promised his teenaged son a virgin bride from Nigeria, which the son refuses even though his father has already paid a dowry. But the father isn’t content with marrying off his son, he is also set on recovering the money paid for the bride of his son by promising his young innocent daughter Simisola to be married off as well. It seems that the first step in preparing the child for the marriage is to have her cut in preparation. As Simi’s mother sees it, her intention in arranging the “ceremony� and presenting it as a party was �...to have Simisola made pure so that she could proceed into her womanhood.� EEEEEK!)
The two storylines (the murdered detective and the looming FGM of a sweet 8-year old in a traditional family) converge, as expected. Familiar bits of the story include Barbara resisting the ongoing efforts of Dee Harriman to get Barb into a romantic relationship and Thomas still trying to figure out the relationship between him and Daidre, the independent woman with whom he became involved after his recent relationship with Isabelle Ardrey (the functioning alcoholic he was possibly in love with most recently) failed. Thomas hasn’t had great luck with women, and I hope Ms. George finds someone for him � see, the characters are REAL, we know them and care about them! Their lives have unfolded over 20 books, and although the books in the series can be read as standalones, I really recommend that people read them in order, as the plotlines and personal lives of the characters really do move as the stories go on.
I NEVER reveal spoilers, but both storylines in this one are handled masterfully. Both the murder and the issue of FGM are resolved � or are they? There is an ongoing question as to whether it’s appropriate for outsiders to interfere in culturally significant but horrifying activities that the traditional immigrant families often see as part of their lives. Should these events and practices be subject to attention and regulation from the typically white outsiders, who are often crusaders for ways to advance the inclusion of the immigrants into life in the U.K. ?
I learned a LOT (OK, more than I wanted to know!) about FGM, and enjoyed the opportunity to explore the sensitive topic within the framework of a beautifully written novel with multiple stories to tell. Worth waiting for. Five stars for sure.
I was super excited to get a copy of Something To Hide from Penguin GroupViking and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I had no idea what it was about, only that I was being reunited with Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers � good enough for me!
So, here’s the thing: the Lynley-Havers books always include a cdentral mystery, but there is also a significant amount of character development as well as a focus on a particular topic. The characters have become people we KNOW, so I was happy to have both Thomas and Barbara present in the story. When I began reading, I was in the dark about the topic in this latest book: FGM, or female genital mutilation For anyone unfamiliar with it, you can Google it to get way more information than you probably want, but essentially “Female Genital Mutilation comprises all procedures involving the removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).� Although it is illegal in England, where there are many immigrants (the Pakistani community in particular has been woven into several prior Lynley stories), and it helps to know that FGM is practiced in 31 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.(It’s most prevalent in Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea, and Mali, where 90% or more of women aged 15 to 49 have been subjected to FGM. In this particular story, the focus is on Nigerian women. Although the practice is declining in Nigeria since it was outlawed in 2012, it is still quite common). I’m personally horrified by the practice, particularly the common practice of having it done by people without the proper training or instruments to perform even the simplest surgical procedure, but it is central to this amazing book, and Ms. George covers this sensitive topic without being overly judgmental (hard to do) or getting too clinical � she makes her points where needed.
The initial storyline revolves around the murder of a female police detective who died while participating in a task force in the Nigerian community in North London. Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, and is his usual refined and intelligent self, despite being thrown into cultural issues which have totally been outside his life as a Lord. Both Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata are part of the story, with the Nkata family being a welcome addition to the recurring case of characters in this series.
The question comes up as to whether the murder of the detective was related to her work with the task force, trying to prevent FGM (something she knew a lot about, as she was a victim of it herself). She knows that the �...hideous practice of mutilating girls was not going to end simply because there were people who wanted it to end.� Despite being transferred out and away from the task force, she has continued to explore the situation, but she also has an estranged husband and jealous sister, who may or may not be related to her death. So it takes some digging to find out who might have wanted her dead and why.
A parallel storyline involves a traditional Nigerian immigrant family, which includes parents, a teenage son, and an 8-year old daughter. The domineering father has promised his teenaged son a virgin bride from Nigeria, which the son refuses even though his father has already paid a dowry. But the father isn’t content with marrying off his son, he is also set on recovering the money paid for the bride of his son by promising his young innocent daughter Simisola to be married off as well. It seems that the first step in preparing the child for the marriage is to have her cut in preparation. As Simi’s mother sees it, her intention in arranging the “ceremony� and presenting it as a party was �...to have Simisola made pure so that she could proceed into her womanhood.� EEEEEK!)
The two storylines (the murdered detective and the looming FGM of a sweet 8-year old in a traditional family) converge, as expected. Familiar bits of the story include Barbara resisting the ongoing efforts of Dee Harriman to get Barb into a romantic relationship and Thomas still trying to figure out the relationship between him and Daidre, the independent woman with whom he became involved after his recent relationship with Isabelle Ardrey (the functioning alcoholic he was possibly in love with most recently) failed. Thomas hasn’t had great luck with women, and I hope Ms. George finds someone for him � see, the characters are REAL, we know them and care about them! Their lives have unfolded over 20 books, and although the books in the series can be read as standalones, I really recommend that people read them in order, as the plotlines and personal lives of the characters really do move as the stories go on.
I NEVER reveal spoilers, but both storylines in this one are handled masterfully. Both the murder and the issue of FGM are resolved � or are they? There is an ongoing question as to whether it’s appropriate for outsiders to interfere in culturally significant but horrifying activities that the traditional immigrant families often see as part of their lives. Should these events and practices be subject to attention and regulation from the typically white outsiders, who are often crusaders for ways to advance the inclusion of the immigrants into life in the U.K. ?
I learned a LOT (OK, more than I wanted to know!) about FGM, and enjoyed the opportunity to explore the sensitive topic within the framework of a beautifully written novel with multiple stories to tell. Worth waiting for. Five stars for sure.
February 2, 2023
This book was like a 72-hour long episode of Law and Order: SVU - 691 pages of female genital mutilation. The author's race-baiting was also tiresome. Many of the black characters couldn't stand the white characters, who were only trying to be helpful. The white people were constantly being put down. "Patronising white cow" was how one woman was received. But finally after 574 pages, a compliment was paid: "They're nice, for white people."
I've complained about George's spelling in other reviews. For some reason she feels that most characters need to have their dialogue spelled phonetically. Black detective Winston Nkata says: "...she's ackshully..." Why is this necessary? I'd really like her to explain. For many books it was only the black, or lower class, characters who got the phonetic treatment. But now Dorothea (white, Lynley's secretary) says things like "p'rhaps." And Deborah, white and Lynley's longtime upper class pal, is saddled with "D'you mean" and "D'you need" and "C'n I just say." Is it that difficult to type the extra vowel? Simi, a Nigerian girl, is given the dialogue "Deb'rah's right." Which is just nonsensical. Doesn't everyone pronounce Deborah, Debra anyway?
The only person now who is allowed to speak with properly spelled words is the aristocratic Thomas Lynley.
Lynley's romance with Daidre Trahair has apparently come to an end. Readers will shrug; she was so thinly sketched we barely knew her. He was pushing for a commitment and she wouldn't give one, because she's strange and lower class. Lynley needs someone from his own class, or maybe above. Is Camilla Parker Bowles still around?
George has lost her way. Her books get longer and longer and each successive book is competing with the last one to be more woke, when readers just want a decent mystery and some comic interaction between Lynley and Havers.
July 12, 2022
Wahnsinnig spannend....wahnsinniges Thema.....ein Wahnsinns Buch.....!
Mein erster Roman aus der Reihe der versierten Krimischriftstellerin.....ich muss unbedingt die anderen Teile lesen!
Die Ermittler Lyney und Havers müssen einen Mord an einer Kollegin aufklären....und stoßen auf unglaubliche Zusammenhänge....denn die Ermordete ermittelte auf eigene Faust in der schwarzafrikanischen Comunity Londons und stieß dabei auf die grausame Tradition, kleine Mädchen beschneiden zu lassen....
Spannend, informativ und überaus sensibel!
Absolut lesenswert!
Mein erster Roman aus der Reihe der versierten Krimischriftstellerin.....ich muss unbedingt die anderen Teile lesen!
Die Ermittler Lyney und Havers müssen einen Mord an einer Kollegin aufklären....und stoßen auf unglaubliche Zusammenhänge....denn die Ermordete ermittelte auf eigene Faust in der schwarzafrikanischen Comunity Londons und stieß dabei auf die grausame Tradition, kleine Mädchen beschneiden zu lassen....
Spannend, informativ und überaus sensibel!
Absolut lesenswert!
October 4, 2022
A mystery and police procedural derailed by the author’s stumbling (repeated) attempt at conveying an important message
I used to be a huge fan of the Inspector Lynley mysteries by as they were always suspenseful, exciting, interesting, serious and, sometimes, unobtrusively presented ideas about social issues as well. The mystery always came first, though.
This worked very well for the first 12 books in this series. In book 13, though, George killed off an important character and used book 14 to explore what led to this murder - and derailed the entire series. Since that book, most of George’s “mysteries� are actually prolonged social commentaries with the actual mystery and police procedural parts playing a “supporting role� only.
Social commentary is fine and can actually add to and even improve a mystery. However, it takes a special sensitivity and caution in order to integrate it “seamlessly� into the story. This is where greater authors than Elizabeth George may succeed whereas she, almost tragically, keeps trying and failing to convey her “message�.
This is also the case in “� in which Lynley and his colleagues are first mentioned in part two of the book - when one fifth of the book is already gone. Which is all the more sad as they would have had the potential to actually “save� this book: Winston Nkata is the same unpretentious good cop with a big heart and a good sense of humour as ever. Barbara Havers is� Barbara - in the best and worst possible sense.
Once more, Deborah St. James and her husband, Simon, are part of the story but they, too, have been relegated to the background mostly. Deborah is a bit more present as she’s creating a book with photos of victims of .
Which is, in fact, the primary topic of this book: Lynley investigates the murder of a colleague who was both mutilated herself and was working on a task force to combat FGM in London.
Now, to put things straight before I proceed: Female genital mutilation is a horrible, disgusting procedure with no other purpose than to oppress and keep down the women so abused. It is rightfully and should be outlawed universally as it is in direct violation of basic human rights.
Sadly, this book does nothing to further that cause: Elizabeth George is just not good enough an author to actually make a difference. And, in fact, towards the end of the book she makes Lynley say the following:
»“It’s easier, isn’t it, to see things as Teo Bontempi did: in black and white. If there’s no grey area to think about, a decision appears simple.�«
This is meant as a criticism of the murder victim, Teo, the cop who worked against FGM. There simply is no “grey area� with respect to FGM - neither in the book nor in the world is there anything but a moral imperative to oppose FGM. That George actively and wilfully sabotages this disgusts me.
As for the book, it was mostly boring: For the first ten percent of it, simply nothing happens apart from setting the stage for FGM and adding the other “prerequisites� for a “Georgian� mystery-gone-social commentary: domestic violence, (at least) two dysfunctional marriages, a child with severe disabilities and other major and minor conflicts which add only to the page count but not the story.
The story about the murder of Teo Bontempi is lacklustre at best and, to me at least, not convincing at all. It’s also taken ransom by all the other narrated conflicts and there’s no chance for actual suspense to build.
Lynley’s complicated relationship with Dairdre takes some room as well and, almost as a side note, Barbara’s love interest from an earlier book, Salvatore Lo Bianco, makes a short appearance, too.
Last and least, I was disappointed with the writing: George used to write in clear, razor-sharp prose with intricate sentence structure and great style. At least during part one of this book, nothing of that is left. There were actually some sentences which made me wonder if that’s actually correct English (I’m not a native speaker).
All in all, I was constantly considering simply quitting this book and only soldiered on to get to the end of what is probably going to be my last Lynley novel�
Two out of five stars.
| | | | | | |
I used to be a huge fan of the Inspector Lynley mysteries by as they were always suspenseful, exciting, interesting, serious and, sometimes, unobtrusively presented ideas about social issues as well. The mystery always came first, though.
This worked very well for the first 12 books in this series. In book 13, though, George killed off an important character and used book 14 to explore what led to this murder - and derailed the entire series. Since that book, most of George’s “mysteries� are actually prolonged social commentaries with the actual mystery and police procedural parts playing a “supporting role� only.
Social commentary is fine and can actually add to and even improve a mystery. However, it takes a special sensitivity and caution in order to integrate it “seamlessly� into the story. This is where greater authors than Elizabeth George may succeed whereas she, almost tragically, keeps trying and failing to convey her “message�.
This is also the case in “� in which Lynley and his colleagues are first mentioned in part two of the book - when one fifth of the book is already gone. Which is all the more sad as they would have had the potential to actually “save� this book: Winston Nkata is the same unpretentious good cop with a big heart and a good sense of humour as ever. Barbara Havers is� Barbara - in the best and worst possible sense.
Once more, Deborah St. James and her husband, Simon, are part of the story but they, too, have been relegated to the background mostly. Deborah is a bit more present as she’s creating a book with photos of victims of .
Which is, in fact, the primary topic of this book: Lynley investigates the murder of a colleague who was both mutilated herself and was working on a task force to combat FGM in London.
Now, to put things straight before I proceed: Female genital mutilation is a horrible, disgusting procedure with no other purpose than to oppress and keep down the women so abused. It is rightfully and should be outlawed universally as it is in direct violation of basic human rights.
Sadly, this book does nothing to further that cause: Elizabeth George is just not good enough an author to actually make a difference. And, in fact, towards the end of the book she makes Lynley say the following:
»“It’s easier, isn’t it, to see things as Teo Bontempi did: in black and white. If there’s no grey area to think about, a decision appears simple.�«
This is meant as a criticism of the murder victim, Teo, the cop who worked against FGM. There simply is no “grey area� with respect to FGM - neither in the book nor in the world is there anything but a moral imperative to oppose FGM. That George actively and wilfully sabotages this disgusts me.
As for the book, it was mostly boring: For the first ten percent of it, simply nothing happens apart from setting the stage for FGM and adding the other “prerequisites� for a “Georgian� mystery-gone-social commentary: domestic violence, (at least) two dysfunctional marriages, a child with severe disabilities and other major and minor conflicts which add only to the page count but not the story.
The story about the murder of Teo Bontempi is lacklustre at best and, to me at least, not convincing at all. It’s also taken ransom by all the other narrated conflicts and there’s no chance for actual suspense to build.
Lynley’s complicated relationship with Dairdre takes some room as well and, almost as a side note, Barbara’s love interest from an earlier book, Salvatore Lo Bianco, makes a short appearance, too.
Last and least, I was disappointed with the writing: George used to write in clear, razor-sharp prose with intricate sentence structure and great style. At least during part one of this book, nothing of that is left. There were actually some sentences which made me wonder if that’s actually correct English (I’m not a native speaker).
All in all, I was constantly considering simply quitting this book and only soldiered on to get to the end of what is probably going to be my last Lynley novel�
Two out of five stars.
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January 26, 2022
Excellent! Well worth the long wait! I whipped through this one didn't I? I rarely feel bogged down by the length of the books Elizabeth George writes for this series - they are rarely less than 600 pages - and this one was no exception. I was glued to it the entire time.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the main issue here and it can be heavy reading. I read an article where George said this was one of the most difficult Lynley books she's written and I feared she was perhaps closing down the series. But that does not appear to be the case at all, it appears that this topic was giving the difficulty. Well researched and presented in my opinion. And the ending maintained and even increased momentum and twisted just slightly to keep you off guard and thinking it was going one way and then it switched gears again. As always we're treated to the ongoing character development of Lynley, Havers and Nkata along with the St. James's.
I'll be honest, I'm having a bit of a book hangover because of this one. The people involved in this mystery along with the regular cast of characters were really great. I'm at a bit of a loss now because I won't be with them anymore.
Great stuff! NOW how long until the next one?? :-)
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the main issue here and it can be heavy reading. I read an article where George said this was one of the most difficult Lynley books she's written and I feared she was perhaps closing down the series. But that does not appear to be the case at all, it appears that this topic was giving the difficulty. Well researched and presented in my opinion. And the ending maintained and even increased momentum and twisted just slightly to keep you off guard and thinking it was going one way and then it switched gears again. As always we're treated to the ongoing character development of Lynley, Havers and Nkata along with the St. James's.
I'll be honest, I'm having a bit of a book hangover because of this one. The people involved in this mystery along with the regular cast of characters were really great. I'm at a bit of a loss now because I won't be with them anymore.
Great stuff! NOW how long until the next one?? :-)
February 10, 2022
I'll give Ms. George credit for tackling a troubling and sensitive topic and shining light on an ongoing problem. I really liked the character of Tani. He is the big brother every little girl should have. However, I knocked a couple of stars off the rating because there were too many things involving the main characters of the series that did not sit well.
Deborah pops up on the very first page. Ugh. I knew from the get-go the book might not be a favorite. She is so monumentally dense sometimes. At times, the way she talks makes her sound like an idiot (something the women at Orchid House twigged to right away). So it's all Deborah until Lynley and Havers finally make an appearance around page 120. That's way too much focus on Deborah for me. Not for the first time while reading one of Elizabeth George's books, I asked myself "why didn't she choose to kill off Deborah instead of Helen". I sure miss Helen.
Unfortunately, things only grow worse with Lynley's appearance. The reader is subjected to his angsty relationship with Daidre throughout the book. Hello, Ms. George? I've been teased the last two or three books about the budding relationship between Barbara and Salvatore Lo Bianco. I stupidly thought we were finally going to see some interplay between them in this book, but again. A big, fat tease. Salvatore makes one brief appearance (by phone) somewhere in the middle of the book which is a HUGE letdown. Then, he and Barbara finally see each other and we get a short conversation ON THE LAST TWO FUCKING PAGES OF THE BOOK!!! Stop with the tease. One of the best books in this series is the one where Barbara is in Italy and she meets Salvatore. The interplay between them is wonderful, mainly because Salvatore likes and respects Barbara for who she is and is not judging her on superficial criteria. So, yeah, the focus on Lynley/Daidre at the expense of any sort of interplay between Barbara/Salvatore pissed me off. While we're on the subject of Barbara and her love life, or lack thereof, Dee is seriously starting to annoy me. I know she means well, but get a grip. I'm hoping Barbara finally made her see some sense at the end.
Back to the mystery/crime. The entire way the police found the pertinent evidence pertaining to the statue was ridiculously manufactured. What are the odds? Also, the part where Monifa takes Simi from the St. James' home seemed written simply to manufacture drama. Many people are willing to help Monifa and her children, so why wouldn't she simply ask them to take her and Simi to a women's shelter? I'm pretty sure Winston suggested it at one point earlier in the story. Speaking of Winston, the dialect Ms. George uses in his speech patterns is annoying and somewhat insulting. Also, the reasoning behind the doctor's performance of FGM was totally unbelievable. Hard to believe a woman who's devoted her life to helping others mutilated by the horrific practice would justify actually mutilating girls as well. The only way I see it is that Dr. Weatherall was completely insane, yet that's not how Ms. George paints her character. Just didn't ring true for me.
Also, is Winston going to be held accountable at work for the huge mistake he made in not securing the passports? Think of all the manpower and resources used trying to track down Monifa and Simi. Because I believe if Barbara had made such a bollocks of the situation, she'd be in danger of losing her job.
As I said earlier, shedding light on such troubling subject matter is a good thing and bravo to Ms. George for tackling the subject. That's what earns the book it's three stars. Unfortunately, all the nonsense with the main characters took stars away for me. Years ago, I read a powerful novel on the subject of FGM called "Possessing the Secret of Joy" by Alice Walker. It might be of interest to anyone wanting to delve further into the topic.
Deborah pops up on the very first page. Ugh. I knew from the get-go the book might not be a favorite. She is so monumentally dense sometimes. At times, the way she talks makes her sound like an idiot (something the women at Orchid House twigged to right away). So it's all Deborah until Lynley and Havers finally make an appearance around page 120. That's way too much focus on Deborah for me. Not for the first time while reading one of Elizabeth George's books, I asked myself "why didn't she choose to kill off Deborah instead of Helen". I sure miss Helen.
Unfortunately, things only grow worse with Lynley's appearance. The reader is subjected to his angsty relationship with Daidre throughout the book. Hello, Ms. George? I've been teased the last two or three books about the budding relationship between Barbara and Salvatore Lo Bianco. I stupidly thought we were finally going to see some interplay between them in this book, but again. A big, fat tease. Salvatore makes one brief appearance (by phone) somewhere in the middle of the book which is a HUGE letdown. Then, he and Barbara finally see each other and we get a short conversation ON THE LAST TWO FUCKING PAGES OF THE BOOK!!! Stop with the tease. One of the best books in this series is the one where Barbara is in Italy and she meets Salvatore. The interplay between them is wonderful, mainly because Salvatore likes and respects Barbara for who she is and is not judging her on superficial criteria. So, yeah, the focus on Lynley/Daidre at the expense of any sort of interplay between Barbara/Salvatore pissed me off. While we're on the subject of Barbara and her love life, or lack thereof, Dee is seriously starting to annoy me. I know she means well, but get a grip. I'm hoping Barbara finally made her see some sense at the end.
Back to the mystery/crime. The entire way the police found the pertinent evidence pertaining to the statue was ridiculously manufactured. What are the odds? Also, the part where Monifa takes Simi from the St. James' home seemed written simply to manufacture drama. Many people are willing to help Monifa and her children, so why wouldn't she simply ask them to take her and Simi to a women's shelter? I'm pretty sure Winston suggested it at one point earlier in the story. Speaking of Winston, the dialect Ms. George uses in his speech patterns is annoying and somewhat insulting. Also, the reasoning behind the doctor's performance of FGM was totally unbelievable. Hard to believe a woman who's devoted her life to helping others mutilated by the horrific practice would justify actually mutilating girls as well. The only way I see it is that Dr. Weatherall was completely insane, yet that's not how Ms. George paints her character. Just didn't ring true for me.
Also, is Winston going to be held accountable at work for the huge mistake he made in not securing the passports? Think of all the manpower and resources used trying to track down Monifa and Simi. Because I believe if Barbara had made such a bollocks of the situation, she'd be in danger of losing her job.
As I said earlier, shedding light on such troubling subject matter is a good thing and bravo to Ms. George for tackling the subject. That's what earns the book it's three stars. Unfortunately, all the nonsense with the main characters took stars away for me. Years ago, I read a powerful novel on the subject of FGM called "Possessing the Secret of Joy" by Alice Walker. It might be of interest to anyone wanting to delve further into the topic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2022
Diese Reihe verfolge ich ja schon seit vielen, vielen Jahren und letztens hab ich sogar die ersten Bände nochmal gelesen, um wieder reinzufinden und endlich auch die neueren Teile zu lesen. Ich mag vor allem die Spannung, die sich in den Krimis immer wieder aufbaut und steigert und mich die Bücher nicht mehr aus der Hand legen lässt!
Dieses Mal gibt es wieder eine Menge Protagonisten. Neben den bekannten Figuren des etwas antiquierten Inspektor Lynley und seiner skurrilen Kollegin Havers spielt auch Deborah eine wichtige Rolle. Eine langjährige Freundin von Lynley und berufliche Fotografin. Ihr neuer Auftrag führt sie zum Orchid House, einer Organisation, die sich zum Schutz von Mädchen und Frauen einsetzt. Explizit nigerianische und somalische, da diese noch immer der Tradition von FGM ausgesetzt sind: der Verstümmelung der Genitalien.
Ich muss gestehen, dass ich darüber nicht viel weiß und auch schockiert war, dass dieses grausame Ritual noch immer durchgeführt, obwohl es verboten ist. Meist in Hinterzimmern von dubiosen Frauen mit den primitivsten Mitteln, wodurch die Mädchen ein Leben lang Schmerzen haben, zu keiner Lust mehr fähig sind und nicht selten auch an den Nachwirkungen sterben.
Ebenfalls im Fokus steht die Familie Bankole, deren Tochter Simi genau dieses Schicksal droht.
Außerdem Mark Phinney, ein Polizist, dessen Arbeit sich mit diesen Problemen auseinandersetzt.
Dass diese Thematik hier zur Sprache kommt finde ich eine sehr gute Sache, da darüber sehr wenig geredet wird und ich tatsächlich kaum etwas davon höre. Da müsste wirklich mehr Aufklärung betrieben werden. Die Autorin erklärt im Nachwort, dass sie viel Recherche betrieben hat, was die Polizeiarbeit angeht, aber auch, was sich in den betroffenen Familien abspielt.
Die Unterdrückung der Frau ist hier traditionell und anerzogen. Der Mann hat das Sagen, das Geld und kann im Prinzip machen, was er will. Frauen haben zu dienen und beim Sex keine Lust zu empfinden - auch um keine Ambitionen zu entwickeln, Erfahrungen sammeln zu wollen oder evtl fremdzugehen.
Was mich ein bisschen gestört hat war die übertriebene political correctness im Hinblick auf das Schlagwort Diskriminierung. Leider ja immer noch ein Thema und wahrscheinlich hat die Autorin deshalb so konsequent das Misstrauen und die Abneigung dargestellt, das viele Schwarze der weißen Bevölkerung entgegenbringen. Ich benutze hier extra die Wortwahl aus dem Buch! Hier gibt es einige somalische Frauen, die einen regelrechten Hass auf "die Weißen" haben - teilweise durchaus verständlich, andererseits hat es mich in dem Kontext auch etwas gewundert, da es im Zusammenhang mit FGM eigentlich ja ein Problem aus dem Heimatland ist.
Da es für mich aber schwierig nachzuvollziehen ist, da ich die Ängste und Erfahrungen dieser Menschen nicht geteilt habe, hab ich es einfach mal so stehenlassen und mich darauf verlassen, dass die Autorin hier die Szenen aus der Familiengemeinschaft bzw. der Somalier einigermaßen authentisch wiedergegeben hat.
Es war jedenfalls wieder relativ kurzweilig und auch wenn ein paar Wiederholungen dabei waren und Passagen, die man ruhig hätte kürzen können, konnte ich das Buch schlecht aus der Hand legen. Man fliegt wirklich recht schnell durch die Seiten und ist gespannt, was dahintersteckt - denn natürlich passiert ein Mord und es mangelt nicht an Verdächtigen.
Manche Gespräche wirken forciert bzw. etwas hölzern, was ich eigentlich nicht gewohnt bin aus der Reihe und grade Lynley in seiner etwas altbackenen Art was Beziehungen betrifft, könnte gerne auch mal etwas moderner werden mittlerweile.
Auch der Abschluss war etwas unspektakulär - da hatte ich mir mehr erwartet.
Insgesamt hat es mir trotz der kleinen Kritikpunkte wieder sehr gut gefallen und die ausgefeilten Charakterzeichnungen und komplexen Zusammenhänge waren gut aufgebaut!
Noch ein schönes Zitat von S. 691
"... Wir müssen den Menschen als Ganzes nehmen, auch wenn es bequemer wäre, sich nur die Teile auszusuchen, die uns gefallen."
Dieses Mal gibt es wieder eine Menge Protagonisten. Neben den bekannten Figuren des etwas antiquierten Inspektor Lynley und seiner skurrilen Kollegin Havers spielt auch Deborah eine wichtige Rolle. Eine langjährige Freundin von Lynley und berufliche Fotografin. Ihr neuer Auftrag führt sie zum Orchid House, einer Organisation, die sich zum Schutz von Mädchen und Frauen einsetzt. Explizit nigerianische und somalische, da diese noch immer der Tradition von FGM ausgesetzt sind: der Verstümmelung der Genitalien.
Ich muss gestehen, dass ich darüber nicht viel weiß und auch schockiert war, dass dieses grausame Ritual noch immer durchgeführt, obwohl es verboten ist. Meist in Hinterzimmern von dubiosen Frauen mit den primitivsten Mitteln, wodurch die Mädchen ein Leben lang Schmerzen haben, zu keiner Lust mehr fähig sind und nicht selten auch an den Nachwirkungen sterben.
Ebenfalls im Fokus steht die Familie Bankole, deren Tochter Simi genau dieses Schicksal droht.
Außerdem Mark Phinney, ein Polizist, dessen Arbeit sich mit diesen Problemen auseinandersetzt.
Dass diese Thematik hier zur Sprache kommt finde ich eine sehr gute Sache, da darüber sehr wenig geredet wird und ich tatsächlich kaum etwas davon höre. Da müsste wirklich mehr Aufklärung betrieben werden. Die Autorin erklärt im Nachwort, dass sie viel Recherche betrieben hat, was die Polizeiarbeit angeht, aber auch, was sich in den betroffenen Familien abspielt.
Die Unterdrückung der Frau ist hier traditionell und anerzogen. Der Mann hat das Sagen, das Geld und kann im Prinzip machen, was er will. Frauen haben zu dienen und beim Sex keine Lust zu empfinden - auch um keine Ambitionen zu entwickeln, Erfahrungen sammeln zu wollen oder evtl fremdzugehen.
Was mich ein bisschen gestört hat war die übertriebene political correctness im Hinblick auf das Schlagwort Diskriminierung. Leider ja immer noch ein Thema und wahrscheinlich hat die Autorin deshalb so konsequent das Misstrauen und die Abneigung dargestellt, das viele Schwarze der weißen Bevölkerung entgegenbringen. Ich benutze hier extra die Wortwahl aus dem Buch! Hier gibt es einige somalische Frauen, die einen regelrechten Hass auf "die Weißen" haben - teilweise durchaus verständlich, andererseits hat es mich in dem Kontext auch etwas gewundert, da es im Zusammenhang mit FGM eigentlich ja ein Problem aus dem Heimatland ist.
Da es für mich aber schwierig nachzuvollziehen ist, da ich die Ängste und Erfahrungen dieser Menschen nicht geteilt habe, hab ich es einfach mal so stehenlassen und mich darauf verlassen, dass die Autorin hier die Szenen aus der Familiengemeinschaft bzw. der Somalier einigermaßen authentisch wiedergegeben hat.
Es war jedenfalls wieder relativ kurzweilig und auch wenn ein paar Wiederholungen dabei waren und Passagen, die man ruhig hätte kürzen können, konnte ich das Buch schlecht aus der Hand legen. Man fliegt wirklich recht schnell durch die Seiten und ist gespannt, was dahintersteckt - denn natürlich passiert ein Mord und es mangelt nicht an Verdächtigen.
Manche Gespräche wirken forciert bzw. etwas hölzern, was ich eigentlich nicht gewohnt bin aus der Reihe und grade Lynley in seiner etwas altbackenen Art was Beziehungen betrifft, könnte gerne auch mal etwas moderner werden mittlerweile.
Auch der Abschluss war etwas unspektakulär - da hatte ich mir mehr erwartet.
Insgesamt hat es mir trotz der kleinen Kritikpunkte wieder sehr gut gefallen und die ausgefeilten Charakterzeichnungen und komplexen Zusammenhänge waren gut aufgebaut!
Noch ein schönes Zitat von S. 691
"... Wir müssen den Menschen als Ganzes nehmen, auch wenn es bequemer wäre, sich nur die Teile auszusuchen, die uns gefallen."
June 27, 2022
‘These things happen.�
Detective Sergeant Teo Bontempi dies after being taken off life support. An autopsy reveals that she was murdered. She had been working on an investigation involving London’s Nigerian community. Inspector Linley and Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata are tasked with the murder investigation.
Tani Bankole’s father is negotiating for him to marry a girl in Nigeria: something Tani is determined not to do. And he’s worried about his parents plans for his little sister Simi.
There are quite a few different strands to this novel. The central theme is the disturbing issue of female genital mutilation (FGM), which involves the stories and secrets of several of the characters.
Of course, the personal lives of Thomas Lynley and of Barbara Havers are part of the story, and police politics have a part to play as well. DS Bontempi’s personal life was complicated, and those who were part of it have their own reasons for not co-operating fully. Drama within the Bankole family overlaps with the investigation into DS Bontempi’s murder. Who killed her, and why?
While this novel touches on several important issues, I found some aspects of the story frustrating. For example: the complications of Lynley’s love life and Haver’s eating habits were distractions repeated too often. I feel that the novel could have been cut by at least 150 pages without interrupting either the flow or Ms George’s portrayal of the central theme.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Detective Sergeant Teo Bontempi dies after being taken off life support. An autopsy reveals that she was murdered. She had been working on an investigation involving London’s Nigerian community. Inspector Linley and Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata are tasked with the murder investigation.
Tani Bankole’s father is negotiating for him to marry a girl in Nigeria: something Tani is determined not to do. And he’s worried about his parents plans for his little sister Simi.
There are quite a few different strands to this novel. The central theme is the disturbing issue of female genital mutilation (FGM), which involves the stories and secrets of several of the characters.
Of course, the personal lives of Thomas Lynley and of Barbara Havers are part of the story, and police politics have a part to play as well. DS Bontempi’s personal life was complicated, and those who were part of it have their own reasons for not co-operating fully. Drama within the Bankole family overlaps with the investigation into DS Bontempi’s murder. Who killed her, and why?
While this novel touches on several important issues, I found some aspects of the story frustrating. For example: the complications of Lynley’s love life and Haver’s eating habits were distractions repeated too often. I feel that the novel could have been cut by at least 150 pages without interrupting either the flow or Ms George’s portrayal of the central theme.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 26, 2022
It's George,it's Lynley,it's Havers et als.What else is there to say? Brilliant,as always.
Yes, it´s overly descriptive at times (but that´s George) and Monifa ends up behaving a bit out of character,but,well...it´s George.:)
Yes, it´s overly descriptive at times (but that´s George) and Monifa ends up behaving a bit out of character,but,well...it´s George.:)
August 26, 2022
“Something to Hide� is Elizabeth George’s 21st book in her popular mystery series featuring New Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, Detectives Sgts. Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. This book focuses on the cultural practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).
The first storyline begins when Inspector Lynley’s team is assigned to investigate the murder of Teo Bontempi, a black colleague of Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers. She was working on a special task force in North London’s Nigerian community to put an end to the illegal practice of female genital mutilation.
The second storyline follows the Bankoles, a Nigerian family, who is dominated by an overbearing father who is determined to subject his 8-year-old daughter, Simisola, to the traditional practice of FGM to ensure a ‘good bride price�. He is also determined to force an arranged marriage on his 18-year-old son, Tanimola. These two subplots become intertwined in a complicated way when Simi and Tani are drawn into a desperate conflict between their father and how their family gets caught up in the secret world of FGM and those who continue to operate on very young girls.
Also in this story we get to meet Winston Nkata's parents and the warm bond they share. Their relationship adds a refreshing contrast to the abusive relationships of the Bankole family.
This is a very long book and the slow beginning took time to get into the heart of the story. It could have benefitted from some editing in order to limit the repetition of information. On the other hand, Elizabeth George’s beautiful style of writing is insightful, especially her vivid descriptions of her characters and their relationships. My favorite characters continue to be Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata.
It is evident that Elizabeth George did a considerable amount of research for this book and I learned a lot about the culture of people who continue the practice of FGM. I truly enjoyed this absorbing tale that combines the mystery of an interesting plot and characters with social concerns.
The first storyline begins when Inspector Lynley’s team is assigned to investigate the murder of Teo Bontempi, a black colleague of Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers. She was working on a special task force in North London’s Nigerian community to put an end to the illegal practice of female genital mutilation.
The second storyline follows the Bankoles, a Nigerian family, who is dominated by an overbearing father who is determined to subject his 8-year-old daughter, Simisola, to the traditional practice of FGM to ensure a ‘good bride price�. He is also determined to force an arranged marriage on his 18-year-old son, Tanimola. These two subplots become intertwined in a complicated way when Simi and Tani are drawn into a desperate conflict between their father and how their family gets caught up in the secret world of FGM and those who continue to operate on very young girls.
Also in this story we get to meet Winston Nkata's parents and the warm bond they share. Their relationship adds a refreshing contrast to the abusive relationships of the Bankole family.
This is a very long book and the slow beginning took time to get into the heart of the story. It could have benefitted from some editing in order to limit the repetition of information. On the other hand, Elizabeth George’s beautiful style of writing is insightful, especially her vivid descriptions of her characters and their relationships. My favorite characters continue to be Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata.
It is evident that Elizabeth George did a considerable amount of research for this book and I learned a lot about the culture of people who continue the practice of FGM. I truly enjoyed this absorbing tale that combines the mystery of an interesting plot and characters with social concerns.
June 20, 2022
Sometimes some books take longer than expected but they are worth reading.
4* A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley, #1)
5* Payment in Blood (Inspector Lynley, #2)
4* Well-Schooled in Murder (Inspector Lynley, #3)
5* A Suitable Vengeance (Inspector Lynley, #4)
5* For the Sake of Elena (Inspector Lynley, #5)
4* Missing Joseph (Inspector Lynley, #6)
4* Playing for the Ashes (Inspector Lynley, #7)
4* In the Presence of the Enemy (Inspector Lynley, #8)
4* Deception on His Mind (Inspector Lynley, #9)
4* In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner (Inspector Lynley, #10)
4* A Traitor to Memory (Inspector Lynley, #11)
4* A Place of Hiding (Inspector Lynley, #12)
4* With No One as Witness (Inspector Lynley, #13)
4* What Came Before He Shot Her (Inspector Lynley, #14)
3* Careless in Red (Inspector Lynley, #15)
4* This Body of Death (Inspector Lynley, #16)
4* Believing the Lie (Inspector Lynley, #17)
3.5* Just One Evil Act (Inspector Lynley, #18)
3* A Banquet of Consequences (Inspector Lynley, #19)
4* The Punishement She Deserves (Inspector Lynley, #20)
4* Something to Hide (Inspector Lynley #21)
4* A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley, #1)
5* Payment in Blood (Inspector Lynley, #2)
4* Well-Schooled in Murder (Inspector Lynley, #3)
5* A Suitable Vengeance (Inspector Lynley, #4)
5* For the Sake of Elena (Inspector Lynley, #5)
4* Missing Joseph (Inspector Lynley, #6)
4* Playing for the Ashes (Inspector Lynley, #7)
4* In the Presence of the Enemy (Inspector Lynley, #8)
4* Deception on His Mind (Inspector Lynley, #9)
4* In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner (Inspector Lynley, #10)
4* A Traitor to Memory (Inspector Lynley, #11)
4* A Place of Hiding (Inspector Lynley, #12)
4* With No One as Witness (Inspector Lynley, #13)
4* What Came Before He Shot Her (Inspector Lynley, #14)
3* Careless in Red (Inspector Lynley, #15)
4* This Body of Death (Inspector Lynley, #16)
4* Believing the Lie (Inspector Lynley, #17)
3.5* Just One Evil Act (Inspector Lynley, #18)
3* A Banquet of Consequences (Inspector Lynley, #19)
4* The Punishement She Deserves (Inspector Lynley, #20)
4* Something to Hide (Inspector Lynley #21)
July 21, 2021
The gang's all here!!
March 7, 2022
There is nothing like returning to a beloved detective series and catching up with characters that you have loved, hated, and rooted for. In my case, it's 20 years since I read my first book in the series, "for the sake of Elena". I have not cried over ANY character as much as over Helen in
"With No One as Witness", book 13. It seemingly went on for days. I could not believe that the author would do such a horrid thing, it's Elizabeth George after all, and not George R.R. Martin. I haven't stayed true to any author as long as I have to Elizabeth George. Sure enough, I still read Stephen King occasionally, but I don't trust him. Elizabeth George though, you know what you're going to get, every time. Usually it's a real highlight. This time, well, I didn't get really into it.
A police woman is found murdered. A brother is trying to protect his little sister from long standing tradition. To be blunt, FGM. The cultural aspects are quite delicately dealt with, as is the topic at large. I haven't had any fiction consider the FMG so completely and from so many angles as this book.
In terms of Barbara Havers and Inspector Lynley, there is unfortunately very little progress in their private lives - and come one, that's half of what you're after in a series like this. Character development and a feeling of sitting down to tea with old friends. This was a bit of a snooze fest though, despite the terrible topic at hand.
"With No One as Witness", book 13. It seemingly went on for days. I could not believe that the author would do such a horrid thing, it's Elizabeth George after all, and not George R.R. Martin. I haven't stayed true to any author as long as I have to Elizabeth George. Sure enough, I still read Stephen King occasionally, but I don't trust him. Elizabeth George though, you know what you're going to get, every time. Usually it's a real highlight. This time, well, I didn't get really into it.
A police woman is found murdered. A brother is trying to protect his little sister from long standing tradition. To be blunt, FGM. The cultural aspects are quite delicately dealt with, as is the topic at large. I haven't had any fiction consider the FMG so completely and from so many angles as this book.
In terms of Barbara Havers and Inspector Lynley, there is unfortunately very little progress in their private lives - and come one, that's half of what you're after in a series like this. Character development and a feeling of sitting down to tea with old friends. This was a bit of a snooze fest though, despite the terrible topic at hand.
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