Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York : Dutton, 2012.
Description
In this novel Inspector Thomas Lynley is mystified when he's sent undercover to investigate the death of Ian Cresswell at the request of the man's uncle, the wealthy and influential Bernard Fairclough. The death has been ruled an accidental drowning, and nothing on the surface indicates otherwise. But when Lynley enlists the help of his friends Simon and Deborah St. James, the trio's digging soon reveals that the Fairclough clan is awash in secrets, lies, and motives. Deborah's investigation of the prime suspect, Bernard's prodigal son Nicholas, a recovering drug addict, leads her to Nicholas' wife, a woman with whom she feels a kinship, a woman as fiercely protective as she is beautiful. Lynley and Simon delve for information from the rest of the family, including the victim's bitter ex-wife and the man he left her for, and Bernard himself. As the investigation escalates, the Fairclough family's veneer cracks, with deception and self-delusion threatening to destroy everyone from the Fairclough patriarch to Tim, the troubled son Ian left behind.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SusanGrigsby
This book is not about people who tell lies. This book is about people who believe them. People who demand them. It is about the lies that we as a society demand that anyone who does not conform to our "norms" must live. Do not condemn the people who tell the lies until you examine the ones who
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believe the lies. After all, the title of the book is Believing the Lie, not Telling the Lie. Elizabeth George deals with those who want to hear the lies and believe them and requires us to examine what really is at the root of deception. She looks at those who would demand that others lie in order to protect their own perception of reality. Niamh Cresswell wanted to believe that her husband Ian was a straight man who loved her. For years, as they raised two children she believed the lie until Ian forced her, and his family, to accept his homosexual nature and the love he felt for another man. It is a confrontation between Ian and his lover, Kaveh that opens the actual mystery. It was upon Kaveh’s demand that the older man revealed his true self to his family. Having done so, at the cost of his marriage, Ian now wants to take the next step and gain legal recognition for their partnership. Kaveh resists, Ian gets angry and leaves the house to scull on the lake. Coming back to shore he slips on a loose brick of the boathouse dock, falls, hits his head and dies.Ian’s uncle is Bernard Fairclough, first Baron of Ireleth, in the county of Cumbria, President of Fairclough Industries and married to the grand daughter of the founder. Bernard Cutter took her name upon their marriage, and assumed eventual control of the daily operations of the toilet manufacturer. His wife Valerie retained her inherited position of Chairman of the Board of Directors and hence overall control. Ian was groomed to take over the family firm by his uncle who only had one son, Nicholas, a recovering drug addict newly returned home with his Argentinian wife, and two daughters, Manette and Mignon, none of whom appeared ready to give him grandchildren.Claiming that he suspects his nephew’s death was not the accident it appeared, Fairclough persuades Assistant Commissioner Sir David Hillier to send Lynley to Cumbria to quietly investigate the drowning. DI Lynley is sworn to secrecy and firmly told that there was to be no official Scotland Yard involvement. His boss, Acting Detective Superintendent Isabelle Ardery, with whom he was having a clandestine affair, was not to be told anything by Lynley. Hillier would handle her.Meanwhile, a news tabloid reporter is sniffing around Cumbria for a story that would appeal to readers looking for sex and sensationalism.Lynley recruits his close friends, forensic analyst Simon St. James, and his photographer wife Deborah, to accompany him in this undercover operation in Cumbria. The more they investigate in that fog shrouded district, the more stories are slowly, partially revealed.In London, DS Barbara Havers, in between complying with Ardery "suggestion" that she markedly improve her appearance, has been doing research into the Fairclough family business for Lynley. Sworn to secrecy, Lynley has put her in the position of having to hide her activity from their boss, Isabelle Ardery. Barbara is also trying to balance her friendship with her neighbor Taymullah Azhar with that of his partner Angelina Upman, the mother of Haddiyah.About halfway through this 624 page book the word soap opera popped out of nowhere into my head. It seemed as if what I was reading more appropriately belonged on All My Children, or one of those daytime talk programs about unimaginable family interactions. It didn’t seem like I was reading a murder mystery as much as a series of melodramas, with a mini mystery for each character. Wondering how much more of this I could take, I soldiered on, having already filled my monthly quota of books that I hadn’t finished.I am glad I did. There are backstories galore in this book. There are multiple mysteries involved with just about all of the characters. And throughout the novel is the choice to look “thro’” the eye or to only "see" with it and believe the lie. And there are a lot of lies.My first draft of this review suggested that Elizabeth George needed a better editor. Then I realized that perhaps she just needs better readers. This is not the typical serial murderer mystery that we are used to seeing Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers solve. It has a great deal more depth and a lot less mystery. I don't know whether she is attempting to expand the mystery genre or moving into literary fiction.Either way, I don't know that she needed all of the characters to be so fully developed at the expense of swiftly moving plot. But if she hadn’t fully developed each character, it wouldn’t be an Elizabeth George novel. And if you are looking for an Elizabeth George novel to get lost in and roam about in, this should satisfy you. But don’t be surprised when she asks you to wonder about more than simply “who done it.” Be ready to ponder the bigger questions about lies. Who really creates them? Does all of the responsibility rest with the teller, or must some be shared by the believer? Show Less
LibraryThing member livrecache
As always with this author, I read it through almost without a break. However, I have to say that while I felt the narrative compelling, I was irritated with it at a number of levels. The plot was convoluted, but that wasn't the problem. The plot was totally implausible, which one needs to take as
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a given in the Lynley series (a DI and aristocrat inhabiting the same body, his two best friends who have their own tangled concerns, his lover – taken only four months after the death of the love of his life, his totally unbelievable relationship with his colleague Havers and so on). As escapism it works. But I found their were 'tics' in the author's voice – over usage of particular phrases that were clumsy, repetitive and incongruous that bothered me a lot. As well, I found there to be a lot of stereotyping, varying from the overbearing Jewish mother to homosexuality and its acceptance thereof (or not). The more I write, the more I feel that this book was a load of twaddle. I'm beginning to suspect that George is trying valiantly to keep up with current issues and technology but that her story-telling skills are suffering as a result. Show Less
LibraryThing member tututhefirst
It's been a while since Elizabeth George has given us a new episode in the ongoing adventures of Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Thomas Lyndley and his trusty side-kick Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Believing the Lie was worth every minute of the wait. It's meaty, some might argue a tad long,
There are several story lines going here, all of them inter-related but each also a stand-alone. Havers is dealing with ambivalent feelings about her (and Lyndley's) new "guv" -the impeccably groomed Isabelle Ardery whose insistence on Barbara getting a haircut and spiffing up her wardrobe does not sit well with the Sergeant. Barbara's also dealing with
the sudden (and somewhat unwelcome) appearance of the mother of her next door neighbor's daughter.
Debra and Simon are engaged in emotional upheaval revolving around their (in)ability to conceive a child. Lyndley himself is still reeling from the death of his wife Helen three books ago, and is conflicted about his relationship with Isabelle, engaging in a highly charged sexual affair by night, and keeping an even professional keel in the office.
Scotland Yard Commissioner Lord Hillyer sends Lyndley on an undercover, hush-hush mission to Cumbria to see if the death of his friend Lord Fairclough's nephew was truly accidental as it had been so ruled by the coroner. Because Hillyer doesn't want anyone at the Yard aware of the investigation, Tommy takes his friends Simon and Debra St. James with him, swearing them to secrecy. He tells Havers only that he will be gone for a few days, and simply tells Isabelle (his boss) that he's on assignment. All too soon, Sgt Havers gets drawn in to research items for him using the Yard's resources, and Isabelle's nose gets way out of joint.
The Fairclough family is a soap opera in print. There's marital infidelity, an out of the closet gay couple, neglected children, a nymphomaniac mother, an out-of-control teenager, a recovering drug addict and his secretive wife, a matriarch who wants to control all, a disgruntled tenant farmer, a sour, spoiled-brat spinster daughter, and a divorced couple still living together. The author manages to keep each of these story lines moving right along without confusion on the reader's part, and in the end ties everything together. Often authors trying to keep this many balls in the air try to wrap everything up in a neat package with a pretty bow, leaving their readers breathless, confused and frequently disappointed. George takes her time, drawing out the stories and letting them come to natural conclusions, even when the reader would have wished for a better or different ending.
George has built on characters introduced earlier in the series, but gives enough back story to provide new readers with a clear sense of who and why. She has also given us a lot to look forward to in future installments.
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but the subtle layers of personal motivation, interwoven stories of various characters, and a crime that defies definition -- (was there a crime?) keep the reader up late at night, turning pages, vowing to read just one more chapter.There are several story lines going here, all of them inter-related but each also a stand-alone. Havers is dealing with ambivalent feelings about her (and Lyndley's) new "guv" -the impeccably groomed Isabelle Ardery whose insistence on Barbara getting a haircut and spiffing up her wardrobe does not sit well with the Sergeant. Barbara's also dealing with
the sudden (and somewhat unwelcome) appearance of the mother of her next door neighbor's daughter.
Debra and Simon are engaged in emotional upheaval revolving around their (in)ability to conceive a child. Lyndley himself is still reeling from the death of his wife Helen three books ago, and is conflicted about his relationship with Isabelle, engaging in a highly charged sexual affair by night, and keeping an even professional keel in the office.
Scotland Yard Commissioner Lord Hillyer sends Lyndley on an undercover, hush-hush mission to Cumbria to see if the death of his friend Lord Fairclough's nephew was truly accidental as it had been so ruled by the coroner. Because Hillyer doesn't want anyone at the Yard aware of the investigation, Tommy takes his friends Simon and Debra St. James with him, swearing them to secrecy. He tells Havers only that he will be gone for a few days, and simply tells Isabelle (his boss) that he's on assignment. All too soon, Sgt Havers gets drawn in to research items for him using the Yard's resources, and Isabelle's nose gets way out of joint.
The Fairclough family is a soap opera in print. There's marital infidelity, an out of the closet gay couple, neglected children, a nymphomaniac mother, an out-of-control teenager, a recovering drug addict and his secretive wife, a matriarch who wants to control all, a disgruntled tenant farmer, a sour, spoiled-brat spinster daughter, and a divorced couple still living together. The author manages to keep each of these story lines moving right along without confusion on the reader's part, and in the end ties everything together. Often authors trying to keep this many balls in the air try to wrap everything up in a neat package with a pretty bow, leaving their readers breathless, confused and frequently disappointed. George takes her time, drawing out the stories and letting them come to natural conclusions, even when the reader would have wished for a better or different ending.
George has built on characters introduced earlier in the series, but gives enough back story to provide new readers with a clear sense of who and why. She has also given us a lot to look forward to in future installments.
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LibraryThing member majkia
Another intriguing and confusing addition to the series. Confusing, in a good way, as you're never sure what will happen next. Lots of character development for Lynly and Havers as well.
LibraryThing member amaraki
At times more chick lit than the detective novel it was purported to be. A book with quite a few pluses and a few big minuses. On the plus side the detection narrative, the fine characterization and believable internal dialogues, the description of the landscape, the length (getting your book
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money's worth). On the minus side, the length, the lack of a real crime to solve, and that the several stories finally just dwindled away with no real satisfying conclusion. It just kind of vacillated between page turner and get on with it. Show Less
LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
The 17th book in the series, and it still is good. That speaks well of this book. Lynley is asked to investigate an accident in a prominent and wealthy family that seems straightforward but might not be, and of course the St. Jameses and Barbara get involved also. There are a lot of twists and
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turns in this book, not only in the mystery itself but in the lives of the main characters. I actually liked the ending and regret only that there is no #18 to read right now! Show Less
LibraryThing member delphimo
As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this lengthy novel. So many characters and so many lies throughout this wordy tome. I loved the transformation of Barbara Havers, grieved the problems between Simon and Deborah, and forgave Thomas his many sins. The story centers on the many lies we tell
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others and ourselves, such as the lies of parents, of spouses, of children, and of friends. I felt that George tied up all the loose ends of the story with the exception of Kaveh, the lover of Ian Cresswell. George explores many areas in this novel: the relationship of parents and children, the relationship of spouses, and the relationship of friends. Each character brings a story waiting to unfold. George shows two men and the route traveled by each in understanding their psyche. George also writes beautiful and detailed setting. When one of the characters struggles in quicksand, the reader feels the frenzy and then the acceptance. The novel also shows Thomas/Tommy is ready to change and enter the world following his wife's killing. Show Less
LibraryThing member Romonko
I have to admit that at times I had some difficulty getting through this very long tome. But it is Elizabeth George after all, and if nothing else this lady can write. And she can develop characters like no one else. Ms. George's books are always more than just detective stories. As so often
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happens, the mystery and the detection take a back seat to the characters. Lynley and Havers develop more and more with each book, and since this is book number 17, they have developed quite a long way. But Ms. George's secondary characters are also truly wonderful. In this book we have a wealthy Cumbrian family, disfunctional and full of flaws. There are two sisters who are as different as humanly possible, and one recovering addict son trying to find his way back from a very large dark hole. There are numerous nieces, nephews, wives and ex-husbands as well just to round out the cast. It is a large cast but Ms. George's talent lies in character development above all else so it becomes easy to keep them all straight. What we don't have is much mystery. Yes there are mysterious happenings, but no actual mystery that Lynely can sink his teeth into. But secrets, lies and deception aplenty in this family. And Lynley and his friends Simon and Deborah are all caught up in it as the story moves towards his inevitable end. And we have Havers, soldiering on alone back in London doing research to help Lynley find his way through the morass that he has found himself in. And I say thank goodness for Havers, because she alone is the glue that holds this huge plot together, and she it is that discovers the real truth behind all the lies. My goodness this woman can write a novel! I can't wait until the next one comes out, which, by the way, has been nicely set up for at the end of this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member hazel1123
I liked the book. I agree with other reviewers that the 'mystery' wasn't as interesting as the characters and how that would play out in the end. One of the primary unknowns was quite predictable but still interesting, and kept my attention as to how George would actually deal with the idea. I
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agree that the beginning was slow, overall I enjoyed the read. The next book was set up nicely in the last chapter and I am go sure that I will probably make a pre-order on that book when it becomes available. Show Less
LibraryThing member sheilaref
I have always loved the Inspector Lynley books and it's been fun watching Barbara Havers develop as a character, but this novel could have used some judicious editing. In fact, the plot got downright silly at the end. I enjoyed it, but not so much as the previous books. It was something of a let
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down. Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
First of all. let me say, this is a long book, but I forgive the length, although of course by the end I was anxious to have the various plot lines resolved. It is a book that begins sedately enough but by the last pages is fairly galloping along.
Despite the number of books in the series that have
We are used to the construction of the modern detective novel: two or more plot lines beginning separately but, from the omniscient view of the reader, inevitably destined for convergence like railway tracks coming into the station. Other plots intersect with the main ones rather like spider webs. But it seems to me that in BELIEVING THE LIE Elizabeth George has taken this plot structure rather a step further. There's a caboose or two blundering around the network, destined to rather clumsily bang into the main trains. Zed Benjamin, rookie journalist for The Source, is one of those cabooses, on the track of a story that his demanding editor has given him only partial information for.
DI Thomas Lynley is asked to go to Cumbria to investigate a death to make sure it wasn't murder. His assignment is a favour at a higher level and he's meant to keep it secret, even from his boss. He decides to ask his friends Deborah and Simon St. James to accompany him to assist in some incognito investigation and thus he lets Deborah St. James loose into the mix with eventually rather disastrous consequences.
There are a couple of themes underlying the whole plot structure.
One links to the title: the lies that characters promulgate, the lies they believe, and the ones that fool no-one.
A second concept, surrogacy, is introduced by Deborah St. James herself, desperate to have a baby, but unable to carry a child to full term. She thinks she recognises, in the wife of one of the people under investigation, a kindred spirit. In actual fact Deborah runs a line of interference into the investigation, rather than contributing positively.
A third theme is that of love and relationships. There are some very damaged, interesting, but not necessarily likeable, people in the cast of characters. Most of them are strongly drawn, as are the threads of the relationships between them.
Although Lynley's long time detective partner, Barbara Havers, is not meant to be assisting him in this investigation, he of course enlists her assistance in research, and through her other plot elements emerge. At the instigation of Activing Detective Superintendent Ardery, Barbara is having a makeover: her teeth have been fixed, and her hair and clothing are next. But will it last?
So, in the long run, for me, a satisfying read, one that gave me plenty to think about. And a book to which, without doubt, there will be a sequel.
Despite the number of books in the series that have
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intervened, it is only 8 months since Thomas Lynley's wife Helen was murdered (WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS publ.2005). Tommy has spent much of that time in a fugue, coming to terms with his loss, but 4 months ago he entered into a relationship with his immediate boss, Acting Detective Superintendent Ardery. Public knowledge of this relationship could be career-ending for either or both of them.We are used to the construction of the modern detective novel: two or more plot lines beginning separately but, from the omniscient view of the reader, inevitably destined for convergence like railway tracks coming into the station. Other plots intersect with the main ones rather like spider webs. But it seems to me that in BELIEVING THE LIE Elizabeth George has taken this plot structure rather a step further. There's a caboose or two blundering around the network, destined to rather clumsily bang into the main trains. Zed Benjamin, rookie journalist for The Source, is one of those cabooses, on the track of a story that his demanding editor has given him only partial information for.
DI Thomas Lynley is asked to go to Cumbria to investigate a death to make sure it wasn't murder. His assignment is a favour at a higher level and he's meant to keep it secret, even from his boss. He decides to ask his friends Deborah and Simon St. James to accompany him to assist in some incognito investigation and thus he lets Deborah St. James loose into the mix with eventually rather disastrous consequences.
There are a couple of themes underlying the whole plot structure.
One links to the title: the lies that characters promulgate, the lies they believe, and the ones that fool no-one.
A second concept, surrogacy, is introduced by Deborah St. James herself, desperate to have a baby, but unable to carry a child to full term. She thinks she recognises, in the wife of one of the people under investigation, a kindred spirit. In actual fact Deborah runs a line of interference into the investigation, rather than contributing positively.
A third theme is that of love and relationships. There are some very damaged, interesting, but not necessarily likeable, people in the cast of characters. Most of them are strongly drawn, as are the threads of the relationships between them.
Although Lynley's long time detective partner, Barbara Havers, is not meant to be assisting him in this investigation, he of course enlists her assistance in research, and through her other plot elements emerge. At the instigation of Activing Detective Superintendent Ardery, Barbara is having a makeover: her teeth have been fixed, and her hair and clothing are next. But will it last?
So, in the long run, for me, a satisfying read, one that gave me plenty to think about. And a book to which, without doubt, there will be a sequel.
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LibraryThing member dablackwood
What's not to like? When Elizabeth George starts writing about Inspector Lynley, she has me. I love her characters and have loved reading as they have evolved. And her plots are entertaining. It's just so hard for me to realize she is not British.
Another well-done literary mystery.
Another well-done literary mystery.
LibraryThing member janglen
Yes, this is well plotted and well written, but I found it hard to read 600 pages with a permanent sense of forboding. You just know things are not going to go well and that there is plenty of misery to come. I think I need to stop reading this series.
LibraryThing member stacey2112
3.75, really. Usually love her stuff, this felt a little "happy ending"ish, I totally figured out the "secret" 1/2way through the book...never a good sign.
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
I loved the setting of this story, and the secrets that the family was keeping were highly intriguing. The ending, though, left me wanting. It was an entertaining listen overall.
LibraryThing member Judiex
Zed Benjamin had a wonderful story about Nicholas Fairclough, a recovering addict from a wealthy family, had a project to help older addicts get off drugs and alcohol. It was proving far more successful than other programs. Unfortunately his editor thought the story was too boring for The Source, a
Ian Cresswell, Nicholas’s cousin and a highly ranking member of the family bathroom fixture manufacturing firm, had an argument with his partner, went out for a ride in his scull, slipped on the rocks when he tried to dock the boat, fell, hit his head on the rocks, and drowned.
. The police had quickly ruled it an accident but the Bernard Fairclough, the family patriarch, had doubts. A week later, the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, called in Inspector Thomas Lynley and asked him to go underground to the family’s estate and find out if Ian’s death was an accident or a murder.
Lynley was told to not tell anyone about the assignment, but eventually he called in his friends Simon and Deborah St. James and later his Scotland Yard back-up Barbara Havers.
Other major characters in the story include:
• Yaffa Shaw, a student who had just leased a room in Benjamin’s home. His mother was constantly trying to find him a wife and she was the latest, except she was planning to return to Tel Aviv and marry her fiancé;
• Kaveh, Ian’s partner and the man for whom Ian had left his wife;
• Niamh Cresswell, aforementioned wife who was furious about the divorce and did everything she could to make his life miserable, including dumping their children at his home unexpectedly;
• Tim, their severely disturbed 14-year-old son and Gracie, their younger daughter;
• Valerie Fairclough, Bernard’s wife and the woman with the money behind the business;
• Mignon Fairclough, their daughter who lived on the estate and was disabled following a childhood accident;
• Manette and Freddie McGhie, their other daughter and her ex-husband. He had assumed many of Ian’s duties including financial oversight. Despite the divorce, they still shared the same house.
• Alatea Fairclough, Nicholas’s wife who was from Argentina and was his inspiration to stay drug and alcohol-free.
The book runs 608 pages and there is plenty of action to fill them. It’s full of unexpected twists. The title, BELIEVING THE LIE, is a clue that these characters can form an Olympic team in Jumping to Conclusions. It puts the reader in the position of seeing disaster coming and not being able to do anything to prevent it.
If you are an Inspector Lynley fan, you’ll love the book. If you aren’t familiar with him yet this is a good place to start.
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scandal-focused newspaper, and told him to find something to make the story sexier.Ian Cresswell, Nicholas’s cousin and a highly ranking member of the family bathroom fixture manufacturing firm, had an argument with his partner, went out for a ride in his scull, slipped on the rocks when he tried to dock the boat, fell, hit his head on the rocks, and drowned.
. The police had quickly ruled it an accident but the Bernard Fairclough, the family patriarch, had doubts. A week later, the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, called in Inspector Thomas Lynley and asked him to go underground to the family’s estate and find out if Ian’s death was an accident or a murder.
Lynley was told to not tell anyone about the assignment, but eventually he called in his friends Simon and Deborah St. James and later his Scotland Yard back-up Barbara Havers.
Other major characters in the story include:
• Yaffa Shaw, a student who had just leased a room in Benjamin’s home. His mother was constantly trying to find him a wife and she was the latest, except she was planning to return to Tel Aviv and marry her fiancé;
• Kaveh, Ian’s partner and the man for whom Ian had left his wife;
• Niamh Cresswell, aforementioned wife who was furious about the divorce and did everything she could to make his life miserable, including dumping their children at his home unexpectedly;
• Tim, their severely disturbed 14-year-old son and Gracie, their younger daughter;
• Valerie Fairclough, Bernard’s wife and the woman with the money behind the business;
• Mignon Fairclough, their daughter who lived on the estate and was disabled following a childhood accident;
• Manette and Freddie McGhie, their other daughter and her ex-husband. He had assumed many of Ian’s duties including financial oversight. Despite the divorce, they still shared the same house.
• Alatea Fairclough, Nicholas’s wife who was from Argentina and was his inspiration to stay drug and alcohol-free.
The book runs 608 pages and there is plenty of action to fill them. It’s full of unexpected twists. The title, BELIEVING THE LIE, is a clue that these characters can form an Olympic team in Jumping to Conclusions. It puts the reader in the position of seeing disaster coming and not being able to do anything to prevent it.
If you are an Inspector Lynley fan, you’ll love the book. If you aren’t familiar with him yet this is a good place to start.
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LibraryThing member Kathleen828
Well, this is better than the last 2. I'd like to rate it 3.75 stars, but can't figure out how to do that :-).
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
The mystery here is alright, though not as compelling as some earlier works in this series. On page 490, I found that I did want to know whether
I have a number of problems with the character development in this. My primary discomfort is about Lynley himself. I find it entirely out of character for him to take up with Isabelle Ardery so soon after Helen's death. I find it particularly unrealistic because Isabelle is both his supervisor and an alcoholic. Perhaps EG is trying to show us the depths of Lynley's confusion and grief by having him enmesh himself in something that, were he in his right mind, he would never even consider because of the 2 things mentioned above.
I thought that the subplot, wherein Haddiyah's mother kidnaps her was somewhat manipulative. EG obviously knows that we are all hoping that Havers and Azhar will get together. So to throw this twist in at the end appears to me to be a bit of a hook to get us to come back and read the next one. I would do that anyway. But I admit that this has been cleverly and lovingly and lengthily plotted, going back several books, and I did not see it coming. Like Barbara, Azhar and Haddiyah, I was deceived by Angelina. Good work, EG.
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
The mystery here is alright, though not as compelling as some earlier works in this series. On page 490, I found that I did want to know whether
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Ian's death was murder or an accident, The old, familiar impetus to keep reading to find out what happened kicked in. So EG can still plot.I have a number of problems with the character development in this. My primary discomfort is about Lynley himself. I find it entirely out of character for him to take up with Isabelle Ardery so soon after Helen's death. I find it particularly unrealistic because Isabelle is both his supervisor and an alcoholic. Perhaps EG is trying to show us the depths of Lynley's confusion and grief by having him enmesh himself in something that, were he in his right mind, he would never even consider because of the 2 things mentioned above.
I thought that the subplot, wherein Haddiyah's mother kidnaps her was somewhat manipulative. EG obviously knows that we are all hoping that Havers and Azhar will get together. So to throw this twist in at the end appears to me to be a bit of a hook to get us to come back and read the next one. I would do that anyway. But I admit that this has been cleverly and lovingly and lengthily plotted, going back several books, and I did not see it coming. Like Barbara, Azhar and Haddiyah, I was deceived by Angelina. Good work, EG.
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LibraryThing member MaggieFlo
Inspector Lynley is getting over Helen's death but his romance with Isabelle Ardeley, his boss, really bugs me. I'm glad they end it.
This is a good story with the usual characters including Deborah St James playing a really silly role. Lots of intrigue surrounding the drowning death of of Ian
This is a good story with the usual characters including Deborah St James playing a really silly role. Lots of intrigue surrounding the drowning death of of Ian
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Cresswell which brings Lynley to the scene to investigate. Lots of lies surrounding who is who and who is doing what. Past histories aremwell hidden from view, Once again Barbara Havers proves to be one of the most interesting characters. Sad ending for her neighbour Haddiyah and Azhar. Show Less
LibraryThing member KarenAJeff
George continues to enthrall me with stories of the work and lives of Inspector Lynley, his friends and his colleagues
LibraryThing member nbmars
This is the seventeenth book in the Inspector Thomas Lynley series. We listened to this book together on audio. The Inspector Lynley stories usually are centered around a crime which New Scotland Yard, and specifically D.I. Lynley, are called upon to help solve. In this case, however, there is no
D.I. Lynley is called away from London to go to Cumbria and investigate the death of the nephew (Ian Cressell) of an influential wealthy man, Bernard Fairclough, who has the clout to bring in Scotland Yard for what was ruled an accident. So Lynley temporarily abandons his thrice-weekly trysting with the tiresome and obnoxious (to me, that is, and I believe also to everyone in both the fictitious and actual universe except for Lynley) department chief Isabelle Ardery. Heading up to Cumbria, he decides to take along his friends Simon and Deborah St. James for assistance. Yes, it was rational of Lynley to ask Simon, since he is a forensics expert. But it seems very out of character that Lynley would allow Deborah, a civilian as it were, to play-act in order to set up a possible “sting” on one of the suspects. But he does, and she does, and she mucks things up fatally, one might say.
Back in London, Lynley’s partner, Barbara Havers, does some legwork for Lynley, even as she tries to duck from the inappropriately punitive attention of Isabelle Ardery. Barbara is also adjusting to the return of Angelina into the lives of her neighbors, Taymullah Azar and his charming daughter Hadiyyah. Angelina is Hadiyyah’s mother, and Barbara wants to dislike her, but echoing the reactions of Azar and Hadiyyah, she has trouble resisting Angelina’s charms.
Meanwhile, up in Cumbria, all hell is breaking lose, and Fairclough family secrets veritably gush out of the woodwork like the tidal bore coursing through Morecambe Bay. [A tidal bore is a fast rising tide that can be quite dangerous. Tidal bores occur in just a few locations worldwide. These are where incoming tides are funnelled into a shallow, narrowing river or lake via a broad bay. The funnel-like shape both increases both the height and duration of the flood tide creating a sudden increase in the water level. Youtube features a number of fascinating tourist videos of the Cumbrian tidal bores as well as of the quicksand that makes the area even more treacherous.] In fact, the characters in the book mention the deadly aspects of the Bay quite often, and with good reason.
Discussion: This six-hundred-plus page book features just about every crime except a murder: there is adultery, bribery, blackmail, a pornography ring, alcoholism, vengeance, and deception of every sort. But alas, these sins aren’t the only ones exposed by this book: there are also the ones we could ascribe to the author and/or editor: repetition, rambling, irrelevancy, endless angsty blathering by the characters, and yet, even after all that, a number of unresolved ends.
Then there are a gamut of “issues” rehearsed as well: depression, gender preference, limitations of body, limitations of mind, women who want to mother children but can’t, women who have mothered children but shouldn’t have, sex without passion, passion without sex, forgiving, forgetting, and how it is possible or impossible to do either.
There is also a side plot involving one Zedekiah Benjamin, and his story was so unnecessary, improbable, and offensive, I wondered why it was there at all, except perhaps to provide some unsavory and generally tactless comic relief by preying upon cultural stereotypes.
JAF’s Evaluation: In spite of my complaints, I do like hanging out with Lynley (well, unless he’s with Ardery), and Havers, and I don’t mind whiling away rush-hour traffic hearing about other peoples’ sordid lives. I wasn’t all that enamored of the narrator; she had a very large number of voices to do, and while she certainly did better than I ever could have done, most of the time I was wishing there were simply more actors reading the story, especially for the male voices.
JAF's Rating: 3/5
JAB’s Evaluation: This is not a crime novel; it’s a soap opera. The “story” wanders about, taking many detours. It resolves some (but not all) of the issues raised, and seems more of a collection of barely related vignettes rather than a linear progression to a dénouement where all the loose ends come together. It has no real conclusion, merely a point where the author stops writing. (But no real complaint on that score!) Having not read any other books by Elizabeth George previously, I didn’t hear anything in this audiobook to make me regret that.
JAB’s Rating: 2/5
Final Score: 2.5/5
The audiobook was read by Davina Porter, and was unabridged, although we both thought it could have used some abridgement by an editor prior to publication.
From the first to most current “Inspector Lynley” books as of 2012:
A Great Deliverance
Payment In Blood
Well-Schooled In Murder
A Suitable Vengeance
For the Sake of Elena
Missing Joseph
Playing for the Ashes
In the Presence of the Enemy
Deception on His Mind
In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner
A Traitor to Memory
A Place of Hiding
With No One As Witness
What Came Before He Shot Her
Careless In Red
This Body of Death
Believing the Lie
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crime, but only mysteries. (One of which, according to JAB was, “WHY ARE WE LISTENING TO THIS?”)D.I. Lynley is called away from London to go to Cumbria and investigate the death of the nephew (Ian Cressell) of an influential wealthy man, Bernard Fairclough, who has the clout to bring in Scotland Yard for what was ruled an accident. So Lynley temporarily abandons his thrice-weekly trysting with the tiresome and obnoxious (to me, that is, and I believe also to everyone in both the fictitious and actual universe except for Lynley) department chief Isabelle Ardery. Heading up to Cumbria, he decides to take along his friends Simon and Deborah St. James for assistance. Yes, it was rational of Lynley to ask Simon, since he is a forensics expert. But it seems very out of character that Lynley would allow Deborah, a civilian as it were, to play-act in order to set up a possible “sting” on one of the suspects. But he does, and she does, and she mucks things up fatally, one might say.
Back in London, Lynley’s partner, Barbara Havers, does some legwork for Lynley, even as she tries to duck from the inappropriately punitive attention of Isabelle Ardery. Barbara is also adjusting to the return of Angelina into the lives of her neighbors, Taymullah Azar and his charming daughter Hadiyyah. Angelina is Hadiyyah’s mother, and Barbara wants to dislike her, but echoing the reactions of Azar and Hadiyyah, she has trouble resisting Angelina’s charms.
Meanwhile, up in Cumbria, all hell is breaking lose, and Fairclough family secrets veritably gush out of the woodwork like the tidal bore coursing through Morecambe Bay. [A tidal bore is a fast rising tide that can be quite dangerous. Tidal bores occur in just a few locations worldwide. These are where incoming tides are funnelled into a shallow, narrowing river or lake via a broad bay. The funnel-like shape both increases both the height and duration of the flood tide creating a sudden increase in the water level. Youtube features a number of fascinating tourist videos of the Cumbrian tidal bores as well as of the quicksand that makes the area even more treacherous.] In fact, the characters in the book mention the deadly aspects of the Bay quite often, and with good reason.
Discussion: This six-hundred-plus page book features just about every crime except a murder: there is adultery, bribery, blackmail, a pornography ring, alcoholism, vengeance, and deception of every sort. But alas, these sins aren’t the only ones exposed by this book: there are also the ones we could ascribe to the author and/or editor: repetition, rambling, irrelevancy, endless angsty blathering by the characters, and yet, even after all that, a number of unresolved ends.
Then there are a gamut of “issues” rehearsed as well: depression, gender preference, limitations of body, limitations of mind, women who want to mother children but can’t, women who have mothered children but shouldn’t have, sex without passion, passion without sex, forgiving, forgetting, and how it is possible or impossible to do either.
There is also a side plot involving one Zedekiah Benjamin, and his story was so unnecessary, improbable, and offensive, I wondered why it was there at all, except perhaps to provide some unsavory and generally tactless comic relief by preying upon cultural stereotypes.
JAF’s Evaluation: In spite of my complaints, I do like hanging out with Lynley (well, unless he’s with Ardery), and Havers, and I don’t mind whiling away rush-hour traffic hearing about other peoples’ sordid lives. I wasn’t all that enamored of the narrator; she had a very large number of voices to do, and while she certainly did better than I ever could have done, most of the time I was wishing there were simply more actors reading the story, especially for the male voices.
JAF's Rating: 3/5
JAB’s Evaluation: This is not a crime novel; it’s a soap opera. The “story” wanders about, taking many detours. It resolves some (but not all) of the issues raised, and seems more of a collection of barely related vignettes rather than a linear progression to a dénouement where all the loose ends come together. It has no real conclusion, merely a point where the author stops writing. (But no real complaint on that score!) Having not read any other books by Elizabeth George previously, I didn’t hear anything in this audiobook to make me regret that.
JAB’s Rating: 2/5
Final Score: 2.5/5
The audiobook was read by Davina Porter, and was unabridged, although we both thought it could have used some abridgement by an editor prior to publication.
From the first to most current “Inspector Lynley” books as of 2012:
A Great Deliverance
Payment In Blood
Well-Schooled In Murder
A Suitable Vengeance
For the Sake of Elena
Missing Joseph
Playing for the Ashes
In the Presence of the Enemy
Deception on His Mind
In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner
A Traitor to Memory
A Place of Hiding
With No One As Witness
What Came Before He Shot Her
Careless In Red
This Body of Death
Believing the Lie
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LibraryThing member Amsa1959
At last! This novel is like they used to be. I enjoyed reading about Lynley and Havers from the start. I liked the the way you got to know them and follow them and I liked the stories. Then, something happened (and I´m not talking about Helen) that changed the books and made them boring - not at
My favorites in the series are "Playing for the ashes" and "Missing Joseph". I know it´s because I like the way the author uses a theme throughout the novels. A theme that´s not only a part of the crime story but is also showing in the characters lives. AND in this novel she uses the same technique - and I like it.
Now, I´m eagerly waiting for the next one!
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all as good as they were.My favorites in the series are "Playing for the ashes" and "Missing Joseph". I know it´s because I like the way the author uses a theme throughout the novels. A theme that´s not only a part of the crime story but is also showing in the characters lives. AND in this novel she uses the same technique - and I like it.
Now, I´m eagerly waiting for the next one!
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LibraryThing member mmignano11
I listened to "Believing The Lie"on audiobook. It was quite enjoyable as it was read by Davina Porter, who is an excellent reader and has probably read hundreds of audiobooks. She is capable of making each character come alive through her interpretation of their voices. The author provides the
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reader with varied, interesting folks who we inevitably care about as the novel progresses. With this author in particular I find myself involved in the story but not necessarily feeling any depth connecting the characters and the story line. When all of a sudden, George gives us a scene that encompasses one of the more vulnerable characters in a natural setting that ultimately threatens her life. The encroaching ocean and the inability to see due to a heavy fog, call to mind the situation the character has found herself in throughout the book. It was an amazing moment as I felt the connection that lie in George's keen writing of the scene, bringing in the elements of threat and danger that had always been there for this character before the reader really knew it. George does this often but so subtly that I didn't see it coming, and her characters didn't either. This is the second audiobook of Elizabeth George that I have listened to recently and I look forward to more. I highly recommend her books for you if you are drawn towards involved, character-driven mysteries. Show Less
LibraryThing member booklovers2
My 2nd Inspector Lynley - bought on audio for a road trip and then finished listening to it over 2 long nights. A few unexpected twists and turns, would have wanted more at the end - somewhat disappointed but ready to read another in the Lynley adventures!
LibraryThing member whoizme8
Another good read from Elizabeth George. Have read most of her books and most of them have been first class. This one is no exception. It majors in some of the characters we have known and loved and the plot has many a twist and turn. Enjoyed reading it.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural
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Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" "To Whom It May Concern" and "Tell Me about the United Methodist Church" Show Less
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
George's Inspector Lynley novels seem to alternate between great and terrible, so it seems inevitable that after enjoying This Body of Death, I'd really struggle with Believing the Line. Like the worst Lynley novels, it just takes forever-- there's a lot of perspectives outside of Lynley (and
I get it, Elizabeth George, you're trying to upend the mystery genre... but you're not good enough to get away with it. Leave it to Paul Auster and Julian Barnes. Also, I refuse to believe this book was actually written and set in 2012; a key plot point is that Barbara can't perform even rudimentary translation of Spanish-language web pages on her own, because she's working on the case outside of the Met and its resources. Resources like Google Translate, I guess?
That said: Barbara Havers is always awesome, and there's a decent sideplot about a divorced couple trying to care for an orphaned kid. And the last 100 pages or so are pretty good, as everything comes into focus. But man, a lot more sure needed to happen in the rest of the book.
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sometimes Havers), and since each character is given equal time, that means Lynley pops up very rarely and thus does very little investigating. Indeed, I can barely remember him talking to anyone; Sergeant Havers and Deborah St. James (gah) doing most of the actual legwork here. It's also really hard to care, because it's not very certain that a murder even happened, and that uncertainty never goes away.I get it, Elizabeth George, you're trying to upend the mystery genre... but you're not good enough to get away with it. Leave it to Paul Auster and Julian Barnes. Also, I refuse to believe this book was actually written and set in 2012; a key plot point is that Barbara can't perform even rudimentary translation of Spanish-language web pages on her own, because she's working on the case outside of the Met and its resources. Resources like Google Translate, I guess?
That said: Barbara Havers is always awesome, and there's a decent sideplot about a divorced couple trying to care for an orphaned kid. And the last 100 pages or so are pretty good, as everything comes into focus. But man, a lot more sure needed to happen in the rest of the book.
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