Series
Publication
Random House Audio (1999)
Original publication date
1989
Collections
Genres
Subjects
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:�??The Lynley books constitute the smartest, most gratifyingly complex and impassioned mysteries now being published.�?��??Entertainment Weekly The career of playwright Joy Sinclair comes to an abrupt end on an isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands when someone drives an eighteen-inch dirk through her neck. Called upon to investigate the case in a country where they have virtually no authority, aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, grapple for both a motive and a murderer. Emotions run deep in this highly charged drama, for the list of suspects soon includes Britain�??s foremost actress, its most successful theatrical producer, and the woman Lynley loves. He and Havers must tread carefully through the complicated terrain of human relationships while they work to solve a case rooted in the darkest corners of the past and the unexplored regions of the… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 3.875* of five
The Book Report: Inspectory Thomas Lynley, aka the eighth Earl of Asherton, is a hard-working man, but even he likes a few days' rest after chasing from pillar to post in solving brutal crimes. His rest is denied him by a call from his boss, at home, on a Sunday: A murder has
Uh-oh.
Yeah, uh-oh and in spades, as Lynley tromps ill-temperedly up to Scotland where Scotland Yard has no legal standing and no authority and no utility, except in the titled person of Lynley himself. He's quite clearly if subtly warned: Lord Stinhurst, eminence of the London theatrical world, isn't to be troubled about small things like guilt or innocence or such-like plebeian goings-on. He's to be softly and swiftly shuffled out of the line of fire. So what does Lynley do? He brings Sergeant Barbara Havers, well-known to have a classist chip on her shoulder, to assist him, and he allows her a *lot* of leeway to poke and snoop and generally cause discomfort to the comfortable uppercrusties. (I suspect Lynley, were he corporeal, would've worn a small, snarky smile throughout this investigation.)
As the investigation proceeds, awful truths come out, lives are ruined, others are altered, and some few are lost; but no one is spared from the terrible cleansing fires of truth. Even those one might wish could be. No bond, no tie, no feeling is safe when Elizabeth George goes to work.
My Review: Good stuff. Unless you don't like puzzles or suspense or characters so real you'd swear you have their cell numbers somewhere if you could just find 'em, don't hesitate to start this series!
The Book Report: Inspectory Thomas Lynley, aka the eighth Earl of Asherton, is a hard-working man, but even he likes a few days' rest after chasing from pillar to post in solving brutal crimes. His rest is denied him by a call from his boss, at home, on a Sunday: A murder has
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occurred, in Scotland, and *only* Lynley can be trusted to investigate because it involves a famous Peer of the Realm.Uh-oh.
Yeah, uh-oh and in spades, as Lynley tromps ill-temperedly up to Scotland where Scotland Yard has no legal standing and no authority and no utility, except in the titled person of Lynley himself. He's quite clearly if subtly warned: Lord Stinhurst, eminence of the London theatrical world, isn't to be troubled about small things like guilt or innocence or such-like plebeian goings-on. He's to be softly and swiftly shuffled out of the line of fire. So what does Lynley do? He brings Sergeant Barbara Havers, well-known to have a classist chip on her shoulder, to assist him, and he allows her a *lot* of leeway to poke and snoop and generally cause discomfort to the comfortable uppercrusties. (I suspect Lynley, were he corporeal, would've worn a small, snarky smile throughout this investigation.)
As the investigation proceeds, awful truths come out, lives are ruined, others are altered, and some few are lost; but no one is spared from the terrible cleansing fires of truth. Even those one might wish could be. No bond, no tie, no feeling is safe when Elizabeth George goes to work.
My Review: Good stuff. Unless you don't like puzzles or suspense or characters so real you'd swear you have their cell numbers somewhere if you could just find 'em, don't hesitate to start this series!
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LibraryThing member Oceanwings07
A solid followup to "A Great Deliverance." I enjoyed reading the second Inspector Lynley installment, though there were a handful of side story lines which I think would make excellent books as well. It felt slower than AGD at points, but still had me hooked enough to read within two days. Bravo to
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Ms. George on another good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member CJWeaver
A suspensefull thriller,and one of her best.
LibraryThing member WintersRose
George continues to develop Inspector Thomas Lynley, Sergeant Barbara Havers as characters with depth. In this book she tweaks their growing, but fragile friendship, but also introduces Lynley's realization of his love for longtime friend, Lady Helen Clyde. Lynleyn's jealousy over Lady Helen's
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relationship with a murder suspect along with the influences of the inspector's blueblood heritage both threaten to undermine his and Havers' investigation of the murder of a well-known author. George's writing, her plotting with all its twists, and the growing insight into her two main characters combine to make this a page-turner you won't be able to put down. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sinetrig
Sir Walter Scott's, "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!' certainly finds its truth in "Payment in Blood". A decades old hidden murder, a murder made to appear as a suicide, hidden affairs of the heart and other events, create the basis for this page-turnder
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suspenseful mystery story. Interestingly, the murders were not crimes of passion, but rather crimes of expediency to avoid disclosure of wrong-doing either on the part of the victim and/or the murderer. This is an intricately constructed story that neatly answers all questions at the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
I saw this first on TV as an adaptation. It's an interesting story that interweaves jealousy, betrayal and suspicion. Lynley has a problem in this case that it pivots around the woman he loves, Lady Helen Clyde. Havers can see that he is biased in this case and wants to save him from himself and
There were times when it lagged a bit but I really did want to know who did it.
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it's all turning into a huge mess of betrayal, intrigue and a past that people are willing to kill for.There were times when it lagged a bit but I really did want to know who did it.
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LibraryThing member lauranav
Second in the Thomas Lynley series. We see growth in the relationship with Barbara Havers, the misfit assigned as his partner. We also get to see Lynley face the fact that he's in love with Helen Clyde. Helen happens to be with a group of actors at a remote country hotel in Scotland, gathered for a
With a blend of jealousy and the instincts that make him a good detective, Lynley goes off on what seem like tangents to Havers, who is quite positive Lord Stinhurst did it. Suspicion of the upper class comes naturally for her. Both work their separate theories and uncover two different stories that people wanted hidden. The number of characters was a bit confusing at first and I did make a list to help keep it straight, but most of it became pretty easy to keep up with as the characters were fleshed out. A good mystery and I look forward to the next one in the series.
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reading of a new play. The playwright is found murdered and someone decides Scotland Yard needs to be involved. Are they trying to disturb the scene and split the case to cover up something?With a blend of jealousy and the instincts that make him a good detective, Lynley goes off on what seem like tangents to Havers, who is quite positive Lord Stinhurst did it. Suspicion of the upper class comes naturally for her. Both work their separate theories and uncover two different stories that people wanted hidden. The number of characters was a bit confusing at first and I did make a list to help keep it straight, but most of it became pretty easy to keep up with as the characters were fleshed out. A good mystery and I look forward to the next one in the series.
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LibraryThing member cajela
The second Lynley/Havers mystery; this one is set in the classic isolated country house, with a cast of actors. The playwright is killed - why? An upper-crust family scandal? A true crime book that she was working on?
Mu usual George reaction: not bad, not great. Quite gripping and with plenty of
Mu usual George reaction: not bad, not great. Quite gripping and with plenty of
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red herrings, but the ongoing character soap opera gets on my wick a bit. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I really loved and was moved by the first Inspector Lynley mystery by Elizabeth George, A Great Deliverance. I know that when I first read it some years ago, I then read several of the next books in the series, of which Payment in Blood is the second. Yet, unlike A Great Deliverance, which I still
Yet, on reading this, what struck me was just what a good writer I find Elizabeth George and how enjoyable it was reading her novel. The narrative really flows, the prose style is clean and more literate than what you usually find on the mystery aisle of the bookstore. George, like me, is an American, so I can't really know if she gets the details of British culture right, but it certainly is a skilful enough facsimile of the classic British murder mystery (of the locked room variety and set in a Scottish manor no less) to fool me.
I also like the recurring characters of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Both are interesting in their own right and especially in contrast and partnered together. Lynley is the wealthy titled suave golden boy, and Havers the dumpy working class gal with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. I liked their building working friendship, and that it is a friendship--one of those rare male/female fictional detective partnerships where the dynamic isn't romantic. And I like that even though both are good at their jobs that George shows both bring biases and baggage to their work. That investigating a crime isn't all about cerebral deductions but can be derailed by prejudices--and both in that respect balance the other. Who these people are matters; it's not just about them being dropped into a case and playing God.
So, this is definitely an enjoyable and intelligently written mystery and I'll definitely be reacquainting myself with the series.
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found memorable and impressive on second read, I really couldn't recall Payment in Blood at all even after finishing. Nor did this come close to moving me to tears as the first novel did, so I'd say this doesn't quite match the earlier book.Yet, on reading this, what struck me was just what a good writer I find Elizabeth George and how enjoyable it was reading her novel. The narrative really flows, the prose style is clean and more literate than what you usually find on the mystery aisle of the bookstore. George, like me, is an American, so I can't really know if she gets the details of British culture right, but it certainly is a skilful enough facsimile of the classic British murder mystery (of the locked room variety and set in a Scottish manor no less) to fool me.
I also like the recurring characters of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Both are interesting in their own right and especially in contrast and partnered together. Lynley is the wealthy titled suave golden boy, and Havers the dumpy working class gal with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. I liked their building working friendship, and that it is a friendship--one of those rare male/female fictional detective partnerships where the dynamic isn't romantic. And I like that even though both are good at their jobs that George shows both bring biases and baggage to their work. That investigating a crime isn't all about cerebral deductions but can be derailed by prejudices--and both in that respect balance the other. Who these people are matters; it's not just about them being dropped into a case and playing God.
So, this is definitely an enjoyable and intelligently written mystery and I'll definitely be reacquainting myself with the series.
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LibraryThing member SalemAthenaeum
The career of playwright Joy Sinclair comes to an abrupt end on an isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands when someone drives an eighteen-inch dirk through her neck. Called upon to investigate the case in a country where they have virtually no authority, aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas
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Lynley and his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, grapple for both a motive and a murderer. Emotions run deep in this highly charged drama, for the list of suspects soon includes Britain’s foremost actress, its most successful theatrical producer, and the woman Lynley loves. He and Havers must tread carefully through the complicated terrain of human relationships while they work to solve a case rooted in the darkest corners of the past and the unexplored regions of the human heart. Show Less
LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
The second chronologically in the Lynley/Havers books. The pair are sent to Scotland to investigate a grisly murder that happens when a group of actors go to a new B and B to work on a play. Another murder takes place while there. As is typical of these mysteries, the plots are intricate and often
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hard to follow because different stories intertwine so. It all comes together in the end, however, in a masterful and clear way. Lynley gets personally involved in this one, something that clouds his judgment. Fortunately, Havers is there to keep it all straight. Show Less
LibraryThing member kishields
Closed-room English-style murder mystery set in a Scottish inn. A vast number of characters; I needed notes to keep them straight. Further develops George's interest in the prejudices of class, which this time both help and hinder the investigation. Both Lynley and Havers fall victim to their blind
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spots, but manage together to solve the case. The love story and its complications are less interesting, as usual. Good Masterpiece Theatre treatment as well, with a very young James McEvoy and (surprise!) Idris Elba. Show Less
LibraryThing member patience_grayfeather
Lynley and Havers solve the murder of a playwright. Watching Lynley figure out the depth of his feeling for Lady Helen interested me more than the murder (murders, actually). I had trouble keeping track of the cast in this one.
LibraryThing member MiserableLibrarian
Lynley and Havers return in George’s second novel of the New Scotland Yard team. The body of Joy Sinclair (!) is found in her bedroom, with an eighteen-inch dirk through the neck. Lynley finds himself torn and his judgment compromised, through both his blue-blood lineage and his jealousy over
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Helen’s new lover. Show Less
LibraryThing member judithrs
Payment in Blood. Elizabeth George. 1989. This is the second book in the DI Thomas Lynley series and I am hooked and absolutely delighted to have over ten more to read! I’ll space them out like I am with the Camilla Lackberg’s Swedish mysteries. Lynley and his prickly partner, Barbara Havers
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are sent to Scotland to investigate the murder of a playwright. The play’s director and all the actors have assembled in an ancient manor house. To add to the plot and the tension, Lady Helen, Lynley’s dear friend was in the bedroom next to the murdered playwright. George has been compared to P.D. James and Agatha Christie and she holds up to the comparison. Show Less
LibraryThing member LARA335
Well-plotted country house murder-mystery. A theatrical group are brought together to a remote house in Scotland to rehearse a play. When one of them is murdered Lynley is brought in to investigate, hampered by the fact that the woman he loves and her lover are amongst the suspects.
The novel was so
The novel was so
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obsessed with class and titles I checked the publication date, and was surprised it was 1989, I would have guessed early '50's by its antiquated atmosphere. Show Less
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Payment in Blood is the second book in the long running Thomas Lynley/Barbara Havers Scotland Yard mysteries by Elizabeth George. This novel is an interesting mixture of a big-country-house mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie and a much deeper study of the way that humans can hurt each
A charming and elegant Scottish country inn is hosting their first guests, a famous theatrical producer and the stars, writer and director of the new play he is preparing. Later that night after everyone was seen arguing in the living room, the playwright is found murdered in her locked bedroom. When DI Thomas Lynley and his partner Sgt. Barbara Havers are sent to the scene in a highly irregular decision by their superiors at New Scotland Yard, the playwright's murder appears to have far reaching implications. It has personal implications for DI Lynley, who is shocked to find Lady Helen Clyde among the guests. As the complex plot unfolds, Lynley and Havers view the principal suspect from distinctly different, and class-based, points of view. The issue of social class is a continuing element of this series and the cast of regular characters continues to be developed.
This is a compelling and well written murder mystery. The complex personal relationships are contributing factors to the case as the story unfolds. There are lots of characters and at the beginning I found it difficult to keep them straight but once I was about twenty percent into the book I was completely under the spell of the story. I'm definitely planning to read more of this series and the two intriguing main characters.
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other and fool themselves. A charming and elegant Scottish country inn is hosting their first guests, a famous theatrical producer and the stars, writer and director of the new play he is preparing. Later that night after everyone was seen arguing in the living room, the playwright is found murdered in her locked bedroom. When DI Thomas Lynley and his partner Sgt. Barbara Havers are sent to the scene in a highly irregular decision by their superiors at New Scotland Yard, the playwright's murder appears to have far reaching implications. It has personal implications for DI Lynley, who is shocked to find Lady Helen Clyde among the guests. As the complex plot unfolds, Lynley and Havers view the principal suspect from distinctly different, and class-based, points of view. The issue of social class is a continuing element of this series and the cast of regular characters continues to be developed.
This is a compelling and well written murder mystery. The complex personal relationships are contributing factors to the case as the story unfolds. There are lots of characters and at the beginning I found it difficult to keep them straight but once I was about twenty percent into the book I was completely under the spell of the story. I'm definitely planning to read more of this series and the two intriguing main characters.
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LibraryThing member ozzie65
All I know about Inspector Lynley has been gleaned from public television. Shout out for PBS. I can’t swear to it but I may have found this book in a bag my parents acquired from their very frequent bookstore raids. I can say: when you have a family of readers, you are never at a loss for a good
This one sat in the pile for a long time. Note to editors and publishing houses – covers matter. The cover was a real turn off which was the off putting feature. It looks like a little old lady’s romance on the outside. But inside? Fantastic.
This read like any of the very best that Agatha Christie or PD James have written. A classic mystery in the fact that a theatre troupe, in an old house converted to an inn located in the Scottish hills, is locked down after one of their number is murdered. Inspector Lynley is called in from New Scotland Yard to investigate. He has some personal issues with this investigation which may impinge on his impartiality.
But, the investigation must go on and it does with many blind ends, twists, turns and a surprise finish that can’t be predicted like so many of these types of books. I too, like other readers started reading the series at number 2. This does not deter the reader because background is provided as one reads on.
If number 2 is this good, I can’t imagine how much better they get going forward. The writing will only improve and the details will only get crisper and the story lines more complex. Don’t let the cover fool you. This is no old lady book. It’s a great read for every mystery fan.
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book. This one sat in the pile for a long time. Note to editors and publishing houses – covers matter. The cover was a real turn off which was the off putting feature. It looks like a little old lady’s romance on the outside. But inside? Fantastic.
This read like any of the very best that Agatha Christie or PD James have written. A classic mystery in the fact that a theatre troupe, in an old house converted to an inn located in the Scottish hills, is locked down after one of their number is murdered. Inspector Lynley is called in from New Scotland Yard to investigate. He has some personal issues with this investigation which may impinge on his impartiality.
But, the investigation must go on and it does with many blind ends, twists, turns and a surprise finish that can’t be predicted like so many of these types of books. I too, like other readers started reading the series at number 2. This does not deter the reader because background is provided as one reads on.
If number 2 is this good, I can’t imagine how much better they get going forward. The writing will only improve and the details will only get crisper and the story lines more complex. Don’t let the cover fool you. This is no old lady book. It’s a great read for every mystery fan.
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LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
A playwright is brutally murdered while staying at a Scottish castle turned hotel. The potential suspects were all involved with the play she was writing. Inspector Lynley and Sergeant Havers are called on the scene to assist in the investigation and their personal prejudices come into play when
This book was a fun twist of the "locked room" mystery trope. Although the suspect pool was by default narrow, it was still anyone's guess for most of the book who the murderer was. There were a few places here and there where the text dragged a bit, but overall interesting characters and settings held my attention. The book is more on the "cozy" side of the mystery genre, but there is a bit of gore and other salacious details scattered throughout.
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they look at the suspects at hand.This book was a fun twist of the "locked room" mystery trope. Although the suspect pool was by default narrow, it was still anyone's guess for most of the book who the murderer was. There were a few places here and there where the text dragged a bit, but overall interesting characters and settings held my attention. The book is more on the "cozy" side of the mystery genre, but there is a bit of gore and other salacious details scattered throughout.
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LibraryThing member cindywho
The second Havers/Lynley mystery has a swirl of theater people that are a little hard to keep track of. All the usual class clashings and emotional melodrama that I've liked so far about this series... I don't typically read mysteries, but somehow this one is appealing.
LibraryThing member fromthecomfychair
I had a very hard time keeping these characters straight, so even though there was only a set number of possible murderers, I was constantly mixing them up. Still, it was impossible to figure out "who done it" until the actual culprit was revealed. Elizabeth George has a real penchant for obscure
Since I watched the PBS series long before I read any of the books, Lynley will forever have the dark hair of Nathaniel Parker, the actor who plays him. And Havers, thank god, had a real makeover in the series from the homely Havers of George's imagination. And I prefer her to look like Sharon (don't know her name) from the series.
Will I read another? Yes
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vocabulary words, but part of the benefit of reading on a Kindle is that I can immediately look them up. I can't decide whether I enjoy finding these new old words, or I'm slightly annoyed by them. Since I watched the PBS series long before I read any of the books, Lynley will forever have the dark hair of Nathaniel Parker, the actor who plays him. And Havers, thank god, had a real makeover in the series from the homely Havers of George's imagination. And I prefer her to look like Sharon (don't know her name) from the series.
Will I read another? Yes
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LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
Payment In Blood (1990) (Insp. Lynley #2) by Elizabeth George. What a tangled web we weave… This book, like so many of Elizabeth George’s novels tend to do, begins slow, spreading out a vast cast of characters and setting the scenery firmly in place. Here we have a murder within a troupe of
There is a great deal of backstory here and, while it slows the action it deepens the plot. Not only are the actors involved, but a few of their relations, townsfolk and at least one problematic son. A forbidden romance is quashed. Lynsey, the 8th Earl of… whatever, is sent primarily to shepherd Lord Stinhurst, a peer of the realm, away from the eyes of the local police. Havers is there to throw a spanner into the Scot’s police investigation and to aggravate Lynley.
Not the best of the series but once it gets some traction there is no stopping it. This is a nice series while waiting for the problems of the world to abate. The books are lengthy but that should not be a deterrent.
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thespians as they have gathered to prepare for a forthcoming play. The playwright is murdered in a “locked room” mystery and Lynley and Havers are dispatched to the Scottish Highlands to solve the case.There is a great deal of backstory here and, while it slows the action it deepens the plot. Not only are the actors involved, but a few of their relations, townsfolk and at least one problematic son. A forbidden romance is quashed. Lynsey, the 8th Earl of… whatever, is sent primarily to shepherd Lord Stinhurst, a peer of the realm, away from the eyes of the local police. Havers is there to throw a spanner into the Scot’s police investigation and to aggravate Lynley.
Not the best of the series but once it gets some traction there is no stopping it. This is a nice series while waiting for the problems of the world to abate. The books are lengthy but that should not be a deterrent.
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LibraryThing member carlahaunted
Smashing British murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, in which relationships are complicated and everyone is a suspect.
LibraryThing member clue
A theater company retreats to a remote estate in the Highlands to prepare for the opening of an upcoming play. As work begins it quickly becomes clear proposed changes will be hotly contested.
When the playwright gets a knife in her neck while in her locked bedroom, Scottish authorities call the
Though there are many characters and plot twists the author handles them smoothly and continues to sublety develop her recurring characters. This is just the second in the Lynley series and I'm more interested in following Lynley and Havers through the remaining eighteen than I was after reading the first.
When the playwright gets a knife in her neck while in her locked bedroom, Scottish authorities call the
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Yard for assistance. Much to their displeasure Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Seargant Barbara Havers are sent to investigate. When Lynley arrives he is astounded to find his close friend Helen Clyde with a man she's entered a new relationship with. The fact that jealousy affects Lynley's investigation goes a long way in humanizing the great detective. Though there are many characters and plot twists the author handles them smoothly and continues to sublety develop her recurring characters. This is just the second in the Lynley series and I'm more interested in following Lynley and Havers through the remaining eighteen than I was after reading the first.
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LibraryThing member kaulsu
It was okay. It was a bit much to believe that Lynley could be so human as to fit the clues to the solution, but on the other hand, it moved the series forward at a good pace. One can see that it is not as critical that the books be read in order as it might have been assumed.
Language
Original language
English
Other editions
Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George (CD audiobook)
Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George (Paperback)