DLR LIBRARY BLOG

This Body of Death
By Elizabeth George

Having loved all Elizabeth George's previous books a new Inspector Lynley mystery is a propect to be savoured. Unfortunately this one and it pains me to say it, does not come highly recommended. I have discussed this with other huge fans of this wonderful series of novels and all agreed they were unhappy with this book.
After fifteen previous thumping good reads I suppose fans of Elizabeth George's much loved characters can't really complain if the newest edition feels wrong . It is probably not a valid complaint.
In this book we are reunited with Inspector Thomas Lynley, Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. Other characters make welcome returns: Simon St James and his wife Deborah, and Barbara's neighbours Hadiyah and her dad Taymullah Azhar.
Lynley is still grieving the death of his beloved wife Helen and their unborn child. He is persuaded back to Scotland Yard by the new superintendent Isabelle Avery, after a young woman's body is found murdered in a graveyard.
The story is told by different voices and some of the answers become apparent after a couple of chapters.

Fans of this series of detective stories feel that after sixteen books they know the main protaganists and something felt wrong.
If you have never read Elizabeth George this book is not a good place to start. Read any of her other wonderful fifteen and like myself look forward to the next one.
Elaine