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    This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel
    This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel
    This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel
    Audiobook23 hours

    This Body of Death: An Inspector Lynley Novel

    Written by Elizabeth George

    Narrated by John Lee

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    ""George explores her characters' dreams and fears with a penetrating grace that makes reading her books a joy.""
    —Washington Post Book World

    ""Elizabeth George reigns as queen of the mystery genre. The Lynley books constitute the smartest, most gratifyingly complex and impassioned mystery series now being published.""
    —Entertainment Weekly

    The spellbinding new Inspector Lynley novel from Elizabeth George, New York Times bestselling author of Careless in Red and What Came Before He Shot Her.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 20, 2010
    ISBN9780061988592
    Author

    Elizabeth George

    Elizabeth George is the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels of psychological suspense, one book of nonfiction, and two short story collections. Her work has been honored with the Anthony and Agatha awards, the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, and the MIMI, Germany's prestigious prize for suspense fiction. She lives in Washington State.

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    Reviews for This Body of Death

    4/5

    481 ratings35 reviews

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    • 3/5
      After reading Careless In Red by Elizabeth George I decided to wait it out and see what would follow. It has been a few years and I resumed with This Body of Death the sixteenth book in the Inspector Lynley series. The good news is that Lynley has returned (sort of) to New Scotland Yard, Havers and the team are present, and Simon and Deborah St. James are also included. The downside is the added character of Isabelle Ardery, who is unlikeable for so very many different reasons. George's writing is brilliant, which is a plus since this book is quite long, just as I prefer my books to be. The plots intersect and the characters are rather intriguing with one exception-there is an upsetting plot of the torture of a 2 year old, which was very, very unpleasant to read about and I could have done with less information. Overall, This Body of Death is a pleasant improvement over the previous book, however I far prefer the Lynley/Havers team to what the past few books have been and hope not to encounter Isabelle Ardery in the next two books, but worry I may not be so fortunate.
    • 4/5
      Two crime stories weaved together -- one overshadowing the other. As usual, this Inspector Lynley novel grabbed me from the get-go. A young woman is discovered to be missing by her estranged best friend. She immediately suspects foul play. Then a young woman is found murdered in London. Is it the same woman? Inspector Lynley, still grieving for his murdered wife, gets reluctantly sucked back into police work by a colleague who has problems of her own. Very enjoyable novel. Elizabeth George has once again written a cohesive mystery. Her stories only get better.
    • 3/5
      First Elizabeth George I've read and although I found the character of Merry tedious it read well and kept me interested to the end. I tried one of her books that was used for the TV series and will stick to ones I am unfamiliar with. Knowing 'who done it' doesn't work for me.
    • 4/5
      I raced through this George book. I know EG is not a Brit, but she writes like one. There were so many side plots and info I was not aware of---one being the New Forest in Britain, kind of a wildlife park where ponies run free. Thomas Lynley is recovering from the murder of his wife, and interesting as ever.
    • 3/5
      I'm finally starting to forgive Elizabeth George for the events of With No One as Witness. I'm still not entirely convinced that I will ever return to my light hearted enjoyment of the series, but she's got her main characters surrounded by misery, as she best likes them to be, so I think there's some stability for now.
      Altogether a pretty good read, and Lynley finally starting to be present in the investigation again, hooray. Very convoluted plot on this one.
    • 5/5
      One of her best that I've read so far. Lots of twists, but I confess I did begin to figure it out before the end. But why Thomas Lynley has to get involved with Isabelle Ardery is beyond me.
    • 2/5
      Elizabeth George and PD James are my favorite crime writers. They are both wonderful writers who write complex, psychological suspense novels with well drawn characters.

      Having said that, George’s latest Inspector Linley novel falls somewhat short of her previous work. Her new character, Isabelle Ardrey, acting superintendant, is barely developed at all. About all we find out about her is she is an abrasive, ambitious woman who is out of her depth in this case, has a drinking problem, and becomes the love interest of Thomas Linley (why mystery/suspense authors feel their main characters have to have a love interest in each book is a mystery to me). I am assuming she will be popping back up in the next installment, and perhaps her character will be more developed henceforth. We find out even less about the actual killer. The motivation for the killing is rather convoluted and flimsy, and you don’t even get a hint of what the motivation might be until about three-quarters of the way into the almost 700 page book. And that’s another problem with this book-it’s too long for no good reason. While I understand she doesn’t want to tip her hand in pointing out the killer too soon, there is too much wasted time on things that do not move the story forward, do not add to any character development and are of no interest to the reader.

      The only character of any real interest is Det. Sgt. Barbara Havers. Barbara, the disheveled, chain smoking, socially inept, politically incorrect, renegade of the force has now become the de-facto main character in this series, as she is the most fully developed character. Perhaps George should think about spinning Barbara off on a series of her own-I’d read it.
    • 4/5
      Elizabeth George has her groove back. I really disliked the prior two novels, but this is back to what I'd come to expect from her. Really good; I hated for it to end. Most satisfying.
    • 5/5
      When I first started listening to this audio, I will admit that I thought Elizabeth George had lost her mind. There seemed to be two completely different storylines going on at once and it was very confusing. But, I should have had faith in her, because when she made the connection all made sense to me and I loved it! The story did not end the way I expected, but I liked how everything ended. It was good but not "happily ever after". That keeps me reading for more.
    • 4/5
      I'm a fan. What more can I say?
    • 3/5
      Good to read series in order, but don't have to. Character-driven and sometimes the suspense and pace drag. Interesting psychological puzzler, some gruesome details about children. George masterfully brings together disparate plot strands.
    • 5/5
      Another wonderful book in the Lynley series - even if you don't like mysteries, it's worthwhile to check out George because of her wonderful ability to describe scenes and people. The mystery is a great one too - only figured it out a couple of pages before the reveal, which is practically unheard of. Makes me want to go back and reread all 16 from the beginning.
    • 4/5
      Good murder mystery that presents a balanced progression of clues and unfolding events and facts to keep reader interested through to the end. The author developed some unique and memorable characters that had depth and were believable. It all made sense, was patiently and comprehensively developed without dragging and giving the reader chances to put the book down and move on.
      I enjoyed it very much and will read more from the author when in the mood for a good murder mystery.
    • 4/5
      This was the first book by Elizabeth George that I have read. Although I have seen most of the BBC tv movies, the books appear to be a quite different experience.
      This book is very long, but in my opinion it becomes better and better the further you get into it. And if you look at my progress, you can see that I was reading it faster and faster.
      In the beginning of the book many lines are opened, to my taste in fact a few too many. Things became a bit confusing then and I wondered where it would lead to. The building of the tension starts a bit late.
      But of course eventually all the many lines come together and a good climax gives the solution to the mystery.
      I have read quite a few negative remarks about the book here, but I cannot agree with them. Somebody even says that "we all know who the killer is by page 300". Well, I did not know it by then. I think the story is good and surprising up to the end. The most I can say is that I suspected involvement of certain characters.
      It is also good to see Lynley back. He is not the principal character in the book, but he get some of te best ideas in solving the murder.
      The weaker lines in the plot and the sometimes a bit slow pace have not influenced my opinion greatly. I give this book four stars. And I will certainly read more by this author.
    • 4/5
      This is my first read of Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley and though rather long it kept my interest but I felt some of it could have been done away with.

      There are several other mysteries besides the basic who "unit" and how they were finally woven in to the conclusion. But some of those mysteries do not truly take an 'Inspector LinIey' to solve. I liked George's narrative description of the various characters mannerisms.

      This being my first book of the series the character development I assume has been done in previous stories.

      If I was asked to sat what I liked least it would be the Isabelle Ardery character. Though there are no doubt Isabelles in the real world I think if I was her superior she would have not have been around much beyond the early part of the investigation. Especially as the lead investigator.

      But the closing the book on Inspector Linley is I have added the first book of the series "A Great Deliverance" to my 'To-Read' shelf and if it hold up to the enjoyment of "This Body of Death" I will have a new series to read.
    • 4/5
      Love all her books! She's an amazing novelist who really gets into the human psyche.
    • 5/5
      This is the first Inspector Lynley Mystery that I have read and I enjoyed it immensely I liked the way it incorporated a past crime story throughout the main storyline. I love the way New Scotland Yard is portrayed and how they proceed with their investigations.The characters were wonderfully detailed. I especially liked D.S. Barbara Havers and her partner Winston Nkata. The author gives a few small details Havers' life and her thoughts. There is also a dynamic between Inspector Lynley and Acting Superintendent Isabelle Ardley. I can not wait until I read another one.
    • 5/5
      This Body of Death is Elizabeth George's best novel.George's 2006 novel, What Came Before He Shot Her, was the worst novel in her "Detective Lynley" series . The 2008 novel, Careless in Red, was a great improvement, but still not as good as her earlier books in the Lynley series of novels. The most recent, This Body of Death (2010), is perhaps the best novel in the series. It has everything and everyone that fans of the series love.Lynley's partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, is personally my favorite character in the series, so I may be biased by her having a larger role than in some recent works in the series. Many of the prior books in the series have concentrated primarily on one character, while the other cast of regulars fill only small support roles. In this novel, George does an excellent job of including the entire cast of regulars and a new boss. The characters specific to this story are well developed as well. There is plenty of Peaches, without too much Deborah (regular readers will understand).While not only being a great new installment for fans of the series, it is also a really excellent novel in its on right. Without leaving their armchairs, readers are transported to a variety of interesting settings both in London and Hampshire. Since I've read all of the books in the series, I must speculate to say how the story would read on its own, but I think it would still be a very good read. You will better understand some of the characters if you have read other books in the series, but you will not be lost if this is your first book of George's tour of Great Britain and its people. You can go ahead and start here and then go back to read the first dozen in order.Some mystery writers may develop better "puzzles" to solve than Elizabeth George. Others may write a "Police Procedural" with more details of criminology or forensics. When she is on her game, as she was in this novel, very few mystery writers are better story tellers and character painters than Elizabeth George. She can make you cry about fictitious characters as if they were your friend. When you finish this book, you want to look on Wikipedia to read more about "New Forrest Ponies" and many other topics. I was lucky to have once been able to spend two weeks traveling in London and other parts of England. George captures much of the unique spirit of the people. While I enjoy each virtual visit I make when reading one of her stories, she also makes me hope to someday be able to visit again in real life. Thank you, Ms. George, for making trans-Atlantic travel more affordable.
    • 4/5
      Once again Elizabeth George has given us another episode in the Lynley/Havers saga. I always look forward to her newest addition to the series, and I did enjoy this one to a point. It took me quite a while to figure out the connection to the child absue case and the main storyline, and I thought that this was quite clever. My main complaint is length...there is a lot extraneous verbage in this novel that really doesn't add to the progress of the story or the enjoyment of the reader. It seems Ms. George feels compelled to be "long" in her novels. All in all, I still enjoyed this novel and look forward to more. PS I certainly can't see Lynley hopping into the sack with Isabelle Ardery even on her best days!
    • 5/5
      Elizabeth George's books mirror our flawed society as it is, exposing the convoluted pattern of individual motivations and how past events and actions affect everything forward. In This Body of Death the author brings back Lynley, Havers and other familiar faces while introducing a new character in the form of Acting Superintendent Ardery, a complex and driven woman with her own secrets. The focus is on the disappearance of a young woman. Her friend and brother strongly suspect her former lover, yet he oddly does little to explain her abrupt termination of their relationship or defend himself from their suspicions. George weaves into the narrative reports from a seemingly unrelated but hideous crime previously committed by three juveniles. The ultimate connection of both cases is stunning but somehow has the feel of inevitability. There are no obvious solutions to the issues that are addressed in this novel, just as few of the characters are ever simple in their thoughts and actions. This is a thought provoking book that challenges the reader to examine his or her own perceptions of how justice is best served.
    • 4/5
      Incredibly intricate plotMasterfully detailed charactersGood job with the continuing characters and plotSPOILER ALERT (2)Haddiyah's mother comes homeI am not convinced that Lynley would sleep with isabelle - 1) it's too soon after Helen's death 2) she's an alcoholic and he knows it
    • 4/5
      George's best in a long time. Keeps you gripped.
    • 5/5
      I believe this is the 17th of the Inspector Lynley novels, and they just keep getting better. In this one, two stories are told, which left me wondering how the two seemingly different stories would relate. Trust me, they do! There is, of course, a murder that must be solved, with many twists and turns along the way. As usual in her novels, the guilty party is hard to detect until the very end. The only complaint I have about his one is that I don't care for the main female character introduced here. It would appear that Isabelle will appear in at least one other book, and I just don't like her at all. Barbara is back, and in the end, there is some good news about Lynley, at least to the reader. I just want something good to happen for Barbara!
    • 3/5
      This was diverting, and mostly fun to read. The backstory, which is delivered in the form of a moralizing and unprofessionally-written "expert" "report" is gruesome and also profoundly boring, and it both slows the story down and adds unnecessary heft to the book. Although it's meant to explain plot points that crop up at the denouement - and, as such, takes waaaaaay to much time to connect itself up with the main body of the novel - it's both carrying more weight than it can shoulder, and not essential enough to the plot to justify the amount of time devoted to it throughout the novel. The office politics at Scotland Yard are as tiresome as ever, and they supply the unnecessarily contrived means by which Lynley is convinced to return to work after the death of his wife. The mystery itself is interesting, with plenty of red herrings and lots of crazy. I don't love George's way of jumping from head to head in her novels, but she does use it to good effect, and she definitely keeps the reader guessing as to what everyone's up to, even if it's clear that that's what she's doing while she's doing it. Comic Relief Havers learns to put on makeup and wear skirts AND repair runs in her nylons, and while her sartorial style has always been an irritating plot point (for the love of small animals, it's not 1988 anymore, could she get some different ugly shoes already, perhaps?) it's at its most absurd here. Either her employer cares how she dresses or it doesn't (and, inexplicably, in this universe it clearly doesn't or she'd have been fired already), but pick one and stick with it. I enjoyed the mystery, but the seams were somehow really showing for me this time around.
    • 4/5
      The best Elizabeth George mystery in too long - a complex, psychological mystery with really strong characters. The writing was great - the mystery well-thought out. Loved having Barbara Havers carry her own story line in the novel but couldn't give the book five stars as I was disappointed with the character Isabelle Ardery, the new department chief, who was not sympathetic and not good at her job. This led me to really not like the turn Inspector Lynley took toward the end of the novel. I hope George has something in mind where this storyline is going because his actions didn't seem entirely real, either professionally or personally.
    • 4/5
      Don't read the parts in italic. They're upsetting -- I almost put the book aside -- and you don't need them.
    • 2/5
      My least favorite Lynley novel, largely due to the inclusion of a new and very unsympathetic character.
    • 5/5
      At first, I thought I might dislike the book--too many plots and characters. Then suddenly, my opinion changed and I am thoroughly enjoying another book by Elizabeth George. Sometimes, I feel that her writing improves with each book. The two main plots involve a killing of a toddler by three teen boys and the brutal murder of a young woman. As each stroy unfolds, I am more engrossed in the novel. Elizabeth George brings into the story the psychological aspects of each of the crimes. The reader learns the how and why. Elizabeth George is also a master of setting, such as the cemetery scene and the wild ponies and the art of roof thatching. George has written many novels, but she does not churn out one each year. Her novels delve into class differences such as Barbara Havers and Thomas Lynley, and of course, the new department chief Isabelle Ardery, whom I despise. Old characters are seen fleetingly, such as Deborah and Simon. An excellent novel.
    • 3/5
      Well written, compelling characters. Decent structure. But as I do not like the genre will not read another. (Too many things to skim over so as to avoid gruesomeness.)
    • 4/5
      I have read and enjoyed all Elizabeth George's novels and this one was no different. I lke all the main characters in her stories and follow with interest the developments in their lives.This story happens only a short time after the last book and Inspecor Lynley is still on compassionate leave after the death of his wife. He is called back into work to show the ropes to Isabelle Ardery who wants the job as Department Chief. There is much tension in the team as members of the team do not trust the new boss and only Lynley is able to see beneath the persona she portrays to what lies beneath.. In this book the team are investigating the death of a young woman in a cemetery in London but leads take them to the area of the New Forest where the old craft of thatching is still in use and strangers are not welcome. Nkata and Havers investigate this end of the case while the others work in London. The book is multi layered and complex with two seemingly unrelated stories. Characters are not who they seem and the story kept me guessing right till the end. I really enjoyed it. I loved the little details woven in especially Barbara Havers being taken shopping by her next door neighbour's daughter to buy more sutable clothes to please the new boss. I wonder how long she wore them!!!