Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I really wanted to pan this book.
I wanted to talk about the crew of upper-class twits wallowing in their own confused love affairs in a way you'd expect from teenagers, not policemen and lab scientists. I wanted to compare their house party in the country with its drug abuse and bed-hopping to [b:A Dry White Season|65249|A Dry White Season|André Brink|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1407711279l/65249._SY75_.jpg|63299] and contrast Lynley's messing up the evidence in his emotional distraction to the superior work done by Peter Wimsey in [b:Clouds of Witness|192888|Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1287510321l/192888._SY75_.jpg|1576206]. I wanted to point out that the Lady Helen Clyde of this prequel bears little or no resemblance to the Lady Helen of later books. In short, I wanted to call it a mess.
There are two reasons I can't do that. "Elizabeth George" is so good at writing intricate plots that keep you guessing to the last moment without leaving a thread dangling or a clue unexplained that I have to admire the book just for that.
But the real, true, deep, and embarrassing truth is that I remember what it's like to be that confused young person (minus the country house, wealth, and title) and to put myself in terrible pain by saying things that shouldn't have been said and fearing to express the things I absolutely should have. And I understand romantic love. The last paragraph of the book made me cry.
Damn it. I guess I liked this book after all.
I wanted to talk about the crew of upper-class twits wallowing in their own confused love affairs in a way you'd expect from teenagers, not policemen and lab scientists. I wanted to compare their house party in the country with its drug abuse and bed-hopping to [b:A Dry White Season|65249|A Dry White Season|André Brink|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1407711279l/65249._SY75_.jpg|63299] and contrast Lynley's messing up the evidence in his emotional distraction to the superior work done by Peter Wimsey in [b:Clouds of Witness|192888|Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey, #2)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1287510321l/192888._SY75_.jpg|1576206]. I wanted to point out that the Lady Helen Clyde of this prequel bears little or no resemblance to the Lady Helen of later books. In short, I wanted to call it a mess.
There are two reasons I can't do that. "Elizabeth George" is so good at writing intricate plots that keep you guessing to the last moment without leaving a thread dangling or a clue unexplained that I have to admire the book just for that.
But the real, true, deep, and embarrassing truth is that I remember what it's like to be that confused young person (minus the country house, wealth, and title) and to put myself in terrible pain by saying things that shouldn't have been said and fearing to express the things I absolutely should have. And I understand romantic love. The last paragraph of the book made me cry.
Damn it. I guess I liked this book after all.
Seriously you guys. I hard shrugged this book throughout. Why George decided to throw out a book that shows events that took place before the first book in the series baffles me. Also there's just a look at Havers and that's it. I cannot read a whole book following Lynley and St. James again. My head was done in. Also the casual way that everyone reacted when a character was almost raped just made my jaw drop. Also the plot line following who murdered several people and why was beyond convoluted.
"A Suitable Vengeance" I think takes place at least 3 years before the start of "A Great Deliverance." In this we have some of the same characters we know today (Lynley, St. James, Lady Helen, and Deborah) but of course at different places in their lives. We see Lynley in a relationship and engaged. We know that St. James has feelings for her, but because of an accident leaving him disabled he is reluctant to be with her. Lynely asks Deborah and others to come to his family home, Howenstow, in order to formally propose to Deborah. Of course a murder takes place that leaves a lot of questions and then leads to the death of another person. Lynely and St. James start investigating when it appears their family members (Lynlely's brother and St. James's sister) may be involved in some way.
Lady Helen continues to be the best thing about this series. I ended up despising Deborah through this whole book pretty much. She's exhausting. Lynely seemed to just be there and most of the story hangs on St. James. I don't mind being in his POV for the most part, he seems to be constantly struggling to not show people what he is feeling. We get a brief glimpse of Havers and I was ticked. Seriously, you need Lynley and Havers together, you can see without her in his life and vice versa. I think if Havers had been on the scene you would have had someone on the scene to look at things that they all kept overlooking in their rush to protect others or lie to each other about the habits of the rich and titled.
The writing was fine, the flow was off though. I just didn't follow much of what anything was going on and we kept having twists and people going well so this is what happened and then it would be, nope this is what really happened. I ceased caring after about the third or fourth revelation.
The ending was just a letdown. I already know what happened with all of the parties in this story so I didn't care. The resolution to the murders had me going okay...that's super complicated. I felt like I needed a flow chart to understand how everyone and thing was linked together.
"A Suitable Vengeance" I think takes place at least 3 years before the start of "A Great Deliverance." In this we have some of the same characters we know today (Lynley, St. James, Lady Helen, and Deborah) but of course at different places in their lives. We see Lynley in a relationship and engaged. We know that St. James has feelings for her, but because of an accident leaving him disabled he is reluctant to be with her. Lynely asks Deborah and others to come to his family home, Howenstow, in order to formally propose to Deborah. Of course a murder takes place that leaves a lot of questions and then leads to the death of another person. Lynely and St. James start investigating when it appears their family members (Lynlely's brother and St. James's sister) may be involved in some way.
Lady Helen continues to be the best thing about this series. I ended up despising Deborah through this whole book pretty much. She's exhausting. Lynely seemed to just be there and most of the story hangs on St. James. I don't mind being in his POV for the most part, he seems to be constantly struggling to not show people what he is feeling. We get a brief glimpse of Havers and I was ticked. Seriously, you need Lynley and Havers together, you can see without her in his life and vice versa. I think if Havers had been on the scene you would have had someone on the scene to look at things that they all kept overlooking in their rush to protect others or lie to each other about the habits of the rich and titled.
The writing was fine, the flow was off though. I just didn't follow much of what anything was going on and we kept having twists and people going well so this is what happened and then it would be, nope this is what really happened. I ceased caring after about the third or fourth revelation.
The ending was just a letdown. I already know what happened with all of the parties in this story so I didn't care. The resolution to the murders had me going okay...that's super complicated. I felt like I needed a flow chart to understand how everyone and thing was linked together.
Not really the book for me. Too much soap opera relationship drama.
Not badly written, but not my style.
Not badly written, but not my style.
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I missed Havers in this one. Also, the casual violence against women and trans people without consequences screamed early 90s in the worst way.
just okay... a bit plodding and rambly, which made it feel like it could have used some editorial tightening up. but, i did like getting the background on lynley's family, deborah, and simon.
Why, why not make it more obvious that this was a prequel??? I genuinely spent the first 50 pages so, so confused. It was like everyone took a giant step back in their development, and now, at least, I understand why. It was a struggle to get through, and maybe if I had known it was a prequel everyone's crummy choices wouldn't have bothered me so much. But they did, and unfortunately the story didn't make up for it. I will say, I appreciate that it is giving me an excuse to take a break from the series without guilt. I like these, and hope the fifth will bring it back to form but this one doesn't exactly compel me to go grab that right now.
Elizabeth George has a gift, not just for constructing seamless mysteries, but for developing characters that are real and struggle with the beautiful mess that life tends to be. With each novel in this series, I find myself more attached the the people involved and their trials…
Finally, some of the back story to the relationships between Lynley and St. James and Lady Helen and Deborah. This series is so addicting....
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Audible free, second of two that are free in the series. started out, like the first one, tedious and tiresome full of vapid exchanges. Then turned into and ever escalating set of intricate plots with a good resolution. Very well done all around. Just not a big fan of the tiresome initial exchanges
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes