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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
I was beginning to think I would never finish this book. What annoyed me about this book: 1. her use of Italian and then she did not translate; 2. pushed the Havers character to far; 3. the plot dragged and didn't pick up until the last 100 pages; 4. the book was too long (719 pages).
It’s the end of an era. I’ve read 17 Elizabeth George novels, but this time I just couldn’t finish - and I won’t be reading any more. I tried. I really tried. But I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed a book in years.
I’m not sure what is more annoying - the gross amount of untranslated Italian, the entirely pompous way George has been telling her stories for the last few years, or the fact that her characters have become completely unrecognizable shells of themselves. Thomas Lynley is boring, and his forced relationship with the vet is reaching and uninteresting. Barbara Havers has become a stereotype. She’s had no character growth (only forced physical changes by Dorothea and Angelina), and she makes absolutely insane decisions in this novel that are just plain unbelievable. We get it - she’s a slob, she reeks of cigarettes and she is now a bumbling idiot because she’s fallen in love with a man. Insert eye roll here.
I have loved George’s novels in the past, and it pains me so much, but I have to say - this series died with Helen.
I’m not sure what is more annoying - the gross amount of untranslated Italian, the entirely pompous way George has been telling her stories for the last few years, or the fact that her characters have become completely unrecognizable shells of themselves. Thomas Lynley is boring, and his forced relationship with the vet is reaching and uninteresting. Barbara Havers has become a stereotype. She’s had no character growth (only forced physical changes by Dorothea and Angelina), and she makes absolutely insane decisions in this novel that are just plain unbelievable. We get it - she’s a slob, she reeks of cigarettes and she is now a bumbling idiot because she’s fallen in love with a man. Insert eye roll here.
I have loved George’s novels in the past, and it pains me so much, but I have to say - this series died with Helen.
Over 700 pages? Really? SO much could and should have been cut from this. Start with all the untranslated Italian. Then the crazy woman who thinks she's a nun, then 90% of most of the other stuff about Italian characters we don't need to know about. Then cut out that dreadful tabloid journalist in the cowboy suit, and Barbara's ridiculous dealings with him, cut out the associates of the detective, cut out everything to do with that boring vet/roller derby woman Lynley is lusting after (he certainly has gotten over Helen quickly and easily, hasn't he? Remember this chick first caught his eye while he was still in his non-bathing wild man trek of despair) cut out all of Barbara's reckless behavior trying to save Azhar, who is not a good guy, he abandoned his wife and children permanently for Angelina who is rotten as well, cut out all the torture she puts poor little Hadiyyah through AGAIN, she got thrown off a boat and left to drown in an earlier book, remember) add in more actual mystery and a solution that is not totally ridiculous, and I will give it a higher star count.
Of course I will read the next one, because having read 18 of these books, I have to see the rest through. And oddly, while I'm reading them, they don't irritate me as much as when I'm finished.
Of course I will read the next one, because having read 18 of these books, I have to see the rest through. And oddly, while I'm reading them, they don't irritate me as much as when I'm finished.
I did not like this as much as Elizabeth George's other books. However, when the set of audio disks needed to be returned to the library before I was finished, I made it a point to find the print version in another library so I could finish it ASAP. It was a very long book and I thought the twists and turns were a bit over the top and at least one major plot line unrealistic. It was also very uncomfortable seeing what appeared to be serious flaws in a favorite character. However, in the long run, the more I think about it, the more I liked it when viewing it as a whole.
When Hadiyyah Upman disappears from London in the company of her mother, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers is as devastated as the girl's father. They are her close friends as well as neighbours, but since the child is with her mother, nothing can be done. Five months later, Hadiyyah is kidnapped from an open air market in Lucca, Italy, and this triggers an investigation in the full glare of the media spotlight. Barbara's clever manipulation of the worst of London's tabloids forces New Scotland Yard to become involved. But rather than Barbara herself, her superior officer DI Thomas Lynley is assigned to handle a situation made delicate by racial issues, language difficulties, and the determination of an Italian magistrate to arrest and convict someone - anyone - for the crime.
This was fantastic, couldn't put it down! It could easily have ended at the 50% mark but continued to twist and turn and produce more dark paths. A huge improvement on the last couple of Lynley books which had become quite dull. I loved it!
P.S. I imagine that the overuse of Italian phrases would have been very annoying to most readers but as I'm currently learning Italian I found it a bonus :) However, if it had been any other language I would have been screaming in annoyance.
This was fantastic, couldn't put it down! It could easily have ended at the 50% mark but continued to twist and turn and produce more dark paths. A huge improvement on the last couple of Lynley books which had become quite dull. I loved it!
P.S. I imagine that the overuse of Italian phrases would have been very annoying to most readers but as I'm currently learning Italian I found it a bonus :) However, if it had been any other language I would have been screaming in annoyance.
The central mystery in this book is very good, but the book itself is at least a 1/3 too long. I found myself skipping page after page with no loss of plot or characterization. Having conversations take place in Italian with no translation didn't make it an easier read either, but my biggest issue is that we find so many of the characters acting so unbelievably out of character. Definitely the weakent entry in this series.
Elizabeth George and I have had a contentious relationship lately. Her mysteries have seemed unnecessarily long lately, with side stories which seem to add nothing of substance to the tale. Lately I had begun to suspect that George has tired of Lynley and Havers and was searching for a way to get rid of them, but could never seem to bring herself to kill them off. And while I am very fond of her odd couple inspectors, I would rather she give them a spectacular farewell than that she slowly bleed them to death of all their best qualities. I enjoyed Just One Evil Act much more than Believing the Lie, but still can't help feeling that it's time for George to let them go.
3.5 stars. I'm a loyal Elizabeth George fan, but found this one pretty tedious. I found the Italian writing, which then had to be explained in English, particularly annoying. But of course I wanted to know what would happen so I persevered, and I care enough about the central characters that I'll still be reading her next book as soon as it comes out.
Been a while since I read this series. Lordt was this very long, improved quite a bit when I started skipping 10 pages at a time.