Scan barcode
cjeanne99's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I am getting the Barbara Havers story backwards - having read “The Punishment She Deserves” last year - and now taking on a Banquet of Consequences. It’s not clear to me that Havers is not acting like herself - even though that’s what everyone says. At the crux of this book we have an overbearing and manipulative mother, her ex-husband, her current husband, her two sons, the girlfriend and wife of the two sons, the feminist author, the publisher for the feminist author, current husband’s employees at the bakery - and then on the side we have DI Lynley possibly starting a new relationship with a veterinarian, the backstory of the book publisher and Dorothea Harriman intent on helping Barbara “get on with her life” - or maybe it was “add some spice” to her life. The Lynley/veterinarian pages were skimmable - Rory Strathan’s backstory was unnecessary - Dorothea’s interest in redeeming Barbara’s reputation could have been toned down. But - what’s an Elizabeth George novel if it doesn’t have multiple story lines?
Youngest son commits suicide by jumping off a cliff after discovering his girlfriend reading pages in a notebook he kept as a journal.
Wife of older son moves out for a “trial separation”
Author helps design a garden memorial for youngest son - former girlfriend attends - “stalking” mother
Author dies unexpectedly - turns out she was poisoned.
Barbara and Nikita Winston are sent to investigate - under a tight leash!
Overbearing mother is truly TOO much - interfering in her son’s lives - making demands of her husband - controlling feminist author’s life (or so she wishes). Poison was found in a toothpaste tube - but it was Caroline’s toothpaste - which Clare had borrowed. And then - Rory used the same toothpaste - not knowing it had been poisoned.
The accusations fly - Caroline did it herself - Clare did it and then forgot it was in the toothpaste, the current husband did it - the current husband’s lover did it, the older son did it. Who knows?
Youngest son commits suicide by jumping off a cliff after discovering his girlfriend reading pages in a notebook he kept as a journal.
Wife of older son moves out for a “trial separation”
Author helps design a garden memorial for youngest son - former girlfriend attends - “stalking” mother
Author dies unexpectedly - turns out she was poisoned.
Barbara and Nikita Winston are sent to investigate - under a tight leash!
Overbearing mother is truly TOO much - interfering in her son’s lives - making demands of her husband - controlling feminist author’s life (or so she wishes). Poison was found in a toothpaste tube - but it was Caroline’s toothpaste - which Clare had borrowed. And then - Rory used the same toothpaste - not knowing it had been poisoned.
The accusations fly - Caroline did it herself - Clare did it and then forgot it was in the toothpaste, the current husband did it - the current husband’s lover did it, the older son did it. Who knows?
nonna7's review against another edition
5.0
"Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences," Robert Louis Stevenson
In this latest Inspector Lynley novel, Lynley has been back at work for a while. It's 18 months since his wife was shot for apparently no real reason. He is seeing Daidre, a vet he met while trying to heal at his family home in Cornwall. She is now working at the London Zoo, and while she accepts him into his bed, the bed is a simple "camp bed" that is not particularly comfortable nor really made for two. She is working on the flat she has purchased, but has not bothered with the bedroom. Lynley sees an uncomfortable symbolism in this decision. She is keeping him at arms length. Her background is very different from us, and she sees it acutely. In the meantime, Barbara Havers, his second and partner at Scotland Yard, is being kept on a short leash after going completely overboard and out of control when she tried to help her former neighbor who fled from Britain to Italy to Pakistan with his daughter. Everyone agrees that her work is suffering, but the Superintendent, Isabelle Ardery, is more concerned about her getting in line. She holds the threat of a transfer to Berwick-on-Tweed over her head.
Meanwhile one of the administrative assistants in the office, Dorothea, decides to take her in hand and try for a makeover in the hopes that this will rejuvenate her. One of their jaunts is to a book signing by a celebrated feminist author, Clare Abbott who admires a silly tee shirt she is wearing. She gives Barbara her card and an address to send a similar shirt. When Clare's meddlesome assistant takes it from her saying that Clare really doesn't mean what she said, Clare's publisher and close friend, Rory, chases Barbara down and gives her another.
The beginning of the book takes us to the past when a young man jumps to his death while on a camping trip with a woman. The only clue left behind is that he sees his beloved reading a journal he has been keeping for years. The mother of the young man is Clare's assistant.
Back to the present and Clare is on a trip with her assistant. She is poisoned in a particularly horrible way. Her publisher who has Barbara's card contacts Barbara, insisting that the initial pathologist's report of heart failure makes no sense. Another autopsy is ordered, and that is when the poison becomes apparent. Rory asks Barbara to investigate, but it's not her "patch."
Lynley persuades Isabelle to allow Barbara to investigate as long as she respects the local police. Isabelle agrees as long as she is accompanied by someone who will keep her on the straight and narrow. She is sent to the town along with Winston Nkata, a former gang member, turned police officer who is fastidious with his life and his car. He is appalled by Barbara's smoking and bad eating habits: a pop tart is fine for breakfast accompanied by coffee and a cigarette. They are expected to be more or less joined at the hip.
This is a very long book - 573 pages, but then so are most of her other books. Elizabeth George doesn't just write mysteries. She writes novels that explore emotions, families and more. This book throws out a lot of red herrings with a wonderful twist. That's all I'm going to say about it. George is not everyone's favorite, but she certainly is one of mine.
In this latest Inspector Lynley novel, Lynley has been back at work for a while. It's 18 months since his wife was shot for apparently no real reason. He is seeing Daidre, a vet he met while trying to heal at his family home in Cornwall. She is now working at the London Zoo, and while she accepts him into his bed, the bed is a simple "camp bed" that is not particularly comfortable nor really made for two. She is working on the flat she has purchased, but has not bothered with the bedroom. Lynley sees an uncomfortable symbolism in this decision. She is keeping him at arms length. Her background is very different from us, and she sees it acutely. In the meantime, Barbara Havers, his second and partner at Scotland Yard, is being kept on a short leash after going completely overboard and out of control when she tried to help her former neighbor who fled from Britain to Italy to Pakistan with his daughter. Everyone agrees that her work is suffering, but the Superintendent, Isabelle Ardery, is more concerned about her getting in line. She holds the threat of a transfer to Berwick-on-Tweed over her head.
Meanwhile one of the administrative assistants in the office, Dorothea, decides to take her in hand and try for a makeover in the hopes that this will rejuvenate her. One of their jaunts is to a book signing by a celebrated feminist author, Clare Abbott who admires a silly tee shirt she is wearing. She gives Barbara her card and an address to send a similar shirt. When Clare's meddlesome assistant takes it from her saying that Clare really doesn't mean what she said, Clare's publisher and close friend, Rory, chases Barbara down and gives her another.
The beginning of the book takes us to the past when a young man jumps to his death while on a camping trip with a woman. The only clue left behind is that he sees his beloved reading a journal he has been keeping for years. The mother of the young man is Clare's assistant.
Back to the present and Clare is on a trip with her assistant. She is poisoned in a particularly horrible way. Her publisher who has Barbara's card contacts Barbara, insisting that the initial pathologist's report of heart failure makes no sense. Another autopsy is ordered, and that is when the poison becomes apparent. Rory asks Barbara to investigate, but it's not her "patch."
Lynley persuades Isabelle to allow Barbara to investigate as long as she respects the local police. Isabelle agrees as long as she is accompanied by someone who will keep her on the straight and narrow. She is sent to the town along with Winston Nkata, a former gang member, turned police officer who is fastidious with his life and his car. He is appalled by Barbara's smoking and bad eating habits: a pop tart is fine for breakfast accompanied by coffee and a cigarette. They are expected to be more or less joined at the hip.
This is a very long book - 573 pages, but then so are most of her other books. Elizabeth George doesn't just write mysteries. She writes novels that explore emotions, families and more. This book throws out a lot of red herrings with a wonderful twist. That's all I'm going to say about it. George is not everyone's favorite, but she certainly is one of mine.
sdc46250's review against another edition
5.0
This was written by a writer at the top of her game. Wow. And the ending was totally from the blue but shouldn't have been. It also was an absolutely perfect end. Wow again.
jakespancakes's review against another edition
4.0
I'm relatively new to the genre of romance/crime thriller, so my review comes with a grain of salt, but I did enjoy "Banquet" quite a lot. George really drove home how insufferable some of her characters were throughout the story. I thought some of the twists and turns were a bit simplistic, and a few of the characters were pretty one-dimensional, but overall the book kept me interested throughout.
jjmcdade's review against another edition
4.0
Can't help myself: I've been following the Inspector Lynley series for decades. I like them -- no matter how un-noteworthy they are. I just need to find out how my favorite characters are doing.
falconerreader's review against another edition
3.0
Mildly disappointed. It was still good, of course, but it seemed uncharacteristically mild of her to provide an obvious villain and wrap up the likeable characters' storylines so kindly. Always glad to see Winston and to not see Deborah.
h_a_n_n_i's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
jennybeastie's review against another edition
4.0
I've still never forgiven her for Helen, but Elizabeth George continues to write excellent mysteries, and this is no exception. Another thoughtful book, which leaves me pondering justice, and tragedy and how we keep on.
mrs_merdle's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book with my usual high anxiety level, worrying about the characters and Barbara Havers in particular. Also as usual, Elizabeth George created some really interesting side characters - I especially liked Rory, and loathed Caroline - and some horrible buried history. Good solid murder plot this time. A bit more Daidre, which I have mixed feelings about - not really sure Tommy is ready, and I don't like her very much yet - I hope that the author will either give us reasons to like her, or get rid of her (hopefully without killing her off). The big problem for me is that I'M not over Helen's death, I really liked her, so no one else quite measures up. There wasn't a heck of a lot of Lynley in this one, and what there was was mostly him trying to plead Havers' case with the always difficult Isabelle Ardery.
The best part of the book to me was the expansion of Barbara's life - or at least the possibilities that she is allowing herself to explore. It's been a looooooong time coming.
The best part of the book to me was the expansion of Barbara's life - or at least the possibilities that she is allowing herself to explore. It's been a looooooong time coming.
jackiefranklee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75