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guardian's review against another edition
1.0
What a waste of time. I had given up on Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley previously as the stories had gotten painful to read. However, having liked the main characters in the past and reading reasonable reviews about this book, I thought I would try one more time. I shouldn't have.
There isn't a single redeeming person in this book, except maybe for Ruth the editor and the murder victim's close friend. The story is a slog through vile abusers and those who wont stand up to them. All of the main characters were whinny and insipid. Ms. George goes into some detail about how the method of killing would kill the victims and how dangerous it is to those that use it. Based on that information the perpetrators should have died also. There never was an explanation of how the perpetrators set up the murder and didn't also die. This is a very bad plot point.
Ms. George has turned both Lynley and Havers into wimpering lap dogs. Based on Havers prior behavior she now has a transfer to Berwick-upon-Tweed hanging over her head unless she toes a straight and narrow line, which keeps her from really digging into the crime. Inspectory Lynley is much more in the background this time and struggling with his boss and finding a new love interest.
All in all it was a dreadful book.
There isn't a single redeeming person in this book, except maybe for Ruth the editor and the murder victim's close friend. The story is a slog through vile abusers and those who wont stand up to them. All of the main characters were whinny and insipid. Ms. George goes into some detail about how the method of killing would kill the victims and how dangerous it is to those that use it. Based on that information the perpetrators should have died also. There never was an explanation of how the perpetrators set up the murder and didn't also die. This is a very bad plot point.
Ms. George has turned both Lynley and Havers into wimpering lap dogs. Based on Havers prior behavior she now has a transfer to Berwick-upon-Tweed hanging over her head unless she toes a straight and narrow line, which keeps her from really digging into the crime. Inspectory Lynley is much more in the background this time and struggling with his boss and finding a new love interest.
All in all it was a dreadful book.
herleva's review against another edition
3.0
PAS OP, SPOILERS
Ik heb heel lang getwijfeld of ik dit nou echt een goede thriller vond, en het antwoord is nee. Eigenlijk is dit boek te langdradig om als thriller te worden beschreven, en toch kon ik het eigenlijk niet wegleggen. Ik had meerdere gemixte reviews gehoord voor ik eraan begon en achteraf snap ik de kritiek en de lovende woorden - het ligt er gewoon een beetje aan wie het boek leest.
Het probleem zit hem niet in de lange beschrijvingen, denk ik. Ik heb deze geen moment als storend ervaren - ze dragen veel bij aan de beeldvorming en sfeer van het boek, maar ze halen wel het tempo naar beneden. Zelf heb ik daar weinig moeite mee, maar ik kan me voorstellen dat mensen die anders gewend zijn van George wel vinden dat dit haar schrijfstijl niet ten goede komt.
Positief:
- Karakters die ik mocht EN karakters die ik absoluut niet mocht, oh, en karakters die ik eerst niet mocht maar langzaamaan wel ging begrijpen. Al met al een bonte verzameling;
- Ik was na de eerste bekentenis een beetje verdrietig omdat ik het gegokt had, maar toen kwam er NOG een plottwist;
- Ik zou persoonlijk wel met Barbara willen trouwen, maar heb nog liever dat ze met Rory trouwt;
- Normalisering van LGBT-koppels, chapeau!
Negatief:
- Voor een thriller waren de beschrijvingen vrij langdradig;
- Op een gegeven moment had ik het probleem van Caroline eigenlijk wel begrepen en wilde ik vooral dat ze haar mond hield;
- In mijn versie (ebook) stonden redelijk wat grammaticale fouten. Geen idee of dat aan de versie of de vertaling lag. Ik ben zelf vertaler, dus die geef ik niet graag de schuld;
- Enigszins abrupt einde.
Al met al heb ik van dit boek genoten, maar ik vond het eerder een tragische familiegeschiedenis dan een thriller.
Ik heb heel lang getwijfeld of ik dit nou echt een goede thriller vond, en het antwoord is nee. Eigenlijk is dit boek te langdradig om als thriller te worden beschreven, en toch kon ik het eigenlijk niet wegleggen. Ik had meerdere gemixte reviews gehoord voor ik eraan begon en achteraf snap ik de kritiek en de lovende woorden - het ligt er gewoon een beetje aan wie het boek leest.
Het probleem zit hem niet in de lange beschrijvingen, denk ik. Ik heb deze geen moment als storend ervaren - ze dragen veel bij aan de beeldvorming en sfeer van het boek, maar ze halen wel het tempo naar beneden. Zelf heb ik daar weinig moeite mee, maar ik kan me voorstellen dat mensen die anders gewend zijn van George wel vinden dat dit haar schrijfstijl niet ten goede komt.
Positief:
- Karakters die ik mocht EN karakters die ik absoluut niet mocht, oh, en karakters die ik eerst niet mocht maar langzaamaan wel ging begrijpen. Al met al een bonte verzameling;
- Ik was na de eerste bekentenis een beetje verdrietig omdat ik het gegokt had, maar toen kwam er NOG een plottwist;
- Ik zou persoonlijk wel met Barbara willen trouwen, maar heb nog liever dat ze met Rory trouwt;
- Normalisering van LGBT-koppels, chapeau!
Negatief:
- Voor een thriller waren de beschrijvingen vrij langdradig;
- Op een gegeven moment had ik het probleem van Caroline eigenlijk wel begrepen en wilde ik vooral dat ze haar mond hield;
- In mijn versie (ebook) stonden redelijk wat grammaticale fouten. Geen idee of dat aan de versie of de vertaling lag. Ik ben zelf vertaler, dus die geef ik niet graag de schuld;
- Enigszins abrupt einde.
Al met al heb ik van dit boek genoten, maar ik vond het eerder een tragische familiegeschiedenis dan een thriller.
laurenff79's review against another edition
4.0
I chose this book to be an easy, entertaining summer read and that is exactly what it was. The sections are short which made it perfect for the stop and go situation in my daily life and attention span. There were a few spots that felt off to me for characters' choice of words but these were easily forgiven. I will read more George.
em_beddedinbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Elizabeth George is one among my favorite police procedural series authors, and this book reiterates my partiality towards her. Rich in character development, giving a glimpse of the happenings in the lives of the police team ..sometimes I feel a part of it all .
In this book, a young , disturbed mam jumps to his suicidal death, a middle aged non fiction writer dies under mysterious circumstances, her publisher friend is also in danger. Are these 3 incidents connected?
Yes, these are ..
And I went on to find how ...along with Barb, Linley, Nkata et al..
In this book, a young , disturbed mam jumps to his suicidal death, a middle aged non fiction writer dies under mysterious circumstances, her publisher friend is also in danger. Are these 3 incidents connected?
Yes, these are ..
And I went on to find how ...along with Barb, Linley, Nkata et al..
candiebella's review against another edition
3.0
I hadn't enjoyed the last few in the series. This was more like the first books. My only complaint is that the ending is totally implausible.
jcheidel's review against another edition
5.0
Mystery novels by Elizabeth George have been one of my favorite indulgences for years. I tell myself I have such a tall reading stack that I should be patient, but I can never wait until her latest novel is released in paperback. I buy the hardcover and I zoom through it in just a few sittings. And I always love it! A Banquet of Consequences is no exception. I at least waited for the appropriate discount coupon before buying the hardcover. And then I zoomed through it, trying to savor her beautiful prose and finally drawn characters, but ultimately dragged along by the intriguing story. True to form, George dangles important clues very early on, nearly highlighting them in neon lights blinking "important clue." And yet, as always, the true meaning of the clues remains just barely elusive until the final reveal. In this book, her recurring players move forward glacially, but the depth of the characters who are central or even seemingly peripheral to the main story is what impresses. Motives and methods are complex and ultimately surprising. Elizabeth George, you've done it again! I love it!
jlmb's review against another edition
4.0
Elizabeth George is such a pleasure to read. It's highly impressive that the writing standards of the Inspector Lynley series hasn't faltered and remains as good in book 19 as it did in book 1. Almost inevitably a mystery series will begin to lose it's steam. Maybe this one will at some point, but I hope not.
The mystery itself was compelling. I kept going back and forth as to what I thought had actually happened. I was correct about one motive but I ended up not guessing the killer at all. While frustrating, it is also entertaining and for me the hallmark of a great mystery - not guessing the killer.
I've already placed a library hold on book 20, being released later this month. Only 18th in line!
The mystery itself was compelling. I kept going back and forth as to what I thought had actually happened. I was correct about one motive but I ended up not guessing the killer at all. While frustrating, it is also entertaining and for me the hallmark of a great mystery - not guessing the killer.
I've already placed a library hold on book 20, being released later this month. Only 18th in line!
psalmcat's review against another edition
4.0
FINALLY finished this book. I wanted to settle down and gobble it up, but I just couldn't find the time to do it until this week. Perhaps not her greatest book, but it sets up Barbara on the road to regaining her status in the Met, and Lynley getting on with Daidre. Oh, and there's death, and confusion, and just general ooshiness (sadly, I kind of knew that was coming from the get-go), and some really dreadfully tedious people.
philantrop's review against another edition
1.0
Sodium azide? Just take it and be done with it, George.
This book was so extraordinarily bad, I don't even know where to start criticizing it.
I've read all the Lynley novels and enjoyed them greatly until one of the protagonists was killed off. From then on, not only a life derailed but the entire series and its author.
It looks like George would much prefer to become known for "serious" books instead of mysteries but doesn't understand she simply doesn't have it in herself to ever really succeed at that.
Instead, she keeps writing horribly bad books that deserve no praise at all because they fail at being mysteries and serious social criticism both.
Just calling it a Lynley novel doesn't really make it one and this certainly was the last sham I've fallen victim of.
This book was so extraordinarily bad, I don't even know where to start criticizing it.
I've read all the Lynley novels and enjoyed them greatly until one of the protagonists was killed off. From then on, not only a life derailed but the entire series and its author.
It looks like George would much prefer to become known for "serious" books instead of mysteries but doesn't understand she simply doesn't have it in herself to ever really succeed at that.
Instead, she keeps writing horribly bad books that deserve no praise at all because they fail at being mysteries and serious social criticism both.
Just calling it a Lynley novel doesn't really make it one and this certainly was the last sham I've fallen victim of.