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joaniesickler's review against another edition
3.0
Barbara Havers is in great form in E. George's latest. It's like getting back with old friends to read the adventures of our old friends again. Good murder mystery too. Eliz George is a great storyteller.
hinesight's review against another edition
4.0
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.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
5.0
After the disappointing "Careless in Red" Elizabeth George is back in character with the kind well-developed, complex, can't-put-it-down book her readers look forward to. In "This Body of Death" Lynley is still on compassionate leave. but is called back to the Met to help his temporary replacement, the ambitious Isabelle Ardery.
The novel begins with excerpts from a report about a murder in the 1990s. Two boys snag a toddler from a shopping center, torture, and kill him. Based on the case of Jamie Bolger, chapters are interspersed throughout George's book. This was a shocking crime (the version George creates is less appalling that the real killing), not only for the horror of the murder, but because of the British government's treatment of the killers, who were given new identities and released after the minimum sentence. (Google James Bolger and you'll see that one of his killers is back in the news again). It is this kind of detail, combined with George's interest in British social conditions and her knack for incorporating unusual aspects of English culture that make her books so satisfying.
It's also interesting to see Lynley making poor choices and behaving more like a mere mortal. The always-appealing Barbara Havers has a big role (Isabelle Ardery makes her buy a professional wardrobe and get her teeth fixed--Barbara in Top Shop is worth the price of the novel!)
"This Body of Death" is Elizabeth George at her best.
The novel begins with excerpts from a report about a murder in the 1990s. Two boys snag a toddler from a shopping center, torture, and kill him. Based on the case of Jamie Bolger, chapters are interspersed throughout George's book. This was a shocking crime (the version George creates is less appalling that the real killing), not only for the horror of the murder, but because of the British government's treatment of the killers, who were given new identities and released after the minimum sentence. (Google James Bolger and you'll see that one of his killers is back in the news again). It is this kind of detail, combined with George's interest in British social conditions and her knack for incorporating unusual aspects of English culture that make her books so satisfying.
It's also interesting to see Lynley making poor choices and behaving more like a mere mortal. The always-appealing Barbara Havers has a big role (Isabelle Ardery makes her buy a professional wardrobe and get her teeth fixed--Barbara in Top Shop is worth the price of the novel!)
"This Body of Death" is Elizabeth George at her best.
nancy33's review against another edition
3.0
Good mystery, but just a little too long to get to the end.
therealkathryn's review
3.0
With authors with long series, I sometimes feel as if they want to fill the book with additional characters and storylines to make their long-time characters a smaller part of the book. That definitely seemed true with this book and while it was a good read, it felt too long and in need of some editing. That said, it was a decent read and had a good twist at the end.
missmim's review against another edition
3.0
George is much more in the groove with this one, getting us back to the Lynley-and-Havers we know and love. I found that even though I knew one of the big spoilers early on (honestly, I don't think George was trying to hide it all that well), I still wanted to know how things would get resolved and was really satisfied with the outcome. It's one of those books where I find myself re-reading passages now that I know how it all turns out. The story of the child murder that begins the book is absolutely horrific (it's based on the real-life murder of James Bulger, which was so vile it's hard to believe human children are capable of such a thing), but the overall question that George poses, whether a child who committed a heinous crime can ever lead a normal life, can ever be truly rehabilitated, is one I've been going over in my mind ever since.
maw539's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Set over two timelines this book tells the horrific story of three ten years old who kidnap and murder a toddler as well as the murder of a young lady in a cemetery. The story shows you the lives of several different characters, giving few clues as to who is the 'bad guy' and who is not. While Lynley is a likeable character, his female colleagues are full of faults and failings which I found disappointing. The underlying theme, does a child who commits a heinous crime deserve a fresh start once their punishment has concluded, is an interesting one that this book considers.
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
5.0
The chapter with Havers & Nkata interviewing Yolanda the Psychic quite possibly made this book for me! As always, a complex story & riveting mystery featuring some of my favorite characters. And now onto my FirstReads copy of "Believing the Lie!" :)