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nonna7 's review for:
Just One Evil Act
by Elizabeth George
All it takes is "Just One Evil Act" to turn someone's world upside down. This book is more about Barbara Havers and less about Inspector Lynley. Barbara has become very attached to her Azarh, Pakistani microbiologist neighbor and his 9 yr old daughter, Haddiyah. The scientist left his wife to be with his daughter's mother, Angela Upton, but never married her. She left, came back and left again - this time taking their daughter with her. To complicate matters, the child has her mother's surname and her father's name is not on the birth certificate. Now she has gone and can't be find. He is frantic to find his daughter. Barbara agrees to find him. Then it begins. This is a long book - over 700 pages. It is complicated beyond belief, sardonic, funny, and sad all at the same time. One of the sayings Barbara likes to use is "For my sins..." For those sins, Barbara is assigned to DI John Stewart who despises her and is using her as a clerk typist. Lynley's wife has been dead for a little over a year. He also ended a short but unsatisfying affair with his boss, Isabelle. The book opens with Lynley enjoying a roller derby meet, something that an Earl who happens to be a policeman shouldn't be enjoying. However, he is really interested in one of the participants, Dairdre, a large animal vet he met while walking the cliffs of Cornwall after his wife's death. Lynley tries in vain to prevent Barbara from getting involved in her neighbor's problems, but, of course, she does anyway. This may be George's best books yet. There's so much in it - it's a delight to read and savor.