The Punishment She Deserves

Elizabeth George is the master of building suspense. This book started slow but quickly became un-put-downable. For Havers fans, she spends time building the cat and mouse situation between Barbara Havers and Isabelle Ardery. If you love Havers (or like me, can relate to her bumbling act-before-you-think behavior), you will find her more scrappy and quick-thinking than you imagined. Anxiously awaiting the next installment!

4 and 1 / 2 stars

DS Barbara Havers is commanded to go along with her and DI Thomas Lynley’s boss, DCS Isabelle Ardery, to investigate a death in custody in a distant village called Ludlow. This was at the request of a cabinet minister. Barbara and DCS Ardery have a very rocky relationship. Suffice it to say that Ardery has been looking for a reason to transfer Barbara out of the Met.

The case has already been investigated by the higher-ups in the force and it was determined that nothing was amiss with the police handling of the incident. The deceased was a local deacon named Ian Druitt. He was accused of child molestation and his father is raising a ruckus, so…

By all appearances Ian Druitt was a model citizen. He was involved in all kinds of charitable organizations and donated his time copiously. He was selected for a Man of the Year award. Barbara thinks there is something fishy going on, but Ardery keeps reminding her that their investigation is only supposed to cover the review committee, not a reinvestigation of the circumstances of Druitt’s death in spite of what Druitt’s father wants.

But Barbara keeps banging away at the case and Ardery has Lynley join her in frustration. He also senses something is off. They thoroughly investigate the case. As they connect the dots, it is clear that Druitt was not guilty and that he was murdered.

What follows are some shocking and surprising conclusions.

Elizabeth George has written one of her finest novels to date. I’ve always enjoyed her books, some more than others, but this one is a spellbinding page-turner. Her writing is clear and linear. The story follows a logical progression. I truly enjoyed this book and am, of course, waiting for the next novel to come out.

When it comes to Elizabeth George, most people will state that her books are like those fine wines that you cherish for as long as humanly possible. With this latest release, that “feeling” grows even stronger.
Readers are taken to the quaintest town imaginable: Ludlow. Cozy, lush scenery, residents who act more like a close-knit family than anything else, Ludlow is one of those places all people would enjoy. Of course, even in the happiest of towns, bad things can occur. And Ludlow is no different.
Ian Druitt, one of Ludlow’s well-respected citizens, is accused of committing a violent crime. What’s worse, however, is that once this local deacon is taken into police custody, he is soon found dead himself. Enter Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, a team that must explore the ins and outs of this historic medieval village in order to bring a killer to light.
This is a truly intricate case. Even though Havers and Lynley see the clues that are leading law enforcement to rule Ian’s death a suicide, Havers remains unconvinced. She has that detective “gut” feeling that leads her to investigate further. While questioning people that range from senior citizens who have been a part of Ludlow’s history for generations; to college students who seem upfront and amiable, the duo soon begins to see a pattern. It seems that each and every person in Ludlow has something to hide, and Havers will not stop until the truth is revealed and she clears the name of what may be a completely innocent dead man.
Elizabeth George has created journeys for Havers and Lynley before and this, yet again, falls among the “must reads” in the suspense world. For new readers getting onboard and for those who have loved these characters for a while now, this book is one you do not want to miss.

As a fan of Elizabeth George’s D.I Lynsey series, I found this latest one to be overlong and complicated. It was definely not up to par with many of the other books in this British police procedural mystery series.

I love Insp Lynley & Barbara Havers, what a team! All the books are excellent, fast moving with great stories.

Part of the franchise. I like to follow along! I love the recurring characters.

This is the first book of Elizabeth George’s that I’ve read; I have no familiarity with “A Lynley Novel,” so I came at this with a clean slate, no expectations, only a reader’s anticipation of a hopefully good book. From the start I was thrilled to discover this is an excellent writer, one who knows how to create compelling characters and page-turning plot lines, whipping out fascinating dialogue and exposition, with settings of tangible, visceral specificity. Good so far.

However… as I read, and read, and read, and read, one thing became undeniably clear: the book is painfully too long, excessively drawn out, and after getting into the meat of the story and characters, exhausting in its retreading of recurring themes, ideas, relationships, character traits, etc. By the end of the book, I simply wanted it to be DONE, to the point that I skipped through the last couple of chapters, which seemed tagged on and narratively unnecessary.

So, with apologies to the writer, that’s what I’m left with: a well written, interesting tale that’s about 200 pages too long…

I think I have read all of the Thomas Lynley books by Elizabeth George. Really the series should be called the Barbara Havers books. She’s a wonderful detective but she talks and dresses inappropriately. Barbara does not play political games. Policemen are no different at work with their problems and distractions.

The story was a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters , many with complicated backgrounds intertwining more and more as the story unfolded.
It was entertaining with some twists and turns which kept it worth reading further. Great read.

A superb writer