Search - A Place of Hiding (Inspector Lynley, Bk 12)

-(#12 of the Havers-Lynley series) This was about Debra and St. James. Back when Debra was in California, way before her and St. James were married, she had a close friend, China, who helped her thru her abortion. Now China is in trouble on an island in the English Channel and her brother Cherokee has come to ask for help. So St. James and Debra go to the island to see if they can help. This starts a series of mini-plots that George is known for. China is accused of murdering a rich tycoon (Guy) who lives on a huge estate on the island. There is evidence against China but it’s not very strong. So who could be the other suspects. Could it be Ruth, Guy’s sister? Adrian, Guy’s son? Or one of the many women in Guy’s life? Could it be the architect who was not awarded the contract for the museum Guy was funding to build? The museum was going to have an exhibit of antiques collected from the island from WWII. This was another very complex, suspenseful mystery. It wasn’t one of my favorites. It dragged in the middle. The last 100 pages were very exciting and made up for some of the middle’s monotony.

One of my favorite Elizabeth George novels - suspenseful, interesting and well-written, this one also does a little something extra for me. I started reading this one as if the locale was a make-believe place, but in fact Guernsey does of course exist and is a fascinating place. Now I want to visit Guernsey some day, mainly because of how Elizabeth George described it in such vivid detail. If I had not read this novel, I would never had cared so much about this place.

Simon St. James and his wife, Deborah, are called to the island of Guernsey in the English Channel to help solve the mystery of the death of Guy Brouard, one of Guernsey's wealthiest inhabitants. China River, Deborah's friend, has been arrested for the murder, and her brother Cherokee has called them to come and investigate and try to clear her. There are other possible suspects the St. Jameses look at for the murder. Forced as a child to flee the Nazis in Paris, Brouard was working on opening a museum honoring those in Guernsey who resisited the German occupation of the island during World War II when he died. Everyone on the island seems to have something to hide, and the book takes several twists and turns before the killer is found. This is a long book, but worth reading.

Another absorbing Elizabeth George, this time focused on Simon and Deborah St. James, a friend of Deb's and a complicated saga about the German occupation of Guernsey and a planned memorial.

Another top-notch mystery by one of the best writers around.

AS those who have read Elizabeth George's mysteries will know, she is a master storyteller. This book, which takes place on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel, is fully as compelling as her previous books. If you haven't read any of her wonderful books before, this is a good way to start!