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Murder in Cornwall

August 1st, 2008 Mary K. - Central

There is good news for fans of Elizabeth George and her British mystery series, featuring Thomas Lynley.  She is back in form with Careless in Red.  As series readers will know Lynley, a Scotland Yard detective, has been on leave (or possibly resigned from) his job after the random killing of his pregnant wife, Helen.  Now he is walking the Cornish coastal path as a way to grieve and be alone.

Although Lynley intended to isolate himself from the rest of the world, reality intrudes when he comes across a dead body of Santo Kerne, son of a local hotel developer on the coastal path.  The nearest house is occupied by a secretive woman veterinarian, Daidre Trahair who both intrigues and puzzles Lynley.  Though Lynley is eager to leave, his strange behavior makes him briefly a suspect which detains him long enough to arouse his curiousity.  After he is cleared, he begins to assist in the investigation.

The colorful local police chief DI Bea Hannaford is in charge and she struggles to solve the murder with the help of her young and inexperienced force, and with the assistance of her ex-husband, Ray who is her superior officer.  Fear not series fans, Barbara Havers does come from Scotland Yard to help out.

As is typical with books by Elizabeth George, this book is quite long (600+ pages), and that is both a strength and a weakness.  The story is very engrossing from the first page which helps to pull the reader through the slower middle section, where the secret lives of most of the chararacters are revealed. 

The length of the book allows lots of time for character development as the reader gets to know the inhabitants of the small Cornish village.  There are good descriptions of the area and of its surfing culture.  All of that is great, but the best of all is the fact that Inspector Lynley is back on the job.

Entry Filed under: Mystery