I read this book after reading Ann Rule's "And Never Let Her Go". I was actually very glad that I had read her book first, because had I not I would not have understood anything about the background of the people involved, which this book did not go into. It was gripping and definately readable but it just sort of covered the story from the time Capano murdered Anne Marie through the trial. If a person just wants an overall view of the case, this would be the book. But if you want more details and more information into the lives and background of these people, I would recommend Rule's book.

I liked the book. It touched upon the Capano/Fahey story with just the right amount of details. For thoses wanting more background go to Ann Rule's book on this case but for most folks this book is just right. The author has the courage to portray Tom Capano as he is which is a ruthless and cruel man. The author also spells out Ann Marie as flawed and stumbling to find herself but, ultimately, a very redeeming soul who lost her chance to sort out her problems at the hands of Tom Capano. This is a good book and one of the better ones on this case.

The Summer Wind is one of the most fascinating murder stories I have ever read! Although I'm not usually a fan of "true crime" novels, I was instantly engrossed by Anastasia's in-depth account of the Fahey/Capano case. Anastasia takes you inside the minds of both Anne Marie Fahey and Thomas Capano, revealing how their relationship progressed from an innocent flirtation, to a dangerous obsession, and finally to murder. Like the prosecutors involved, Anastasia weaves together all of the evidence until the complete and shocking picture of Capano's betrayal becomes clear. It was not only a heartwrenching and suspenseful story, but also an important examination of human nature and the corrupting force of power. I'd highly recommend it to any reader.

The mystery in this book was a bit more complex than that in George's first book in this series: the solution was not as apparent. Unfortunately, there were so many secondary characters that it was hard to keep them straight. It was obvious that these characters were there to act as "red herrings".

I also thought that the coincidence of Lady Helen being on the scene of a murder, and intimately involved, was a bit of a stretch, but was able to accept it with just a grain of salt.

George did a fairly good job of giving us more insight into the main characters (Lynley, Havers, Helen, and Deborah) and fleshed out their backgrounds quite well.

I thought that the last third of the book was far too dragged out...I found myself skimming a lot.

I enjoy the Lynley/Havers series very much and found this book very hard to put down. The central mystery involves the death of a Playwright on a Scottish estate and the cast of suspects that were involved. The story moves from the estate to various other locations which keeps the reader interested.

There were some problems that I had with the story. There were too many characters and sub-plots involved that took away from the main mystery- including the romantic turmoil of Lynley and some past crimes. There was also a conspiracy plot thrown which only took away from the main mystery.

I did like the character development and I did feel for Lynley and Havers at various times during the novel. This is still a good mystery to add to your collection and I will continue to follow this series.

Even though George paints a somewhat old-fashioned portrait of English life, she is still able to write very very good mysteries.

Her detecive thrillers are clever, intuitive, have nice twists, good, well evoked settings, and are very well written, if somewhat OVER written.

the mystery here is first class as ever. she writes with the style of agatha christie, and comes up with solutions that the dead queen would be proud of. It is only a shame that Lynley is not quite as interesting as Poirot. However, the relationships the main characters 5 characters really are VERY interesting. they add weight, credibility, and realism to the story. they add a more personal and intimate side, and prove an ongoing drama to mix with that of the different crimes which come up in each book.

She is very good at drawing her character, and very good at coming up with agatha christie style plots. her psychology is accurate, and her writing very descriptive.

Definitely worth a read. This second book was very very good. So far, i dont think she written a bad one, and i've read nearly all of them. A good build up A Great Deliverance, and got the series off to a really smashing start.

When I began reading the book, I could not see the point of long descriptions of everyone and everything but as I kept on reading, I understood its' significance. The vivid description unconsciously painted the picture of the heath and the people living there. It took me some time to understand the character of Eustacia but her thoughts, passions and feelings seemed real and felt as if such a person actually existed. The edition of the book I read, after the tragic ending, had another chapter which Thomas Hardy added later, on the readers' demand (because when this book was originally published, some people considered it too tragic). But I think that howsoever tragic, the ending was a suitable one and left an impression for the reader to always remember the story. The later addition of another chapter was unnecessary and side tracked from the original essence of the story. Still, its a great work and worth reading.

"The Return of the native" is the first novel that I have read of Thomas Hardy's. The novel begins with a detailed yet beautiful description of the Egdon Heath, which to a Hardy beginner would appear too descriptive to go on reading. However, once the characters are introduced and the plot of the story begins, it is an unstoppable read. I have read a Hardy's poem titled "The convergence of the Twain" that reveals Hardy's faith in "Immanent Will" that drives the events of this universe. This novel reinforces that faith of his. Though a reader can clearly see a solution to the problem that the characters are in, the characters themselves are helpless pawns in the hands of the Immanent will that drives the show. A not so unusual story, more or less predictable in the plot, gains its advantage from the beauty of Hardy's language. I have not come across a better author who can so exactly transform what he visualizes/sees into words. The book is definitely a treasure to be kept and re-read.

Hardy's talent soars in this novel, as he creates an atmosphere of love, death and life on Egdon Heath. Hardy's characters come to life on the pages, and they carry incredible amounts of emotion, passion and romance in their words. My favorite character, Eustacia Vye is an romantic, evil, and twisted woman who is out to get only what she thinks she deserves. She'll ruin everything in her path to get the man and the wealth that she wants. My least favorite character, Thomasin Yeobright, is a meek and "perfect" character who is so naive that she finds herself in irreversible situations. Other characters that intermingle in the story include Diggory Venn, Clym Yeobright, and my favorite male character, Damon Wileve. All five aforementioned people change and mold eachother into adults as they love, help, hurt and harm eachother. A trail of destined events leads to the explosive ending, and allows the novel to come to an incredible close, where no character is left untouched. Return of the Native is now one of my favorite books! If you like romance, drama, and fantasy, then this book could be perfect for you. It starts off a little slow, but before too long, Hardy will have you enveloped in the lives of his characters, and you won't be able to put it down!

Utopia is a classic masterpiece that conveys More's vivid imagination of the Island of Utopia. Although most of the characters are fictional, it is intriguing to learn about the true values of European societies during the 16th century, when More actually wrote the book (although many scholars believe that the exact year was 1515). Truthfully, the book is quite easy to understand. All More tries to do is convey his own views of how society should be through Raphael. Moreover, the use of imagery in Book I is quite fascinating, including the constant references to Roman and Greek myths and beliefs. It is also quite remarkable to see that the story begins to be more and more interesting after More and Giles come back from dinner. To make a long story short, I think it is a great book because of the actual time it was written in since most pieces of literature written at that time were either lost or destroyed.

As a social critique of Enlgish and European society, this book is very effective. It is also beautifully written. But it should not be read as the depiction of what society should be like. Thomas More, a wise and brave man executed by orders of Henry VIII, knew that Utopia shouldn't be taken very seriously, and that is exactly why he used the word Utopia to name his famous island. Utopia, in latin, means "in no place", that what can not exist. The problem is that this simple fact was not understood by many. And so, "utopianism" was born. The preposterous belief that there is a universal and definitive form of organization for human societies led to disasters like Nazism and Communism. By organizing everything perfectly (according to who?), these systems become the negation of the very essence of the human being: its innate imperfection and its need to be constantly changing, always on the move. It is simply impossible that some political, economic and social system resolves once and for all the troubles of humanity. Problems are exactly what make humans progress and reform constantly. Besides, the State has proven indispensable for survival, but also limited in what it can accomplish (in Utopia, the State provides everything for everybody). Stagnant societies degenerate and disappear, or remain to live from the charity of dynamic societies. Closed, perennial social systems, simply don't work: there is abundant proof in history, ancient or recent. "Utopia" is an excellent account of human shortcomings and a good tale, but it is not, nor was intended to be, a recipe with solutions for the world. Aldous Huxley and George Orwell have shown us what might happen in a supposed Utopia. The Communist world was worse. And Anthony Burgess clearly shows us in "A Clockwork Orange", that in "perfect" societies, the only way to practice freedom is violence. Let's not be perfect.

As a social critique this book is very effective with answers to many arguments. Thomas More is a wise, brave and educated man who was executed by orders of Henry VIII, and wrote Utopia more as an explanation of why society needed to be far from perfect in order to be enjoyable. Utopia, meaning in Latin "in no place", was written entirely in satire, and many have said that it was a great source of entertainment for the more educated as they watched those less educated argue on the side of a Utopian state while quoting Moore, and having never seen the satire present while reading. Mr. Moore's Utopia touches on every aspect of the human existance as it would be experienced if we prescribed to this way of life. I found many of his discriptions colorful, and commonly found myself of the verge of anger before realizing that Mr. Morre was more often than not simply playing the devil's advocate.

This was very enjoyable for me. I would recommend that everyone take a risk and read this one.

1952, 7:00 p.m., Anytown, USA -
Police detectives Jack Pierce and Norman Cohen have only 11-hours for a final interrogation of Albert Jay Smalls. Smalls - a young vagrant who lives in a drainpipe, trying to live by selling things he finds - is the prime suspect in the murder of 8-year-old Catherine Lake. But, the police don't have enough evidence to hold him. A true race against time for detectives Pierce and Cohen. They have 11-hours to get more evidence, a confession, something . . . or the suspect walks!

Speaking of time . . . the detectives had 11-hours; I finished this book in 7! Reached the 1/2-way mark before going to bed. Next morning, put on the coffee and started reading again. Author Thomas H. Cook kept pulling me in further and further. This is my first book by Cook and I WILL read him again.

'The Interrogation' is all about atmosphere.

If it were a movie it would be a classic black and white film noir starring George Raft.

If it were a painting it would be "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper.

If it were a sound it would be the echo of unseen footsteps in the dark streets of an empty city.

Thomas Cook has masterfully created a bleak and silent city filled with solitary characters that are almost without exception imprisoned by their own loneliness, loss and guilt. At the center of it all is the marathon interrogation session going on in interrogation room 3. Oddly, this sparring between the detective and the child murder suspect is by far the most personal and intimate exchange in the book. We hang on every question and response, whether verbal or by body language. Is he guilty? Will he crack? What will they do to him if he doesn't? What will the new day bring? Keep reading and find out.

Seldom have I read a genre book so skillfully written. This is the first of Cook's books that I have read and it most definitely will not be the last.

Word has come down from the top, Albert Jay Smalls, prime suspect in the murder of eight year old Cathy Lake, is to be released at 6:00 am tomorrow morning. With no witnesses or direct evidence to link him to the crime, the police have held Smalls for over a week, hoping he'll break and confess. But his steadfast denial has never wavered, and now detectives Norm Cohen and Jack Pierce have twelve hours, one last interrogation, to make their case or let him go. It's September 12, 1952, and these next few hours will forever change the lives of everyone involved in the Lake murder, as Cohen and Pierce race against the clock to find not only the truth, but justice..... Award winning, master storyteller, Thomas Cook weaves a compelling and intricate tale, that moves deftly, back and forth, between the crime itself, the continuing police investigation, and this last interrogation of Smalls, towards a stunning and powerfully haunting conclusion. This eloquently written, intelligent novel is tight, tense and suspenseful, and filled with vivid, riveting scenes, brilliant characterizations, and seemingly unrelated plot twists that keep the reader off balance and guessing to the end. Part police procedural, part psychological thriller, The Interrogation stands alone in its skill and art, and is a gripping drama that should be placed at the top of everyone's "must read" list.

In both journalistic criticism and dust-jacket propaganda, Elizabeth George is often compared with P.D. James. Although probably not fair to James, I would suggest that George is a combination of James and Barbara Cartland. Like James, she sets up a complicated murder mystery, usually full of blood and gore, throws in a half-dozen red herrings and some nicely-researched detail. Then, she adds a few amazingly adept detectives (one of whom drives a Bentley and another who lives in London's slums) and some perfectly gorgeous girlfriends.

Okay, I can stretch my imagination to believe that Lynley, the Earl of something, who wears hand-tailored clothing, has a manservant, and is handsome, debonair AND warm-hearted is partnered with the chubby, crabby, and churlish Havers. But, when George slips into her Cartland mode and has Lynley fall passionately in love with an 18-year old girl, follow her to American where she "becomes" pregnant, and almost lose his mind when she marries his best friend (also 10 or 12 years her senior), I begin to think I've accidentally picked up another book. George's Cartland-esque prose in the Lynley/Lady Helen/Allcourt-St.James/Deborah quadrangle is laughable with phrases similar to "Deborah's tawny, tangled curls tumbled tantalizingly across her face before he could see her lovely eyes darken with desire. Geez, where did that come from? Weren't we just talking about forensic science and possible murder suspects.

Like the romance novel, George draws her male characters, mostly referred to by their last names, as rich, educated, brilliant, strong, attractive, and afflicted with nobless oblige. Their female counterparts, usually called by their first names, are young, beautiful, alluring, educated, talented, weepy, moue-ing, passive-aggressive in dealing with their men ... and are great hostesses.

I guess George has succeeded in creating the "new" English mystery by combining it with a romance novel format. Unlike James, she doesn't leave us wondering about her protagonist's private lives, she gives it to us full throttle. Maybe James could give us more personal information about her heroes, but I could do with a little less about George's.

A great book to get lost in. One reason a book is always better than a movie is the fact that we get character developement. In this book we not only get that, but great characters. From beginning to end the complexities of the people involved grow and grow. Ms. George has woven a beautiful, yet very disturbing tale, in which each element of each individual slowly yet absorbingly falls into place. From this book I eagerly look forward to the continuing explotis of Lynley and Havers. Simply put, this is a must read.

When I stumbled across this book in the library, I decided to take it home, because it actually started with a word I did not know! I do like English mystery fiction, but I do not like plots to be shallow, the language to be simple, the characters to be full of cliches, the whole thing foreseeable. Although placed in a classical English setting (including an Earl, peasants, a Vicar and the discreet noise of tea-cups) this is a modern book, with modern crimes, and a suitable amount of gore. Lots of psychology, lots of twists and turns, lots of nice , or nasty, or at least complicated protagonists. After this first contact with books by E. George, I have read them all. You probably want to learn as well more about the fate of Lynley, Havers, and the rest. And for those readers, whose native language is not english, don't worry, I bet E.George looks up a few remote words in the dictionary herself, to put them into the novel just for fun.

This was my first Elizabeth George novel and it was a great introduction. This book had a great plot, even better characters, and a nice twist at the end. Her words flow easily, and she has a good set of regular characters who are believeably human. They made me want to read her other novels to find out some more history on them. The story was fast-paced, with twists and turns the whole way through. A good read for anyone who enjoys a well-written suspense novel.

Not the very best of Elizabeth George's Lynley-Havers mysteries but a superb one nonetheless. I especially liked the two-part presentation of the story, first with one set of investigators, then with the starring ones. There were a few implausible factors, but I found the characters believable, even the mother so consumed with her career that she's willing to risk the life of her child. I appreciate the fact that Ms. George assumes her readers are intelligent

If you've never read any of Elizabeth George's novels, this is as good a place as any to start. By the way, she writes novels, not just "mystery novels."

This book works as a novel, as a mystery, as a puzzle, as a soap opera, as a sheer entertainment page-turner, and as a travelogue. You get a lot of bang for your reading buck.

Poor, poor Barbara Havers... I think there should be a society for the prevention of cruelty to characters. I feel so sorry for her.

Fantastic (in both senses of the word) plot twists.

As it happens, I am extremely dense about guessing whodunnit. I just read mysteries for the atmosphere, the characters, the story, the procedure, and the background. But Elizabeth George has pulled off what for me is a very rare experience--I didn't guess whodunnit, but at the end I actually feel that I ought have been able to.

Deadlock: The Inside Story of America's Closest Election is a workmanlike and emotionless recollection of the events surrounding the most controversial election of the past 100 years. It is a well organized, easy to follow and not visibly biased view of the relevant events leading up to and following the November 7 Presidential election. Seemingly accurate and double checked to a fault, reading this book left me with the impression that I had just read an excellent 275 page newspaper article and not much more. With almost no humor, lacking any sidebar comments, it is a book Joe Friday would be proud to call his own. While I am a Texan and Bush supporter, I much preferred Jake Tapper's Down & Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency. I guess this means that like most people, when push comes to shove, I'd rather be entertained than informed. I do regret this intellectual weakness and like some of the votes in Florida I may change. But probably not in the next 36 days.

Two things struck me while reading this book, the first is that I doubt there is a book out there that is truly balanced and not somewhat biased. The second thing was that Gore really got the shaft, not so much by the recount wars, but by the election official that came up with the Butterfly Ballot. In the history of the USA this decision ranks up there with new Coke and the XFL, what a mistake. As far as the reporting in the book it was not bad for a review of all the articles they had in the paper, but it did not really dig into the particular issues very deeply. I wanted more detail and behind the scenes with both the candidates. I also wanted more details on the court cases; I felt like the sky-high overview of the issues of the cases did not do such an important issue justice.

In reading the book I think a little bit of a democratic bias comes out, just a little, but enough to notice. I also thought it interesting that they had far more details of the Gore group then the Bush camp, it follows the perception that the Post is somewhat liberal in its views. The book is an overview that came out almost 10 minutes after Gore hung up the phone on the second concession call so there are a few more details out now that they did not get in the book. Overall it is a good effort and a readable book, but not the end all be all on the subject.

I personally think the Washington Post and NY Times are liberal rags that are generally not worth the paper they are printed on. However, in fairness, when they do well I think they should be commended. I read the NY Times "36 Days" and still think that book was not worth the paper it was printed on. It was nothing more than a reprint of their articles.

Conversely, though, Deadlock was a well-written book. Two passages are worth noting. The first is about the book itself. About one-third of the way into the first chapter the book says: "These are the ... decisions, alliances, power plays, snap judgments and personality flaws revealed when a flukishly close election is played out for staggering high stakes. Both sides were nimble and brilliant and occasionally shady; both sides were also capable of miscalculations, divisions and blame. The best and worst of politics were on displayed in those 36 days, and both sides trafficked in each. This is how it happened." Although the Post endorsed Al Gore (no surprise) they tried to be equal in their appraisal of how the two campaigns sought resolution in their favor.

As for the two sides' strategy one only has to look within the first three pages of Chapter 2 where the Post records that the Democrats enlisted the services of three authors who wrote "The Recount Primer". The book reads: "Anyone who read and heeded the booklet could predict how the two sides would play America's closest president election -- at least in the broad outlines. Gore would gamble; Bush would stall. Gore would preach a doctrine of uncounted ballots; Bush would extol the dependability of machines. Gore needed more: more counting, more examination, more weighing and pondering of more ballots. Bush needed it over while he was still ahead." The only trouble for the Gore forces with this gospel was that the Republicans knew the same gospel. The book attempted to show how the two sides played out the roles assigned them.

For a behind the scenes objective look at the two sides, I think the Post did a very decent job. This could have been a... job on the Republicans and conservatives, but generally it was not (though I expected it). It could have been a... job on the Democrats and liberals, but it was not (nor did I expect it). I am not accustomed to this degree of fairness from the liberal Washington Post nor do I expect to see it very often in the future.

In this, the third installment of the Lynley-Havers series, George expands upon her literary approach and succeeds resoundingly. Set at a typical British public school, Well-Schooled in Murder deals primarily with class and the subtle, but sometimes brutal, means by which class distinctions and pecking-orders are maintained. Disappointing however was the de-emphasis upon Havers, except for some interesting insights into her private life. I felt that this book more than either of the previous could have provided Havers with an opportunity to indict the British class system, but she merely slaps it on the hand with a few salty remarks. Regarding the mystery itself, George's skill at plot development increases with each outing in this series. Fans of Simon and Deborah will be pleased to learn that their lives and histories are explored much more fully than before and that these characters have evolved to become as important (if not more) than Havers. While pleased with the ever-improving excellence that George applies toward character and plot development, I hope that she returns to the original theme which made the first novel, A Great Deliverance, shine -- the conflict/cooperation between Lynley and Havers as representative of the evolution of Britain from an aristocracy to a meritocracy.

I shan't offer an outline of the story, since there are enough reviews to do that. The book is excellent with a well plotted, thoughtful story of murder at an English public school. What struck me as curious was my fellow reviewers' observations about 'an English public school being a mandatory setting for writers of English mysteries' and 'the hypocrisy and brutality that underlie the British veneer of politeness' To comment on the first observation, I have read many, many mysteries written by English authors. I can count on the fingers of one hand, the number that have been set at an English public school (actually, private schools!). To claim that such a setting is mandatory is rubbish. In fact, what Elizabeth George does is to use her story to probe into the system. She does this well (accept that from a former pupil of a British public school, who knows how the system works). On the second observation - 'the hypocrisy and brutality that underlie the British veneer of politeness', I can only say that at least the Brits don't wish everybody 'Have a nice day' when they don't mean it. I think that is a better definition of hypocrisy! And since when were the British regarded as brutal (save for certain bad habits in the wars of the 19th century - habits shared by many other nations)? I also believe that these reviewers are confusing English with British. It's time to understand the difference. Read Jeremy Paxman's 'The English : Portrait of a People' and you'll be better equipped to make scathing comments about a culture that you don't understand. I'm not defending the English, I'm merely pointing out that some reviews lack depth and substance.

Ah, murder at the English public school. It's practically a mandatory setting for writers of English mysteries. And while I haven't read all of these books, this certainly is a solid example of this sub-sub-genre. There are dysfunctional families, odd faculty members and alumni/parent politics. More importantly there's the school's honor code and then the unwritten but very powerful student code. (Reminds me of some military academy scandals we've seen in the USA.)

In all events, this is a good read assuming the reader is looking for the features of an English mystery - not much gore, a bit of class struggle, a stiff upper lip hiding the passions underneath and such. Some of the other reviewers said this was boring a read. I'd counter that the book is what it sets out to be, an exercise of the mind rather than the gun.

A note to readers not familiar with Elizabeth George -- this is a series that is well worth reading in order. The relationship of Lynley and his partner, Havers, is a complex one and grows in each book. Likewise, the story of St. James, his forensic consultant, doesn't make much sense when read out of order (in my experience). This is the third book in the series.

So, want to settle in for the night and be transported to English school life - this is a good choice.

I found it all too melancholic. Every single character was feeling so guilty for one reason or another they made the general atmosphere a bit too heavy / gloomy. Being a quite inexperienced book reviewer, my comments would then base on the instinctive 'after taste' once I've turned over the last page. This was my first Elizabeth George book which didn't exactly make me want to rush out and find another one of hers. I didn't find the motive for the brutal murder strong enough to justify it. Finding out 'who dunn it?' at the end didn't urge me to think "Oh I see., Of course it was him/her!, I could have guessed that, etc." (I'm trying hard not to give away and spoil it all for those who have not read it yet.) I think murder novel readers like it more when motives are really convincing / deserving.

Like all Elizabeth George's books, this is beautifully written and the characters are wonderfully well developed. As the title suggests. the story centers on the first victim, the sexy, charismatic Elena Weaver. In a good mystery, the solution seems inevitable once it is revealed. In this case, the solution is grounded in a relationship that is difficult to believe and thus is ultimately unsatisfying. The pleasure in the book comes from the continuing developments in the lives of the main characters: the relationships between Thomas Lynley and Lady Helen Clyde and Barbara Havers and her mother. It would not be a good place for a first-time reader of this excellent writer to start.

~ * ~ This is one of Elizabeth George's better novels. It's utterly absorbing, and the characters will evoke strong reactions- like or dislike, sometimes both! Fans of the winning combination of Inspector Thomas Lynley and Sergeant Barbara Havers will enjoy it, but you don't need to know the detectives to enjoy the story.

~ * ~ Elena, a young college girl at Cambridge, has just been killed. She was deaf. This was more than a "handicap"- it became a battleground for her, between the students who wanted her to become part of the "Deaf"- not trying to "fit in" by reading lips, etc; and her father, who tried to minimize her deafness- asking her to fit in with his life. ~

~ * ~, Elizabeth George is always strong in characterizations. She fills her story with complex characters, each of whom have weaknesses that we can sympathize with, and their own selfish and unpleasant motives. The conflicts between the characters are so well plotted; we are drawn into the story completely.
~ * ~ Unlike most of her mysteries, I started to see the conclusion. Elizabeth George usually blinds us to the obvious. She can weave a web so intricate and subtle, that despite all the clues we encounter, we don't ever "see" the solution until it is too late

. ~ * ~ My personal favorite of the Lynley/Havers series are" A Suitable Vengeance" which focuses on the early history of Lynley, Deborah and Simon; and "Deception on His Mind ", which focuses on Sergeant Barbara Havers, and an investigation which forces her to take a stand.
~ * ~