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.

I admit, I bought this so I could listen to Alan Rickman for hours on end. However, when listening to that first chapter, I was wondering if I was going to be able to endure the following cassettes... To my suprise, after that dreadful, long-winded, over-descriptive first chapter, the story line really picked up and I actually quite enjoyed the entire story!

Not being a literature-buff, this book becomes a fascinating history lesson as well, with words and situations appearing that I thought were only pertinent to the 20th century, not 19th. There were also, the obligatory words that we no longer use (but only a bare handful...). This (for me) all added an extra richness to the story that Hardy tells.

Alan Rickman's reading was delightful, with him displaying consistency throughout in portraying all the characters. Like other reviewers before me, to listen to Mr Rickman singing the fench song Tape 8 is worth a listen in itself!

All in all, listening to this story unfold by cassette probably makes it more enjoyable than trying to read the book, where I am sure most would give up before finishing the first chapter...

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.

What struck me on reading this book was his modern understanding of the motivations that determine the relations between men and women. Of course, the setting is crucial in any Hardy novel. Mankind's trivial concerns in this unchanging and unforgiving landscape. What is interesting is the dialogue between Wildeve (great name for a lover of nightlife) and Eustacia. The weakness and inconstancy in his character rather than evil and the troubled beauty and vanity of Eustacia's combined for predictable longing, rejection, and ultimately tragedy. He's the only game in town for this bored beauty, and when Clym pops up with his Parisian past, Wildeve was history for the moment. When Eustacia no longer showed interest, he was dying for her. Loved the reddleman who was always Johhny on the spot. The whole gambling sequence and the interplay with Wildeve and the hapless fool that lost Mom's money and then Reddleman's great comeback was wonderful. Hardy claimed that Clym was the center of the novel, but obviously the dullest thing in it. Only the Reddleman shines and in the end comes clean.

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.

It's unfortunate that it seems as if most of these reviews were written by people whose only knowledge of More has come from the (mostly incorrect) opinions they have formed after reading this book. I don't think one can truly understand its import until he or she understands where Moore is at this point in his life and what he previously wrote ("Life of Pico", for example) and what he wrote later (while in prison, perhaps). No, he wasn't expressing his views through Raphael. In fact, it's clear that Raphael is an opinionated fibber (i.e., he discovered Utopia after Vespucci's fourth voyage? There were only three and Morus knows it...) and his account is purposefully filled with contradictions. There's more to it! More is raising issues, trying to make the careful reader think (and shame on some of the other reviewers for not being careful readers). And once you've read this book, read enough More (ha!) to understand what was going on in the bigger scheme of things, such as More's relationship with the other Renaissance humanists of his time and Henry VIII.

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.

Harriet Beecher Stowe created a wonderful tale of adventures and misery when she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. The story is about a slave named Tom, who is abruptly sold to a slave trader. His life becomes unsure as he travels from master to master. The book shows the pros and cons of slavery. While a few owners are kind to their slaves, others are ruthless and cold. Tom struggles to keep a pure heart and mind as he is sold to an evil man who cares nothing about his slaves.
Published in 1851, Uncle Tom's Cabin increased the support of abolitionists in the United States. It unveiled the evils of slavery to the public. People were shocked at the horrors of slavery and quickly became abolitionists. Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of the most famous books of the 1800s. I enjoyed the book very much. It perfectly blends mystery, humor, and drama. I recommend this book to anyone who is intrigued with the Civil War, or anyone looking for a classic.

We can't forget WHY this book was written in the first place. It was a ...tool used by Stowe to light a fire in an apathetic society. Uncle Tom, Simon Legree, George Harris, Eliza, and etc were examples of all sorts of bits and pieces of stories and legends that Harriet Beecher Stowe had heard or experienced. Yes, Uncle Tom was too good to be realistic. But, Stowe chose to portray him as almost Christ-like. (and definitely a martyr.) A martyr for the black race in this novel. That is why Uncle Tom is so pious and so spiritual. He can die for the cause because he uses Christ and his crucification as his (Tom's) inspiration. Little Eva was almost like a biblical prophet. She certainly did not express herself as a normal 5 and 6 year old would. But in this case, Stowe uses Eva as a source of conscience for the white southerners. Each character was not just simply a name. Each character was a manifistation of eithor: 1.good 2.evil or 3.public perception at that time. Yes this book by todays standards is considered prejudiced or racist. I believe Stowe was doing her best to motivate the public and to cause an otherwise apathetic nation to overturn the common practice of slavery. This was not a novel that tried in any way to proove absolute equality between the two races. This may make the book racist to some readers, but we must remember the time and the reason this novel was written.

Uncle Tom's cabin is frequently criticized by people who have never read the work, myself included. I decided I finally needed to read it and judge it for myself. And I have to say, that for all its shortcomings (and it does have them), it is really a remarkable book. The standout characteristics of this book are the narrative drive (it's a very exciting, hard to put down book), the vivid characters (I don't know what other reviewers were reading, but I found the characters extremely vivid and mostly believable - exceptions to follow), the sprawling cast, the several completely different worlds that were masterfully portrayed, and the strong female characters in the book. The portrayal of slavery and its effects on families and on individuals is gut-wrenching - when Uncle Tom has to leave his family, and when Eliza may lose little Harry, one feels utterly desolate.

As for flaws, yes, Mrs. Stowe does sermonize a fair bit, and her sentences and pronouncements can be smug. Yes, if you're not a Christian, you may find all her Christian references a bit much. (But the majority of her readers claimed to be Christian, and it was her appeal to the spirit of Christ that was her most powerful tug at the emotions of her readers). Yes, she still had some stereotypical views of African-Americans (frankly, I think most people have stereotypical views of races other than their own, they just don't state them as clearly today). But in her time, she went far beyond the efforts of most of her contemporaries to both see and portray her African-American brothers and sisters are equal to her. The best way she did this was in her multi-dimensional portrayal of her Negro characters -- they are, in fact, more believable and more diverse than her white characters. Yes, at times her portrayal of Little Eva and Uncle Tom is overdone at times -- they are a little cardboard in places -- but both, Uncle Tom especially, are overall believable, and very inspiring. The rest of the Negro characters - George Harris, Eliza, Topsy, Cassie, Emmeline, Chloe, Jane and Sara, Mammy, Alphonse, Prue, and others, span the whole spectrum of humanity -- they are vivid and real.

The comments of a previous reviewer that the book actually justifies slavery (because "it says it's no worse than capitalism") and that it shows that Christianity defends slavery are due to sloppy reading of the book. No one reading the book could possibly come to the conclusion that it does anything but condemn slavery in the strongest and most indubitable terms. This was the point of the book. The aside about capitalism was just that, an aside on the evils of capitalism. It did not and does not negate the attack on slavery. Secondly, another major point of the book is that TRUE Christianity does not and could not ever support slavery. Stowe points out the Biblical references used to claim that Christianity defended slavery merely to show how the Bible can be misused by those who wish to defend their own indefensible viewpoint. It's ridiculous to say that the book "shows that Christianity supported slavery". It shows that some misguided preachers abused certain Bible passages and ignored other ones to support their view of slavery.

There is an overlay of the tired "Victorian women's novel" to this piece - that must be granted. For literary perfection, it will never take its place beside Tolstoy, Dickens and Austen. But it is a piece entirely of its own category. Nothing before or after it has been anything like it, and it IS a great, if flawed, novel. I highly recommend it. I give it 5 stars despite its flaws because it's utterly unique, and its greatness is in some ways is related to its flaws.

Elizabeth George has managed to meld the standard genres of cozy and police procedural (with a dash of hard-boiled thrown in for spice) into a marvelous series-opening mystery. Sergeant Barbara Havers is from the East End of London and bears resentment against the priveleges of the upper class. Ironically (and to her chagrin), she is teamed with Inspector Thomas Lynley, who also happens to be the Eighth Earl of Asherton, to solve a gruesome axe-murder in rural England. George takes the cozy setting of the English countryside, brings in the inner workings of Scotland Yard, and drops in a few grisly murders to create one of the most readable mysteries I have encountered in years. I intend to read all of George's Lynley-Havers novels.

I've read several of the Lynley/Havers mysteries already, and have loved every one of them. But I've never read this, the first book in the series. Now I have, and I only wish I'd read this one before all the others. I'd never known how Lynley & Havers got together in the first place, or of the details of Lynley's friendship with St. James and his wife, along with Lady Helen. Now that I'm aware, I'll probably go back and re-read those books in the series that I've already read to get a new perspective on the characters.

Now, as to the plot - all I can say is, "wow". The same for the writing. Most British mysteries seem to me to be basically the same - a body is found in a small, quaint English village, or sometimes in a city such as London, and the sleuth - whether it's a local constable, a Scotland Yard person, or someone like the redoubtable Miss Marple - comes in and solves the crime. Along the way, we learn a little bit about the eccentricities of the local population. The basic story is much the same here - but Ms. George fleshes the characters out, and makes them appear three-dimensional - and gives us incredible, breath-taking descriptions of the local scenery. Not only that, but her eventual resolution of the story - the reason for the crime, and its effect on both the main and secondary characters - is so intensely real that I wanted this book to continue on after its ending. With Lynley & Havers, that will be possible by reading the other books in the series, but for the other characters, that probably won't be. And I'd like to have seen what happened to them a few weeks or months (or even years) down the road. I found myself hoping that things would work out for all of them. I'm hoping Ms. George will refer back to them in her future novels - even if it's only a few lines; I'd like to know how they're doing.

I was very impressed with this novel. The ironically unlikely but ultimately well-suited detective team of Thomas Lynley, aristrocratic to the core, and Barbara Havers, from a working class London slum, are really interesting characters. The case that they are asked to solve here has some rather sensational characteristics and is much deeper and more moving than it initially appears. I was impressed with the depth of the story.

I decided to read this after reading most of Martha Grimes' novels. Elizabeth George has some similarities, although this is a much darker book than Grimes' Richard Jury books, which have the comic joys of Melrose Plant and Aunt Agatha to warm them up a bit. This is a book that takes a long look into the pain of the human condition.

With "In The Presence of the Enemy" still being my favorite of the series and being a bit disappointed with "Deception on his Mind", I was eagerly anticipating this installment of the series. George is one of the gifted writers that make you read every word for fear of missing a vital plot link. The story was similar to "For the Sake of Elena" with Nicola Maiden's tawdry living and relations with what seemed the entire country of England, but still George makes it fresh. The prologue was all but forgotten for me until 3/4 through the novel, making me say out loud, "So THAT's what she was talking about". I always hold out hope for our dear Barbara Havers that romance will soon come her way. Taymullah may not be as suave as Lynley, but one can only hope their relationship will blossom in subsequent novels. Helen and Thomas Lynley's ever present squabbling is here too. Would this marraige really last in the real world between these two self absorbed characters? Still, Lynley settling down does not seem to agree with him so far. So I, along with the millions of other readers will wait patiently and anticipate our next venture into the lives of the English souls.

I've always enjoyed reading Elizabeth George mysteries because of the high quality of the writings as well as the analytical descriptions of her characters and settings.

However, I've come to notice that none of her characters, whether they be good or bad, are genuinely likeable. Lynley is a turnoff, he's arrogant and a self-entitled, Helen, while nice, is somewhat pretentious, Havers is more sympathetic but her defeatist attitude is annoying. Simeon and Deborah, I simply don't know enough about them, they're quiet but not terribly interesting. As for the rest of the characters, they're interesting, they may be fascinating, but they're simply not the kind of people you'd want to be friends with.

George's portrayal of the United Kingdom is also interesting. She seems to focus solely on two sectors of society: the aristocratic upper class and the seamy underbelly/working class. Very little is said of the vast bulk of English in between, nice, normal and quiet people who are not too different from nice, normal and quiet Americans. I've spent a fair amount of time in the UK, and while I do recognize the country that George presents, I also recognize that there's a huge slice of Britain that is missing from her novels.

Overall, I give her novels a 4 star ranking solely because of the quality of the writing. The novels are intense and do keep one in suspense, though she does sometimes rely on suspicious coincidences. The actual plots and characters are only worth a 2 or 3 stars, but the quality of the writing strengthens the overall work.

As an Englishwoman, born and bred, I cannot believe that Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers are not the product of an English writer - born and bred. Elizabeth George has such an incredible understanding of the English culture and she reflects this in all aspects of her books, not an easy task for anyone!!

I am sure that many like myself have been waiting eagerly to discover the fate of the irrepressible Barbara Havers. I was very excited to learn that the next installment was available at last and I was instantly hooked - as usual!!

Never have I been so enthralled by a book - Elizabeth George always manages to get her characters right under my skin. They are so convincing, I really feel as though they are personal friends now and I have laughed and cried with them. In this book, we never meet Nicola Maiden in the flesh, but George ensures that we know everything about her as though she were still walking and talking. George weaves an intricate web of mystery and scandal surrounding this central character, which just left me crying out for more!! With an excellent plot and outstanding conclusion this has to be one of her best!!

My message to Elizabeth George - Please Please Please don't make me wait too long for my next fix!!

I found this book somewhere and was originally put off by its length and its plot that involved the murder of a child. (I've gotten pickier in my old age about what I'll spend my time reading.) However, I persevered and by the end I was hurrying to get home so I could get back to it. Although this is the first Elizabeth George book I've read, it was obvious from several references that these characters had existed in other books of the same vein. She writes with a lot of detail and intricate plotting but instead of getting annoyed and skipping passages, I was fascinated by the descriptions of her characters and of the Wiltshire countryside. My one complaint was that one of her main characters, Eve Bowen, was such a detestable shrew that I could barely stand to read the passages that she was in. Ugh.

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.

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.

In college I took a class in detective fiction and this was one of the six books that we had to read -- it proved to be my favorite.

The murder of a child from a British boarding school whose parental lineage is a bit of a mystery is found by Deborah St. James. This places a huge emotional strain on her as she recently suffered a miscarriage.

Enter Detectives Lynley and Havers on the scene. (This book also explores their personal lives outside of the crime scene as you get a very clear dichotomy of their social standing -- Lynley with his fine house and surroundings; Havers with her aging and ailing family members. This was heavily debated in our class and it was interesting to see how George pulls it off so well.) They explore the inner sanctum of the all-boys school and learn more than they expected (although something tells me Lynley already knew what to expect and just didn't want to mention it) along with some more than suprising twists that left many a jaw on the floor.

Elizabeth George has always had a deft handling of her characters and their emotions and this book is no different. With this book, she really hit her stride.

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.

FOR THE SAKE OF ELENA is my introduction to Elizabeth George and her detectives Lynley and Havers. I enjoyed the twists in the plot; as soon as I had made up my mind that a certain character was guilty, a new piece of evidence would be discovered to deflect suspicion. All of the suspects were introduced early enough for the reader to ponder the guilt or innocence of each. I look forward to more of George's work.

There's much to like in this, the fifth book published of the Lynley/Havers series. Anglophiles will throughly enjoy the details of college life in Cambridge. George does a wonderful job of capturing the little inner worlds of the colleges and the role of the Cam in the life of the city (if my memories of a semester there in the 1970's hold true). It's also a darn good mystery with a new prime suspect every fifty or so pages. The ending is a bit like a gourmet dinner - tricking to taste the complexity, a tad difficult to digest but ultimately satisfying.

The subthemes of the book are equally interesting. Much of the book has to do with well-meaning, loving people trying to meet the expectations of those they love. Elena, the victim, is deaf with parents who have spent twenty years trying to make her as "normal" as possible. But what is normal for a deaf person? Much (too much) of the book dwells on Havers internal battle over whether she should send her Alzheimer's inflicted mother to a small care facility.

I've withheld a fifth star because of my unresolved confusion about Lynley's relationship with Lady Helen. I really enjoy this series but sometimes the publication order and the actual timeline are confusing. In this book, all of a sudden and out of the blue (for me) Lynley is ardently persuing Lady Helen. There are references the "past nine months" but I felt like I'd missed something. Quite frankly, I'm not surprised by Helen's reluctance to get involved if the building blocks of the relationship of are as vague to her as they were for me.

Bottom-line: A strong and interesting mystery that should satsify old and new readers alike. New readers are encouraged to start at the beginning of the series to better understand the personal side of the players.