This Body of Death

An Inspector Lynley Novel

By: Elizabeth George

Narrated by: John Lee

Thomas Lynley is called back to Scotland Yard when the body of a woman is found stabbed and abandoned in an isolated London cemetery. His former team doesn't trust the leadership of their new department chief, Isabelle Ardery, but Lynley may be the sole person who can see beneath his superior officer's hard-as-nails exterior to a hidden and possibly attractive vulnerability.

While Lynley works in London, his former colleagues Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata follow the murder trail south to the New Forest, a beautiful and strange place where outsiders are not entirely welcome. What they don't know is that more than one dark secret lurks among the trees, and that their investigation will lead them to an outcome that is both tragic and shocking.

A multi-layered jigsaw puzzle of a story skillfully structured to keep readers guessing until the very end, This Body of Death is a magnificent achievement from a writer at the peak of her powers.

©2010 Susan Elizabeth George (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"George tantalizes with glimpses of a horrific earlier murder case; showcases Lynley at his shrewdest, most diplomatic best; and confounds readers with a complex array of evidence, motives, and possible solutions." ( Publishers Weekly)

Surprise ending but lots of clues along the way

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Lots of suspects and subplots trying to lead you astray

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

As usual great performance with different voices for each of the characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Had difficulty putting it down; wanted to continue

Any additional comments?

You may want to listen to it again in fast speed to put it together after you know the ending.

Very enjoyable

Lots of detail. Good story. Love the characters. Looking forward to more books by this author.

Good but we only observe

THIS BODY OF DEATH is very good; but I didn't find the psychology of the characters as interesting as in other of her novels. There are two stories that appear to have nothing to do with each other (and don't until very near the end). In one of the threads, the reader knows no more or less than DI Lynley as he tries to figure out the relationships between the victim and other people she knew; we sometimes observe a character without his presence, but what we're seeing doesn't feel like is anything we can make sense of (and it isn't). The reader is an observer of all the characters but inside the heads of no one. Lynley is slowly picking up the pieces of his life after the violent death of his wife and unborn child two books ago, so maybe he's only 1/2 present too.

The second thread takes place in the past and we learn about it in bits and pieces throughout the book. The first thread of the story is interrupted to turn to the second thread about three young boys from very dysfunctional families who randomly select a toddler and as we learn eventually, kill him brutally.

In the last hour of the book, these threads come together. The underlying theme appears in several of George's books - how the past surfaces in the present.

John Lee is excellent in his narration.

John Lee should narrate every book

I'm so pleased that I gave Elizabeth George a chance- her writing is excellent. Her approach is a bit different, as there is no clear protagonist; you get to hear a bit from all the different characters' point of view. She makes it work. I am hoping and praying that they will release the rest of the Lynley series on audible. Also, I've decided that John Lee is pure genius- he narrated one of the Department Q books (another favorite series), and he elevated the entire feeling of the book. Very witty, very deft with British accents.
He is magic :)

Struggled to like this one

The macabre music at the end was so out of place. I love Havers and would have liked to have heard more from her. Found Lynleys character unlikable

Well-drawn characters

This is my first Elizabeth George novel. The best thing about it, I thought (and I enjoyed the book a great deal), was the opportunity to go from mind to mind of the characters. I think George does a great job of integrating varying points of view and finding a balance between a novel that is driven by the plot (as is the genre of mystery) and involved in the reactions and thoughts of the characters. It's not particularly difficult to conjecture the "bad guy" but that seems to be ok with the author and was ok with me. The turns of the plot are not spoiled by having a sense of "who done it." There are enough hidden detail to make the who less compelling than the how. The book is well narrated and well paced. Good read.

Terrific mystery

This is a complex, interesting and ultimately very satisfying tale. It's well written and well read. That it's so long is a big plus.

Great listen!

Elizabeth George never disappoints and this is no exception. Inspector Linley is back and better than ever as are other familiar characters. I admit I struggled a bit with the book just before this one, which served as a transition between ‘before and after’. I even wondered if the series could or would continue. It can and is! I can’t wait to start the next one. Narration was excellent as it been throughout the series.

This was quite the knot to untangle!

I found the backstory of the baby's murder both disturbing and intriguing. When the plots all came together, I was still surprised. Cleverly done. I can't say I recommend to the parents of toddlers though.

My favorite of her novels

An astonishing layering of plots even for the master. And the way she handles Lynley’s coming to life—it’s already been two books since the murder that shattered him, and the intertwined plot of the child killers brings up and into this book the final threads of her insight into that murder. Braiding these lines of story across 3 novels is an amazing feat. And of course this is a marvelous stand alone read. John Lee is wonderful.