Review: Believing the Lie

If you’re looking for a harsh review of Elizabeth George, you won’t find it from me! My love for Elizabeth George is no secret (or lie!) so I’m not certain I’ll ever give her a poor review! However, Believing the Lie gives no reason for poor review. It’s another Elizabeth George masterpiece.

I anxiously await every 2 years for another instalment of Inspector Lynley and Barbara Havers. This time, thanks to Netgally and  Penguin Group (USA)  I was able to read more than 2 months in advance of the release date and I am so thankful for that!

Believing the Lie is quite simply more wonderful Elizabeth George. She has once again created a complex mystery with all the twists and turns to keep you guessing, while keeping keeping us informed of the latest with Lynley, Havers and the St. James’. Believing the Lie is a multi-character whodunit to question if the death of Ian Cresswell truly was an accident or was it murder? It’s a multi-layered mystery in which any one of the group of suspects had reason for killing him. Every suspected person has a “lie” hidden that they each wish to remain hidden. These lies come to a racing, unraveling and tumbling end, with heart pounding and all that! Is it an accident or is it murder? And what do all the lies have to do with Ian Cresswell? I won’t give anything away.  

“There was something behind those words that was unexpected, that sounded like anger, but more than anger. Tim thought in that instant that danger was anger with a d in front of it and maybe that’s where danger came from, born out of anger, and what people did when anger came upon them…”

“And people would believe him, of course. First, because people always believed what they wanted and needed to believe.”

“…secrets and silence caused this. Lies caused this…”

I was going through a bit of a Lynley overload though, as I discovered the Inspector Lynley series on DVD and was watching them nightly. I had to put that away while reading this because I think it was getting in the way and well, honestly, it was kind of too much Lynley. (and I was critiquing Havers for looking too sophisticated and wondering where Simon and Deborah St. James were?)

The book also gives us more on the lives of Lynley and Havers, and features the St. James quite a bit…and it’s all just oh so good.

At any rate, another solid, fast paced and great read by Ms. George. Of course it’s a 4 star for me.