Customer Reviews

A Great Deliverance

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

"Who knows what darkness lies in the hearts of men? Only the Shadow knows." That opening from the old radio show came to mind as I reread this book about the almost unspeakable evils that people do to one another.

First published in 1988, A Great Deliverance is the first book in the distinguished series featuring Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, the English detective duo who have delighted so many readers since then. I first read this book many years ago and was impressed at the time by the careful character development. Little did I know that that character development would make the subsequent series such a remarkable delight. Rereading the book now, I must say that I don't remember a first book in a detective series that did nearly so much to establish the backgrounds, thought processes, influences and loves of the lead characters. I'm much more impressed than the first time.

As the story opens, Father Hart is on a pilgrimage to Scotland Yard to help heal a rift among those who have been investigating the beheading of a local farmer. While most detectives would feel that finding the farmer's daughter, Roberta Teys, next to the body as she confesses that she's guilty would be enough evidence, Father Hart believes that Roberta is innocent. Thus, Scotland Yard enters the case. Havers is dispatched to haul Lynley back from a wedding he's attending, and the reader is soon enmeshed in "what might have been" thoughts concerning the lives of both Lynley and Havers.

Lynley is the golden boy, the eighth earl of Asherton, who doesn't even need to work . . . but who sees work as his obligation. Havers is a loose cannon of emotions, instincts and prejudice . . . but who's brilliantly and doggedly determined to find the answers to any crime. How they develop comfort with one another is quite intriguing in the book.

The mystery itself is pretty straightforward, so don't look for that aspect of the book to delight you with its charm. If you judge mysteries by how hard the mystery is to solve, this one will be a 2 or 3 star effort to you.

But if you love rich, complex characters with nuanced reactions in tricky situations, this book will delight you.

Literature fans will appreciate the references that are included in sorting out the mystery.

Those who require absolute accuracy in all aspects of what's English will detect false notes here and there. Still, the overall result is quite impressive coming from an American. And most American readers won't be able to tell the difference anyway.

If the mystery had been better designed, this could have been one of the great mystery stories of all time. Do read on. There are many other fine books in this series. The rich character development in this book will add much delight to your reading in the subsequent ones.

I wanted to start with George's first book and I am glad I did. I can see how the characters will continue their relationships in the next books. The author's writing is easy to follow with the full nuances of England and Scotland Yard. Excellent writing that makes me want to continue through the entire series. I HIGHLY recommend it. Peter Robinson fans-go for it!!

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.

This is M/s George's first novel and the reader's introduction to D.I.Lynley, eigth Earl of Asherton, and D.S.Barbara Havers, that unlikely couple of detectives whos careers and lives continue in further stories. Thomas Lynley is an elegant, aristocratic, former Etonian and Oxford man, well dressed, well educated and well connected. Barbara is fat, badly dressed and teetering between extremely homely and just plain ugly, with a consquent lack of self esteem. They have been teamed by Scotland Yard to investigate an horrific murder in Yorkshire, where it is claimed that a farmer's daughter decapitated him with an axe. Initially, Barbara is totally intimidated by Lynley, as much by the division of their social classes and her inbuilt prejudice, as by his reputation, deserved or not, as a womaniser who sweeps all before him, but soon realises that this somewhat foppish exterior is a mask for a shrewd brain. During the story, Lynley is forced to face and to come to terms with his relationship with Deborah, his former fiancee and now the new wife of his oldest friend. The murder story revolves around a most unpleasant subject, but one which is cleverly plotted and written by Elizabeth George with a most satisfactory ending. It's a great read !

As the first book in the series, A Great Deliverance is a marvellous introduction to Thomas Lynley and Babara Havers. In Lynley, we catch a glimpse of the compassionate human being behind the insightful detective; a side of his character that is not so evident in later novels. We also get a window into Haver's background and the demons that plague her life. I think Havers has developed very well along the course of the series, much more than Lynley who often gets too mired in his obsessive self analysis.

Instead of the trailing the conventional footprints, this novel probes the darker recesses of the human psyche. A hidden photograph, a cache of food and an enigmatic epitaph on an infant's grave are some of the elusive hints that point to the truth behind a gruesome murder. A truth that is perhaps even more gruesome than the deed. A deep and disturbing novel, A Great Deliverance goes far beyond just a murder mystery.

After reading an article in the New York Times lauding George, I picked up this, the first in her Lynley-Havers series. It's a terrific debut, beautifully written, intelligent and complex. If I have a single reservation, it may be that the story is a tad too complex, with some messy plotting that exists -- after all is said and done -- simply to provide red herrings. Also, there are so many surprise revelations (even involving secondary characters) in the last 20 pages, that you almost expect to find out on the last page that the whole thing was a dream, a la "Dallas." It's as if George, not knowing if there'd be a Book #2, threw into this one volume every plot development and twist she'd ever wanted to write. In addition, it's somewhat unbelievable that Detective Havers would speak to her superior officer in such a demeaning, insulting fashion and still be kept on the job. All that said, it is to George's immense credit that none of this seriously detracts from the pure pleasure of this First-Class mystery, one that ranks up there with the best of P.D. James and other masters of the genre.

Just a short comment on this books. It is great. Read the others comments for more details. I just want write down the order of the Lynley and Havers series. For all other how have wondered as well here are all the books in order.

1. A Suitable Veangance
2. A great Deliverance
3. Well Schooled Murder
4. Payment In Blood
5. For The Sake Of Elena
6. Missing Joseph
7. PLaying For The Ashes
8. Deception On His Mind
9. A Traitor To Memory
10. In Pursuit Of The Proper Sinner

I can only recommend to read all of them.
Lot`s of fun with doing so.

I am devouring Elizabeth George's series starring Detective Lynley and his cohort Barbara Havers. I started with some of George's more recent books and realized that you really should read them in the order they were written, so I bought "A Great Deliverance". It is not as good a read as subsequent books in her series but in my opinion it is a necessity to read and read first. It will help you develop the characters in your mind and thus help you understand them later.
What if you have already read her more recent books? Should you skip it? Absolutely not, it is well written and entertaining and it will help you understand Lynley and Haver's relationship and how it developed in to the well oiled machine it is in later novels.

A Great Deliverance is the first novel in Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series, which is one that I've come to enjoy very much. George's books tend to run long and this one is no exception. Nevertheless, it sets the stage for a reader's full enjoyment of the rest of the Lynley series so I have to say that it is essential reading.

Although the primary story line is about what appears to be patricide, the real value of A Great Deliverance is that it introduces both the Lynley character and his erstwhile partner, Barbara Havers. I began reading the series somewhere in the middle, so never realized how truly troubled Havers really was. Over the course of the series she clearly has done some healing, muting her short-tempered somewhat unlikable personality to one that now features an appealing quirkiness that is a great part of her charm. Other important characters from the series also make their debut here, including Deborah and Simon St. John and Lady Helen Clyde.

As to this particular novel, the plot is decent, although rather transparent, and the local Cornwall color lives up to the high standard that George's later novels display. A great part of the Lynley series' appeal is the setting of these novels, and George offers up some excellent material in this particular book, including an ancient abbey complete with its requisite ghost. Overall, I recommend A Great Deliverance and encourage anyone who likes a good mystery to be sure and read the later Lynley books, wherein George really finds her stride.