In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner [Hardcover]

Elizabeth George (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

Calder Moor is a wild and deadly place: many have been trapped in the myriad limestone caves, lost in collapsed copper mines, injured on perilous gritstone ridges. But this time, when two bodies are discovered in the shadow of the ancient circle of stones known as Nine Sisters Henge, it is clearly not a case for Mountain Rescue. The corpses are those of a young man and woman. Each met death in a different fashion. Each died violently.

To Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, brought in to investigate by special request, this grisly crime promises to be one of the toughest assignments of his career. For the unfortunate Nicola Maiden was the daughter of a former officer in an elite undercover unit, a man Lynley once regarded as a mentor. Now, as Lynley struggles to find out if Nicola's killer was an enemy of her father's or one she earned herself, a disgraced Barbara Havers, determined to redeem herself in the eyes of her longtime partner, crisscrosses London seeking information on the second murder victim.

Yet the more dark secrets Lynley and Havers uncover, the more they learn that neither the victims nor the suspects are who they appear to be. And once again they come up against the icy realization that human relationships are often murderous...and that the blood that binds can also kill.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Award-winning novelist Elizabeth George (A Great Deliverance, Well-Schooled in Murder) returns with In Pursuit of a Proper Sinner, her 10th installment in the Lynley-Havers series. Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley has his work cut out for him: two mutilated corpses are found in a prehistoric stone circle in Derbyshire. One is the daughter of Lynley's former mentor, Andy Maiden.

What's more, the inspector's partner, Barbara Havers, has been suspended and is facing criminal charges of assault and attempted murder. Was Havers really saving a drowning child or was she disobeying orders? Why, then, did she fire a rifle at the detective chief inspector, and how could Lynley ethically justify it? As he grapples with the ramifications of his partner's radical insubordination, the case in Derbyshire grows in daunting complexity.

Once again, Elizabeth George delivers an intricately woven plot, which efficiently navigates the reader through nearly 600 pages. Along the way, readers will be introduced to a delightful cast of supporting characters from the dowdy Phoebe who finds the first gory cadaver to the stately Andy Maiden: "His face was drawn with exhaustion, and his growth of peppery whiskers fanned out from his moustache and shadowed his cheeks." And, of course, fans will get an eyeful of George's trademark, her vivid descriptions of death: "At her feet, a young man lay curled like a foetus, dressed head-to-toe in nothing but black, with that same colour puckering burnt flesh from eye to jaw on one side of his face." --Rebekah Warren

From Publishers Weekly

Selfish children grow up to betray their parents in bestselling author George's (Deception on His Mind) latest suspense novel, which opens with David King-Ryder, a renowned Andrew Lloyd Webber-like British musical writer/producer, committing suicide on the eve of his successful comeback. How his untimely death ties in with a double homicide in the Derbyshire countryside showcases George's brilliance in concocting an intricate, swiftly paced tale that brings back the popular New Scotland Yard team of detectives Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers. Newly married Detective Inspector Lynley takes the case at the request of Andy Maiden, a former colleague who made his name as a notable undercover agent. Maiden's headstrong daughter Nicola is one of the murder victims, and when her choice to forgo a law career to become a professional dominatrix is painstakingly unearthed by the estimable detectives, Maiden, among others, becomes a prime suspect, as do Nicola's blue-blooded boyfriend, Julian Britton, and his jealous cousin, Samantha McCallin. George spices up the investigation with a side plot about Lynley and Havers's relationship, now complicated since Havers is facing demotion and disciplinary suspension for her insubordination during a previous assignment. When the redoubtable Havers links the second murder victim, Terry ColeAa struggling artist who turns out to be a get-rich-quick schemerAto the dead composer King-Ryder, Lynley dismisses his former partner's intuitive leaps and the two sleuths lock horns. George builds plausible motives for all of the suspects while simultaneously revealing the private lives of her admirable detectives with an engaging mix of subtlety and bravado. The multifaceted surprise ending to the taut, suspenseful plot is the juiciest plum in this can't-put-down novel. Agents, Robert Gottlieb, Marcy Posner, Stephanie Cabot of William Morris agency. Major ad/promo; author tour; BDD audio. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; 1ST edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553102354
• ISBN-13: 978-0553102352
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth George is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels of psychological suspense, one book of nonfiction, and two short-story collections. Her work has been honored with the Anthony and Agatha awards, the Grand Prix de LittÉrature PoliciÈre, and the MIMI, Germany's prestigious prize for suspense fiction. She lives in Washington State.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Genius is nothing but continued attention.", January 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner (Hardcover)

(quoted: Claude A. Helvetius) Elizabeth George shows her genius in this book. If you are an EG fan, or a mystery fan, be forewarned - you may lose sleep, ignore your personal wellbeing and that of your family once you start this book. It begins with Lynley and Havers completely at odds with each other and takes you on a 594 page rollercoaster ride which includes two murders, two suicides, a spin through S&M-land, and more. I was right on the edge of my seat to almost the last page. An incredible story. I can't wait for her next one.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She keeps getting better!, March 12, 2000

By 

Debbie Smetherham - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner (Hardcover)

I became an Elizabeth George fan a couple of years ago when I read 'For the Sake of Elena'. I was so impressed, I immediately went back to the first book in the series and have now read them all. I think she's a fantastic author who keeps her readers interested in the ongoing lives of her main characters whilst introducing a new and fascinating murder mystery. 'In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner' does not disappoint - Ms George skilfully keeps you guessing (and misguessing!) right until the end. Fans will enjoy the next episode in the lives of Lynley and Havers. If you have not read Elizabeth George before, I suggest you try this on for size, then go back to the start of the series and read them all. The story is all the more enriched by knowing the history of these wonderful characters.

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elizabeth George does it twice as good with In Pursuit..., October 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner (Hardcover)

If you are an Elizabeth George fan you will find her latest Havers-Lynley mystery to be one of her finest. She has expertly woven not one but two murders together, leaving the reader to wonder who is the real target and who the killer. (I have read every single Havers-Lynely mystery and have yet to guess who the murder is, a mark of a truly great mystery writer.) As usual, George's grasp on English culture and language makes you want to expand your vocabulary and take a holiday to Jolly Old England. If you have never read George it is best to start with her first mystery and read in order. Though each book can and does stand well on it's own. It is easier in the long run to follow the history of the main characters DI Barbara Havers and her superiour Thomas Lynley from start to finish. I garauntee if you love mysteries that keep you guessing to the very end, if you love eloquent writing and superb use of vocabulary, you will thoroughly enjoy George. Be forwarned, once you get hooked on Havers and Lynley mysteries you will find you can hardly wait the two years George usually takes to research and write her next novel.