When the naked body of a dead young boy is found mutilated and artfully arranged on top of a tomb, it opens up a whole can of worms for the Metropolitan Police Force of London, for it turns out that this is just the latest in a string of similar murders. The thing is that the previous victims had been either black or of mixed race and had been written off as gang related killings. This latest victim, however, is white and is inviting a whole lot of interest. Hoping to contain the accusations of racism and callousness, AC Hillier appoints acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley to the case, assigning him newly promoted Detective Winston Nkata (window dressing in Hiller's mind for the public as Nkata is off Jamaican background) and allowing Lynley to keep fiery Detective Constable Barbara Havers on the team. Everyone quickly realises that they have a serial killer on their hands; and as they race to discover how many prior victims there were and identify them, and to try to establish a pattern of sorts that would give them a clue as to the killer's modus operandi, Lynley also has to contend with Hiller's need to direct the investigation and his desire that Lynley and his team cooperate with the newspapers. As the killings continue to mount, and as the police officers race to get a result, things take an unexpected and explosive turn, one that perhaps neither Lynley nor Havers will ever recover from..
With "With No One as Witness" Elizabeth George is once again in top form. I was terribly disappointed with "A Place of Hiding," and began to wonder if the Lynely-Havers mysteries would ever go back to becoming the compelling, dark reads that they once were. But this new Lynely-Havers installment reminded me of the old days, where I would devour each new installment in one go, relishing how both Lynely and Havers, using different points of reference would complement each other in order to solve the mystery at hand. Well crafted, and obviously meticulously researched (for example how the author effortlessly fleshes out the many grueling aspects of how a police investigation is conducted was truly awe-inspiring), this was definitely a labour of love. There was only one small detraction to "With No One as Witness" and that it was that the first half the novel was rather slow and heavy going. Fortunately Elizabeth George intersperses the slow moving initial police investigation with the chapters in which we are privy to the serial killers thoughts and movements. Chillingly and suspensefully describing how he stalks his young victims, and how he captures them (will the killer grab his victim without any problems, or will the victim escape at the last possible moment?), Ms George ably and competently conveys that "edge-of-your-seat" feeling. Also well done was the manner in which she conveys just how stressed out acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is becoming as he faces pressure from his superior (AC Hiller) to get a result quickly and to do things his way. As I noted before the pace does pick up about halfway through, and that coupled with the small plot twist should keep any mystery reader happily engrossed to the very end. And while some readers may be dismayed at the shocking turn the book takes, this only added to the pathos and promise of even darker installments to follow. All in all, "With No One as Witness" was an absorbing and compelling read that should not be missed.
