The Punishment She Deserves

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What to expect

Award-winning author Elizabeth George delivers another masterpiece of suspense in her Inspector Lynley series.

When a Member of Parliament shows up at New Scotland Yard requesting an investigation into the suicide of the son of one of his constituents in the beautiful town of Ludlow, the Assistant Commissioner sees two opportunities in this request: the first is to have an MP owing him a favour, and the second is to get rid of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, whose career at the Met has been hanging by a thread for quite some time. So he assigns Havers to the case and for good measure partners her with the one person who shares his wish to see the back of her, Detective Chief Superintendent Isabelle Ardery.

But Ardery has her own difficulties. She is not happy to be sent away from London and as a result is in a rush to return. This causes her to overlook certain uncomfortable facts. Soon, the case is opened again and this time, it is Lynley who must accompany Havers to Ludlow, with little more than a week to save the Met's reputation and Barbara's job. And the more they investigate, the more it looks as if the suicide was part of a much more sinister pattern of events.

Critics Review

Rich with descriptive detail and emotional nuance. Several alternating plot threads unspool at length, all of which weave tightly together with pleasing inevitability . . . What has been said before deserves repeating: From suspense to social commentary, from violence to pathos, from villainy to possible redemption, Ms. George can do it all, with style.
Wall Street Journal
Bolstered by George's polished prose, the twentieth Lynley mystery moves briskly along, showing the author at the peak of her powers.
Booklist (starred review)
She's a designer of fastidious mosaics that never fail to intrigue
Guardian
Presses all the buttons to make us hoover her stuff up
Daily Telegraph
She writes extremely well, plots brilliantly and reaches an emotional level deeper than most
The Times
The best plotter in the mystery game, [her] elegant literate flow puts many Brits to shame
Time Out

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
Absolutely gripping story. I’m new to Insoector Lynley books; while there are references to past history in previous books in the series, it doesn’t detract from this one. Excellent depiction of what it is to be alcohol addicted (no experience myself …). Very believable characters. Would give 10 stars for Julia Barrie’s narration. I wish she had narrated more of this series.
CMC 03/10/2024

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