15 March 2005.
ISBN: 978-0-06079845-1(HB)
The discovery of the mutilated body of a young white boy, brings to light the possibility of a serial killer at large in London. Whilst the killing of four young black teenagers found in different parts of London had not been linked by the police to the killing of the white teenager it proves the catalyst, and Acting Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, along with black Detective Sargeant Winston Nkata, whom Assistant Commissioner Sir David Hillier blatantly uses to defuse the possible racial and political situation. Also on the team is Detective Constable Barabara Havers who has still not had her rank of Sargeant reinstated, so her nose is slightly out of joint, along with the rest of her.
Apart
from the complexity of the case and the pressure of possibly more killing
Lynley is constantly trying to keep AC Sir David Hillier off his back. But
Hillier wants fast action and brings in profiler Dr Hamish Robson.
Investigations
into the backgrounds of the dead boys throws up a link - an organisation called
Colossus, that aims to help young offenders find some direction in life. The
director of Colossus is Ulrike Ellis who is passionately protective of
Colossus, and although initially hostile decides to conduct her own
investigations which doesn’t sit well with her colleagues.
The tangle of personal relationships is very central to the power of the book. Lynley and his wife Helen are expecting their first child, and as both come from very old traditional families the decision of which families christening gown should be worn is a major stumbling block to family peace. Barbara Havers has struck up a relationship of sorts with her neighbour Taymullah Aznar but falls unwittingly foul of his beliefs when she takes his daughter Haddiyah on a shopping trip to Camden market. Nkata is still tentatively trying to make any sort of progress with Yasmin Edwards
The only drawback for me is the pages and pages of monologue of the serial killer - I know this is an accepted method of writing, and judging from the sales of the books that employ this feature it is obviously successful, but I can’t get my head around why anyone would be interested in the ravings of a deranged mind.
Having
said that the writing is excellent - some of the passages I found very moving.
For fans of this series there is a shocking tragedy, but I will say no more, just
rush out and buy it and you won’t be disappointed.
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Reviewer:
Lizzie Hayes
Elizabeth George is the author of highly acclaimed novels of psychological suspense. Her first novel, A Great Deliverance, was honoured with the Anthony and Agatha Best First Novel awards in America and received the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France; Well-Schooled In Murder was awarded the prestigious German prize for international mystery fiction, the MIMI '1990'. Her novels have now been adapted for television by the BBC as the Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Elizabeth George lives on Whidbey Island in the state of Washington.
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