8 by Elizabeth George (2012-06-07) - In The Presence Of The Enemy

If cricket is in the background of this novel, other games are developing under the reader’s eyes.

Some—not all—of the suspects here look more like victims than villains. The victim himself, a beloved cricket champion, was more stable with his bat than with women or his all too often neglected children. His attempt at regulating his life will ironically lead to tragedy.

Built like a complex jigsaw puzzle where tortured characters seem to further disassemble the pieces, Playing for the Ashes is as much a literary mystery as it is a classic whodunit.

One reader on the store mentions that the characters here are unsympathetic, implying that this fact alone weakens the qualities of the novel. I would like to respond with what one politician answered another during a presidential campaign some twenty years ago, “If you want a friend, get a dog.” Reading is not necessarily about making friends or feeling warm and fuzzy. Centuries of literature will confirm this.

I suppose aforementioned reader is alluding mostly to Olivia, a character to whom George gives the first person narrative at various intervals. The novel thus navigates between first and third person narration. Handled by some less talented, less experienced author, these acrobatics could endanger the plot. Here, they deepen the mystery, adding to it a disturbing yet intriguing quality, and in the end allowing the reader to see the extraordinary evolution of Olivia, from rebellious and apparently indifferent, to compassionate and courageous. As her diseased body is becoming increasingly unresponsive, forcing her into unnatural humility, her soul (her passion) grows accordingly. All this while being a suspect. That’s what I meant when I stated earlier that some suspects here look more like victims than villains. Among all the victims/suspects, Olivia might be the most poignant character in this literary journey. Olivia is a journey.

Another captivating aspect of Ashes is the way George depicts inner conflicts and solitudes (our inner ashes), not only with suspects, but with Detectives Lynley and Havers as well. Even in a marginal plot involving Barbara Havers’ new neighbor, a little girl living with her father (with a mother abroad and not expected to be back for the kid’s upcoming birthday?), we witness the solitude of a child. And, in many ways and with several characters, abandonment. This abandonment is manifest in various ways: some characters are or feel abandoned by loved ones; others abandon their law-abiding selves in the name of compassion and principle. There are those who save animals abandoned to the cruelty of human science, and those who feel abandoned or, at least, isolated by the snobbery of their highborn milieu. The scene when Barbara cooks a humble omelette in her humble abode for her aristocratic boss who is in no hurry to leave illustrates this quest for real companionship.

Opposite to that are the sexy little interludes with Lynley’s pretty yet useless girlfriend, pardon, fiancee now. Will she last? Only if she’s mentioned on occasion, in my view, or is she is developed into something less superficial. What she does here is add levity to the story, but the story is not asking for levity. Reading Elizabeth George is not reading Danielle Steel, so let’s not mix things up. This is a bit of a distraction, an interlude, but certainly not an enrichment to the plot.

As it is, Ashes is a powerful novel. Without the insignificant romance, it could have lost its Achilles’ heel.

Though Elizabeth George's latest novel kept me turning its pages well past
my bedtime, I felt that one of its major plot elements was seriously
implausible. The mystery hinges on a kidnapping/blackmail (no real
spoilers here, I promise). Dennis Luxford, editor of an anti-Tory tabloid,
is told he must publish, on the front page of his own newspaper, the fact
that he fathered a prominent female Tory politician's child. Otherwise
the kidnapped child will die. The girl's mother, Eve, gets a similar
note. Complications ensue when Eve assumes her former lover is, in fact,
blackmailing *her,* his goal to embarrass her publicly and sell more
newspapers. Much of the book traces the results of her stubborn refusal to
imagine any other villain than Luxford.

However, no one in the novel seems willing to point out to Eve with
sufficient force that this makes no sense. Luxford is editor of this
tabloid; he knows he's the father of her child; he could publish the
information, if he wanted to, at any time. Why would Eve have to be
forced into agreeing to publish when Luxford could do this unilaterally if
he chose? Especially when the elaborate purported scheme would only get
him in legal trouble, if he were discovered?

I also found it difficult to believe Eve's career would be so aversely
affected that she'd risk her child's life. After all, the public already
knows the girl is illegitimate; it's just her paternity that's unknown.
Surely Eve would at least get some sympathy points for the horror of
having her child kidnapped, and that would offset news of the real father.

Because the book's central conflict is so unbelievable, the book as a
whole suffers. Unable to enter into the plot's emotional urgency, as a
result I felt detached from the characters--when I wasn't actually
annoyed at them.

George also seems more interested these days in such minor characters
as the music teacher or the Irish maid, rather than her major and
continuing characters. I always like Barbara Havers, and she does have
some good moments in this outing. Others, however, are becoming to seem
one-note: Deborah's childlessness, Simon's leg, Helen's shoes. I would
like to see these characters develop in a more multi-layered way.

Still, despite these flaws, George does have the ability to keep you
reading, and there are some genuine surprises in this well-paced mystery.

I devour mystery books, and am especially fond of series that include the same characters over and over. So I was inclined to like this series from the start, but was pleasantly surprised by the way George develops her characters to an unusual degree. However, they are uneven are far as how interesting they seem (which I suppose is true in life as well). Every time the plot involves Deborah I just want to put the book down and snore. She's sweet, she's a photographer, she has curly red hair, she is devastated by her inability to have children; that's all we know. But really, who cares about her? Not me. And would Simon get over his leg already? On the other hand, I find Helen Clyde to be hilarious, very witty. Lynley, a wee bit dry for the central character. But Barbara Havers has now become my favorite mystery character of all time. I am so excited to read Deception on His Mind, where she has an even larger role. Thank you, Elizabeth George, for making this complex, funny, unglamorous and wholly likable person. My only complaints: it makes no sense to me that Barbara has no real friends. Why not? She's very cool. She should have a close gal pal. Second, I hope that life begins to treat Barb a little better pretty soon; I somehow felt personally crushed by some of the things that have happened to her. One last comment about this book: there were absolutely zero clues as to the perp in this book. And no hints in this person's behavior as to their psychotic crimes until they were explained in the end. I like to have at least a slight chance of sussing the mystery out myself!

I really enjoyed this book -- it took forever to listen to on cassette, and I was still sorry when it ended. But there were a few things that bugged me:
1. As another reviewer said, the perp sort of came out of left field. His or her motivations were explained after the identity was revealed, but it felt to me like one of those scenes in "Mission Impossible II" where the "good guys" kept pulling off their fake faces and turning out to be the bad guys.
2. The climax includes a scene that's almost identical to one in Payment in Blood (which happens to be the last one I read), where a woman, while alone with a man, receives a phone call informing her that the man is probably the murderer. It's a good suspense-builder, but not as effective the second time.
3. It was pretty obvious in the final confrontation who was going to save the day, though it was apparently intended as a surprise twist.
All that said, though, I thought this was really fine stuff. I thought the "temporary" characters (Eve Bowen, Dennis Luxford, their families, etc.) were very well drawn, and I enjoyed the further development of the recurring ones (Lynley, Havers, Simon, Deborah, and Helen). I do often hate Lynley and wonder why his friends put up with him, but he generally redeems himself eventually. And like the other reviewer, I agree that Barbara deserves at least a little happiness.

I listened to the unabridged audiobook of this story narrated by Davina Porter who was excellent. After starting the Lynley/Havers series backwards with "No One As Witness" (didn't know it was a series) I got a list of titles and began with the first story. Liked Lynley and the other characters from the start but had mixed feelings about Sgt. Barbara Havers. She was a bit overbearing when first introduced and her pairing with Lynley seemed a bit strange but it worked. Their work relationship has grown throughout the series and they are now a great team. Funny as heck at times too! However, Barbara still was a bit annoying at times.In this story, she really comes across as a courageous, heroic and dedicated professional and I was rooting for her all the way. If this had been a movie, I would have been on the edge of my chair towards the end. Must say I never guessed who the villian was and it caught me completely by surprise.Elizabeth George is a terrific writer and has created a very satisfying series filled with complex characters and solid stories. I look forward to reading or listening to the remaining stories and will then look at the TV series based on the books that PBS periodically airs.

Elizabeth George is the best living writer of mysteries in the English-speaking world, period. And this book, like all the others in the Lynley-Havers series, establishes her status at the top of the rankings once again.
Thumbnail plot sketch: A child is kidnapped. The child was the result of a week-long tryst years before, and the two parents have since both risen to prominence, but in very different ways. The mother (with whom the child lives) is a prominent and ambitious Tory politician. The father is the editor of a scandal sheet. The mother wants nothing to do with the father, and his paternity has never been publicly acknowledged.
When the child is kidnapped, the kidnapper insists that the father acknowledge the child or else the child will be murdered. The father is entirely willing to agree to the demand, but the mother is not - and believes that in fact the father himself is behind the kidnapping.
To relate much more of the plot would be to spoil it for the reader. But Lynley and Havers eventually get involved in the case, and there is the usual wonderful writing, complex plot, and rich characterizations that we always get in Elizabeth George's books.
I actually think this book is slightly weaker than some of George's other work, because to me the fundamental premises don't ring true. The mother's reasons for not wanting the father to acknowledge his paternity are unconvincing (to me, anyway), and the ultimate explanation for the crime has an implausible motive. Furthermore, as a frequent reader of crime novels I get very tired of the constant portrayal of all conservative politicians as hypocritical scoundrels. Some real life conservative politicians may well BE hypocritical scoundrels. But it has gotten to the point where you know immediately upon being introduced to the character, that (s)he will turn out to be a contemptible example of humanity.
That sounds like an awful lot of complaints for a five-star book, but George is just too talented, her writing too beautiful and too intelligent, to rate this anything but five stars. And please make sure you read it all the way to the end. If you can get through the last two paragraphs without tears, then you are heartless.

This is another winning volume in her popular series. This time, the theme is dirty politics and journalism, set against a background of despicable, personal crimes.
The characters, as is George's trademark, are well drawn and interesting. They are varied, and keep the story moving along as the plot gets ever more complex. And intriguing.
Turn follows turn as the narrative follows the slow progress of the investigation into the kidnap of the cild of Dennis Luxford, editor of "The Source" newspaper, who once had an affair with an up-and-coming member of the Tory party, resulting in an illegitimate child which he has never seen. Now, someone steals his child away, and the price? Reveal everything about his first-born child on the front page of his newspaper for all the world to see.
The plot is original, and weaved together with George's usual skill. This time, we get to see more of Barbara Havers, which is great, as she is probably the best character. This time, also, she is given a potential love-match...
At last, Lynley and Helen move their relationship along another step (after it has been sadly stagnant and going nowhere for about 3 books) which gives fresh input to the lives of the normal characters.
The solution is suitably surprising, and there is a good twist right near the end to surprise you one last time.

I really wanted to title this review using one of Barbara Havers favorite phrases but was afraid it wouldn't make it past the censors so I substituted the word "jolly!" This is a terrific book in which Havers really comes into her own.

It starts with the kidnapping of the daughter of a member of Parliament and a demand that the child's father, a tabloid newspaper editor, acknowledge her on the front page of the paper. MP Eve Bowen, who has kept the identity of her daughter's father a closely guarded secret, believes the kidnapping is a publicity stunt and an attampt to embarass her by newspaper editor Dennis Luxford. Although Luxford is willing to run the story, Bowen refuses to allow it and also refuses to have the police called in. Even after her daughter's dead body is found, Bowen continues to insist that Luxford is responsible- a charge that is given credence when the child's glasses and some of her hair is found in Luxford's car.

Then Luxford's son is kidnapped and the kidnapper makes the same demand. This time Luxford follows the kidnapper's instructions with a front page story, only to receive a phone call telling him that he'd gotten the story wrong and that his son will be killed unless the correct story is run.

This book has some delightfully humorous dialogue between Sgt. NKarta and Inspector Lynley, but it is a terrific book for Havers, who is in charge of the investigation at the site where the little girl's body was found. She even has a little romance, which, in typical Havers fashion, she doesn't have the faintest idea how to handle.

I would like to have seen some sort of scene at the end where MP Bowen is forced to face the realization that she is largely responsible for the death of her daughter but otherwise, this is an extremely satisfying book in an excellent series.

I listened to the audio version of this book and I several times found Derek Jacobi's voice jarring and not at all a match for how I had thought the characters would sound-- however, when he read the dialogue for Havers, he had her spot on so I'm willing to forgive him for making St. James's voice much too deep. He also used very thick accents for a couple of characters that made it difficult for me to understand what they were saying, but I still managed to figure out what was going on.

"The Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers" mystery series is a fairly new reading venture I have begun. The previous books I have read are, "A Great Deliverance," "Payment In Blood," For The Sake of Elena," "Playing for the Ashes," and, finally, this particular one. Each story is heartwrenching and complex, but "In The Presence of the Enemy is by far the best book in the series which I have read.

The premise of this installment concerns a tabloid writer, Dennis Luxford, who receives an annymous note demanding that Luxford acknowledge his illegitimate daughter, Charlotte Bowan, who was conceived during a brief illecit affair with Eve Bowan, a member of Parliament. Charlotte has been kidnapped by the sender of the note. At first, Luxford does nothing, thinking that it is a joke, but when Charlotte's life is threatened, he enlists the help of amateur sleuths, Simon Alcourt St. James, and Lady Helen Clyde. It is only when the investigation takes a drastic turn that Scotland Yard is called in to the case, and Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers join Simon, his wife Deborah, and Helen in finding the culprit.

This installment is filled with suspenseful and heartwrenching moments. The sceens between Charlotte and her abductor are equally terrifying and poignant. The characters are sympathetically portrayed and likable, except Eve Bowan, Charlotte's mother, who seems to not care about her little girl at all. Ms. George possibly portrayed her too negatively for my taste. All the other characters are unforgettable, and Barbara Havers, a character whom I greatly disliked when I first began the series, is becoming more and more my most favorite character of the books.

This novel is a must-read for mystery fans, and even if you have not read any books in the series, this is a good place to start. Read this novel to meet some unforgettable characters, and for a shocking solution which will make you want to read other books in this gem of a mystery series. Happy reading, and take care.

Eighth in the Detective Lynley Mystery series. The daughter of a Member of Parliament is kidnapped, and her parents refuse to involve the police. Simon St. James, much against his better judgment, agrees to investigate the case, and immediately finds his friendship with Detective Inspector Lynley at risk. The case also generates another crisis in Lynley's relationship with Lady Helen Clyde, as well as some uncharacteristic soul-searching on the part of Detective Sergeant Havers. But in a refreshing contrast to some of the earlier novels in the series, these elements do not dominate; in fact they serve the plot extremely well. The characters unique to this installment are well drawn, and the author uses Tory politics and the London tabloid press effectively to heighten their interest. Even better, the several red herrings the author introduces are realistic enough to sustain the reader's uncertainty for almost 600 pages. Considerable suspense remains even after the villain has been identified, until the threads of several different plot lines are very skillfully tied off in the final scenes.

On the whole, this is one of the better plotted novels of this series. I have only two nit-picks: (1) although this book was published in 1996, the nuns at the kidnapped child's Catholic school are drawn as 19th-century stereotypes, complete with starched wimples; and (2) how can Simon St. James investigate crimes without a private detective's license?

Reading Elizabeth George is always a pleasure, but her this novel is disturbingly so. If you like your characters predictable and bland, read something else. "In the Presence of the Enemy", the characters will make you angry, baffled and you may even weep. George's tight weave between the kidnapping of a child, politics, London's tabloid press and crime detail is masterful. She writes with a style that makes one become enmeshed in the thoughts, feelings and actions of her characters. This is no mere story-telling. I grew to scorn the Junior Minister, Eva Bowen; wept for Charlie; wanted to have Leo for a son; fair liked to have slapped Corrine silly.I was dead wrong as to the identity of the murderer until the name was announced, something rare for a reader of more ho-hum novels than masterpieces. This story will stay with me for quite some time. Until the next Elizabeth George novel captures my attention.

I have read several of Elizabeth George's novels. At first I plodded through them, wondering when she was going to get to the point. Now I have come to expect her slower pace, building the plot, and describing the characters and the drama in their personal lives. "In the Presence of the Enemy" is my favorite of all the ones I've read. It helps if you've read some of her earlier novels, but not mandatory as she fills in details when necessary. Barbara Havers has to be one of my all time favorite characters, and she does not disappoint in this tale of sleaze and political agendas. Highly recommend this book.

Elizabeth George has outdone herself in her latest novel, "In the Presence of the Enemy". This novel involves the usual characters - Detetctive Inspector Thomas Lynley, Simon St. James and Barbara Havers as they try to resolve the kidnapping of a young girl. As the reader is drawn deeper and deeper into the plot, Ms. George's talent for creating believable characters becomes apparent. In addition to how each character reacts to news of the kidnapping, there are subplots and twists which keep the reader intrigued. The personality of each character if finely developed and maintained throughout the book. And the ending was a total suprise to me! It left me thinking about human actions and interactions for many days. If you like mysteries which keep you challenged and constantly thinking, then this is a book for you

I have been an Elizabeth George fan since high school, as she is the wife of my former high school principal. She very simply blew me away, with this one. I was in the Phoenix airport waiting for my plane to take off in bad weather, when approaching the climax of this book. The passengers beside me must have thought me a fright, when I literally gasped a "Oh No!" This book had me so completely caught up in the moment, a freight train could have barrelled through the cab of the plane without a wince from me. I love the way Barbara Havers begins to come into her own here and as always, Detective Thomas Lynley is at his charming and sensual best. I have often said, the idea of a perfect man, is what Lynley possesses. Thank you Ms. George, for another wonderful glimpse into the Britain that I love so dearly.

I was very disappointed in the first ~100 pages of this installment in the Lynley/Havers series. Neither of them appeared and the action was very very slow-moving. However, once they become involved in the story, the book is addictive and I stayed up very late one night to finish it. The character of Havers has always fascinated me and you get to see another side of her in this book, although it is almost heartbreaking to see it. Once again, George has created characters that are so dimensional in their personalities that you can empathize with them, hate them, curse them, and praise them all at the same time - with the exception of the Eve Bowen character who is nothing but a politician in all her actions, professional and personal. Another great read!

Elizabeth George's series featuring Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers is a distinguished one. Most books in the series are masterpieces of character development. The best ones are also marvelous plots that will leave you thinking.

In the Presence of the Enemy is by far the weakest of the books in the series. Unless you feel compelled to read every book in the series, I suggest you skip this one.

The character development is mostly about two narcissists, the career obsessed Eve Bowen, M.P., and her one-time lover, tabloid sleaze-jockey, Dennis Luxford. Now if you really find it entertaining to read about successful people who are hollow inside, feel free to read this book. But there's no reward for staring at the hollows in these two.

The plot provides an above-average mystery, but one that will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

The story? A young girl, Charlotte Bowen, has been kidnapped and her kidnapper threatens to murder her if Luxford doesn't acknowledge his "eldest child." Luxford is willing to do that, but Eve Bowen believes that it's just a publicity stunt that Luxford cooked up to embarrass the Tories. Evidence to the contrary fails to move Eve who seeks out help from Simon St. James instead. Simon involves Deborah and Lady Helen, and that sets them all up for a confrontation with Lynley when he finds out what they have been doing behind his back.

Perhaps the best part of the story comes as Barbara Havers struggles to handle one end of the investigation on her own. It's a challenge . . . that almost exceeds her ability to handle.

George gives us another Scotland yard murder mystery filled with the meticulous puzzles that are so evident with British writers. Her characters, Tommy Lynley and Simon St. James make quite a crime solving team, contrasted by Lynley’s assistant, detective sergeant Barbara Havers. Havers brings to the plot the realness of a in the trenches kind of officer, who continually plods along until the job is done. Any reader can’t help but relate to her raw sincerity. A page turner good read.

Elizabeth George is a master storyteller, and a wonderful novelist. Her books are certainly a lot more than just a cozy little whodunit, that entertains for evening. She just keeps getting better and better, and her characters do the same. This book is especially wonderful because we see so much more of Havers. She is a wonderful character. But everyone in this book seem so real. The only character that I did not feel an empathy for was the ubiquitous Eve. Does politics do that everyone? But in spite of her, we see human foibles and weaknesses in a kaleidiscope of characters. This book has everything - pathos, happiness, love, anger and of course, humour too. I cannot recommend this series enough to anyone who truly wants to become a part of Elizabeth George's world.

Elizabeth George is at the height of her impressive narraive powers in this great novel. IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ENEMY is beautifully constructed. Everything comes together at the end and no question is lef unanswered. The mystery is absolutely gripping.

Barbara Havers receives a lot of attention in this novel. In my opinion, she is the most complex and unique character you can find in any popular mystery series currently out. It is great that this novel offers the readers a chance to learn more about this fascinating character.

I found this book somewhere and was originally put off by its length and its plot that involved the murder of a child. (I've gotten pickier in my old age about what I'll spend my time reading.) However, I persevered and by the end I was hurrying to get home so I could get back to it. Although this is the first Elizabeth George book I've read, it was obvious from several references that these characters had existed in other books of the same vein. She writes with a lot of detail and intricate plotting but instead of getting annoyed and skipping passages, I was fascinated by the descriptions of her characters and of the Wiltshire countryside. My one complaint was that one of her main characters, Eve Bowen, was such a detestable shrew that I could barely stand to read the passages that she was in. Ugh.

The Inspector Lynley/Barbara Havers series is listed under mysteries but they are splendid works of fiction that happen to be mysteries. "In the Presence of the Enemy" can be read without doing the whole series but you will surely want to go back to the beginning and read all the books after you have read this one.

Elizabeth George draws her characters in well-defined strokes making them interesting and very human, even the bad guys. The private as well as the professional lives of Inspector Lynley and Barbara Havers are also very well done. He, an English lord who happens to be a police detective, and she, from what may be called the other side of the tracks, each bring their own life experiences and prejudices (especially Barbara) to their work.

A child has been kidnapped. She is the daughter of a female member of Parliament who has no trouble using the girl as a prop for her career. The father is the editor of a scandal driven newspaper who receives a note instructing him to publish the story of his "first born" or he will not get the child back. The problem is that Mom and Dad are not married, they simply got together for a sex-filled weekend during a political conference years before. Dad has never met his daughter. Making matters worse, Mom is absolutely certain that Dad is behind the kidnapping and insists he is out to ruin her career and keep her from advancing in government. Dad wants the girl safely returned but he needs to keep news of her existence from his wife and young son who are not aware of her existence.

Lynley and Havers make a delayed appearance in this story because friends are quietly called on to try and find the girl without going to the police. Politcal Mom doesn't want a scandal. Lynley is understandably furious when he discovers what has been happening.

Some of the stories in this series have been filmed and are being shown on U.S. tv. They are fine in and of themselves but the richness of the characters and the fine plotting are very much diluted in the tv versions. The book is the real treasure.

I devour mystery books, and am especially fond of series that include the same characters over and over. So I was inclined to like this series from the start, but was pleasantly surprised by the way George develops her characters to an unusual degree. However, they are uneven are far as how interesting they seem (which I suppose is true in life as well). Every time the plot involves Deborah I just want to put the book down and snore. She's sweet, she's a photographer, she has curly red hair, she is devastated by her inability to have children; that's all we know. But really, who cares about her? Not me. And would Simon get over his leg already? On the other hand, I find Helen Clyde to be hilarious, very witty. Lynley, a wee bit dry for the central character. But Barbara Havers has now become my favorite mystery character of all time. I am so excited to read Deception on His Mind, where she has an even larger role. Thank you, Elizabeth George, for making this complex, funny, unglamorous and wholly likable person. My only complaints: it makes no sense to me that Barbara has no real friends. Why not? She's very cool. She should have a close gal pal. Second, I hope that life begins to treat Barb a little better pretty soon; I somehow felt personally crushed by some of the things that have happened to her. One last comment about this book: there were absolutely zero clues as to the perp in this book. And no hints in this person's behavior as to their psychotic crimes until they were explained in the end. I like to have at least a slight chance of sussing the mystery out myself!

After a disappointing turn with Playing for the Ashes, George goes back to the creativity and readability that she showed in Missing Joseph. Equally pleasing is the emphasis on Barbara Havers (for those of us who are fans of the character). The supporting characters are well-drawn and in Eve Bowen, George has designed one of the most coolly evil characters I have ever encountered. Additionally, the careful reader is rewarded with a mystery that, while not simplistic, can be figured out before the perpetrator is revealed. Like most of the Lynley/Havers novels, this one delivers.

Is the mother truly a distraught working woman of the 90's, incapable of dealing with the death of her beloved daughter? Or is the mother a monstrosity of the polictical arena who is only concerned with the "negative-impact" this will have on her career, loosing her prime political tool, her child?
The ability of E.George to paint characters with subtilty and elegance, no matter how vile the person, is one of the things I most admire about her writing.
Oh, yeah, and her driving, intriguing plots...!

Thoroughly enjoyed this Elizabeth George novel, another in the Inspector Lynley series. As always I am very attached to the character of Barbara Havers - more so than Lynley in fact.

Ms George was up to her usual standard and the characterisation was perfect for the roles of the players. Eve - a truly monstrous woman - but not quite as feckless and monstrous as the woman at the seat of all the trouble! No spoilers :) The writing was impeccable, attention to detail - as per the 1996 publication date - and the British policing a treat!

Very good indeed!

Fast moving, got to like the character Barbara Havers so much. Had no idea this was part of a large series until I went to look for more titles by same author. To my mind Elizabeth George is far superior to Nora Roberts, Iris Johansen, Mary Higgins Clark, or Sue Grafton who seem too formulaic after you read George. She is just much better at drawing characters that live and breathe. You're not just reading a book about them, you're in their company.

Ms. George is an intriguing writer. I kept coming back to this, even though I resented her obvious manipulations. One character, Eve Bowen, is portrayed as the most repellent mother who ever lived, a politician interested only in her own career and lacking the least shred of maternal instinct toward her child or affection for her patient, adoring husband. Nasty woman! Doesn't she deserve some comeuppance! Please. We would have got the message without the portrait being so deliberately one-sided, the consequences so utterly ruinous. On the other hand, another principal character, Dennis Luxford, turns out to be more rounded. Luxford is the editor of the sleaziest of tabloids, a former womanizer who has no idea how many illegitimate children he might have fathered, and who lives in horror that his legitimate son might be a sissy. (Luxford, you see, knows that he himself is attractive to men, though he's not "that way" himself, of course, yet it frightens him!) ... Pretty dispicable, huh? To her credit (and my surprise), Ms. George makes us like him. There are 500-plus pages of misdirection, and about 100 more of suspenseful unraveling. I read them all. Ms. George may play her readers false from time to time, but she is talented. If only she could use a lighter hand with her "bad" characters -- and refrain from so much pop psychology lavished on all of them.

This was my first Elizabeth George novel and it was a great introduction. This book had a great plot, even better characters, and a nice twist at the end. Her words flow easily, and she has a good set of regular characters who are believeably human. They made me want to read her other novels to find out some more history on them. The story was fast-paced, with twists and turns the whole way through. A good read for anyone who enjoys a well-written suspense novel.

(Spoiler alert!) The time is contemporaneous, therefore late 20th c. but there are ancient habited nuns staffing a Roman Catholic girls' school in London. The girl who is kidnapped has as her nanny, an older slow poorly educated, slovenly Irishwoman who prays all day. Both of these concepts were dead by 1960 at the latest. All busy MP's of that era and cirrently would hire a top-notch nanny for their child. Similarly, Luxford, the sleazy editor of a leading tabloid, is indirectly responsible for both kidnappings due to his previous careless and exploitative sexual habits, one responsible for the kidnapping of their child, which, somehow, his gorgeous wife easily forgives. An unlikely forgiveness.

From the first paragraph to the last, ''In The Presence Of The Enemy''is as delicious as a well-done T-bone steak and as thrilling a ride as an amusement park roller coaster, given its author's delightfully detailed work and its climb to dizzying high points before coming to rest on cliff-hanger pauses and rapidly dropping into spine-tingling twists. Besides, with graduations and Father's Day here again, surely there's a dad or graduate on your gift list who has dropped hints about their being a mystery nut!

After reading the glowing reviews for this book, I was expecting a good story. The only thing I liked about this book was the feeling of hard earned accomplishment I felt when I finally finished it. It's an overly long convoluted tale with few likable characters. On the cover of this book, Elizabeth George was compared to P.D. James which I believe is a gross injustice to James

Ms. George's series of mysteries involving Lynley and Havers are wonderful despite some of the criticisms I list below. In the Presence of the Enemy is a vehicle that shows Elizabeth George's technical skills as both a mystery novelist and a wordsmith. The story is sufficiently complex and intriguing to provide a memorable and enjoyable journey.

Despite the very positive review the main characters have their flaws and this book really magnifies many of these. First, it is clear that St. James is George's favorite character. He is the source of almost limitless wisdom, intelligence and charisma. St. James compares so favorably to Lynley as a man and a detective that it is disconcerting that he doesn't take up more time in her novels. In fact, St. James solves this whole mystery despite being left out of the whole second half of the book. It is such an obvious flaw to the construction of the book that even though I really loved the novel I felt annoyed at Lynley for being such a lout. After all if he wasn't such a jerk St. James would have figured the whole thing out sooner and I would have been able to read the next P D James book. Second, Lynley and Havers are really not all that likable. They are not particularly great detectives and at times they both are down right immature. Lynley's rant at the beginning of the second half of the book which I alluded to before was virtually unjustifiable and really plain ugly. Havers is simply fat and ugly. We all get what she looks like and it is an interesting flaw but what can be done with ugly. The series needs more likable people. In Martha Grimes' novels Jury and Plant are so much more fun. They have sparkling personalities that transcend the action. Grimes' books are not quite as serious so it is not totally fair to bring up Jury and Plant but even Rebus and Siobhan in Rankin's series are more fun than Lynley and Havers. Third, Helen is a terrible character. She is really only good at diffusing tension in awkward social situations. The real problem with Helen is that she is written as a literary foil to Barbara Havers. This is fine but Lynley and Havers have good chemistry so it is tough to think he would fall in love with the anti Havers simply because she is pretty and socially adept. It again says something bad about Lynley which is really getting to be a problem with this series.

As always with this author, there is excellent character development, but in this case the character at the center of the story is particularly unpleasant. It's a tribute to the author's skill that the reader can be drawn in so deeply while being repulsed by a character who is so deliberately drawn as evil/self absorbed/narcissistic. Great job!

Her writing is so incredibly insightful and her characters so realistically complex that it is easy to forget that it is fiction. Brilliant and fascinating explorations of what motivate people (and not just criminals) to extraordinary behavior

Her writing is so incredibly insightful and her characters so realistically complex that it is easy to forget that it is fiction. Brilliant and fascinating explorations of what motivate people (and not just criminals) to extraordinary behavior

Although it is two years since I read this breathtaking book, I still remember the thrill it gave me. As a mother of a girl of allmost the same age, as the little kidnapped girl I identified me extremely with the whole situation. But not with the mother indeed! Elizabeth George is a very wll known writer in Denmark, and the reason to this is (to my belive) that she combines every day-life and sentiments very succesfully with a thrilling plot! This book is among her best! And belive me... cause i read them all.

While I normally enjoy George's books, the mother of the kidnapped child is so ridiculously stupid that I found the book hard going. I also found it difficult to believe that a sensible character like Simon St James could be so insensitive to the seriousness of the situation and not alert the police. As for Lynley, instead of apologizing to Simon and Helen for losing his temper, he should have carted them off to jail for their criminally foolish behavior.

I read this book two years ago, and the characters still haunt me. Elizabeth George just gets better and better. I can't wait for her next book..it is the high point of my reading each year and I read over a hundred books a year. I feel as though the recurring characters are people I know and care about. They arre not perfect, sometimes aggravating...just like a lot of my friends!

This was my introduction to Elizabeth George and her Linley/Havers series. I found the book to be very suspenseful, but after finishing found what I believe to be a logical flaw in the plot which ruined the overall experience. I did not find any of the characters all that likeable (including Linley/Havers) and found most of the character writing superfluous. I wish I had read the abridged version.