Believing the Lie

November 28, 2011
Lord Bernard Fairclough, a wealthy industrialist, asks Det. Insp. Thomas Lynley to secretly delve into the accidental death of his gay nephew, Ian Cresswell, in bestseller George’s less than satisfying 17th novel featuring the Scotland Yard policeman (after 2010’s This Body of Death). Det. Sgt. Barbara Havers and other series regulars help Lynley try to unspool a tangled web of drug addiction and recovery, gay marriage, extramarital affairs, egg donation, and online sexual predators. As usual in George’s work, the process of detection reveals more about those doing the detecting than the mystery itself. Some of the subplots—such as Havers’s attempts to spruce up her appearance—lead to dead ends. Zed Benjamin, a bumbling rookie journalist, offers some farcical moments to lighten up the general gloom. Statements of the obvious (“Deborah hated being at odds with her husband”) and platitudes for unbearably painful situations will annoy some, while others will see the denouement from a mile off. Agent: Robert Gottlieb at Trident Media Group.

Starred review from March 26, 2012
Narrator Davina Porter turns in an engaging and entertaining performance in this audio edition of George’s 17th mystery featuring Det. Insp. Thomas Lynley. This time around, the aristocratic sleuth is, at the request of a wealthy industrialist named Lord Bernard Fairclough, investigating the accidental death of his nephew, Ian Cresswell, an accountant who, before drowning, kept the books for an affluent family. Porter’s narration is sharp, well paced, and captures the spirit of George’s text. From the very beginning, Porter’s acting chops are on display, with her voicing reporter Zed Benjamin and tabloid editor Rodney Aronson, who is less than satisfied with Benjamin’s latest story. Additionally, Porter ably juggles the book’s vast cast of characters, imbuing all of them with distinctive voices and personalities. A Dutton hardcover.