This Body of Death - Elizabeth George (audio)

I first lost my heart to Elizabeth George and the Inspector Lynley series years ago with her 2005 chunkster "With No One As Witness". As murder mysteries go, it blew me away...intense character development, heinous crimes, a fast-pace, and a gritty reality to it all. I realized too late that this book was one in a very long line from a series, but it stood alone in its brilliance. I've since listened to "Careless in Red" and now "This Body of Death". I long to go back and read everything from the beginning, but I'm thinking I'd better save that for retirement. As it was, I was thrilled to see that "Body of Death" was on the list for the EW Summer Books Challenge.

This story starts out with a type of narrative, one deduces from the past, describing an event with three delinquent boys, a dead toddler, and an unspeakable crime. It is like a shot of adrenaline, this "report". The combination of the horror of the boys' actions, and the clinical prose, is the stuff of nightmares. The narrative is slowly spoon-fed to us, intermittently, throughout the novel. It is obvious the characters in this morbid tale are going to play a vital role in the rest of the novel; we're just not sure how.

We fast-forward to the present. Lynley is back from his leave of absence and has been invited to assist his old department with a particularly gruesome murder of a young woman who was stabbed and abandoned in a London cemetery. The department is now being temporarily led by Isabelle Ardery, who must prove herself before she gets the job permanently. Ardery has a few demons of her own, and Lynley might possibly be her only ally and her ticket to acceptance. Assisting on the case is the usual gang, including the rough-around-the-edges Barbara Havers and the dignified Winston Nkata, both of whom I am quite fond.

Once they begin digging, they find a whole cast of shady suspects, all with hidden agendas and secrets of their own. We wade through the puzzle with our investigators, expending much mental energy. A hidden pregnancy test. An ancient coin. A false, untraceable identity. A mentally disturbed witness. Then there is that little problem with the dead toddler. Where does that play into things?

George also weaves in a personal element. For die-hard fans of the series, we have some interaction with Simon and Deborah St. James, old friends of Lynley's, some insight into the lives of Barbara Haver's 8 year-old neighbor and her father, Ardery's ex-husband and twin sons, and Haver's attempt to ditch the draw-string pants and look more professional. There are many detours in this long and winding path.

The recurring thought, as I was listening to this audio, was "words, words, so many words". We love George for this, as it allows us to read her works as a full-immersion experience. It is like kicking off your shoes, getting on your hands and knees and crawling into the book, and under the skin of a majority of the characters. But there are so many words, so much detail. I questioned whether the story needed a little editing. Perhaps. But I will forgive her. And I will come back for more.

The audio was narrated by John Lee, who was extremely good. He is so very British, easy to listen to, and versatile. I would liken him to a slightly rougher Simon Vance, which is no light complement, coming from me.

Are any of you fans of the series? Would you recommend going back and readin the earlier installments?

4 out of 5 stars