Careless in Red

George, Elizabeth. Careless in Red.

I was all set to give up on Elizabeth George after With No One as Witness. However, enough time has passed that I couldn't resist giving her another try, so I guess I've recovered from the fact that she eliminated Helen.

Fortunately, I enjoyed this latest novel. It may not be the best of George, but it certainly is more up to standard than her two previous works.

Thomas Lynley, grieving intensely from the loss of his wife and unborn child, has gone for a very long walk. When the novel opens, he has been trekking stoically along the rugged coast of Cornwall for 6 weeks. His walk comes to an abrupt end when he discovers the body of a young man, who has fallen from the cliffs in an apparent climbing accident.

Lynley is a witness and a possible, although not likely, suspect when it is determined that the young man's climbing equipment has been tampered with. Detective Inspector Bea Hannaford, however, intends to make as much use of the New Scotland Yard's Lynley as possible. I liked Hannaford's character, especially when Barbara Havers shows up and the two work as an interesting pair.

Many of the other potential suspects are not especially likable; the character of Dellen Kern was a bit over the top, and perhaps her husband should have been committed for staying with her.

Soooo...I found Careless in Red involving, and I had no difficulty hanging in there, but it is certainly not her best.

Fiction. Mystery. 2008. 640 pages.