What Came Before He Shot Her (Inspector Lynley Mysteries 14)
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Review
'Why haven't I read Elizabeth George before? Maybe because someone told me she was a serious crime writer, and I listen to thrillers to escape, not to think. All this will change; she's brilliant' -- Sue Arnold, Guardian 'With What Came Before He Shot Her, I think she's taken her writing to a new level. Of course you know the end but boy, the journey is worthwhile.' -- Daily Express 'George's best since her 1998 debut. Read it and weep.' -- Kirkus Reviews 'Absolutely remarkable and a great achievement' -- Boyd Hilton on BBC Radio FiveLive 'A very powerful novel.' -- Kate Mosse 'It shifts the way you look at things -- I was completely drawn into this world I knew nothing about and I'm full of admiration' -- Sarah Harrison
Review
'Why haven't I read Elizabeth George before? Maybe because someone told me she was a serious crime writer, and I listen to thrillers to escape, not to think. All this will change; she's brilliant' -- Sue Arnold, Guardian 'With What Came Before He Shot Her, I think she's taken her writing to a new level. Of course you know the end but boy, the journey is worthwhile.' -- Daily Express 'George's best since her 1998 debut. Read it and weep.' -- Kirkus Reviews 'Absolutely remarkable and a great achievement' -- Boyd Hilton on BBC Radio FiveLive 'A very powerful novel.' -- Kate Mosse 'It shifts the way you look at things - I was completely drawn into this world I knew nothing about and I'm full of admiration' -- Sarah Harrison
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 88 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
How could Elizabeth George even think of letting her fans down like this? I've never before been moved to write a review but this book is a literary crime that cannot go unpunished! (Wish it had gone unpublished though.) Ever since I read George's first Lynley mystery, I've bought each subsequent new one as it was released. I've never been disappointed - until now. That's not to say I don't have some gripes with George; I do. For one, she's long-winded and seems to get more so with every passing book. Readers don't need a description of every locale on a given London road to believe that the author, self-consciously and insurmountably American, has been there. More irritatingly though, and no doubt stemming from the same self-consciousness, her overuse of Brit vernacular and colloquialisms is forced and rings false compared with writers who have nothing to prove in terms of nationality. But to her credit, she has created a cast of winning characters and I tune in every time to see what has happened in Lynley's and Havers' worlds. Especially after the last book shockingly killed off a major character, we deserved to be rewarded for waiting and plunking down our money. I want to know how Lynley is coping, and what is happening with already emotionally-scarred Deborah, who was first on the crime scene. What about Barbara Havers, the character with whose creation George struck pure gold? Both Havers' professional and private lives are utterly engaging ongoing sagas (when will she get together with that neighbor of hers?) and I feel completely ROBBED not to have received the next installment. Worse yet is the book itself, which for all intents and purposes I dumped after a tedious first chapter (I skimmed through the rest of it thinking I could find the parts with Lynley et al. Trust me, they aren't there). George's attempt to write completely outside her milieu and misleadingly foist it on her loyal mystery-reading public strikes me as pretentious and patronizing - towards both the subject and the audience. She is off my "authors to trust for a good read" list. Mystery lovers, wondering what to read now, might try Kate Atkinson's "Case Histories" and "One Good Turn" for superb writing and storytelling with an original approach. The latter, her newly published sequel about detective Jackson Brodie, kept me up all night, entertained and awed. If only Ms. George's latest had done the same.
40 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I didn't like it. Nice imaginative reconstruction of what led up to a crime being comitted and I hope the tales of life in London are a bit exaggerated but if you're a Lynley fan then avoid. I hope she doesn't get the idea of treating all her novels like this.
68 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
(The book seems to be available earlier outside UK - I picked up a copy two weeks ago, I live in Norway)
The latest novel by one of my favourite crime authors, is nothing like any other she has written. The title explains it all, but it took me quite a few pages to realise that this isn't the standard Inspector Lynley novel. This is something completely different, and it's something I have often thought about when I finish the usual crime novel: The story about the offender, the how, the why, the background, the what if... I found the story deeply moving, shocking, disturbing, but also - sadly - very easy to believe in. I'm not sure what I expected as the story unfolded itself. But I am left with a feeling of unease, of sadness, and of helplessness. This is a novel that will haunt me for some time.
The latest novel by one of my favourite crime authors, is nothing like any other she has written. The title explains it all, but it took me quite a few pages to realise that this isn't the standard Inspector Lynley novel. This is something completely different, and it's something I have often thought about when I finish the usual crime novel: The story about the offender, the how, the why, the background, the what if... I found the story deeply moving, shocking, disturbing, but also - sadly - very easy to believe in. I'm not sure what I expected as the story unfolded itself. But I am left with a feeling of unease, of sadness, and of helplessness. This is a novel that will haunt me for some time.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Much better than I expected
It took me a long time (years) after I bought it to actually read this book. And that was because I didn't really want to read about events leading up to the death of Helen, maybe... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Snuffycat
waste of time and money
I love Ms George and she has not let me down, until I started reading this book. Absolutely dreadful. Very longwinded, full of street (cockney) language. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Veronica Franco
Very engaging read
When I started to read this novel (and I have read all the Lynley books in order) I felt cheated that Lynley & Havers were not in this book. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sue
Wow - a great surprise after the usual pleasantly entertaining fluff
Just like the recent reviewer who was driven by this book to write their first review, so was I - but for the opposite reason. Read more
Published 4 months ago by EER
Extremely moving.
Helen H says: Perfectly written characters. An emotional roller-coaster. Elizabeth George is back on form. Read more
Published 4 months ago by AndyH
A Drawn Out Story
Book 14, in the Inspector Lynley series
Ms. George has given her beloved protagonists a long and deserved rest and moved forward to explore in depth and meticulous... Read more
Ms. George has given her beloved protagonists a long and deserved rest and moved forward to explore in depth and meticulous... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Toni Osborne
Misleadingly described as a Lynley Novel.
It is an abuse of our loyalty to this author to describe this as an Inspector Lynley novel - he isn't mentioned until about page 600 - as a result of which I gave up after the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Little Acorn
Not good
It's difficult to convey in few words just how tedious this book really is. I imagine it's aimed at people who believe soap operas are real life AND who can read. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Fred the Needle
enlightening
Althought I struggled at the start and thought I was not going to finish this book, I am so glad I persevered. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Anastasia
Who's doing the dirt - life or George?
I haven't read any Lynley books, so I came to this without expectations. A lot of low raters seem to be complaining that it's not a different type of book. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mick
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