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e_clair301's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cruder than other books in the series. Main characters were more of a side-plot, which was boring.
terrik_409's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
George really knows how to drag out a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
kathydavie's review
5.0
Seventh in the Inspector Lynley mystery series set in modern-day London with Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers with this particular story set in Kent.
My Take
Excellent as always. George is rather scary in some ways with how impossible it seems to solve the crime that occurs, and yet she lays it out for us in such a logical manner that it all makes sense in the end, even as she points the finger from one person to another after another.
Most of the story is a buildup of the supporting characters. Jimmy, Kenneth's son, is a tearaway whom everyone is expecting to end up in jail. He is so angry with his father for leaving his family and promising the moon, which he never delivers, that he would happily kill his father.
Olivia has been the typical wild child and the primary spoke of the wheel, as it's her viewpoint and evidence that is the "attacking shot". She's hated her mother, Miriam, for years for caring more for everyone else. It doesn't help that Miriam just has to manipulate everyone into doing what she thinks is best — Jeannie can testify to this. But at least Miriam is an equal opportunist. Jeannie has been put upon for years and that last encounter may have been the final straw.
Peeking at some of other reviews for this particular story, yes, I'd agree that George weighted the story down with in-depth analyses of the other characters that weren't necessary such as Mollinson…but, it was so very fascinating to read her fully-fleshed characters.
The Story
The unexpected discovery of Kenneth Fleming when he's supposed to be flying to Greece for a boating holiday with his son throws everyone, including the Kent constabulary for a loop.
Worse, there are so many who would like to see him dead.
The Characters
Detective Inspector Lynley plays the press and gets in hot water for it with his superiors at the Yard. Sergeant Barbara Havers is his partner and has made her first friend at Chalk Farm. It'll be interesting to watch this develop. Lady Helen Clyde is a friend of Lynley's.
Scotland Yard
Sir David is just itching to take Lynley down nor is he the only policeman Lynley is jerking around. Maidstone's Detective Inspector Isabelle Ardery is finding Lynley rather tyrannical in their so-called equal partnership. Detective Constable Winston Nkata.
Kenneth Fleming is a superstar cricketeer, the center around whom everyone involved pivots. Jimmy Cooper is his about-to-be 16-year-old son. Jeannie Cooper is his wife. Georgina is his fiancée. Guy Mollison is the captain of the English cricket team.
Miriam Whitelaw, Kenneth's teacher, most fervent supporter, and eventual best friend owns Celandine Cottage. Olivia is her daughter.
Living on a barge, Chris Faraday is an architect specializing in remodeling old homes. Amanda.
Martin Snell is the milkman.
The Title
The title is a play on a particular cricket game, The Ashes, traditionally played between England and Australia. The fact that this particular cricketeer died from carbon monoxide in a house fire…well, I'll leave it to you to judge as to how much of a play the title is.
My Take
Excellent as always. George is rather scary in some ways with how impossible it seems to solve the crime that occurs, and yet she lays it out for us in such a logical manner that it all makes sense in the end, even as she points the finger from one person to another after another.
Most of the story is a buildup of the supporting characters. Jimmy, Kenneth's son, is a tearaway whom everyone is expecting to end up in jail. He is so angry with his father for leaving his family and promising the moon, which he never delivers, that he would happily kill his father.
Olivia has been the typical wild child and the primary spoke of the wheel, as it's her viewpoint and evidence that is the "attacking shot". She's hated her mother, Miriam, for years for caring more for everyone else. It doesn't help that Miriam just has to manipulate everyone into doing what she thinks is best — Jeannie can testify to this. But at least Miriam is an equal opportunist. Jeannie has been put upon for years and that last encounter may have been the final straw.
Peeking at some of other reviews for this particular story, yes, I'd agree that George weighted the story down with in-depth analyses of the other characters that weren't necessary such as Mollinson…but, it was so very fascinating to read her fully-fleshed characters.
The Story
The unexpected discovery of Kenneth Fleming when he's supposed to be flying to Greece for a boating holiday with his son throws everyone, including the Kent constabulary for a loop.
Worse, there are so many who would like to see him dead.
The Characters
Detective Inspector Lynley plays the press and gets in hot water for it with his superiors at the Yard. Sergeant Barbara Havers is his partner and has made her first friend at Chalk Farm. It'll be interesting to watch this develop. Lady Helen Clyde is a friend of Lynley's.
Scotland Yard
Sir David is just itching to take Lynley down nor is he the only policeman Lynley is jerking around. Maidstone's Detective Inspector Isabelle Ardery is finding Lynley rather tyrannical in their so-called equal partnership. Detective Constable Winston Nkata.
Kenneth Fleming is a superstar cricketeer, the center around whom everyone involved pivots. Jimmy Cooper is his about-to-be 16-year-old son. Jeannie Cooper is his wife. Georgina is his fiancée. Guy Mollison is the captain of the English cricket team.
Miriam Whitelaw, Kenneth's teacher, most fervent supporter, and eventual best friend owns Celandine Cottage. Olivia is her daughter.
Living on a barge, Chris Faraday is an architect specializing in remodeling old homes. Amanda.
Martin Snell is the milkman.
The Title
The title is a play on a particular cricket game, The Ashes, traditionally played between England and Australia. The fact that this particular cricketeer died from carbon monoxide in a house fire…well, I'll leave it to you to judge as to how much of a play the title is.
annegard's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well written but disturbing at times. She goes into a lot more depth on the various characters involved than in her previous books.
kayteeem's review
I'm never all that good at disentangling mysteries at the beginning of the book. But with these, I never mind. George's characters are so well drawn. Recommended, though you probably want to start at the beginning of the series.
retiredlibrarylady's review
5.0
I'm working through the Lynley books because it's been years...this one is really good. It has two narrations, which I often find confounding, but every time we switch to Olivia the chapter is labeled with her name. Olivia is writing her story; the other chapters are told by the usual third person observer. We don't really see the connection between Olivia and the rest of the story until quite late in the book. Nevertheless, I was (mostly?) able to keep up with both stories and had a hard time putting the book down when it was time to do something else. There's one murder, and a number of suspects at first; Lynley figures out the murderer but has no evidence and a confession that he believes is untrue. Whew. In the end, there's a lot of heartbreak all around but the truth is revealed.
emjay24's review
3.0
This book took me the rest of January and part of February. Granted, I did try to read a couple other books in between too. Still, I don't know why.. It was a very good book. Another re-read from the Lynley/St James/Havers etc series. This one is about a cricket player who is killed, and we have to figure out who and why. Half of the story is told by Olivia, a woman who is suffering from ALS (what Stephen Hawkins had). We get to see a little more on Havers this time, and nothing on St. James. A definite read.
bkread2's review
4.0
It was a bit long but loads of twists and turns. I never knew the results till the end. It was wonderful!