I have read some of the Inspector Lynley books since the first one - and decided that this one sounded interesting.

I had forgotten that Elizabeth George is American and though she might have help with the police procedural aspects, she often falls flat on the idioms of life in England especially.

Sadly this book was not one of her best - and I didn’t get much beyond 15% which is extremely unlike me. I rarely don’t finish a book even if not completely gripped.

Too many characters, not much action- other than the murder - and far too long to even skim through. I never did sort out who the perpetrator was.

Sorry just not for me - and possibly my last encounter with Inspector Lynley books other than maybe on the TV.

Für Geoffrey Henshaw beginnt der Tag anders als erwartet: er findet einen Toten. Eigentlich wollte er zu Michael Lobb, um mit ihm über den Verkauf seines Landes zu reden. Aber in der Werkstatt findet er nur Michaels Leiche. Auf den ersten Blick ist klar, dass ein Verbrechen vorliegt. Für die leitende Ermittlerin, Detective Inspector Beatrice Hannaford weiß zunächst nicht, in welche Richtung sie ermitteln soll. Auch wenn Michaels erste Ehe zerbrochen und er kein gutes Verhältnis zur Exfrau und den Kindern hatte, wollte niemand ihn tot sehen. Seine zweite Ehe war sehr glücklich. Der einzige mögliche Grund war der Verkauf seines Grundstücks, gegen den Michael sich gewehrt hat. Eine Bergbaugesellschaft will großflächig Land kaufen, um ein neues Verfahren zum Abbau seltener Erden anzuwenden. Der Einzige, der zwischen ihnen und diesem Vorhaben stand, war Michaels Weigerung.

Ich habe mich gefreut, Bea Hannaford wiederzusehen. Die lebendige Ermittlerin ist das genaue Gegenteil vom immer beherrschten Thomas Lynley. Der bleibt lange im Hintergrund und greift nicht in die Ermittlungen ein. Seine größte Sorge ist der Verfall des Familiensitzes und die Finanzierung der Renovierung. Auch Barbara Havers tritt erst später in Erscheinung. Sie haben ihre eigenen Probleme in London: Isabell Ardery ist nach ihrer Auszeit wieder zurück und übernimmt ihren alten Posten. Für Barbara bedeutet das, dass sie wieder unter Beobachtung steht.

Mir gefällt, wie Elizabeth George die Charaktere, die sich an unterschiedlichen Plätzen befinden, an den Ort des Geschehens bringt. Nicht nur Lynley und Barbara kommen nach Cornwall, sondern auch Dairdre. Sie ist auf der Suche nach ihrer Schwester, die zu ihrem Vater und ihrem Zwillingsbruder in dem Wohnwagen zurückkehrt. Die beiden Männer waren wiederum bei Michael Lobb angestellt. Als Lynley in die Ermittlungen eingreift, wird diese Verbindung zum Problem, weil er durch seine Beziehung zu Dairdre befangen sein könnte.

Ein weiterer Handlungsstrang ist der von Michaels Tochter und seiner Exfrau. Den hat die Autorin sehr detailliert ausgeführt. Dabei hatte ich lange Zeit den Eindruck, als ob die beiden Frauen, wie auch Michaels Sohn, nicht unmittelbar beteiligt waren, sondern nur als Angehörige von Michael zur Geschichte gehörten. Genauso ging es mir mit Geoffrey Henshaw: er tauchte immer wieder in der Geschichte auf, ohne wirklich in die Handlung einzugreifen. Für mich hätten diese Handlungsstränge nicht so ausführlich sein müssen.

Gute gefallen hat mir stattdessen, der Handlungsstrang von Dairdre und ihrer Familie. Hier wurden mir einige Fragen zu ihrer Vergangenheit beantwortet, die ich aus den vorigen Fällen noch hatte.

Auch Michael kommt zu Wort und erzählt seine Geschichte. Wie er seine zweite Frau Kayla kennenlernte, sich in sie verliebte und sich für sie von seiner Familie trennte. Von ihrem Leben in Cornwall, das sich Kayla wahrscheinlich anders vorgestellt hat, als es sich entwickelte. Und wie es zu der Freundschaft zur Familie Udy kam.

Das, was Michael erzählt, macht ihn zu keinem sympathischen Opfer. Je mehr ich über ihn gelesen habe, desto mehr hat sich meine Sicht auf die Ereignisse geändert. Plötzlich waren Personen verdächtig, die sich bis jetzt am Rand des Geschehens bewegt haben. Aber Elizabeth George hat es geschafft, mich bis zum Schluss im Dunkeln zu lassen. So blieb der neueste Fall für Lynley und Havers und natürlich auch Bea Hannford bis zum Ende spannend.

This book was not what I was expecting. Far too slow and a lot of angst over relationships. Over many characters to keep abreast of. Not thrilling enough. Sorry just not for me.

A Slowly Dying Cause is the 22nd gripping outing for Inspector Lynley and Sergeant Havers, spinning a richly atmospheric murder mystery set in the rugged beauty and emotional complexity of Cornwall. The novel begins with the brutal murder of Michael Lobb in his family tin and pewter workshop his refusal to sell the land to a lithium firm makes several characters top suspects, each of them possessing strong motives and secrets lurking beneath the surface.

Detective Inspector Beatrice Hannaford is the point on the investigation, bringing suspicion to bear on the representatives of the mining company and Lobb's own junior wife, while uncovering secrets of betrayal and strained family relations. Lynley and Havers turn up later, with their own personal demons and legacy in Cornwall weaving into the inquiry.

The writing is atmospheric and emotionally sophisticated, filling her epic story with finely drawn characters and suspense that builds slowly. It is finally brought to a satisfying, tense conclusion long overdue but well-deserved.

All in all, A Slowly Dying Cause is a formal, absorbing detective novel ideal for fans of character-driven mysteries and atmospheric coastal settings.

This book is 8000 pages long but holds the readers attention to the last twist.

Micheal Lobb is found dead in his tin and pewter workshop.
Detective Inspector Beatrice Hannaford is bough in to assist with the enquiry. A mining company has been trying to buy land and Micheal would not sell. Could they be involved?
Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers are bought in to help her as it becomes apparent that the murderer is local and a member of the small community involved.
Someone is lying and knows the truth but who is involved and why?

My goodness what a tome!. Fortunately, although lengthy, it was never dull. I must confess I really enjoyed the characters and plot. The scene was well set and you could almost taste the spindrift. I knew nothing about tin streaming until prompted by its mention in the novel. One could be forgiven for thinking it's a lightweight version of a heavy metal band download but in reality it's a very traditional method of extracting cassiterite (an oxide of tin). It's in the Cornish workshop of Michael Lobb, where he makes jewellery and pewter from tin that he is the subject of murder most foul.
It seems a number of people might benefit from his untimely death but some may lose their livelihood, so the police have quite a job on their hands eliminating potential suspects. Michael has not done himself any favours in ditching his wife in favour of a newer model. There's enmity between himself, his ex and his children. Additionally his own brother seems quite taken by Michael's new wife. Jealousy and enmity plus an interested party who might want to buy up his business, makes for a heady mix. Can you fathom it out quicker than the coppers?

Rather a slow-paced novel from Elizabeth George, but as intriguing and engrossing, with all its intertwined plotlines and various points of view, as the other Inspector Lynley books I have read. I love her characters and settings, although it was a long wait to first hear of Barbara and Tommy in their separate stories. As soon as they arrive on the scene, you feel in safe hands with the case, knowing their thorough detecting and rigorous approach. A really good read and well worth the time invested in it. More please!

It took a long time to get to Lynley and Havers .. the cold, programmatic police in opening sections were not especially engaging! So it took a while to establish who were the prime suspects.. individual.vignettes (the victims wife responses) were good but overall, things rigid .. I like George as writer but it was only when familiars were onstage I warmed up, focussed on personality and characters .. distractions of lynley with his mom and sister .(and butler) . good fun! The crime slightly stretched credibility, but oh well...

i always get so excited and nostalgic when Elizabeth gifts us with another of these novels. its like coming home. and feels comforting to younger days, much younger. after reading this book i was so wanting all those feels again that i went and looked up the series that made it to tv too. and i think, i think i saw it was on iplayer so wahoo!
but yes back to another great mystery to solve from a brilliant and reliable author who knows her characters and writes them with such skill each and every time.
Michael's body is found right at the start of this book. he runs the family tin and pewter company in Cornwall. and there is so much more to this man and his background than people first thought. and its about to all come to the surface. it seems a fair few people weren't happy with him. ok ok actually was anyone in his life on the good side of things either with him as people, lol? lets just say their is motive and suspects racking up here. just who can we trust in this book?
well, Detective Thomas Lynley and DS Barbara Havers are here to find out and uncover the truths. or at least the truth of what happened to this man. once again i love the dynamic of these two both for each other and the book as a whole. there is always that lift and lilt of humour to them and these books too. i love those parts each time.
Elizabeth and her books are books to get right stuck into. you want to sit with them a while. they feel true,authentic and just so beautifully written. there is every detail you need and then some you get and never new you needed but definitely do! its a book you just feel immersed into from the characters to the plot its just solid, brilliant. a great time had.
im so glad and feel so lucky to get to read this book. and these books as a whole. its a series thats been with me for a long time. and i feel like i want to cherish them all the more for being so. and for Elizabeth to be so spectacular in how consistent her writing is book after book? well, that is inspiring and incredible.

To me I thought that labelling this book as a Lynley and Havers novel is a bit misleading since their names do not even appear until well over half way through and their roles only really feature in the last 25% or so. That being said, it is still an intriguing read with several stories being intertwined and a large cast of interesting characters. Elizabeth George is a wonderful writer and certainly had me hooked from the first page. Even without the dynamic duo I think this would have been a very good murder mystery on its own. Their introduction, however late in the story, does add richness and a familiarity so that fans of the series should be satisfied.
Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan for allowing pre publication access to this book.

A Slowly Dying Cause is another excellent murder mystery by Elizabeth George featuring D I Lynley and Sargeant Barbara Havers.
This time the mystery is set in Lynley’s home county of Cornwall where the tin miner Michael Lobb is found brutally murdered in his workshop. At the time of his murder, Lobb was being pressured by a mining company to sell his land. His family were in favour of this but Michael Lobb was insistent that he was going to maintain the family business which had been passed down to him. This dispute meant that there was no shortage of suspects for his murder.
One of the huge strengths of Elizabeth George’s writing is her characterisation and each of the characters in this novel comes alive on the page. Even the two teenagers who only appear for a few pages are memorable. We get insights into the lives of the victim’s family and the mining company employee as well as the inspector in charge of the case. Sometimes this level of information can slow the book down and there was at least one plot strand that seemed completely irrelevant. On the whole though, the depth of the characters only added to my enjoyment of the mystery.
The mystery itself was an intriguing one with family quarrels and financial disagreements meaning that there was no shortage of suspects for the murder. I enjoyed the victim’s diary accounts too which added another layer of complication to the plot.
The novel does feature Lynley and Havers but they don’t really get involved with the case until well over half way through the novel. Before that, we see them in London where Barbara Havers is trying to deal with the death of her mother and Lynley is happy to no longer be acting Superintendent. They both eventually travel to Cornwall and some of the scenes at Lynley’s stately home with his family and Barbara are the best in the book. It’s a shame that they aren’t involved more in the case but I did enjoy meeting Bea Hannaford again.
This isn’t a cheerful book and if there is any theme at all, it’s that life and relationships are messy and complicated. However, it was an engrossing read and I really hope that this isn’t the last we see of Inspector Lynley and Sargeant Havers.
Huge thanks as always to Net Galley and the publishers, Pan Macmillan, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting and well-written detective novel - enjoyable and engaging.

This is my first Inspector Lynley although I am familiar with the television series. The case involves a murder in Cornwall with a group of suspects, all well-developed characters, being investigated by the local police force. What makes this story a little special is that Lynley doesn’t get involved until well over three quarters of the book. Before then, he is mainly involved with his family and their stately home. Even Sergeant Havers only becomes part of the investigation quite late. Relationships play a major part in the tale.The story is well told, engaging and well worthwhile. Fans of the genre will certainly enjoy it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Viel zu umständlich formuliert, war Leider George schon früher so kompliziert? Da kommt man so far nicht in den Lesefluss.

I didn’t enjoy this book at all. Too many characters & too many relationships! Some of the plot & some of the dialogue made me feel most uncomfortable. Perhaps an American writer should stick to American subjects rather this an American view of English situations

This is a very good storyline with a cleverly imagined plot. Of course, I expected the usual pattern of investigation lead by Lynley and Havers. Of course, it's a shame in a way to have a changed Lynley and no more Deborah and her scientific husband contributing to the investigation. I really liked the atmosphere of the books prior to Helen's death. Nevertheless, the quality of the writing remains (I still love Barbara's ways!). The characters are all convincing and I only guessed the conclusion quite late.... I will be pleased to read more about Lynley's further development and hear Barbara again, soon, I hope.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

Not every writer can get away with writing a 600 page slow burning novel and keep the reader engaged, but Elizabeth George does it again. The murder comes early and we have to wait quite a bit before we get to see Lynley and Havers which made me wonder at some point whether this was a Lynley novel at all. The plot is well crafted with some misdirection through the diaries of the murder victim and Cornwall is the perfect setting, a bit gloomy. One of the themes are the younger women and older men relationships, or even the power dynamics of all male-female relationships. This is certainly no action novel, It's mostly psychological and we get to spend time with the main characters, get a better insight into their lives, for fans of the series this is an added bonus. I am a fan and I enjoyed my couple of hours spent in the company of Lynley, Havers and the rest.

Michael Lobb is found dead on the floor of his family’s tin and pewter workshop in Cornwall. His death is immediately suspicious, especially as it is discovered by a representative from Cornwall EcoMining, a company eager to purchase the family land. Michael’s position as the majority owner of the business made him the only obstacle to the deal. Yet as Inspector Beatrice Hannaford digs deeper, she discovers the layers of isolation and fractured relationships that surrounded Michael in his final days. Her investigation soon points suspicion in unexpected directions, particularly towards Kayla, a young woman half Michael’s age who has suddenly become a widow.

When Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers are brought in to assist, they enter a close-knit community that is wary of outsiders and reluctant to speak. The investigation leads them through a web of mistrust, grief, and hidden truths, building to a conclusion that is both shocking and deeply affecting.

Elizabeth George delivers a gripping and emotionally layered mystery that stands as one of the most satisfying entries in the Lynley and Havers series in years. Longtime fans will be richly rewarded, and new readers will find this an absorbing and accessible entry point into one of the most enduring crime series still in publication. The ending is powerful and bittersweet, with a gut-punch impact that recalls the unforgettable conclusion of A Great Deliverance.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Michael Lobb is murdered in his workshop. Beatrice Hannaford will investigate but no murder weapon easily found, yet plenty of clues lead to an arrest. Thomas Lyndley and Barbara Havers will also become involved but will they agree who is responsible for this killing?

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Excellent characters, twists and turns in turn so well paced novel. Barbara and Thomas have personal issues to resolve but they w ill help as they know how. Enjoyed this novel.

I have read many of Elizabeth George's books, but not for some time. This book , I have to say, takes some getting into and some concentration, as there are so many characters. As always her book is tightly written and more than just a 'murder' story.
Thank you for the chance to read and review the book.

This was really hard to get into and I have a rule of thumb if I haven’t enjoyed the book by page 70 then give up generally and sorry to say I really hadn’t enjoyed this book at all
Thought I had read books of hers before but obviously not like this
It just wasn’t my style at all