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Publisher Unknown (1969)
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: �??Ms. George proves that the classiest crime writers are true novelists.�?��??The New York Times Award-winning author Elizabeth George gives us an early glimpse into the lives of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James, and Lady Helen Clyde in a superlative mystery that is also a fascinating inquiry into the crimes of the heart. Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton, has brought to Howenstow, his family home, the young woman he has asked to be his bride. But the savage murder of a local journalist is the catalyst for a lethal series of events that shatters the calm of a picturesque Cornwall village and embroils Lynley and St. James in a case far outside their jurisdiction�??and a little too close to home. When a second death follows closely on the heels of the first, Lynley finds he can't help taking the investigation personally�??because the evidence points to a killer within his own family. Praise for A Suitable Vengeance �??Elizabeth George reigns as queen of the mystery genre. The Lynley books constitute the smartest, most gratifying complex and impassioned mystery series now being published.�?��??Entertainment Weekly �??Ms. George can do it all, with style to spare.�?��??The Wall Street Journal �??George goes to the head of the genre, with c… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I do like Elizabeth George's style, and her way with a mystery, but this novel epitomizes everything in her Lynley series I find the most irritating. This particular book is set before the first in the series, A Great Deliverance. Which means it's Lynley without Havers. Havers only has a very brief
That leaves us with Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, up to his family manor Howenstow in Cornwall for an "engagement weekend" to introduce his fiance Deborah Cotter to his family; Lady Helen and Simon St James accompany him. The subplots involving Deborah, Simon and Helen in the other books have been my least favorite feature. Too often coincidences stretching credibility had been used to involve them in the mystery and their emotional entanglements too much a soap opera. At least in this story, since they are central to the mystery, it seems far less a distraction. And George is at the top of her game here plot-wise. I do like her way with red herrings and feints--she certainly kept me guessing to the end with more than one twist or turn.
But yes, I miss Havers and her working class sensibilities scraping against Lynley's upper class crust. At times here, such as when George has people ignoring a near-rape as an unpleasantness to be smoothed over, or when Lynley bungles in securing a crime scene, I couldn't help but wonder what Havers would have made of that. Havers and Lynley compliment each other, both in professional and in a literary sense, and I do think her being missing bumps this installment down a notch.
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appearance here, more a cameo, late in the book, two appearances less than a page each and a couple of mentions. That leaves us with Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, up to his family manor Howenstow in Cornwall for an "engagement weekend" to introduce his fiance Deborah Cotter to his family; Lady Helen and Simon St James accompany him. The subplots involving Deborah, Simon and Helen in the other books have been my least favorite feature. Too often coincidences stretching credibility had been used to involve them in the mystery and their emotional entanglements too much a soap opera. At least in this story, since they are central to the mystery, it seems far less a distraction. And George is at the top of her game here plot-wise. I do like her way with red herrings and feints--she certainly kept me guessing to the end with more than one twist or turn.
But yes, I miss Havers and her working class sensibilities scraping against Lynley's upper class crust. At times here, such as when George has people ignoring a near-rape as an unpleasantness to be smoothed over, or when Lynley bungles in securing a crime scene, I couldn't help but wonder what Havers would have made of that. Havers and Lynley compliment each other, both in professional and in a literary sense, and I do think her being missing bumps this installment down a notch.
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LibraryThing member rcooper3589
BOOK #6
REVIEW: I enjoyed this book. It had a perfect blend of humor and drama, however, there seemed to be more emphasis on relationships (family and romantic) than on the actual crime. I was also a bit dissapointed in the outcome of the murder as I had guessed early on who the murderer was. I was
FAVORITE QUOTES: "I victimise myself. I hear the word sale in reference to Harrod's, and I simply fall apart. Shoes, hats, pullovers, dresses. I even bought a pair of Wellingtons once, simply because they fit. So fetching, I thought, just the thing for mucking round Mother's garden." // "This can't be legal," she said. "Aren't we breaking and entering?" "Entering perhaps," Lady Helen replied cheerfully as she inserted the key in the lock without the slightest hesitation. "But hardly breaking. After all, we've got the key. Ah. Here we are. And not even a squeak to alert the neighbours." "I am the neighbours." Lady Helen laughed. "How convenient." // "I mean, how exactly would a prostitute build up a clientele? Through word of mouth?" // He thought about the energy people expend in seeking to avoid what they most need to face. They fill their lives with distration and denial, only to find at an unexpected eleventh hour that there is in reality no absolute escape.
REVIEW: I enjoyed this book. It had a perfect blend of humor and drama, however, there seemed to be more emphasis on relationships (family and romantic) than on the actual crime. I was also a bit dissapointed in the outcome of the murder as I had guessed early on who the murderer was. I was
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also upset that Havers only shows up for a quick moment. I couldn't figure out where this book takes place in relation to the others in the series. I know it is the third book, however, I think it takes place before the other two... I could be wrong since this isn't the usual practice... I guess this is what I get for not reading the books in order! I loved getting a glimps into the upper class in England and following Lynley throughout the book. It dragged on in the middle, but overall, it was a fun read!FAVORITE QUOTES: "I victimise myself. I hear the word sale in reference to Harrod's, and I simply fall apart. Shoes, hats, pullovers, dresses. I even bought a pair of Wellingtons once, simply because they fit. So fetching, I thought, just the thing for mucking round Mother's garden." // "This can't be legal," she said. "Aren't we breaking and entering?" "Entering perhaps," Lady Helen replied cheerfully as she inserted the key in the lock without the slightest hesitation. "But hardly breaking. After all, we've got the key. Ah. Here we are. And not even a squeak to alert the neighbours." "I am the neighbours." Lady Helen laughed. "How convenient." // "I mean, how exactly would a prostitute build up a clientele? Through word of mouth?" // He thought about the energy people expend in seeking to avoid what they most need to face. They fill their lives with distration and denial, only to find at an unexpected eleventh hour that there is in reality no absolute escape.
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LibraryThing member patience_grayfeather
Lynley solves a murder at home while bringing his fiancee to meet his mum. The sub-plots are just as interesting as the main plot. I have to read the next to find out what happens to Lynley next.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
This is more a story of Lynley and his family and relationships than a story of Lynley and Havers. Havers only makes a quite brief appearance in the story and only really as a small part.
Lynley is bringing his bride-to-be to visit the family home and his mother but death makes an appearance and the
I liked the story, the complicated relationships families have is clear but it was also clear that people cared for each other.
I look forward to reading more in this series.
Lynley is bringing his bride-to-be to visit the family home and his mother but death makes an appearance and the
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bodies start to mount. His brother appears to be connected with much of it and Lynley also needs to deal with some of his own family issues at the same time.I liked the story, the complicated relationships families have is clear but it was also clear that people cared for each other.
I look forward to reading more in this series.
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LibraryThing member SalemAthenaeum
Award-winning author Elizabeth George gives us an early glimpse into the lives of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James, and Lady Helen Clyde in a superlative mystery that is also a fascinating inquiry into the crimes of the heart. Lynley, the eighth earl of
Show More
Asherton, has brought to Howenstow, his family home, the young woman he has asked to be his bride. But the savage murder of a local journalist is the catalyst for a lethal series of events that shatters the calm of a picturesque Cornwall village and embroils Lynley and St. James in a case far outside their jurisdiction—and a little too close to home. When a second death follows closely on the heels of the first, Lynley finds he can't help taking the investigation personally—because the evidence points to a killer within his own family. Show Less
LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
In terms of when written, this is the 4th book of the Inspector Lynley series. Chronologically, however, it is the first, so I decided to read it first in my reread of the series. We are introduced to Inspector Lynley, also Lord Asherton, Simon St. James, Lady Helen, and Deborah. These four will
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appear over and over again in the rest of the series. I love these books because the murder mysteries are good - you don't know whodunit until the end - but the stories of the characters are just as good. There are 3 murders in this one with a motive that will surprise you in the end. I'll say no more! Show Less
LibraryThing member glinfoot
Great read, will read more from this author
LibraryThing member CheryleFisher
It is hard to imagine that Elizabeth George is an American author. Her books are so British. I really enjoy reading this series.
LibraryThing member AntT
Enjoy the Lynley stories—and this gives great backstory (Havers has a walk-one role!) as I haven't read the stories in the proper order.
LibraryThing member AntT
Enjoy the Lynley stories—and this gives great backstory (Havers has a walk-one role!) as I haven't read the stories in the proper order.
LibraryThing member kaulsu
One thing about George: she doesn't write pulp mysteries! I love it that I generally have to look up a few words--sometimes just to corroborate their meaning; sometimes because I really am not at all sure!
As ever, my knowledge of the series does not allow me to place the ongoing relationships in
No spoiler alerts, but the title is right on target on several levels!
As ever, my knowledge of the series does not allow me to place the ongoing relationships in
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the proper sequence. Sorting out Deborah, Lady Helen, the Earl's family....I should start a playbook!No spoiler alerts, but the title is right on target on several levels!
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LibraryThing member miketroll
A dense, complex blend of formula whodunit with intense family relationships. Various members of Lynley's family circle join in the sleuthing, each with his or her emotional perspective on the suspects. Most original.
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
A Suitable Vengeance is the fourth of the Lynley-Havers series by Elizabeth George, however, it deals with events that happened prior to the very first book of the series, A Great Deliverance. It has plenty of background for Lynley fans and also reveals a great deal of the Lynley family history.
In this book, the main action is set in Cornwall where Lynley plans to introduce his fiancee, Deborah Cotton. "A Suitable Vengeance" starts out extremely slowly. In fact, the first murder, that of a local newspaperman, doesn't occur until at least a quarter of the way through. If it had been a straight murder story rather than a vehicle to explore the histories of our main characters it might have been more interesting. The murderer ended up being a surprise for me but I was so annoyed at the Harlequin-like, self-pitying relationships between Lynley, St. James and Deborah that by the time I got there I no longer cared.
The descriptions of Cornwall are excellent, providing a convincing sense of place and an atmospheric backdrop. Hopefully, in her next novels George will return to the approach that worked well in the first three novels, where she writes a great mystery that any observant reader can solve and, along the way, deepens the reader's understanding of some very likable characters. I'm still a fan and have already picked up number 5 of the series, For the Sake of Elena.
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Unfortunately DS Havers plays only a cameo role which is a shame because she would have brought a touch of reality to a highly melodramatic tale. Previous books have hinted at some sort of a triangle between Lynley, St. James and Deborah and this book will finally answer them. It's way too long and really overwritten but as a fan of the series I found it interesting to fill in some of the character's background. In this book, the main action is set in Cornwall where Lynley plans to introduce his fiancee, Deborah Cotton. "A Suitable Vengeance" starts out extremely slowly. In fact, the first murder, that of a local newspaperman, doesn't occur until at least a quarter of the way through. If it had been a straight murder story rather than a vehicle to explore the histories of our main characters it might have been more interesting. The murderer ended up being a surprise for me but I was so annoyed at the Harlequin-like, self-pitying relationships between Lynley, St. James and Deborah that by the time I got there I no longer cared.
The descriptions of Cornwall are excellent, providing a convincing sense of place and an atmospheric backdrop. Hopefully, in her next novels George will return to the approach that worked well in the first three novels, where she writes a great mystery that any observant reader can solve and, along the way, deepens the reader's understanding of some very likable characters. I'm still a fan and have already picked up number 5 of the series, For the Sake of Elena.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
A contemporary murder mystery set in Britain. Rich folks, drug use, love affairs and medical research all play a part in this fairly typical whodunnit.
Not bad - my main complaint is that for the first couple of chapters you really think one of the main characters is an older man, then you find out
Not bad - my main complaint is that for the first couple of chapters you really think one of the main characters is an older man, then you find out
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he's 32. (Both the friend who gave me the book and I felt this way). It's disconcerting to have to readjust your mental image of him so suddenly. And I didn't find the drug use, as portrayed, very convincing. I got the feeling Ms. George has likely not tried any illegal drugs (not that I'm saying she should!) Show Less
LibraryThing member Christina_E_Mitchell
Oooooohhhhhh! So that's how Deborah and St. James ended up together. I knew the gist, now I know the sordid details. Linley is truly an English Lord with a Lord's family. Keep that upper lip stiff and civil, by all means.
LibraryThing member ct.bergeron
Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, Forensic scientist simon Allcourt St-James, and Lady Helen Clyde in a superlative mystery. Lynley, 8 earl of Asherton, has brough home to Howenstow, this young woman he as ask to be is bride. But the savage murder of a local journalist is the cataclyst for a
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lethal serie of events that shatter the calm of the picturesque Cornwall village and embroils Lynley and St-James in a case far outside their jurisdiction, and a little too close home. When a second death follows closely on the heels of the first Lynley finds he can't help taking the investigation personally because the evidence points to a killer within is own family. Show Less
LibraryThing member cindywho
This one was a prequel - rehashing the Lynley angst that was referred to in the other mysteries. I missed Havers, though she did put in a cameo.
LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
A SuitableVengeance (1991) (Insp. Lynley #4) by Elizabether George. You don’t know what you’ve got till its gone. That phrase says a lot about what is happening, or actually,not happening, in the world of Covid-19. But it also applies to this novel. Sgt. Havers is all but missing, making only a
Here we have a prequel to the first novels in Ms. George’s Thomas Lynley/Barbara Havers detective tales. The group of friends that you have met in the other books are gathered in Cornwall at Lynley’s estate Howenstow. They come together in celebration of Lynley’s engagement to photographer Deborah Cotter. But it is a hell of a weekend, and not in the boisterous, “man was that a blast!” sort of way. We know the engagement is doomed, but not the friendship, and this is what causes the relationships that ensue.
There is a lot of angst here, love gone wrong, reasons for Lynley’s poor attitude towards his mother, why Deborah hates Simon St. James, and Lynley’s younger brother’s addiction to cocaine. There are other people hanging around, including Mr. Body, who goes by the name of Mick Cambrey. He conveniently is sexually mutilated and killed about a fourth of the way into the book.
Not your conventional entry to the series, but this book serves as a road map to the people involved. It is the ongoing nature of their relationships which both drive and give this series its strength. Not a standalone book by any stretch, but a welcome addition to the history of Lynley.
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brief cameo at the end.Here we have a prequel to the first novels in Ms. George’s Thomas Lynley/Barbara Havers detective tales. The group of friends that you have met in the other books are gathered in Cornwall at Lynley’s estate Howenstow. They come together in celebration of Lynley’s engagement to photographer Deborah Cotter. But it is a hell of a weekend, and not in the boisterous, “man was that a blast!” sort of way. We know the engagement is doomed, but not the friendship, and this is what causes the relationships that ensue.
There is a lot of angst here, love gone wrong, reasons for Lynley’s poor attitude towards his mother, why Deborah hates Simon St. James, and Lynley’s younger brother’s addiction to cocaine. There are other people hanging around, including Mr. Body, who goes by the name of Mick Cambrey. He conveniently is sexually mutilated and killed about a fourth of the way into the book.
Not your conventional entry to the series, but this book serves as a road map to the people involved. It is the ongoing nature of their relationships which both drive and give this series its strength. Not a standalone book by any stretch, but a welcome addition to the history of Lynley.
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LibraryThing member rafram
When journalist Mick Cambrey is found dead, castrated, local opinion is that he got what was coming to him. Inspector Lynley of Scotland Yard investigates the murder in his hometown Howenstow where he knows everybody from his childhood. As the investigation proceeds another murder occurs.
A Suitable
The story is set in and around idyllic Cornish village of Howenstow. He takes on the investigation assisted by Simon St James. As they are outside their jurisdiction, they are not working in any real professional capacity; more or less as private citizens when investigating the murder of Mick Cambrey.
The plot of A Suitable Vengance has a number of fascinating elements. We get to read about cocaine trafficking, experiments with cancer drugs, cross dressing, posh lifestyle and complicated, bad relationships.
Main character is Inspector Thomas Lynley, 8th Lord Asherton who is heir to the Howenstow estate, has a seriously complicated relationship with his estranged mother following her infidelity. Fortunately as the story progressed, they both to become a little more mature about the incident.
Secondary character Peter Lynley is Inspector Lynley’s younger brother who is a drop out of Oxford. He is addicted to cocaine and lives from one fix to the next. I felt very sorry for him as he felt abandoned by his older brother when very young and kind of gave up on his own life.
To choose a favorite character in this story feels hard. Thomas seemed to be the hero and Peter more of tragic character. My least favorite I think was the first victim’s father Harry Cambrey, who was creating and trying to keep up a lie about his son to shield the family from prejudice.
My favorite part of the plot was descriptions of the posh lifestyle of the Lynleys. Reminiscent of environments from Downton Abbey set in a crime fiction story. It included everything from dinner parties and big social events to descriptions of the manor house itself.
A Suitable Vengance (Inspector Lynley #4) by Elizabeth George is a story with a mix of very fascinating elements ranging from cocaine trafficking to drug experiments. Including twists and turns a very surprising ending. As I am curious about the main character’s relationships, I will definitely go back and pick up on that storyline.
Fans of Elizabeth George would love A Suitable Vengance, as would readers of crime fiction.
Similar authors to explore might be Louise Penny or P.D. James.
Thank you to Kristiansand Public Libraray for providing me with this audio CD edition of A Suitable Vengance which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.
My rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: exiting plot, great character development, surprise ending
A Suitable
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Vengance is the fourth book by Elizabeth George about Inspector Lynley and I listened to an audio edition of it published by Bantam Audio Publishing of 1991. I jumped right into A Suitable Vengance and I felt it worked well as a standalone. I am curious what happened to Lynley in the 3 previous installments. In this early release Havers only makes a brief “guest appearance” working with the local investigator. She has not met Lynley at this point.The story is set in and around idyllic Cornish village of Howenstow. He takes on the investigation assisted by Simon St James. As they are outside their jurisdiction, they are not working in any real professional capacity; more or less as private citizens when investigating the murder of Mick Cambrey.
The plot of A Suitable Vengance has a number of fascinating elements. We get to read about cocaine trafficking, experiments with cancer drugs, cross dressing, posh lifestyle and complicated, bad relationships.
Main character is Inspector Thomas Lynley, 8th Lord Asherton who is heir to the Howenstow estate, has a seriously complicated relationship with his estranged mother following her infidelity. Fortunately as the story progressed, they both to become a little more mature about the incident.
Secondary character Peter Lynley is Inspector Lynley’s younger brother who is a drop out of Oxford. He is addicted to cocaine and lives from one fix to the next. I felt very sorry for him as he felt abandoned by his older brother when very young and kind of gave up on his own life.
To choose a favorite character in this story feels hard. Thomas seemed to be the hero and Peter more of tragic character. My least favorite I think was the first victim’s father Harry Cambrey, who was creating and trying to keep up a lie about his son to shield the family from prejudice.
My favorite part of the plot was descriptions of the posh lifestyle of the Lynleys. Reminiscent of environments from Downton Abbey set in a crime fiction story. It included everything from dinner parties and big social events to descriptions of the manor house itself.
A Suitable Vengance (Inspector Lynley #4) by Elizabeth George is a story with a mix of very fascinating elements ranging from cocaine trafficking to drug experiments. Including twists and turns a very surprising ending. As I am curious about the main character’s relationships, I will definitely go back and pick up on that storyline.
Fans of Elizabeth George would love A Suitable Vengance, as would readers of crime fiction.
Similar authors to explore might be Louise Penny or P.D. James.
Thank you to Kristiansand Public Libraray for providing me with this audio CD edition of A Suitable Vengance which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.
My rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: exiting plot, great character development, surprise ending
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LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
A Suitable Vengeance is the fourth of the Lynley-Havers series by Elizabeth George, however, it deals with events that happened prior to the very first book of the series, A Great Deliverance. It has plenty of background for Lynley fans and also reveals a great deal of the Lynley family history.
In this book, the main action is set in Cornwall where Lynley plans to introduce his fiancee, Deborah Cotton. "A Suitable Vengeance" starts out extremely slowly. In fact, the first murder, that of a local newspaperman, doesn't occur until at least a quarter of the way through. If it had been a straight murder story rather than a vehicle to explore the histories of our main characters it might have been more interesting. The murderer ended up being a surprise for me but I was so annoyed at the Harlequin-like, self-pitying relationships between Lynley, St. James and Deborah that by the time I got there I no longer cared.
The descriptions of Cornwall are excellent, providing a convincing sense of place and an atmospheric backdrop. Hopefully, in her next novels George will return to the approach that worked well in the first three novels, where she writes a great mystery that any observant reader can solve and, along the way, deepens the reader's understanding of some very likable characters. I'm still a fan and have already picked up number 5 of the series, For the Sake of Elena.
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Unfortunately DS Havers plays only a cameo role which is a shame because she would have brought a touch of reality to a highly melodramatic tale. Previous books have hinted at some sort of a triangle between Lynley, St. James and Deborah and this book will finally answer them. It's way too long and really overwritten but as a fan of the series I found it interesting to fill in some of the character's background. In this book, the main action is set in Cornwall where Lynley plans to introduce his fiancee, Deborah Cotton. "A Suitable Vengeance" starts out extremely slowly. In fact, the first murder, that of a local newspaperman, doesn't occur until at least a quarter of the way through. If it had been a straight murder story rather than a vehicle to explore the histories of our main characters it might have been more interesting. The murderer ended up being a surprise for me but I was so annoyed at the Harlequin-like, self-pitying relationships between Lynley, St. James and Deborah that by the time I got there I no longer cared.
The descriptions of Cornwall are excellent, providing a convincing sense of place and an atmospheric backdrop. Hopefully, in her next novels George will return to the approach that worked well in the first three novels, where she writes a great mystery that any observant reader can solve and, along the way, deepens the reader's understanding of some very likable characters. I'm still a fan and have already picked up number 5 of the series, For the Sake of Elena.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
At first this one appears to be out of sync with the earlier episodes in this series, but it is so well written that the reader is caught up in the mystery (almost a closed door classic) while we learn about Thomas Lynley's romance with Deborah Cotter whom he has brought home to meet his mother.
He
He
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ends up spending more time with his "best friend" Lady Helen Clyde and his life-long friend forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James and readers are left wondering who will end up marrying whom. An enticing way to keep us ready for the next in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member clue
I didn't realize until I had plowed through almost half of this that it was a prequel. Just didn't like it.
Subjects
Awards
Dilys Award (Nominee — 1992)
Original publication date
1991