Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Something to Hide by Elizabeth George Narrator: Simon Vance
Series: Inspector Lynley #21
Published by Penguin Audio on January 11, 2022
Genres: Mystery
Length: 21 hours, 28 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community, and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, which has far-reaching cultural associations that have nothing to do with life as he knows it. In his pursuit of a killer determined to remain hidden, he's assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. They must sort through the lies and the secret lives of people whose superficial cooperation masks the damage they do to one another.
It was so good to get back to the Inspector Lynley series which I started nearly 30 years ago. I’ve mostly read them but I’ve listened to the last few. The narrators are exceptional and Simon Vance does well with Something to Hide.
I had a bit of trouble with the very start when all the various plot layers were being introduced but without connection yet. In fact, Lynley, Havers or Nkata, none of the team showed up until the second chapter and then it was off and running. There are two mysteries we follow, one is a murder mystery but the other is a cultural abuse within a family which is hard to read.
The murder mystery is wide open with far too many suspects. The victim is a cop. The husband, the sister, the lover’s wife are all possibilities. The team sifts through the facts gathering, confirming, verifying and working to understand. There are a lot of motives but the right one must be found.
The family with abuse is a more suspenseful storyline. It particularly had me on edge because we are talking about a child. We see the values and actions of the father, mother, son and daughter. There is much conflict and difference of preferences.
The other aspect, not to be overlooked are all the personal lives of the team members. I don’t like Lynley’s current lady so that part bored me. Dee is trying once again to get Havers to date which is sadly hilarious. Nkata seemed much more active in these investigations, perhaps partly because he is black and so are many of the people in both investigations.
The characters are so well developed they seem like real people to me. Of course, I have the advantage of longevity and history with the regulars. But the new ones in these investigations are also so realistic.
There were plenty of layers and twists I didn’t see coming. Other than the first chapter, I was fully engaged but mostly clueless all along. The team is so compassionate, even when some of the people they interview are horrible. I love watching how they pull together the oddest bits and manage to figure things out. I’ll keep reading as long as there are books available.
Narration:
Simon Vance is a favorite narrator of mine. He did so well with all the voices and it was such a pleasure to listen. Each character sounds just as I have come to recognize and enjoy. I listened at 1.25x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Simon Vance
Award winning audiobook narrator and actor. Winner of 14 Audio awards and 67 Earphone awards.
About Elizabeth George
Susan Elizabeth George is an American author of mystery novels set in Great Britain. Eleven of her novels, featuring her character Inspector Lynley, have been adapted for television by the BBC as The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.
She was born in Warren, Ohio, but moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when she was eighteen months old. She was a student of English, receiving a teaching certificate. While teaching English in the public school system, she completed an advanced degree in psychology.
Her first published novel was A Great Deliverance in 1988, featuring Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, a Scotland Yard inspector of noble birth; Barbara Havers, Lynley’s assistant, from a very working-class background; Lady Helen Clyde, Lynley’s girlfriend and later wife, of noble birth as well; and Lynley’s friends Simon and Deborah St. James.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 22-COYER
So many years! Does the MC age over time at all? I assume the world must stay current and modern? Glad you enjoyed!
The MC does age, he’s had a wife and now different girlfriends. But the case takes perhaps a couple weeks or a month? Some longer, some shorter. So 12 books might fit in the space of a year. Technology is not hugely present so it could sit anywhere from 1990 to now. I love how layered and in depth the development is in the books. The narrator is excellent.
I have most of the books in this series but have only read one. And not even the first book! So many are just so big . . . Haha. I do want to read the series though. I love the setting and I really enjoyed the one book I did read by George. I am so glad to see you enjoyed this one!
The audio books are also excellent. It makes it faster for me because I can multi-task.
Wow, I can’t believe how long this series is. So glad you enjoyed the book and are continuing with the series!
They are very well written and encapsulate various issues in society to which there aren’t always easy answers.
I haven’t read any of the series, but I’ve watched the TV adaptation and loved it! I had no idea there were 21 books! I think I have one of the books, too. I need to give it a shot. Wonderful review, Anne!
Thank you Rachel! You should. I will warn you the storyline is quite different than the tv adaptation. The narration is outstanding. I read the first 17 or so but the last few were during my wave of love for audiobooks.
This is an author that I have always wanted to read but never have. This sounds like it was really well done.
They are excellent. There are various social issues brought up in crimes and the answers aren’t simple. The audio is outstanding. It is not the same storyline as the PBS series, which I also loved.