Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George Narrator: Simon Vance
Series: Inspector Lynley #22
Published by Penguin Audio, Penguin Random House on September 23, 2025
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 656
Length: 21 hours, minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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Michael Lobb has just been found dead on the floor of his family’s tin & pewter workshop. It’s suspicious enough that his body was found by a representative of Cornwall EcoMining, a company keen on acquiring his family’s land, and it’s made even worse when he’s revealed to have been the majority owner of the business and the sole obstacle preventing a deal from being made. But it doesn’t take long for Inspector Beatrice Hannaford to unearth the layers of estrangement that surrounded Michael in his final days, pointing suspicions elsewhere. In comes Kayla, a young woman half Michaels’ age, who has just been made a widow.
Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers are brought in to help solve the crime and search for justice amid a community that already trusts no one and fears any outsiders.
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. I also watched the PBS show which took some different plots. I believe there’s a new version of the tv series coming also.
The storytelling alternates between several points of view. We have Michael Lobb ( the murder victim), Det. Hannaford who investigates the murder, the daughter of the victim, a mining salesman, and then our long term characters with DI Thomas Lynley, DS Barbara Havers and Daidre Trahair.  The story is quite long and with layers of personal and professional aspects, many details around the murder mystery.
Michael’s story goes back many years to when he and his first wife went on vacation cruise and he fell in love with an Australian server. Michael started an affair with Kayla and eventually divorced his wife. His daughter never reconciled with him, but the son eventually did. It continues to almost up to his murder as he continues to be obsessed with Kayla but learns some distressing things.
Det Hannaford does a reasonable job of investigating until there is a confession. She has issues in her personal life. Her ex-boyfriend wants her to marry but she likes her independence. There were reasons she had her son and has raised him on her own.
The mining salesman has a pushy young girlfriend who wants to marry and live with him right away. He needs to save some money and ensure his work but wants to do that. He has not taken advantage of her. He is busy trying to buy Michael Lobb’s property but Michael is against it. Michael’s brother, his wife Kayla, and everyone else would be in favor. So Michael’s death paves the way for them.
DI Lynley is back to his family home in Cornwall because the roof has to be replaced and he needs to figure out how to pay for it. Options are slim. They do look at whether they might sell some land or lease some to the mining company or whether to open the home to tourists which would require more costly renovations. He brings Barbara with him because she has been ordered to take leave as her mother has just died. Barbara comes along and goes to work for the defense attorney as Daidre’s brother has been charged with Michael Lobb’s death.  Oh the complex web that is woven.
I do think this was overly long with some plot lines which were rather depressing as they didn’t end well for anyone. At least, the story would have been fine with less of them. The daughter’s story where she was worried about her best friend ended badly. I suppose it gave us insight into the daughter and her character, that she wasn’t involved in killing her father. Also the personal side of the mining salesman could be viewed the same.
Michael’s story was also a bit longer than needed and a bit disgusting how obsessed he was with Kayla. The married man with children in his 40s taking up with an 18 year old girl. Michael and Kayla were married 14 years when he was killed.  We don’t get Kayla’s viewpoint only seeing her through the others.
Tommy and Barbara don’t get into the investigation until something like halfway through. The truths are found and decisions are made about the family home. I did enjoy all the personal and career parts with Tommy, his family, Barbara and even Daidre.  In fact, we learn much more about Daidre and her family, the things she faced as a child. It is more clear why she broke up with Tommy and doesn’t feel she can have a relationship. I’ll always enjoy having more of this series and these well known to me and much loved characters.
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 my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:Â 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:
- 25-Audio
- 25-COYER
I started this series years ago and dropped off at some point so I need to pick them up again. The PBS show was a favorite years ago, too. And, yes, I saw the ads for the PBS remake. They’re remaking Maigret, too. Guess we’ll all have lots of mystery shows to keep us busy for a while.
Glad this latest was a solid entry in the series even with the unnecessary character threads.
yes, all the known characters and even some new ones were well developed. A bit just seemed rather unnecessary. But I love this series.
Love that you’re still enjoying this long running series, Anne💜 I think I have some of the books.
I’ve really enjoyed them, although the tv and books have some huge plot differences.
Funny coincidence, I just watched the first episode of the new adaptation tonight! I watched the original TV series a long time ago and I’ve never read the books, but I enjoyed this new adaptation. I didn’t know the series has been going for 30 yrs!
oooo I’ll have to go look for that new version. I’d even like to watch the old version again as I loved it and my daughter hasn’t seen it. I probably watched it mostly before she was born.
I read the early books in the series years and years ago and liked it but do need to get back to it. I want to try the tv series as well.
I’d love to watch the old series again or the new one, but both require streaming I don’t have or extra costs. So I won’t be watching them right now.
I am so glad after so many books that the series still seems to be going well!!!
yes and I love the characters.