The Punishment She Deserves

Award-winning author Elizabeth George delivers another masterpiece of suspense in her Inspector Lynley series.

When a Member of Parliament shows up at New Scotland Yard requesting an investigation into the suicide of the son of one of his constituents in the beautiful town of Ludlow, the Assistant Commissioner sees two opportunities in this request: the first is to have an MP owing him a favour, and the second is to get rid of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, whose career at the Met has been hanging by a thread for quite some time. So he assigns Havers to the case and for good measure partners her with the one person who shares his wish to see the back of her, Detective Chief Superintendent Isabelle Ardery.

But Ardery has her own difficulties. She is not happy to be sent away from London and as a result is in a rush to return. This causes her to overlook certain uncomfortable facts. Soon, the case is opened again and this time, it is Lynley who must accompany Havers to Ludlow, with little more than a week to save the Met's reputation and Barbara's job. And the more they investigate, the more it looks as if the suicide was part of a much more sinister pattern of events.

“The best plotter in the mystery game, [her] elegant literate flow puts many Brits to shame”

Stunning 20th Thomas Lynley novel. George tackles a number of emotionally charged social issues with sensitivity and grace. Exquisitely rendered characters and a powerful sense of place enhance the meticulously crafted mystery, which satisfies as a standalone while furthering the series arc. - Publishers' Weekly

George threads in the activities - and the secrets - of the people of Ludlow, eventually tying the various plotlines into the crime at the center of this well-wrought mystery. George's Inspector Lynley series is more about characters than crime, and she is sympathetic to the human failings of those characters.The sheer size of this book shouldn't dissuade readers: bolstered by George's polished prose, the twentieth Lynley mystery moves briskly along, showing the author at the peak of her powers. - Booklist

Praise for Elizabeth George:

Her crime novels combine Victorian craftsmanship, psychological observation and ingenious plotting. George's celebrated attention to detail keeps the reader totally immersed. Bliss. - Saga

She's a designer of fastidious mosaics that never fail to intrigue - Guardian

She writes extremely well, plots brilliantly and reaches an emotional level deeper than most - The Times

Presses all the buttons to make us hoover her stuff up - Daily Telegraph

- Time Out

Elizabeth George is the internationally bestselling author of highly acclaimed novels of psychological suspense in the Inspector Lynley series. Her work has been honoured with the Anthony and Agatha awards, the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, and the MIMI, Germany's prestigious prize for suspense fiction. Her novels have been adapted for television by BBC TV. Elizabeth George lives Seattle, in the state of Washington.

Award-winning author Elizabeth George delivers another masterpiece of suspense in her Inspector Lynley series. When a Member of Parliament shows up at New Scotland Yard requesting an investigation into the suicide of the son of one of his constituents in the beautiful town of Ludlow, the Assistant Commissioner sees two opportunities in this request: the first is to have an MP owing him a favour, and the second is to get rid of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, whose career at the Met has been hanging by a thread for quite some time. So he assigns Havers to the case and for good measure partners her with the one person who shares his wish to see the back of her, Detective Chief Superintendent Isabelle Ardery.But Ardery has her own difficulties. She is not happy to be sent away from London and as a result is in a rush to return. This causes her to overlook certain uncomfortable facts. Soon, the case is opened again and this time, it is Lynley who must accompany Havers to Ludlow, with little more than a week to save the Met's reputation and Barbara's job. And the more they investigate, the more it looks as if the suicide was part of a much more sinister pattern of events.

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