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Title: A Place of Hiding by Elizabeth George, Simon Jones ISBN: 0-553-52855-6 Publisher: Random House Audio Pub. Date: 29 July, 2003 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 5 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.82 (62 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Riveting, Robust-George Back in Form!
Comment: Elizabeth George delivers another wonderful edition of her British mystery series.
This time, two characters-Simon Allcourt-James and his red haired, moody wife Deborah-who have always been supporting players, take center stage. The book pays tribute to George's many strengths in character development-any of the characters that she has written about over the years could easily become the focus of a book.
The plot: Cherokee River,a California friend from Deborah's past, shows up on the doorstep of the Allcourt-James' in London. His half-sister, China River (there mother was a child of the 60's), has been arrested in Guernsey on charges of murder. He enlists the help of the Allcourt-James' and their promise to travel to Guernsey.
The murder victim is Guy Brouard, a wealthy hotelier, who escaped the Nazis as a child. He lived with his sister Ruth in a mansion on Guernsey. His life was--and the book is--filled with an assortment of wives, mistresses, children, hangers-on, local friends. Plenty of evidence points to China: however, she is the only one who has no motive.
George's book explores human relationships and dynamics in a way unknown to most mystery authors. The passionate yet challenging marriage of Simon and Deborah--with her numerous insecurities (she can't bear children due to an abortion, her father is his servant)and his embarassment over his crippled legs--is explored in depth. The loyalty that Ruth, the murder victim's sister, feels to her brother-despite her knowledge of his weaknesses--is woven masterfully throughout the book. Several other family relationships are also presented and worked through in the pages.
Of course the mystery itself is great: plenty of twists and turns, a Nazi or two from the past, lots of atmosphere.
I would recommend this book to fans of the mystery genre ( particularly English mystery), fans of Elizabeth George (she's back in form-I, Richard was a disappointment), fans of "english books" (A Place of Hiding is more than just a mystery). I would caution die hard George groupies-her two main characers, Barbara Havers and her partner, the aristocratic and dashing Inspector Thomas Lynley, are not featured in this book. (Lynley makes one or two perfunctory appearances but that's it.) Don't let that stop you-the book is still wonderful without them.
Rating: 3
Summary: Simon and Deborah play detective
Comment: A change from her previous novels, Elizabeth George brings two of her secondary characters, Simon and Deborah St. James, into the forefront. Thomas Lynley and Lady Helen make a brief appearance in the beginning of the novel. Barbara Havers does not appear at all.
The setting for Elizabeth George's newest novel is the English Channel island of Guernsey. Americans, Cherokee River and his sister China, act as courier's of a set of architectural plans to be transported to Guernsey per the request of businessman Guy Brouard. Guy is building a museum to honor Guernseymen who resisted Nazi occupation. Shortly after the Rivers' arrival in Guernsey, Guy is found murdered. China is arrested. One rainy night Deborah St. James opens her front door and there is River requesting her help. Deborah was China's roommate for her soul-searching three-year stay in California. Deborah feels a debt toward China and enlists her unwilling husband, Simon St. James, to aid the quest for the truth. What ensues is richly complex, multi-layered psychological drama. Sometimes it is too complex and too mult-layered.
There were a couple of problems with the book. There are an excessive number of characters. Some are simply not needed. The book was over 500 pages and it tended to ramble on quite a bit in the middle, which it a lumbering pace. The plot relied a little too heavily on misdirection that made certain elements confusing. It's still a pretty good book, but if you are Elizabeth George fan don't expect this to be one of her best.
Rating: 3
Summary: George is always good but...
Comment: This one didn't hold my interest although it was well-crafted. The tension between Deborah and Simon seemed manufactured, merely a mechanism by which to add drama to the relationship between the protagonists and lend Deborah some affinity with her California friend, China. But then I've never found Deborah and Simon to be as well-fleshed out as other characters in George's books. It's funny but in her later books it's almost like she's more interested in the peripheral characters, the ones that will appear only in this book, than in her ongoing characters.
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Title: The Murder Room by P.D. James ISBN: 1400041414 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 18 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Now May You Weep: A Novel by Deborah Crombie ISBN: 0060525231 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 07 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Fox Evil by Minette Walters ISBN: 0399150544 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Pub. Date: 12 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Foul Matter by Martha Grimes ISBN: 067003259X Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: 18 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: The Babes in the Wood: A Chief Inspector Wexford Mystery by Ruth Rendell ISBN: 140004930X Publisher: Crown Pub. Date: 21 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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