Just One Evil Act: A Lynley Novel (Inspector Lynley Book 18)

Just when you think you have worked it out, Elizabeth George inserts another twist in the tale. I am in constant awe of her ability to produce something unique in the veritable ocean of this genre. This edition, long awaited, is focused a little more on Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers but still with much from Detective Inspector Lynley. I will admit to being a little disappointed at the unnecessary tracts of Italian when it suited, then parts of translated Italian spoken between two Italian characters with Italian language interspersed. Rather conflicting use of the foreign language in an English language book. Overall it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book. I found the main character portrayals believable, although some of the minor characters were hackneyed - divorced, good looking Italian police Inspector living with Mama, - soccer playing scion of wealthy "old" family with ancient vineyard, et al. Would have been a bit more believable if they had just been ordinary people. Don't understand the need to portray Lorenzo as having a large birthmark across his face - a little bit of unnecessary character description as I see it. I also have a problem with a character who is a highly trained large animal veterinarian being part of a Roller Derby team, and much less the type of person who would maintain any sort of interest from Lynley, just twelve months after the murder of his wife. After all, this act had been so horrific it saw Lynley tramping the Cornish Coast incommunicado! I most sincerely hope that this is not the beginning of the dumbing down, and de-classing of our noble hero! Found the fact of Barbara Havers having a passport just in the hope of maybe one day taking a holiday abroad a little far fetched, but I chose to overlook that in my overall enjoyment of the book. There were some moments when I felt that the story was degenerating to a brag fest of Ms George's obvious visits to Tuscany rather than just a placement of characters relevant to the locale. The descriptive scenery was at times unnecessary, making the book over long. The entire book is rather convoluted but quite enjoyable and eminently unputdownable! Reading this made me late for appointments twice, as I wanted to know what was going to happen, but I "blagged" my way through I hope. The most depressing part of the entire book is the last page - knowing that I have another long wait for the next instalment. I do so wish that there could be a new one each month. I own a copy of each of the Lynley/ Havers books, and enjoyed each of them, but came late to them so had pleasure in reading them, in order, relatively quickly. I must also counsel any prospective reader not to confuse the characters as portrayed in the television series based on the early novels with the characters as they are portrayed by Ms George herself, as they physically are poles apart and so could colour our judgement of the characters in the novel! I will admit that this latest offering is quite different to those that have preceded and hope that future offerings return to a slightly more recognisable format ( and rather more believable ). Still, overall, I did genuinely enjoy the book. Bellissimo Ms George, another sheer delight.

Just One Evil Act, picks up where the previous installment in Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series, Believing the Lie, left off. Knowledge of the characters' history is necessary to understand the behavior of Detective Sergeant Havers in this book as well as her colleague Inspector Thomas Lynley's forgiveness of excesses that go beyond her usual rash behavior. Likewise, the interactions of Superintendent Isabelle Ardery with Lynley and with Havers depend somewhat on their relationships in the previous book. Barbara Havers definitely is the main character in this book--a reader who was not already attached to Barbara and aware of the layers of her relationship with neighbor Taymullah Azhar and his daughter Hadiyyah probably would not be sympathetic to her dilemmas and reckless choices at several points in the book. So, this book would not be a good first exposure to the Inspector Lynley series of mysteries. However, loyal fans of these novels will want to read this exciting and complex story with many secrets, lies, twists, and double crosses. The reader is constantly challenged to consider what lines you would step over in a similar situation and to question whether to re-evaluate your opinion of a character you thought you understood from previous books. Although I missed familiar characters Simon and Deborah St. James and Detective Sergeant Winston Nkata, who have only bit parts in this novel, the author develops an interesting and likeable character in Chief Inspector Salvatore Lo Bianco. Lo Bianco actually does more to solve the crimes than Inspector Lynley. Lo Bianco's detecting and need to work around his superior reminded me of Donna Leon's Venetian detective Guido Brunetti. I did not find the detestable Magistrate Piero Fanucci as believable as George's other characters. The unique setting of Lucca, Italy and the surrounding Tuscan landscape were used to good effect, although I agree with other reviewers that George went overboard on the use of Italian language, sometimes whole sentences, without translation. I understand from the Acknowledgements that she has been learning Italian, but that doesn't mean her readers know Italian--it is annoying to have to use an English-Italian dictionary repeatedly to make sure nothing essential is being missed. The story itself is well crafted. I, for one, do not mind that the book is lengthy because George constructs a complex procedural, actually with more than "just one evil act." Without giving the plot away, I would argue that the book begins with one evil act (that is not actually a crime), followed by two serious crimes that must be solved by putting together information from the official police, Barbara working outside her official capacity, and private detectives. George gives us an interesting look at Barbara's reaction to her first foreign travel as well as introducing some humor in the interactions of Barbara, who speaks no Italian, and Salvatore, who speaks no English; Salvatore's mamma also lightens the mood. George describes all the legwork well, including the movements through London and the Lucca area. However, all the secrets and lies made it hard to keep track of who knew what--I occasionally thought facts were being introduced that were already known. Once the first crime occurs, this novel is pervaded by a need to move quickly as well as a sense of desperation. Fans will know that George cannot be counted on for a happy ending, so the suspense is high throughout the book. I felt a little let down by the ending (the wrap up after crime solution), which could have been more definitive, but instead left some questions open for the next installment.

This was another great EG read. By now the characters are like old friends and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me wondering how it would all play out..

Now, the plot is really intriguing with all its twists, Barbara Havers is Barbara at all her best and worst, the italian side of the story shows a very interesting charachter, italian detective Salvatore Lo Bianco which I assume we will see again in the future in another George's novel, developing a relationship between him and Barbara which in this novel is "in nuce", that is just showing its potential, no street is closed forever, not even that one with Azhar and Haddyjah forever lost in Pakistan, who says so?, there are many interesting developing possibility of the italian investigation about the kidnapping of the girl let simply drop and Azhar's criminal acts let dropping as well allowing him to return to London.....We will see, the possibilities are all there, and I am very anxious to see how Mrs George will go with her charachters. The only charachter I find, as italian, a little over the lines is the one of the "pubblico ministero" (the italian equivalent of the Crown Prosecutor for the english criminal sistem) Piero Fanucci, perhaps even more than a little over the lines. His behaviour is unlickely, to say the least, but again, as italian, I guess I see where from Mrs. George found her inspiration, and I assume, but look, it's only my personal guess!, she took inspiration from the investigation on the murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia and the charge and trial of Amanda Knox and her fiancée Raffaele Sollecito. In conclusion, a very intriguing novel, which leave a lot of question unresolved: -will Azhar be allowed to ever return to England with his daughter? -what will happen to the friendship between Barbara and DI Lynley? - will we see detective Salvatore Lo Bianco again? I can hardly wait to see where Mrs. George will take us.

If you like her novels then this is marvellous. Not up to playing the ashes perhaps, but totally enthralling as always. She also seems to have come out of the deathly depressing previous books Here life stirs and the evil comes from it. Much of the story is set in Italy and, as I have lived here for many years, I found her understanding of the Italian police and its investigative process remarkably accurate...that really is the way it is. Barbara's determined desperation is outrageous but credible. Thanks as always to the author.

I've read and enjoyed all of the Lynley/Havers crime novels by Elizabeth George, and if you are also an avid reader of hers, by all means buy this book and read it. Don't be daunted by other reviewers! It has all of her hallmarks - great descriptions of locale, complex characters who engage in plenty of soul searching, a turning and twisting plot with elements of base human behavior, and satisfying ending. Plus the glorious setting of Lucca, Italy, and the intriguing new Italian characters. So why do so many people not like it? First off - one of the main criticisms seems to be that people don't buy the way Barbara Havers acts in this book. Many readers, including me, really like the Havers figure. And one of the reasons I like her is because the author has painted a fully believable portrait of her throughout the many Lynley novels as a lonely, single woman approaching middle age who wears heavy "armor" in the form of a tough, wisecracking exterior, designed to keep everyone at arm's length. She is fully aware of her physical unattractiveness, which she aggressively emphasizes by wearing the most unbecoming of clothes and coiffure. So here we have a woman with a desolate private life, consisting of a mother with Alzheimer's in a care home and basically nothing else, and not much hope that will ever change. She has her work as a detective, which she's good at and through which she has managed to win the respect and friendship - to a certain degree - of DI Thomas Lynley. That's about it. And then, some books back, her new neighbors Taymullah Azhar and his daughter Hadiyyah enter her bleak life and manage to touch her heart. And she touches theirs, as well, at the very latest after she saves Hadiyyah's life, also a few books back, thus gaining friendship and warm regard from Taymullah, who recognizes her true character for what it is. And who knows - this lonely woman, who has never known a love life, may deep down inside really have romantic phantasies about herself and Taymullah. Against this background her desperate disregard for rules and frantic behavior in protecting her two neighbors in the terrible situations which arise after Hadiyyah is snatched away from Taymullah were completely believable to me. Barbara is acting to protect the only people with whom she has an emotional tie, and she knows how comfortless her life will be if they're gone. As for Isabelle and her own purportedly uncharacteristic behavior: A few books back DI John Stewart attacks her verbally in public in the most insulting, woman-hating and slanderous possible way. Since I don't want this to be a spoiler I'll just ask you to keep this in mind when the ending comes around. Another popular criticism is the unmotivated use of Italian. I sort of agree with this criticism. To a certain extent I think it adds local flavor to intersperse conversations with a few typical Italian phrases, but in this case it's more than that. Of course the author can't completely switch to Italian when an Italian is speaking or nobody would understand the book, so what is she trying to prove. I don't get it, but it didn't bother me enough to spoil the flow of the scenes in Italy. More criticism: the interactions between Barbara and the tabloid journalist and between Barbara and the private detectives are too long and too repetitive. Also, I found the whole side plot of her relationship with the tabloid journalist somewhat unbelievable and I never really understood why she kept contacting him aside from the initial contact to force the Met's hand. So thank you once again Elizabeth George for this book, and please get the next one out soon - I want to know how things continue!

I enjoyed this book a lot. The last Inspector Lynley offering was a disappointment. This book redeemed Sargent Havers and at least is putting Inspector Lynley closer to the "star" that he used to be. I'm hoping that the next episode puts him back on his steed. I miss his relationships with Debora and her husband but at least they were mentioned. The story is a really good one in spite of the above. Barbara Havers is a great character. Very endearing. It helps if you can speak Italian but if not it really doesn't matter. It's delicious anyway.