A Traitor to Memory by Elizabeth George Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Traitor to Memory
Book Review: Not the best in the series
Summary: 4 Stars
"A Traitor to Memory" is another thick satisfying book by Elizabeth George. As with most of George's novels, the point of view shifts from character to character -- each character very well drawn. Because we were seeing the action from the points of view of several characters, I was able to figure out who committed the murders before the end of the book, but, as with her other novels, the characters held my attention until the end. If you care a lot about Inspector Lynley, Barbara Havers, and Winston Nkata (the series detectives), you may be disappointed. They are far less prominent than in previous novels. This is very much NOT a police procedural.
Gideon's sessions with his psychiatrist figure greatly. Gideon, who had been a child prodigy violinist, has suddenly lost the whole musical side of his being and is being treated by Dr. Rose. Gideon's highly dysfunctional family is gradually revealed through these sessions.
I wasn't very happy with the ending, but it certainly was absolutely in character. I downgraded the book from 5 stars to 4 simply because I like the series detectives best, and they were not prominent enough.
Book Review: One Very Good Story. One Very Long Book
Summary: 4 Stars
Elizabeth George is one of those talented writers who can fully develop her characters & build a story around them. The three central characters of the Davies family have been developed beautifully.
I can't remember when I've seen so many dysfunctional characters in a book. Yes, even the coppers. But, that's what gives the novel it's draw for the reader. It's very long & at times very drawn out; at times repetitive.
Some have mentioned there are many loose ends. There are some. Ms. George covers some in subsequent novels. Others are basically superfluous.
Reading this novel will require attention. It's dense & very detailed. I found the book's ending very good. If you miss certain details in the book, the ending can become only mediocre or disappointing.
This novel is for those who want to really sink their teeth into a suspense story.
I've found it amazing how a woman from California can write British mystery novels. But, Ms. George does it oh, so well
Book Review: Paying by the word...
Summary: 3 Stars
I confess to being a fan of Elizabeth George. I have read the majority of the books in this series so clearly, something draws me back. However, I also confess to being disappointed overall with this effort. First, and foremost, it is TOO LONG at over 1000 pages. Second, the mystery is quite minimal here and I'd figured it out by page 200 or so. It was pretty much a task to slog through the rest of the book just to confirm what I already knew. As usual, her writing is lucid... maybe too lucid if it was not much of a mystery. I was also disappointed also in the character development in this novel. Usually, such great attention to detail is spent on describing even the slightest of characters in her books. But incredibly, given the length of the novel, few of the characters were fully realized. Last, the returning characters... Lynley, Havers, Nkata, et al were all pretty much ignored with regard to development. Hoping the next one is better!!! KSKBook Review: REVIEWS TELL A TALE !
Summary: 1 Stars
At last count, 67 reviews of "Traitor" were negative, 48 were positive and 38 'waffled' -- so WHY were 2 positive reviews designated as "SPOTLIGHT"? Someone can't figure the math!You wouldn't be reading this if you were not a fan of the Lynley-Havers-Nkata line-up of homicide detectives. They have long been fictional favorites so why drown them in an encyclopedia-length saga peopled with unappealing bit players? Their secrets, possibly rising from some dark celllar of the author's past, are played out in excruciating tedium.
Inevitably there will be inferior manuscripts published because the authors are "established" (aka "income-producers"), or they are celebrities. BUT that doesn't mean the books must be purchased -- or read.
Book Review: She hit a strike this time out
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm usually astonished by the quality of Elizabeth George's novels, particularly given their length and complexity. With "A Traitor to Memory", though, she went too far. About a third of the way into this mammoth tome it seemed like she was treading water -- the same characters were acting out the same scenes, again and again. Usually George juggles all her characters expertly, carefully revealing their secrets and connections to keep the reader hooked. This time they all seemed to spin about at random, with readability further complicated by the flashbacks and the different points of view. I applaud George for attempting something this complex, but next time keep the poor reader in mind! On the plus side, there are some fascinating, expertly drawn characters, but it's all too much. Where was the editor on this one?