Deception on His Mind by Elizabeth George Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Deception on His Mind
Book Review: Compelling plot, unlikeable characters
Summary: 3 Stars
This was the first E. George book I have read. I found the plot compelling, but the continual references to the racism of the community and characters was very tiring. The overt racism was the kind you would find in small town USA in the 1950s. Is it really this bad in England? I felt some of the characters were too one-dimensional (no redeeming qualities) and found the character of Emily inconsistent, especially at the end. The author gave us some insight into the Pakistani culture, but I didn't get the idea that she found anything positive about it. I am going to read "For the Sake of Elena" to give the author another chance.
Book Review: Continuing Plot Complications Provide Character Insights
Summary: 5 Stars
In Deception on His Mind, Elizabeth George eloquently answered all of her critiques who felt that she cannot write decent mystery plots that match her remarkable characterizations. Unfettered by the urbane Thomas Lynley who is off on his honeymoon with Lady Helen, Ms. George features the redoubtable
Barbara Havers as the detective in this story. Seeing English society from "downstairs" as it were, the story has more grit than usual and the seamy side of the elite is more exposed as well.
As the story opens, Havers is recuperating from her physical and emotional injuries incurred in In the Presence of the Enemy. With a bruised face and cracked ribs, she's supposed to take time off. The Pakistani fiance of a local entrepreneur has been found murdered on a beach in Essex. That event brings Havers' neighbor, Taymullah Azhar, and his daughter, Hadiyyah, to the seaside resort of Balford-le-Nez. Havers recalls found memories of this part of the coast and soon follows, finding herself embroiled in both the murder and a complicated family situation of Azhar's.
Havers goes with her gut, and her instincts soon have her in hot water. And the case is a baffling one. There are leads in all directions, but tracking down those leads doesn't solve the murder.
The underlying themes of the book include racism, class snobbery, the painful limits that religion can bring, and the constraints of a family's heritage. I have no idea if this book accurately displays modern day English society or not, but it makes for interesting, if uncomfortable, reading.
But I thought the best part of the book came in the careful exploration of the social customs and beliefs among the Pakistani characters. It's seldom that an author from the United States succeeds in taking readers into an alien culture in a way that makes that culture more understandable. Ms. George has clearly succeeded in this regard.
My only complaint is that Ms. George feels that she has to include characters, once again, who are totally hollow. Those characters seem overdone and weaken the story. There are more depths to real people, even the hollowish ones, than Ms. George is willing to credit.
Book Review: Cultural and Religious Errors Detract from Story too Much
Summary: 2 Stars
I generally like Elizabeth George novels, but this one needed more research, apparently. Her story has at its heart Pakistani Muslims living in the UK, yet George displays shocking ignorance of the culture she spends so many wordy pages writing about. first of all, Pakistani Muslims by and large speak Urdu, not Arabic. Secondly, the dowry in Islam is required to be given from the man to the wife, not the other way around. It is primarily a Hindu, not Muslim, practice for the dowry to go from woman to man, although many Muslim families do prepare their version of a "hope chest" for their daughters to start her out in married life. She misrepresented the roles of women, arranged marriage, and even homosexuality. And she introduced some essential but strange concept of cutting off family that is 100% contrary to Islamic teachings. I wonder if she got her ideas from some amalgamation of Indian Hindu culture and popular media representation of Asians? In any case, it is so wrong on many points that it became impossible to overlook, confusing, and detracting from the story. I think Ms. George didn't try to be insulting by any means, but her lack of proper research is alarming, and it is more alarming that it was published with such inaccuracies, even as a work of fiction.Book Review: Deception On His Mind Another Fine Piece of Work
Summary: 5 Stars
I became an Elizabeth George fan two years ago when I first listened to the copy of In The Presence Of The Enemy I bought from Amazon.com, and bought Deception On His Mind only last year on a two-thumbs-up review from a friend. It's as fascinating a mystery as those Miss George has written in the past, and it also helped me gain a better understanding of the people of Pakistan and their culture. You should not be without a copy of this in your bookcase!Book Review: Deception on His Mind
Summary: 5 Stars
Book was Excellent. Developement of characters and plot allowed events to move on their own. Events happened as these personalities would have interacted