With No One as Witness by Elizabeth George Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of With No One as Witness
Book Review: For Every Thing There Is A Season....
Summary: 4 Stars
I really hate to say this but it's that time, the dreaded hour when a MAJOR character hits the dust. In this case it's the mildly annoying, flittering socialite wife of star Lynley. If Helen is lucky she will be rewarded with an afterlife filled with servants, boutiques, chic cafes and parties every night of the week.
I liked the book and to tell the truth, I get so obsorbed in the story I hardly notice the inordinate length. Plus, my favorite character, Havers, was back in mid-season form - she is the greatest!!! One can almost feel the approaching doom as George masterfully applies her incredible literary technique, drawing the reader into the couple's newly discovered happiness and all the dreams of the future. The story blithely continues, building a sunny optimism (VERY similar to the Bond and Tracey and their short lived bliss)and yet in the background there is a storm approaching and the reader just knows something bad is awaiting and when it does - POW! It's a stunner but to tell the truth, Helen was always my least favorite character. In fact, she never seemed "real" like the other four members of this merry little band.
My only gripe is that George could have saved the baby by keeping Helen on life support. Think of all the soliloquies we'd hear from the Inspector, the beautiful women he would have to sorrowfully disclose his beloved's silent state. Sure Helen would be brain dead but that's beside the point. She will have given her one true love a son (it had to be a son). Think of the plot possibilities that open as Lyndley goes all domestic on us. On the other hand, we can now follow the inspector as he searches and finds love in (I guarantee) all the wrong places before settling down with his new one and only. My grade: B+
Book Review: Good but not great
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is very long and it took me a while to get into it. It was a bit slow going at first. I loved other books by Elizabeth George but this was not one of her best and the ending was terribly sad.Book Review: Gripping!
Summary: 5 Stars
Elizabeth George is one of those writers who don't overproduce, and therefore keep writing great books. This one impressed me not just because of the storyline, but especially because of the care with which different characters are followed throughout the story. The ending is breathtakingly sad.Book Review: Heartbreaking but Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I am beginning to think that Elizabeth George is one of today's finest mystery writers and With No One as Witness does nothing to disabuse me of that notion. As always, in addition to a well plotted mystery, she has her usual well-developed characters and pushes the boundaries of race and class in British society.
In this book, Acting Chief inspector Thomas Lynley and his wife, Helen are looking forward to the birth of their first child, while at the same time a particularly viscious serial killer is operating in London-- one who kidnaps and kills young boys. The case is politically tense because the murders were essentially ignored until the first white victim is found-- all of the previous victims had been black so no one had put together the fact that young boys were being killed in a similar fashion.
In addition to the political nature of the case, Lynley has to deal with the AC, David Hillier, who is a real idiot and who insists on doing stupid things like embedding a reporter in on the investigation and forcing Detective Sergeant NKata to sit in on daily press briefings to show that Scotland Yard is ethnically diverse.
Detective Constable Havers is back in fine form-- still demoted to Constable but determined to slog through and solve the case in her own indomitable way.
Without giving anything away, let me say that the ending of the book was a complete shock and was absolutely heartbreaking. I had to go back and read the last few chapters again to make sure I had gotten it all, and I cried myself to sleep after reading it, feeling as devastated as the characters in the book at the turn of events.
I know that some have criticized George for the ending, but I admire her courage in doing what she did. She doesn't just write mysteries, she writes carefully crafted novels that examine various aspects of society. Yes, the book has a sad ending, but it mirrors true life events, which don't always end happily either.
Book Review: Hey! These characters are not real people
Summary: 5 Stars
Some of this book's negative reviews, even outraged ones, have fascinated me. I too have read all of George's police procedurals. I favor British works in this genre and must remind myself that George is American. Regardless of a book's length, I am usually sad when it ends. For me it is like saying "so long" to a good friend who has stopped by for a visit and I don't know when she will be back.
I just learned that Elizabeth George returns later this Spring. I called my daughter who is 17, away at school, and also an avid George fan. My daughter will certainly welcome her back.
My five stars is not only for George. It is for this particular book, a weighty and complex novel that just happens to be a mystery but crosses into the designated genre of literature.
Finally, a reminder: George is not dead, only one of her characters.