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Summary: A big disappointment, again
Review: What's happened? I really liked the first Elizabeth George-novels, but her latest... they're too long, overcrowded, and the plots, well... no.
In this one my favorite characters, Simon and Deborah, get to solve the crime but not even that can help this book. I think it's slow and I read and read and never got anywhere. Too bad. This was my last try, I won't read any more of her books.
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Summary: oh dear oh dear oh dear
Review: No Barbara Havers. Poor plot construction. Ms George and I have come to a parting of the ways... I shall not be buying any more of her books.
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Summary: Simon and Deborah go wild in Guernsey !
Review: Oh dear -has Elizabeth George run out of stream ! - what a convuluted story with subplots that are neither interesting nor useful in helping us understand who murdered Gut Brouard. It was such a dissapointing end and I just wanted Lyneley to come over from London and save the day . Deborah and St James make such an unconvincing pair who clearly should not be at the helm in solving this murder - in fact by the end of the book I was hoping St James might murder Deborah who was making such a hash of protecting her friend China who stands accused of killing Mr Brouard!An awful plot that took so long to end - what a shame as i love her other books . I missed Havers and Linley .
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Summary: Elizabeth George lets us down again!
Review: What's up with Elizabeth George? I used to love her books, but I was very disappointed in A TRAITOR TO MEMORY which should have been called A TRAITOR TO HER READERS. It was awful, but I bit the bullet and gave her another chance. A PLACE OF HIDING was the most convoluted mess I think I have ever read. There must have been 20 subplots, none of which were very interesting. Lynley and Havers were conspicuously absent and, deep down, I don't think Ms. George actually likes Deborah and Simon St. James. The whole mess went on for far too long and, frankly, toward the end, I didn't care who killed Guy Brouard. This may be the last time she suckers me into buying a book!
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Summary: Disappointed Fan
Review: This book was just awful. No Lynley, no Havers. The plot is boring; the characters bland and boring (there is NO chemistry between Deborah and Simon). I am a huge E. George fan and pre-ordered this book only to find that I had to force myself to finish each page. I just can't get over how disappointed I am with this novel.
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Summary: Please go back to Lynley and Havers!
Review: Don't get me wrong, this is a very good book. But the main characters (Simon and his wife) are not as interesting as Lynley and Havers. Besides I waited more than a year for this book because I wanted to know what was going to happen with Barbara and her neighbors just to find out that she is not mentioned in this new book in the series. I hope George goes back to the characters that really characterize this series in her next book!
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Summary: Nice "Place to Visit, But...
Review: I love what Elizabeth George does, I just wish she'd do it in half the time. I know that the introduction of characters and the analyses of their daily lives and inner struggles is meant to serve as so many red herrings, but too often George just comes across as enamored of her own voice. And when the denoument is as pedestrian (and predictable) as it is here, I for one resent how long it's taken to get there. Add a cast of characters that range from grating (the hippie-dippy Californians) to downright unpleasant (Adrian's abrasive mother) and two detectives (not George's usual pair) whose romantic moaning and groaning are tedious at best...and you have sub-par George. But George nonetheless.
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Summary: A diffrent approach for Elizabeth George
Review: In her latest novel, A Place of Hiding,Elizabeth George deviates from the streets of London and the English country-side as she invites us to the Island of Guernsey. Her approach is both historic and vivid as we see Guernsey from the prospective of Londoners Deborah and Simon St James. It is action packed and as usual one needs to have a sharp mind to keep up with the plot and character development. However, there was something missing and that was Barbara,Tommy and Helen!It just did not seem like an Elizabeth George novel without these delightful characters! I hope that the next book that she writes includes them. The Americans were an ok edition, but I do believe her books are better off with her English characters.I do however recommend this book.
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Summary: Elizabeth George's Latest--This fan is disappointed.
Review: As a great admirer of Elizabeth George novels, I was very disappointed in her latest effort. Too much description,too wordy, too much repetition. Overkill on the foreshadowing, Paul's rucksack for example--we got it already! When I did finally get interested in finding out "whodunit", it had taken too long to get there (well over halfway), and once the plot was revealed, it was quite lacking in logic and believeability. I will definitely try again. Hopefully, Ms. George will be back in form with her usually interesting and clever tales with witty and intelligent dialogue.
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Summary: A Complex and Absorbing Tale You Won't Want to Miss
Review: A PLACE OF HIDING opens with Deborah and Simon St. James bidding goodnight to their guests, Helen Clyde and Thomas Lynley. A few minutes later, the doorbell rings. Deborah is shocked to discover Cherokee River, the brother of her friend and American roommate China River, on her doorstep. With no prompting he tells the couple that he has come to ask for help. His sister has been arrested for murder and is in a musty jail on the isolated island of Guernsey, which is situated in the English Channel. He prefaces his story by taking all responsibility for her trouble. His explanation is long and complicated but very convincing. Thus, by the time he's finished, Deborah feels duty-bound to drop everything and help them. Simon is not as eager to get involved and he's not about to let Deborah go off with a charismatic and handsome young man, about whom he knows nothing. The stakes grow exponentially once the threesome land on Guernsey and each damning puzzle piece starts to fit into place. China River has been charged with the grizzly murder of Guy Brouard, the richest and most influential man on the island. He and his sister immigrated to the Channel Island, where he chose a very pubic life and spread his money around. Ruth Brouard, on the other hand, preferred to live a quiet and more private life. Their wealth and lifestyles separated them from most of the population, but they felt a spiritual connection to this island's populace because they too were victims of the Holocaust. One of the island's war heroes owned an extraordinary collection of memorabilia. He, his son and Brouard were planning a World War II museum to honor those who were at the mercy of the Nazis during occupation. Simon tries to convince Le Gallez, the investigator in charge of the murder, that many islanders, even some who were part of the plans for the memorial, are much more likely to have killed Brouard than China River. However, not a shred of evidence emerges against them. But Simon is relentless, determined to find anyone who might have a motive for wanting Brouard dead. Still, the inspector has no interest in looking beyond his current prisoner; for him, the case has been solved. How and why China River became the prime suspect is the matrix for this multilayered, well-plotted and highly suspenseful novel. A PLACE OF HIDING is a complex and absorbing tale populated with interesting and chameleon-like characters. At first, fans may be surprised that Helen Clyde and Thomas Lynley make fast cameo appearances, while Barbara Havers isn't mentioned at all. After all, George has built her reputation with eleven previous books featuring those stars. Until now, Deborah and Simon St. James have played supporting roles in those novels. But as they take center stage in this one, they are strong, fully realized characters who carry the tale on able shoulders. Through them, George "looks unflinchingly at the emotional and psychological composition of her characters to weave a compelling ... suspenseful narrative." All of George's novels feature a large cast, the members of whom are carefully limned. But they are plot propelled and their mission is to catch a killer. In A PLACE OF HIDING George shifts that focus a bit. Here, she allows for inner dialogue and soul searching. Deborah and Simon are forced to confront the tensions in their May-December marriage and come to terms (or not) with their differences. Also, Deborah must re-think her place in the world and tame her own demons. However, none of this takes anything away from the mystery that surrounds Brouard's murder. As a matter of fact, the need to re-evaluate themselves reaches beyond the St. James's as other islanders are forced to take a good look at their own lives, motives and actions. Elizabeth George is an American with an uncanny ability to capture the landscape and ambience of her "English world." Her British characters are always painted with perfect strokes. Her narratives are exceptional. Not many writers of series characters allow the second string to come forward and play the leads. But George is such a strong writer and her ensemble so talented and diverse that A PLACE OF HIDING loses nothing with Deborah and Simon St. James at the helm. Readers will find themselves totally smitten with the couple and cheer them on. A surprise ending adds to the verisimilitude of the story and offers satisfying relief. This book is a keeper and one not to miss. --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
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