Rating: 
Summary: I wish I could give it 3 1/2 stars...
Review: I almost stopped several times, but I'm glad I kept slogging. I "discovered" George one summer about 10 years ago and read each book as it become available in the library -- perfect summer reading. But the books changed, become more "active" and visual and longer, when a TV series (which turned out to be beyond horrible) become a possibility. Ms. George is writing for 2 audiences -- one of which is interested only the the soap opera of her leading characters (mainly cardboard) with the story serving only as a background to the adventures of Lynley, Havers, et al. Her other audience is more interested in the stories and only tolerates these irritating people (Lynley, Havers, and their friends). Perhaps each book should have 2 versions? Anyway, now that I've finished with the book I'm glad I kept at it. There's an interesting theme here -- perhaps it could be stated as Perception vs. Reality. There's something, too, of the sweep of one life, the ripples which, once set in motion, topple everything they touch. There are nice twists and turns here and a nice (just about right) number of suspects to consider. But I've noticed that Ms. George seems to have a specialty: Obnoxious women. My goodness, that one book could contain Margaret, China and Deborah. (Anais is no princess, but doesn't rise or fall quite to their level.) If Havers had been along to make it a 4- or 5-some, I'd have had to give up on the book entirely. On her own, Deborah almost sent me back to the stories of Maigret and Paris.
Rating: 
Summary: Ms. George Needs a Good Editor with a Sharp Pencil
Review: I did not read this book sooner because I had not yet recovered from the disappointment I felt at the bloated, wallowing _A Traitor to Memory_.
Sadly, this one is even worse. It is still another book that could have lost about 150 pages to its own benefit, and it also serves as proof that Simon and Deborah cannot carry a book alone. Havers is Ms. George's best character; however, the interplay among her regulars is usually most enjoyable and makes them show up well as an ensemble. Lynley has his moments, and Helen shows promise. The series' weakest characters are Simon and Deborah, who are the only ones to appear here (Lynley is on the phone a bit; I don't think Havers is even mentioned). In all the books, Simon is interesting only where he interacts with Lynley; Deborah continually acts like a not-too-bright adolescent who demands that the world revolve around her and her so-called problems. Frankly, I don't understand how we are expected to believe that anybody has ever wanted to put up with her or her self-pitying whining. She has been all right as a distracting factor or a plot point in some of the other books, but she cannot sustain a principal role--she's absolutely too disagreeable. I spent a couple of hundred pages wanting to slap her face and tell her to Get Over It. Guernsey sounds lovely. I could not finish it. I was about two-thirds through it when I stopped and thought, "You know, I don't really give a damn about these people or what happens to them." I have not been able to pick up the tedious thing again. Somebody needs to tell Ms. George that not every word that her pen produces is worthy of inclusion in the published product. If this goes on--well, it doesn't bear thinking about, and I shall be sad at the loss of someone who was once one of my favorites.
Rating: 
Summary: Elizabeth George Does it Again!
Review: Once again, Elizabeth George has written a taut mystery with rich, fully delineated characters. She is never afraid to explore the darker side of human relationships nor is she reticent about further examining the relationships of her established characters. In PLACE OF HIDING, we get a deeper look into the marriage of Deborah and Simon St. James. As always, George writes richly textured prose filled with beautifully descriptive passages and complex characters. I have yet to be disappointed by any of her novels and look forward to her next book with great anticipation.
Rating:
Summary: Good setting, too many characters
Review: As a lover of George books, I found this one lacking. Fortunate that there were only a few thousand people on Guernsey, as all of them seem to appear as suspects in this story. I should have been warned when the earliest theory of how Guy Brouward died is that a woman inserted a round stone down his throat while they were doing a VERY deep kiss! Come on! Anyway, from that point on, suspects and details of their lives kept coming apace. One puzzling aspect: how Simon St. James gains access to the complete stories of all the suspects. Don't get it. And one other point! Next time a George book comes out, I'm going to check in advance to see if St. James' wife Deborah appears in it. If so, I'm going back to Agatha Christie. Never has a more immature, unreasonable character appeared in mystery literature than Deborah. If only the "exciting" climax to this story had killed her off! But now for the patient waiting until Ms George brings back Tommy and Helen...I'll be back. (One note: the description of the setting, the island of Guernset, was interesting, and I plodded on through the book enjoying it as a travelogue, not a mystery.)
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not her best.
Review: I've read all of Elizabeth George's books and I love most of them. She is a wonderful storyteller. A Place of Hiding was enjoyable and I would recommend it. However, it wasn't my favorite, and I wasn't as riveted by it as I was with her last one, A Traitor to Memory. This was middle-of-the-road for me. The tension between Simon and Deborah seemed too much and not in keeping with George's prior stories. Deborah seemed too moody and I actually felt bad for Simon. I missed having Thomas in the story--he's my favorite. Some clues in the story's mystery were confusing and weren't really explained in full, even in the end. And I agree with a previous reviewer that there were too many unnecessary characters.
Rating:
Summary: George is always good but...
Review: This one didn't hold my interest although it was well-crafted. The tension between Deborah and Simon seemed manufactured, merely a mechanism by which to add drama to the relationship between the protagonists and lend Deborah some affinity with her California friend, China. But then I've never found Deborah and Simon to be as well-fleshed out as other characters in George's books. It's funny but in her later books it's almost like she's more interested in the peripheral characters, the ones that will appear only in this book, than in her ongoing characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, complex mystery
Review: I loved the plot of this novel. It had the deliciously devious feel of an old Agatha Cristie, but with George's sophisticated, elegant writing. It did a great job of being totally up front and artfully hidden. It was great fun to shuffle the clues around with each new revelation. Although Havers and Lynley are my favorites, I know an author needs to keep things fresh, so I was happy enough to read a book that had St. James. But - as at least one other critic mentioned, I really really hate Deborah, and would be very happy to see her blown to smithereens. What an infantile character! Why are we supposed to like her at all? So - the parade of other characters was a blessing in this book. Horrible mama was over the top, but the rest were really interesting. I recommend this as a fascinating mystery even more than as a series book.
Rating:
Summary: needlessly convoluted
Review: I just finished reading the book today, skipping over a few paragraphs here and there. It got the better of my patience and diligence I must say. Too much "foreshadowing," too many weak metaphores, characters that aren't appealing enough, and a storyline I just couldn't follow without falling asleep every fifteen minutes. I had a real tough time here, it was my first Elizabeth George, and I must admit that though I find the writing style interesting, I was not seduced by any means. :-(
Rating:
Summary: Please kill Deborah off!
Review: I hate reviews that only echo other readers' reviews, but Deborah is such a ruinously annoying character that I have to add my bit here. The mystery is fine (and I loved the setting), but I winced every time Deborah wormed her way onto the page. The sad thing is that I was already sick of Lynley and Helen as well, and I'm not sure Havers can carry too many books on her own. George has nothing new or interesting to say about the personal problems suffered by her main characters. It's time for her to take a break and rethink her story-telling goals.
Rating:
Summary: Please, can we return to Lynley and Havers?
Review: I am a big Elizabeth George fan, but barely got through this one as I found Deborah so annoying. A little insecurity goes a long way. How she ever gets Simon to put up with her is the true mystery of the novel. Lynley and Havers are a much better crime solving team. I hope George's next novel will feature these two in the lead roles.
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