Rating: 
Summary: Barbara is fabulous, but this book needed more clues
Review: I devour mystery books, and am especially fond of series that include the same characters over and over. So I was inclined to like this series from the start, but was pleasantly surprised by the way George develops her characters to an unusual degree. However, they are uneven are far as how interesting they seem (which I suppose is true in life as well). Every time the plot involves Deborah I just want to put the book down and snore. She's sweet, she's a photographer, she has curly red hair, she is devastated by her inability to have children; that's all we know. But really, who cares about her? Not me. And would Simon get over his leg already? On the other hand, I find Helen Clyde to be hilarious, very witty. Lynley, a wee bit dry for the central character. But Barbara Havers has now become my favorite mystery character of all time. I am so excited to read Deception on His Mind, where she has an even larger role. Thank you, Elizabeth George, for making this complex, funny, unglamorous and wholly likable person. My only complaints: it makes no sense to me that Barbara has no real friends. Why not? She's very cool. She should have a close gal pal. Second, I hope that life begins to treat Barb a little better pretty soon; I somehow felt personally crushed by some of the things that have happened to her. One last comment about this book: there were absolutely zero clues as to the perp in this book. And no hints in this person's behavior as to their psychotic crimes until they were explained in the end. I like to have at least a slight chance of sussing the mystery out myself!
Rating:
Summary: Wow! But call out the SPCC...
Review: If you've never read any of Elizabeth George's novels, this is as good a place as any to start. By the way, she writes novels, not just "mystery novels."This book works as a novel, as a mystery, as a puzzle, as a soap opera, as a sheer entertainment page-turner, and as a travelogue. You get a lot of bang for your reading buck. Poor, poor Barbara Havers... I think there should be a society for the prevention of cruelty to characters. I feel so sorry for her. Fantastic (in both senses of the word) plot twists. As it happens, I am extremely dense about guessing whodunnit. I just read mysteries for the atmosphere, the characters, the story, the procedure, and the background. But Elizabeth George has pulled off what for me is a very rare experience--I didn't guess whodunnit, but at the end I actually feel that I ought have been able to.
Rating: 
Summary: gripping with a slightly flawed conclusion
Review: I really enjoyed this book -- it took forever to listen to on cassette, and I was still sorry when it ended. But there were a few things that bugged me:
1. As another reviewer said, the perp sort of came out of left field. His or her motivations were explained after the identity was revealed, but it felt to me like one of those scenes in "Mission Impossible II" where the "good guys" kept pulling off their fake faces and turning out to be the bad guys. 2. The climax includes a scene that's almost identical to one in Payment in Blood (which happens to be the last one I read), where a woman, while alone with a man, receives a phone call informing her that the man is probably the murderer. It's a good suspense-builder, but not as effective the second time. 3. It was pretty obvious in the final confrontation who was going to save the day, though it was apparently intended as a surprise twist. All that said, though, I thought this was really fine stuff. I thought the "temporary" characters (Eve Bowen, Dennis Luxford, their families, etc.) were very well drawn, and I enjoyed the further development of the recurring ones (Lynley, Havers, Simon, Deborah, and Helen). I do often hate Lynley and wonder why his friends put up with him, but he generally redeems himself eventually. And like the other reviewer, I agree that Barbara deserves at least a little happiness.
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Summary: Elizabeth George, a thinking person's Mary Higgins Clark
Review: I have read all of Mary Higgins Clark's books and while I enjoy them, I think that Elizabeth George is a step above.
"In the Presense of the Enemy" keeps one guessing throughout the novel as to the guilty party. The character development was excellent, and the story was a real "page turner" that demanded that the book was finished no matter how late the candle was kept burning.
I enjoyed the setting of the novel and will certainly be buying other books by my new favorite mystery writer
Rating:
Summary: This book is superb in both character development and plot.
Review: Elizabeth George has outdone herself in her latest novel, "In the Presence of the Enemy". This novel involves the usual characters - Detetctive Inspector Thomas Lynley, Simon St. James and Barbara Havers as they try to resolve the kidnapping of a young girl. As the reader is drawn deeper and deeper into the plot, Ms. George's talent for creating believable characters becomes apparent. In addition to how each character reacts to news of the kidnapping, there are subplots and twists which keep the reader intrigued. The personality of each character if finely developed and maintained throughout the book. And the ending was a total suprise to me! It left me thinking about human actions and interactions for many days. If you like mysteries which keep you challenged and constantly thinking, then this is a book for you
Rating:
Summary: Impossible to put down!
Review: When the daughter of a Tory MP is kidnapped, DI Thomas Lynley and his off-sider, DS Barbara Havers are eventually brought into the case. Eve Bowen, the politician, is initially reluctant to agree to the demands of the kidnapper who insists that the well known editor of a scandal sheet newspaper admits to being the father of Eve's illegitimate child. The plot thickens, involving police, the press and members of Parliament, with some very interestingly drawn characters whom Elizabeth George paints most convincingly. I loved this book and was unable to put it down, so much so that I can't wait to get more stories involving the main characters.
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Summary: George Bounces Back
Review: After a disappointing turn with Playing for the Ashes, George goes back to the creativity and readability that she showed in Missing Joseph. Equally pleasing is the emphasis on Barbara Havers (for those of us who are fans of the character). The supporting characters are well-drawn and in Eve Bowen, George has designed one of the most coolly evil characters I have ever encountered. Additionally, the careful reader is rewarded with a mystery that, while not simplistic, can be figured out before the perpetrator is revealed. Like most of the Lynley/Havers novels, this one delivers.
Rating:
Summary: Slow Then Addictive...
Review: I was very disappointed in the first ~100 pages of this installment in the Lynley/Havers series. Neither of them appeared and the action was very very slow-moving. However, once they become involved in the story, the book is addictive and I stayed up very late one night to finish it. The character of Havers has always fascinated me and you get to see another side of her in this book, although it is almost heartbreaking to see it. Once again, George has created characters that are so dimensional in their personalities that you can empathize with them, hate them, curse them, and praise them all at the same time - with the exception of the Eve Bowen character who is nothing but a politician in all her actions, professional and personal. Another great read!
Rating:
Summary: great read, but be careful-Addicting!
Review: This was my first Elizabeth George book...held me from the opening pages, and didn't let up till the end. I have now read 2 others and am on my 4th. Excellent read, highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!
Review: Elizabeth George is a master storyteller, and a wonderful novelist. Her books are certainly a lot more than just a cozy little whodunit, that entertains for evening. She just keeps getting better and better, and her characters do the same. This book is especially wonderful because we see so much more of Havers. She is a wonderful character. But everyone in this book seem so real. The only character that I did not feel an empathy for was the ubiquitous Eve. Does politics do that everyone? But in spite of her, we see human foibles and weaknesses in a kaleidiscope of characters. This book has everything - pathos, happiness, love, anger and of course, humour too. I cannot recommend this series enough to anyone who truly wants to become a part of Elizabeth George's world.
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