In the Presence of the Enemy

Rating:
Summary: Suspensful, powerful and provoking
Review: Reading Elizabeth George is always a pleasure, but her this novel is disturbingly so. If you like your characters predictable and bland, read something else. "In the Presence of the Enemy", the characters will make you angry, baffled and you may even weep. George's tight weave between the kidnapping of a child, politics, London's tabloid press and crime detail is masterful. She writes with a style that makes one become enmeshed in the thoughts, feelings and actions of her characters. This is no mere story-telling. I grew to scorn the Junior Minister, Eva Bowen; wept for Charlie; wanted to have Leo for a son; fair liked to have slapped Corrine silly.I was dead wrong as to the identity of the murderer until the name was announced, something rare for a reader of more ho-hum novels than masterpieces. This story will stay with me for quite some time. Until the next Elizabeth George novel captures my attention.

Rating:
Summary: Top notch story, top notch mystery!
Review: Ms. George just gets better and better. I read one of her books by accident and enjoyed it so much that I went back to the first Lynley/Havers book and am reading them in sequence. Each stands alone, but it is fun to watch the characters develop. This book is the best one yet. Complicated plot with no loose ends, well written fiction as well as a good whodunit. Definitely worth reading!

Rating:
Summary: A gripping tale of retribution and suspense
Review: "The Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers" mystery series is a fairly new reading venture I have begun. The previous books I have read are, "A Great Deliverance," "Payment In Blood," For The Sake of Elena," "Playing for the Ashes," and, finally, this particular one. Each story is heartwrenching and complex, but "In The Presence of the Enemy is by far the best book in the series which I have read.
The premise of this installment concerns a tabloid writer, Dennis Luxford, who receives an annymous note demanding that Luxford acknowledge his illegitimate daughter, Charlotte Bowan, who was conceived during a brief illecit affair with Eve Bowan, a member of Parliament. Charlotte has been kidnapped by the sender of the note. At first, Luxford does nothing, thinking that it is a joke, but when Charlotte's life is threatened, he enlists the help of amateur sleuths, Simon Alcourt St. James, and Lady Helen Clyde. It is only when the investigation takes a drastic turn that Scotland Yard is called in to the case, and Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers join Simon, his wife Deborah, and Helen in finding the culprit.
This installment is filled with suspenseful and heartwrenching moments. The sceens between Charlotte and her abductor are equally terrifying and poignant. The characters are sympathetically portrayed and likable, except Eve Bowan, Charlotte's mother, who seems to not care about her little girl at all. Ms. George possibly portrayed her too negatively for my taste. All the other characters are unforgettable, and Barbara Havers, a character whom I greatly disliked when I first began the series, is becoming more and more my most favorite character of the books.
This novel is a must-read for mystery fans, and even if you have not read any books in the series, this is a good place to start. Read this novel to meet some unforgettable characters, and for a shocking solution which will make you want to read other books in this gem of a mystery series. Happy reading, and take care.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read -
Review: The Inspector Lynley/Barbara Havers series is listed under mysteries but they are splendid works of fiction that happen to be mysteries. "In the Presence of the Enemy" can be read without doing the whole series but you will surely want to go back to the beginning and read all the books after you have read this one.

Elizabeth George draws her characters in well-defined strokes making them interesting and very human, even the bad guys. The private as well as the professional lives of Inspector Lynley and Barbara Havers are also very well done. He, an English lord who happens to be a police detective, and she, from what may be called the other side of the tracks, each bring their own life experiences and prejudices (especially Barbara) to their work.

A child has been kidnapped. She is the daughter of a female member of Parliament who has no trouble using the girl as a prop for her career. The father is the editor of a scandal driven newspaper who receives a note instructing him to publish the story of his "first born" or he will not get the child back. The problem is that Mom and Dad are not married, they simply got together for a sex-filled weekend during a political conference years before. Dad has never met his daughter. Making matters worse, Mom is absolutely certain that Dad is behind the kidnapping and insists he is out to ruin her career and keep her from advancing in government. Dad wants the girl safely returned but he needs to keep news of her existence from his wife and young son who are not aware of her existence.

Lynley and Havers make a delayed appearance in this story because friends are quietly called on to try and find the girl without going to the police. Politcal Mom doesn't want a scandal. Lynley is understandably furious when he discovers what has been happening.

Some of the stories in this series have been filmed and are being shown on U.S. tv. They are fine in and of themselves but the richness of the characters and the fine plotting are very much diluted in the tv versions. The book is the real treasure.

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.