Careless in Red: A Novel
by Elizabeth George
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Book Reviews of Careless in Red: A Novel
Book Review: A little disappointed
Summary: 3 Stars
As an avid Elizabeth George reader, I was quite disappointed with her latest novel. What I have loved about her books was the story, and her wonderful ability to flesh out characters that you could really identify with or understand on some level. Her books always left me thinking about the strengths and frailities of human relationships. Some of her characters have left a lasting impression on me: Thomas Lynley (if I could ever meet a fictional character, it would be him!), his wife Helen, Barbara Havers. Their many-layered, complex personalities made for great reading.
This latest effort failed me. The story was pretty good, although it lacked the usual suspense of a George novel. The descriptions of surfing were somewhat interesting, given this novel was set in bloody England!!!! Speaking of bloody England, the blinding love of all things English got to me a bit (I think maybe the "sorting" thing comes from too much Harry Potter). But the biggest fault for me lay in the area of character development. There was so much of it, the story got lost for me. So many characters were developed who didn't really seem to matter to the essential tale, in the end, and for whom you were never allowed to develop an affinity. And nothing prepared me for the version of the Superintendent Thonmas Lynley who appeared in this book. I didn't feel that I knew him at all; the portrayal of him as a broken man did not work for me, sorry to say. The newly sympathetic Havers was not exactly her old self either. If I could say anything to the author about this book, it would be: "What have you done with the real Thomas Lynley?"
Book Review: Too much Hamlet and not enough Havers
Summary: 3 Stars
I have previously enjoyed all of Elizabeth George's Lynley-Havers novels.
After the huge shock of the senseless murder of Helen Lynley in "With No One as Witness" and Elizabeth George's sojourn into social commentary in "What Came Before He Shot Her", I was looking forward to a return to the murder/mystery genre.
It only happened in part.
While "Careless in Red" was stated to be a Lynley-Havers story, much of this book was devoted to George's examination of the consequences of the careless use of love. The author still seemed to be locked into social commentary.
I found much of this book to be over-written, with some didactic examination of the relationships between various people living in Cornwall.
This, to me, disrupted the flow of the story, and I would have felt more sympathy for some of the characters if Elizabeth George had not given them such outlandish names. Did she deliberately search out unusual Cornish names? I found it difficult to differentiate between some of them, or to relate to them.
Lynley, himself, seemed like a modern-day Hamlet, full of self examination and introspection.
It was not until the appearance of Barbara Havers that I could rouse myself to some interest in the progress of the plot. Her common sense was a breath of fresh air in a morass of self- absorbed characters.
I enjoyed DI Bea Hannaford.
I look forward to future Lynley-Havers stories, but I hope that Elizabeth George will not continue her trend to make each novel longer than its predecessor.
Book Review: strong English police procedural
Summary: 5 Stars
Following the homicide of his beloved pregnant wife Helen (see WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS and the companion piece without Lynley in it: WHAT CAME BEFORE HE SHOT HER), a grieving Thomas Lynley quit Scotland Yard. Time has not proved a healer as the former detective spends his days aimlessly wandering around his hometown of Cornwall.
While on one of his senseless treks to numb the pain especially when he returns home at night, Lynley finds the battered body of teenager Santo Kerne, who it appears fell of a cliff while mountain climbing. When evidence affirms that someone sabotaged the victim's equipment, Detective Inspector Bea Hannaford looks in the direction of the person who found the corpse. However, the cantankerous consummate professional also knows Lynley had no motive so looks to see who might. Lynley provides some limited assistance, as he is unable to do much more even understanding that he is the prime suspect.
The key to this police procedural that follows up on the tragic events of WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS is that in spite of the situation he finds himself in, Lynley still mourns deeply and the case does not stop that nor turn him into super-cop. Instead he plays second fiddle (some might say audience) as Hannaford conducts the investigation. The whodunit is cleverly devised and would stand out on its own as a strong English police procedural, but it is the realism of the two cop-characters who make Elizabeth George's latest thriller a terrific tale.
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: NOTHING EVER STAYS THE SAME
Summary: 4 Stars
Less complex, but more puzzling? Is that what I concluded as I finished reading CARELESS IN RED? Elizabeth George is an engaging author who writes with a complex style that requires effort to read, and one who usually brings discovery, awareness and resolution to problems of the myriad of person puzzles she presents us in the novel. I did not feel that way about her most recent CARELESS...; I was not satisfied with Lynley's "rapid recovery" following his Cornish walkabout, nor how quickly he sublimated his grief over Helen's murder simply by the introduction of a bright, achieveing and sensitive young woman with a questionable upbringing. Then I realized that CARELESS IN RED is a transition novel, a preparation for the reunion of Lynley and Havers, as well as the others of the series.
George's latest novel is an easier read, less complex in sentence and paragraph structure, far fewer obscure English phrases and allusions, and more road signs to where our literary journey is taking the reader. George very deftly helps us to remember those who were left standing by the side of the road earlier in the novel. I enjoyed the book, not as much as some of the others. My problem is that when I read BEFORE HE SHOT HER, I found it a brilliant and refreshing change to some formulaic wrting that had been developing. Perhaps I expected more of the same with this latest work. I would rate it high, and recommend that George fans not neglect it. The transition is necessary before we can all move on with our lives.
Book Review: I think I see what George did...
Summary: 3 Stars
So, disclaimer: I am a huge fan of George's work. I have spent many years looking forward eagerly to her latest books, and re-read them often because I enjoy her style and characterizations so much. I had the privilege of meeting her and found her to be an intelligent, focused person.
Therefore, I think I understand why she went where she did in this novel. Gone were most of the elements of a typical English mystery; it was nearly a tertiary aspect of this story, perhaps included simply because that's what Lynley does - he solves mysteries. But otherwise the bulk of the story revolved around the healing process needed for Lynley's character to move forward. In fact, I applaud George for doing such a thoughtful job with this. She perceived Lynley's loss and grief as so monumental that to go from the previous novel, which explored the how's, to a novel that did not explore the why's, would have been jarring to anybody who has experienced this kind of loss - real or otherwise. I found the book as a whole to struggle a bit, but even that seemed fitting in context. I have faith in George's understanding of the characters she's created to take us on the journey with them that she wanted, and not to make arbitrary decisions about their actions. This may not have been my favorite of the Lynley mysteries, but I maintain my belief that George knows where she's going with them.