Well-Schooled in Murder

Very good mystery book. An Inspector Lynley and Barbara Havers mystery written by Elizabeth George.

This is an awesome book. Each time I read another of her books I never cease to marvel at how well done they are. The story is complex, the human psyche that she reveals is so real. And the mystery is good. This book is particularly heart wrenching as it deals with the death of a young child. Lynley and Havers find themselves caught up in so many underlying plots, and each one, as it is revealed, is worse than the last one that they discovered. It has been a long time since I've read a book that deals with the dreadful death of someone young with so much compassion and empathy. Yes, it's dreadful, but we the readers feel compelled to read it in order to find out who did this terrible deed, and we, like Lynley and Havers, try to make some sense of it. I have enjoyed all the Elizabeth George novels that I've read, but this one is my favourite so far. We see the human side of so many of the characters - Lynley, Havers, St. James and his wife Deborah - all are laid open to our view. Hopefully, we too can feel compassion for them and their troubles.

In college I took a class in detective fiction and this was one of the six books that we had to read -- it proved to be my favorite.The murder of a child from a British boarding school whose parental lineage is a bit of a mystery is found by Deborah St. James. This places a huge emotional strain on her as she recently suffered a miscarriage. Enter Detectives Lynley and Havers on the scene. (This book also explores their personal lives outside of the crime scene as you get a very clear dichotomy of their social standing -- Lynley with his fine house and surroundings; Havers with her aging and ailing family members. This was heavily debated in our class and it was interesting to see how George pulls it off so well.) They explore the inner sanctum of the all-boys school and learn more than they expected (although something tells me Lynley already knew what to expect and just didn't want to mention it) along with some more than suprising twists that left many a jaw on the floor. Elizabeth George has always had a deft handling of her characters and their emotions and this book is no different. With this book, she really hit her stride.

With its myriad twists and turns and excellent characterizations, this brilliant novel stands along Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ayckroyd" and any of P.D. James as one of the real champs of the genre. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but I've read a lot of mystery fiction and have rarely been this engrossed or challanged. True, it drags a little towards the middle, but takes off like a roller coaster and never lets up until the end. I could also do without so much of Lynley's romantic travails, but that hardly makes a difference. A real gem. Can you tell I liked it?

From the moment the reader begins the book on page one until the last word at the other end, he or she is treated to another delicious course of the author's consistently well-done writing! Indeed, as a well-written page turner, Well-Schooled In Murder earns an A-plus for meeting and exceeding the expectations of fans of Elizabeth George's work!