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What Came Before He Shot Her
by: Elizabeth George

Off The Bookshelf's Price: $7.99

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Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780060545635
ISBN: 0060545631
Label: Harper
Manufacturer: Harper
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 736
Publication Date: September 01, 2007
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: August 28, 2007
Studio: Harper
Sales Rank: 31828

Related Items:

With No One as Witness (Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers Novels)

Editorial Review:

Product Description:

A kind and well-loved woman was brutally and inexplicably murdered—the pregnant wife of a respected police inspector—and her death has left Scotland Yard shocked and searching for answers. Perhaps most horrifying of all, the trigger of the weapon that killed her was apparently pulled by a stranger . . . a twelve-year-old boy.

The anatomy of a murder, the story of a family in crisis, What Came Before He Shot Her is a powerful, emotional novel full of deep psychological insights, a novel that only the incomparable Elizabeth George could write.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Interesting characters being unnecessarily tortured
I've read all the previous EG books (I think), and like them a lot (I'm addicted to British mysteries), but have always found them rather self-indulgent in being padded out with endless details, descriptions, and plot curlicues that don't end up mattering much. [She must get paid by the page.] What I like in this book is the character development, especially Kendra and Joel: I kept being about to drop the book in the trash but then would want to see what happens to these tragic people. But knowing what the end-point is makes it even harder to wade through too many hundred pages of misery and difficult dialect to see what zigs and zags might intervene before the ultimate tragedy. [And I don't mean Helen -- she should have been knocked off for too much whinging long ago.] And the self-indulgence ... Read More

Rating:

- A compelling work of imagination
The portrait of Lady Helen's "killer" is the most imaginative work of fiction that George has ever done. It completely transcends genre fiction.

Rating:

- A "black and white" vision
Although this is a well-written book and very suspenseful, I found it offensive in that all the "dark-skinned" characters are problematic -- narcissistic, violent, incompetent, out of touch with reality, just plain crazy, etc, (with the exception of the Pakistani clan) while all the "white" characters were understanding, idealistic, highly educated, forgiving, competent, serious, dedicated... Would definitely have preferred a more balanced mix there. If I were a dark-skinned person, I would certainly not appreciate this lop-sided view of reality, even of the slums in London.

However, I'm delighted to be delivered from Helen. I suspect George was also getting bored with her. It's still a mystery why she bothered creating her at all... Certainly gives me less respect for LYnley ... Read More

Rating:

- Not perfect, but oh - what a trip!
Wow. That was my first reaction on finishing this incredible book.

Like many other fans of George's Lynley/Havers series, I was shocked when she killed off Thomas Lynley's wife Helen for no apparent reason. This story doesn't provide a reason - indeed, there are several questions left unanswered - but what it does provide is a detailed and searing look into the background of the supposed shooter. And yes, I said "supposed". I'm not going to insert a full spoiler here; I'll just leave you with that tantalizing hint.

What this story also provides is proof - as if any were needed - that George can venture into fields other than mysteries and (British) police procedurals and still spin a ripping good yarn. In some respects the story of Joel Campbell is rather typical. ... Read More

Rating:

- Stunning
Not the usual Elizabeth George mystery, but a stunning and depressing study of the lives of the poor and down and out in London. I can understand why some would not like it, it is hard to read, harder to put down and difficult to forget. So many people are trying to do the right thing and live there day to day lives, but to no avail. I truly loved this book. It did not make me happy but it made me think.

Books : What Came Before He Shot Her