Books : Careless in Red: A Novel

Rating: - Disappointed
I read my first Lynley novel Well Schooled in Murder in 2004 and was hooked - read the remaining twelve or so books in about three months.
Careless in Red was a disappointment. The first 300 pages are very tedious and the final 300 are okay but not up to the earlier books. There are too many characters and not many of them are likable. Although Havers finally appears, she seems a secondary character and I miss Lynley's circle of friends. I'm afraid more than Helen is dead.

I give it **/*****.

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Rating: - Careless in Red
Elizabeth George's latest mystery gets off to a slow start and seems to repeat her earlier work. As the story moves on, the pace picks up and the character development becomes more interesting and engaging. The strength of her work as always lies in her sense of place and her realistic and inticate psychological characterizations. This particular book was hilarious at times, using British vernacular. There were some loose ends by the time the story ended, but maybe that's the teaser for George's next book. We'll see. This book is definately a relaxing and enjoyable read, well worth while.

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Rating: - Disappointing Sequel to "With No One as Witness"
"Careless in Red" is a disappointment. While I typically love Elizabeth George's writing style and pace, this book dragged through much of the middle. I won't share the ending, but say only that much was left unresolved. Too many characters not essential to the story line cluttered the novel. I await the next book, hoping to see much more of DI Havers, Winston Nkata, and a healed Thomas Lynley.

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Rating: - I think I see what George did...
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.

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Rating: - Not up to the usual Elizabeth George, but still a good read
An Elizabeth George fan since her first published mystery, I eagerly bought this latest one in hardbound, unable to wait out the months for paperback.
While this doesn't measure up to her usual high standards, it was still a good entertaining read. I think we expect so much from her, that a book that would be considered very good by anyone else becomes a disappointment from her.
I would still recommend this, particularly to be able to keep up the continuity with Lynley (and Havers, of course), for the next George book. Which, frankly, I can hardly wait for.