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Careless in Red: A Novel | 
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Author: Elizabeth George
Publisher: Harper
Category: Book
List Price: $27.95
Buy New: $13.97
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Avg. Customer Rating:  77 reviews
Sales Rank: 377
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 640
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 1.8
ISBN: 0061160873
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780061160875
ASIN: 0061160873
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
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Product Description
In her most eagerly anticipated novel yet, Elizabeth George brings back Scotland Yard's Thomas Lynley to investigate a ruthless crime. After the senseless murder of his wife, Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley retreated to Cornwall, where he has spent six solitary weeks hiking the bleak and rugged coastline. But no matter how far he walks, no matter how exhausting his days, the painful memories of Helen's death do not diminish. On the forty-third day of his walk, at the base of a cliff, Lynley discovers the body of a young man who appears to have fallen to his death. The closest town, better known for its tourists and its surfing than its intrigue, seems an unlikely place for murder. However, it soon becomes apparent that a clever killer is indeed at work, and this time Lynley is not a detective but a witness and possibly a suspect. The head of the vastly understaffed local police department needs Lynley's help, though, especially when it comes to the mysterious, secretive woman whose cottage lies not far from where the body was discovered. But can Lynley let go of the past long enough to solve a most devious and carefully planned crime?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 72 more reviews...
 Disappointed so far... should I keep reading? July 9, 2008
I'm a big Lynley fan, and I'm about a third of the way through Careless in Red. So far, it's a big disappointment. The premise of Lynley hiking along the desolate coast weighted down in grief was very promising. So far, though, he has played a miniscule part, and the other characters are not very engaging. I keep waiting to get some information about the murder victim that will make me care about finding his killer, but that hasn't happened yet, and his family is very unpleasant. Other good reviews I've read will keep me reading for a while - maybe it will pick up.
Wish that George would get back to basics July 6, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Years ago, I picked up a book called Payment in Blood (Inspector Lynley) on a pure whimsy on a lunchtime break at a used bookstore.
After reading that novel, I was hooked and I tore through all the available Elizabeth George novels. At that time, her latest novel was For the Sake of Elena.
I adored the style that mixed a mystery with a dose of the human touch. I liked that the victims were made to be real instead of a prop in the series. But more than that, I enjoyed the rocky road to friendship and professional camaraderie of Lynley and Havers.
But then came Missing Joseph and something really felt missing for me. I thought it was a rare miss. But then the novels got longer and more esoteric and less about Lynley and Havers and more about people that were just names on a page instead compelling characters in a story.
When I saw that this story would be the reunion of Lynley and Havers, I jumped at it hoping that it would be George's return to the basics that made me fall in love with her work.
But that was just a tease. Sure, Havers comes into the story around pg 200 but she and Lynley don't work together. They barely have any interaction. Instead, we get a murder and then a bunch of people who come and go into the story and I couldn't keep up with them. Worse, I couldn't connect to any of them.
George is obviously a very good writer. But I really wish she'd get back to the basics of writing a tight mystery and for goodness sake, get the Havers/Lynley team back to work and doing what they do best: solving crimes.
 Disappointed July 5, 2008
Having been very disappointed in the CD "Inspector Lynley#4", I was looking forward to a story comparable to the previous series. It was a struggle to get through the overly-long book: too many irrelevant details and characters introduced, obscure references to minor characters and events, etc. The more I read, the less I wanted to finish the book, but I did, just to satisfy myself that I was thinkig accurately. There was absolutely no reason to include so much detailed sex and leave out any "good" people (surely there were some normal people in those locations). To me, the story was an exploratiion of sick people doing sick things. I wish I had not read it! If Ms. George thinks that this sort of "smut" sells, I sincerely hope she will change her mind if she writes another Lynley book. Would anyone like to buy my "Inspector Lynley, Series 5" ...cheap!!! Talk about disappointing!!! Introducing a "new" Helen was the last straw! I wish Ms. George had ended the series with the death of Helen, allowing Lynley to retreat to Cornwall in peace.
 Not Quite at Her Best July 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Despite the shock and disappointment many George fans endured throughout No One as Witness and What Came Before He Shot Her, both of those books were better than Careless in Red. While George certainly continues to craft her skill at character development and aptly describes presence, personality and English landscapes, in this book she has picked up a terrible habit most notable in Kellerman novels - everything is described with a taint and ugliness that is almost offensive. In this book we get a very good glimpse of Lynley's grieving as he is forced back into the criminal mire. Havers, sadly, is left behind and the reader is still left unresolved on all levels with her own personal struggle in her relationships with Lynley and the fallen Helen. There is so much dysfunction in all the families in this story that one wonders how they ever managed to survive at all. Is the book worthy of reading? Certainly. Is it her best? Certainly not. The George promise of opening up new avenues in the series by the murder of Helen is not played out in this novel and readers may have to wait another year to find any kind of relief. Sorry, Havers, we do miss you.
Better but not yet back on track July 3, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The author has explained her execution of Helen Clyde as part of her plan to keep her characters evolving. I can accept this; however, this next "Lynley" mystery has Lynley and Havers as almost incidental characters and does not reward the readers with the promised development. Ms. George: Get back to Lynley, Havers, Deborah and St. James and the heart of the series. You want us to care about the key people but you have strayed too far into areas and plots which are mainly of interest only to you. You may feel that your writing brings your readers back to you, but you are not Tolstoy. You are a good writer who created characters and plots that drew in a readership. Remember us.
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