Well-Schooled in Murder - (Inspector Lynley) by Elizabeth George (Paperback)

About the Book

Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner Detective Barbara Havers find themselves deeply involved in the search for a child killer. But the investigation into the boy's death leads them perilously close to their own emotional wounds--and blinds them to the signs of another murder in the making.

Book Synopsis

"The Lynley books constitute the smartest, most gratifyingly complex and impassioned mystery series now being published."--Entertainment Weekly

When thirteen-year-old Matthew Whately goes missing from Bredgar Chambers, a prestigious public school in the heart of West Sussex, aristocratic Inspector Thomas Lynley receives a call for help from the lad's housemaster, who also happens to be an old school chum. Thus, the inspector, his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, and forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James find themselves once again outside their jurisdiction and deeply involved in the search for a child--and then, tragically, for a child killer. Questioning prefects, teachers, and pupils closest to the dead boy, Lynley and Havers sense that something extraordinarily evil is going on behind Bredgar Chambers's cloistered walls. But as they begin to unlock the secrets of this closed society, the investigation into Matthew's death leads them perilously close to their own emotional wounds--and blinds them to the signs of another murder in the making. . . .

Praise for Well-Schooled in Murder

"George is a master . . . an outstanding practitioner of the modern English mystery."--Chicago Tribune

"A spectacular new voice in mystery writing."--Los Angeles Times

"A compelling whodunit . . . a reader's delight."--Daily News, New York

"Like P.D. James, George knows the import of the smallest human gesture; Well-Schooled in Murder puts the younger author clearly in the running with the genre master."--People

"Ms. George may wind up creating one of the most popular and entertaining series in mystery fiction today."--The Sun, Baltimore

Review Quotes

"What really sets this book apart from the pack is the depth with which Elizabeth George invests all her characters."--Washington Post Book World

"A compelling whodunit."--New York Daily News

"Ms. George has crafted a fine and powerful novel sure to delight readers in the mood for a thought-provoking, hard-hitting mystery."--Baltimore Sun

"Immensely satisfying."--Calgary Herald

"Rich in psychological suspense . . . finely crafted and plotted, with a delicious attention to detail that sets it apart."--Houston Chronicle

"Complex and chilling."--Mystery News

"A whacking good murder mystery full of neat twists and turns."--Toronto Globe and Mail

About the Author

Elizabeth George's first novel, A Great Deliverance, was honored with the Anthony and Agatha Best First Novel Awards and received the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. Her third novel, Well-Schooled in Murder, was awarded the prestigious German prize for suspense fiction, the MIMI. A Suitable Vengeance, For the Sake of Elena, Missing Joseph, Playing for the Ashes, In the Presence of the Enemy, Deception on His Mind, In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner, A Traitor to Memory, and I, Richard were international bestsellers. Elizabeth George divides her time between Huntington Beach, California, and London. Her novels are currently being dramatized by the BBC.