Missing Joseph

Another great book in the Lynley and Havers series! This was the longest so far, coming in at just under 500 pages in the hardback library version I read. These books, and this one in particular, really kept me on the edge of my seat constantly. In a nutshell, the book is a murder mystery, but the reader is treated to a peak into the daily life of a small English town, and I wouldn't describe it as “quaint.” For readers familiar with Lynley and Havers from other novels, you'll get to add some more background and story to the relationship between Simon St. James and Deborah. I found that I didn't really care much about those 2 characters in the other books, but now I see that they have just as intriguing story as the “main” characters do. In fact, in this book, Barbara Havers has what feels like about 3 lines and a few pages, but otherwise doesn't make much of an appearance.

Deborah St. James has a chance meeting with the vicar of a small town, Mr. Sage. He briefly provides some comfort to her during a difficult time. Later, she and her husband Simon head out to visit the town and meet again with the vicar, only to find he's been dead from accidental poisoning several months. What follows is a complex tale about the love between a mother and child told from several different perspectives.

I really enjoy this series. I love the way the author weaves the story of the recurring characters in with the stories of the characters that make up the mystery. In that regard I think she's got a unique stronghold, at least in English mysteries. Where Agatha Christie's books, for instance, have the same cast but with little focus on the main recurring characters, George's novels spend just as much time, if not more, on the recurring characters. Also, George tells much of the exposition of the plot through the point of view of a non-recurring character. So in the end, the reader learns a great deal about characters we've come to know and love and also a great deal about the motivations and desires of the characters that are being investigated.

I'm not an expert on the English lifestyle, but I am continually impressed with George's ability to make me feel like I'm in England. I'm not claiming that she's accurate because I just don't know, but I feel convinced that she knows English lifestyle with great credibility, and that's all her doing. This is surprising because she wasn't born in England and doesn't live in England. When I read books that take place, say in the American Southwest, it doesn't take much to decide if the author knows the area or doesn't know the area. I'm curious how well George describes English life from the perspective of an English reader.

Once I pick up one of these books, I cannot read anything else until finished!