| PRODUCT DETAILS | | Playing for the Ashes |  | |
Playing for the Ashes
"The story begins with my father, actually, and the fact that I'm the one who's answerable for his death.  It was not my first crime, as you will see, but it is the one my mother couldn't forgive."
In her astonishing New York Times bestseller, acclaimed author Elizabeth George reveals the even darker truth behind this startling confession. Playing for the Ashes is a rich tale of passion, murder and love in which Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers once again
find themselves embroiled in a case where nothing--and no one--is really what it seems.  Intense, suspenseful and brilliantly written, Playing for the
Ashes will make readers "search out the sleuthing pair's first six adventures...a treasure," as Cosmopolitan predicted in their review.
From the Paperback edition.
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
Price: $9.99
 Playing for the Ashes
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| User Reviews |  | The most compelling of George's novels
rating: 5
I've long been a fan of Elizabeth George's multilayered mysteries, and I've been thrilled by the "behind-the-scenes" look at the relationships and lives of her recurring characters. This novel focuses less on Lynley and Havers than many of her other novels, but I was so engaged by the unlovely and vital Olivia that I really didn't miss them much.
(If you're a Lynley fan, don't miss "A Suitable Vengeance." If Havers is your girl, read "Deception On His Mind.")
Like another reviewer, I did guess fairly early on Who, but not Why, and it was the "Olivia" sections that kept me turning pages. Olivia is a rebel, a pitiable character who's made appalling life decisions in large part to hurt her mother. I'm still not sure I like Olivia, but I find her one of the most intriguing characters Ms. George has ever given her readers -- and that's saying something.
I highly recommend reading the novels in the order in which they were published, so that you get the full story arc of her recurring characters. Also, read each one with an eye to her subtexts of what it means to be a child/what it means to be a parent. She seems to have something new to say on the subject in each book. At this writing, there are fourteen of the Lynley novels, and I've read each one. This one's my favorite, by a slight edge.
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Not my cup of tea
rating: 2
I gather from reading other reviews that Playing For the Ashes is typical of Elizabeth George's work, i.e. it features lengthy (and I mean really lengthy) digressions involving characters who may or may not end up being important in the end. George appears to have an excellent ear for British English. She does what she does very well, but if you prefer a fairly straightforward police procedural, you probably won't enjoy this.
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Playing for the ashes
rating: 5
This is a great Inspector Lynley Mystery book written by Elizabeth George.. It is over 600 pages long and is a book you don't want to put down before you finished it.
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Deep knowledge of the human mind
rating: 5
Like allways in EG's mysteries, excellent plot and well-defined characters. She must have some studies in psychology! Made me loose some sleep, as I stayed awake reading... And it made me like Lynely even more, with all his stong and not-so-strong points, which make him "human" (if I can say that about a character...)
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playing for the ashes
rating: 3
In this mystery, champion English cricketeer Kenneth Fleming is found dead as a result of arson. Because he doesn't smoke, the
scenario looks like possible arson. The suspects include his wife and eldest son, as well as the older teacher and mentor with whom he has a complex relationship. Half the book is narrated by the wayward daughter of the teacher, who is dying from ALS and whose troubled relationship with her mother she is pressed to resolve by her animal-rights activist boyfriend.
As usual, George does parent-child dynamics very well. Less interesting is the relationship between Lynley and his upper crust wife, but perhaps I'm in the minority.
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Playing for the Ashes
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