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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
A murder investigation; the crime itself is not graphically depicted
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Some adult romantic relationships in the character backstory
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking in a country house setting
Emotional Intensity
Some
The dynamics of power and class in a closed community; the specific friction between Lynley and Havers that is the engine of the series
What this book is about
Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers travel to Scotland to investigate the murder of Joy Sinclair, a playwright, found stabbed in the night at a country house gathering of theater people. Almost everyone present had a grudge against the victim; someone had access to a weapon that should not have been there; and Lynley is dealing with the complication that one of the suspects is someone he knows. Elizabeth George's second Lynley novel deepens the series' interest in the class dynamics of British society and the complex relationship between Lynley and Havers — a relationship built on genuine incompatibility that has become something more interesting than friendship.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
second of a long-running series; first book provides character context
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