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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 historical mercy killing is the emotional core
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Some adult romantic content
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The specific process of returning to work after a devastating loss; a mercy killing examined with George's characteristic moral seriousness
What this book is about
Thomas Lynley has returned to the Metropolitan Police after his personal tragedy, working in a support role that keeps him off active cases. When a young woman is found stabbed in a New Forest cemetery, DI Isabelle Ardery takes the case — with Lynley and Havers in support. The investigation connects to a long-ago mercy killing and to a family with too many secrets. Elizabeth George's sixteenth Lynley mystery introduces Ardery as a significant presence and marks Lynley's gradual return to functional life — a process that is as slow and fragile as it should be.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
sixteenth of the Lynley series; prior books essential
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