Something to Hide
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- Create Date：2022-01-01 02:21:27
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Elizabeth George
- ISBN：0593296842
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Summary
Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back in the next Lynley novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George。
When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma， only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death。 She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community， and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case， which has far-reaching cultural associations having nothing to do with life as he knows it。 In his pursuit of a killer determined to remain hidden， he's assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata。 They must sort through the lies and the secret lives of people whose superficial cooperation masks the damage they do to one another。
When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma， only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death。 She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community， and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case， which has far-reaching cultural associations having nothing to do with life as he knows it。 In his pursuit of a killer determined to remain hidden， he's assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata。 They must sort through the lies and the secret lives of people whose superficial cooperation masks the damage they do to one another。
Reviews
Annette
，
Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley books have always been engrossing reads and this new one was no exception。 I haven’t read the more recent ones in the series so I was playing a bit of catch up on the characters’ lives。 It seems that Lynley has a new love interest but he’s having trouble moving the relationship on to the next stage。However it is in the mystery sections of the book that the author really excels as she leads the reader on a long journey trying to find out who murdered police off Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley books have always been engrossing reads and this new one was no exception。 I haven’t read the more recent ones in the series so I was playing a bit of catch up on the characters’ lives。 It seems that Lynley has a new love interest but he’s having trouble moving the relationship on to the next stage。However it is in the mystery sections of the book that the author really excels as she leads the reader on a long journey trying to find out who murdered police officer Téo Bontempi。This is a long novel which goes into great detail about a theme that is quite difficult to read about， FGM， so it is not for the faint hearted。I knew little about the subject but it seemed to me that it had been well researched which was helpful as it was central to the plot of the novel。There are many characters in the book and it was difficult at first to work out how everyone fitted in。 Despite this， once the scene was set， I became very invested in their story。 I really liked Tani， the 18 year old big brother of the wonderful little girl， Simi。 He seems old beyond his years and has many complex decisions to make as he tries to work out how he can best protect his little sister。This is a long book with many strands and it was difficult to work out how they were going to eventually link up and the murder be resolved。 I certainly did not guess the ending and when I thought afterwards about what had happened and the characters’ motivations there were a lot of gray areas and protagonists in the novel。I liked the sub plot of sergeant Barbara Havers being reluctantly encouraged to look for love by one of her colleagues and the thought of her learning tap dancing provided some light relief in a very serious book。Sergeant Nkata’s loving home life with his family was also interesting to read about- his mother’s work in her cafe and his father’s bus driving。 It proved a real contrast to Tani’s situation which I suspect was the point。I could not say this was an enjoyable read due to the subject matter but it was compelling and engrossing with some excellent characters so I was keen to get to the end to find out “whodunnit” and to see how Tani and Simi’s impossible family situation could be resolved。I will certainly be looking out for the next book in the series as I definitely enjoyed finding out how Lynley’ s and Havers’ life had progressed since my last encounter with them。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the digital advanced reader's copy。4。5 starsSo， full admission: I have been reading George's Lynley series since I was in college， some twenty-five+ years ago， and happened to pick up Well-schooled in Murder in a bookstore。 I loved it， and have read every one since。 Some entries in the series are more satisfying than others。This one rates up there with some of George's best， and， if you haven't yet read any of the series， I do believe you could pick this one Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the digital advanced reader's copy。4。5 starsSo， full admission: I have been reading George's Lynley series since I was in college， some twenty-five+ years ago， and happened to pick up Well-schooled in Murder in a bookstore。 I loved it， and have read every one since。 Some entries in the series are more satisfying than others。This one rates up there with some of George's best， and， if you haven't yet read any of the series， I do believe you could pick this one up and still enjoy it completely。All of the recurring characters make an appearance in this one， and nearly all of them are at their best， complete with foibles， banter， bad habits， and even a few surprises。 I'm loving the growing relationship between Havers and Dorothea， as well as the lovely cameos with Salvatore Lo Bianco。 Nkata's parents are the best。 Lynley continues to grow as he continues to learn how to live with grief。 Even Deborah wasn't her usually annoying self （Deborah is often my least favorite chracter， ymmv）。The mystery lets us delve deeply into the lives of disparate characters - my favorite part of any George mystery。 George manages to create complicated， conflicted characters who are often neither villain nor hero。In this outing， an officer is murdered， and the murder is potentially connected to her work trying to stop female genital mutilation （FGM） in London's Somali and Nigerian communities， a horrifying ritual that is not easily stopped simply by making it illegal。 George explores how difficult it is to change something that is a long-time part of a culture， even while she explores how our own systemic racism is just as difficult to change。This one lost just a 1/2 star because a plot point hinged on a long-time character making an unlikely mistake （（view spoiler）[Nkata not securing the passports properly。 （hide spoiler）]）， which simply didn't ring true to me。However， the rest of the book is absorbing with a thought-provoking and timely mystery， and I always enjoy an outing with some of my favorite British police procedural mystery characters。 *language， FGM， adult situations 。。。more
Hayley
，
Many years back， I read a lot of Ms George’s Lynley novels and enjoyed the Morse-like slow-paced procedural and odd couple partnership of aristocratic DI Thomas “Tommy” Lynley and his slobby DS sidekick Barbara Havers。 I drifted out of them after I tried What Came Before He Shot Her （2006） and didn’t much like the change in format。 But when this new novel popped up on Netgalley， I thought I’d venture back into the very British world that this American author has successfully created and， while I Many years back， I read a lot of Ms George’s Lynley novels and enjoyed the Morse-like slow-paced procedural and odd couple partnership of aristocratic DI Thomas “Tommy” Lynley and his slobby DS sidekick Barbara Havers。 I drifted out of them after I tried What Came Before He Shot Her （2006） and didn’t much like the change in format。 But when this new novel popped up on Netgalley， I thought I’d venture back into the very British world that this American author has successfully created and， while I didn’t love it and had a few problems with it， I quite enjoyed reading it。It takes quite a while for us to get to the crime that provides the spine of the plot: a police officer， Teo Bontempi， is murdered and Lynley （now Acting Detective Chief Superintendent）， DS Havers （no promotion for her！）， and DS Winston Nkata are on the case。But before we get there， we meet a bunch of other characters: posh photographer Deborah St James （wife of Simon who is a pal of Tommy and a forensic wizard） has been commissioned to take photographs of girls at a refuge， Orchid House， where we also meet the director Zawadi。 Much time is also spent with Nigerian British Bankole family and the third strand of the plot is DCS Mark Phinney and his family。 There are other characters too， who we meet through the investigation。Phew！ No wonder this novel is a hefty 700+ pages。 All four of these plots are connected through female genital mutilation and the Nigerian community。 And here is one of my first concerns - is this an appropriate topic for a white author to be tackling？ Ms George knows it’s an issue because she has a character confront Deborah with the same question - why was a white photographer commissioned to take these photos？ Neither she nor I are particularly convinced by Deborah’s suggestion that the intention is “to enflame as many as people as possible。”This is a novel teeming with a plethora of well-developed characters from a broad swathe of London life。 Ms George has got the talent and the willingness to take the time to build this initially dauntingly large cast。 However， the two central investigators， Lynley and Havers， feel both caricatured and anachronistic。 This is a series that’s been going since 1988， and while the fictional world around them has changed， they haven’t and it feels like an awkward juxtaposition。I found this novel rather slow going and I think that’s more a reflection of me and my changing tastes and dwindling attention span， as I recall the earlier novels were similarly paced and I didn’t have trouble with that back in the day。 I also found the actual mystery element to be rather unconvincingly resolved and there are several plots including a background mystery that just sort of fizzle out。So， I’d say if you like lengthy， richly complex， but not particularly twisty police procedurals， then this is one for you。 Sadly， for me， I feel I’ve rather moved on。。Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for the digital review copy。 。。。more
zoe Hitchen
，
Elizabeth George has done it again ！ The main subject of this book is female genital mutilation （ fgm） ， which in its nature is hard to read about ， but George weaves an outstanding story around this horrid subject。The calibre of writing is both intelligent and in depth 。 There are numerous strands that all become interwoven to make an unforgettable read！ Lynley and Havers make the perfect investigation partners ， chalk and cheese is an excellent description for them ， whilst Winston Nkata finis Elizabeth George has done it again ！ The main subject of this book is female genital mutilation （ fgm） ， which in its nature is hard to read about ， but George weaves an outstanding story around this horrid subject。The calibre of writing is both intelligent and in depth 。 There are numerous strands that all become interwoven to make an unforgettable read！ Lynley and Havers make the perfect investigation partners ， chalk and cheese is an excellent description for them ， whilst Winston Nkata finishes the team off perfectly。I did find some of the book hard to read due to the subject but George is a master at weaving the perfect web of a story and I will be thinking about this book long after reading it。If you are looking for a light hearted read this book is not for you。 Highly recommended！Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton 。 。。。more
Denis Wheller
，
This densely textured novel， the 21st in the Inspector Lynley series， is far more than just a police procedural， in fact Lynley （now Acting Chief Superintendent） doesn’t take on the murder case around which the rest of the plot entwines until almost a fifth of the way into the book。 Prior to this we learn more of his troubled love life and a great deal about Female Genital Mutilation （FGM）。 FGM is， of course， illegal， but it still plays a significant role in the culture of the Nigerian populatio This densely textured novel， the 21st in the Inspector Lynley series， is far more than just a police procedural， in fact Lynley （now Acting Chief Superintendent） doesn’t take on the murder case around which the rest of the plot entwines until almost a fifth of the way into the book。 Prior to this we learn more of his troubled love life and a great deal about Female Genital Mutilation （FGM）。 FGM is， of course， illegal， but it still plays a significant role in the culture of the Nigerian population in London。 For many it is a necessary proof that a bride to be is ‘clean’ and ‘chaste’。 An alternative reason is that it ensures a high ‘bride price’ and maintains the imperative of male domination。 An undercover police offer is investigating a clinic where she believes ‘medical FGM’， that is FGM under anaesthetic， using proper tools and in sterile conditions， is being practiced。 That is as opposed to being held down on the kitchen table being sliced with anything reasonably sharp。 She calls in a police team to raid the clinic when she sees a woman in traditional costume taking a young girl into the premises。 However， nothing untoward is found。 We have met this woman， Monifa Bankole， and her eight-year-old daughter， Simisola， earlier in the book， and learned much about the abusive household in which they live， so we know the situation。 The undercover officer is subsequently murdered， which is the reason for Lynley and his usual team， Barbara Havers and Winston Ntaka being called in。 These two story lines， the murder and the attempts to protect Simisola from her father’s attempts to have her subjected to FGM， occupy most of the book， but there is also much detail about the background lives of the three police officers， plus several other characters and their actions。 The city of London， its size and the range of communities within it， almost forms another character。 As usual， Elizabeth George has produced a novel which is extremely well written， contains three-dimensional characters and addresses broader issues。 Some readers may find the FGM details， although sensitively handled， a bit too extreme， but they should persevere。 I would like to thank NetGalley， the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review。 。。。more
Roman Clodia
，
While it's always fun to be back in the company of Barbara Havers， Winston Nkata and even Lynley， this is not one of my favourite books in the long-running series。 George has taken on an 'issue'， that of FGM， but it's not always treated in the most culturally sensitive way， I'm disappointed to say。 Add to that huge swathes of filler chapters that don't move the story on， a really unbelievable motive， a huge number of coincidences just to allow Deborah St。 James into the story， and all kinds of g While it's always fun to be back in the company of Barbara Havers， Winston Nkata and even Lynley， this is not one of my favourite books in the long-running series。 George has taken on an 'issue'， that of FGM， but it's not always treated in the most culturally sensitive way， I'm disappointed to say。 Add to that huge swathes of filler chapters that don't move the story on， a really unbelievable motive， a huge number of coincidences just to allow Deborah St。 James into the story， and all kinds of gaping anomalies such as police officers colluding to hide missing children from their parents and rehouse abused women in their own homes。。。 There are also the usual infelicities of English language （who calls their or anyone else's home 'digs'？）， and weird dialogue and exposition that no real person would say （'her accent naming the UK as the land of her birth'， or 'they debarked prior to Ealing Broadway': no-one 'debarks' a tube）。 It's all the more to George's credit， then， that I still wanted to read this to the end （with some admitted judicious skimming of those extraneous chapters） and that I can still laugh with the main characters as well as be interested in their lives。 Dee's match-making for Barbara is a little cartoonish here as are Barb's slogan t-shirts and Oxfam-style clothes in a modern Scotland Yard， but I'm hoping this is a blip in a series I usually love。 。。。more
Ceecee
，
Inspector Linley #213。5 stars rounded up。 DS Teo Bontempi is working with a task force led by DCD Mark Phinney investigating North Londons Nigerian community。 When Teo is murdered Linley， Havers and Nkata have a difficult task ahead to get to the truth about her murder and to ascertain exactly what is going on within the community。There are quite a lot of plot threads to follow but at the heart of it is the very dark and disturbing topic of FGM。 Elizabeth George writes about this with clarity an Inspector Linley #213。5 stars rounded up。 DS Teo Bontempi is working with a task force led by DCD Mark Phinney investigating North Londons Nigerian community。 When Teo is murdered Linley， Havers and Nkata have a difficult task ahead to get to the truth about her murder and to ascertain exactly what is going on within the community。There are quite a lot of plot threads to follow but at the heart of it is the very dark and disturbing topic of FGM。 Elizabeth George writes about this with clarity and with skill， leaving the reader with no doubts but she also does this with sensitivity and without judgement。 The storyline of Bankole family is a good one and I like how this into connects with the central theme but also somehow personalises it and makes it matter more to the reader。 The case the team are investigating is by no means straightforward one as there are personal things in DS Bontempi’s life that really muddy the waters and complicate things。 There is a lot of wool pulling， lying， apparent cooperation but less than actual all of which throws the team off their stride。 It’s a complex and heartbreaking storyline with many a plot twist and turn。 I really like the team led by Linley who after this number of books these characters feel like old friends but you are also invested in their lives and over the years we’ve certainly been on some rollercoasters with them！ There’s always a good balance of the personal as well as the investigation and as per usual Linleys life is complicated。However， over the years of writing these books the author is giving us more and more detail and I’m sorry to say much as I love these books that you do get lost in all the depth。 It could’ve easily been cut down by between 100 to 200 pages and not lost plot momentum as there are some superfluous scenes。 There are a lot of characters to get your head around too which further complicates things。 It takes a long while for the story to warm up as there’s a lot of scene setting。Overall though， Elizabeth George does write really good stories with excellent characters but I do hope the next one is edited more stringently and we get a more streamlined and faster paced read。 。。。more
Christine
，
So pleased to meet again all the main characters particularly Barbara Havers in this 704-page-book ！ It will be published January 11th， 2022。Lynley and his team investigate the murder of a police woman who was working on a case linked to women's cutting， a tradition found in Africa to preserve women's purity and chastity。 An excellent plot leading to a conclusion I started guessing at towards the end of the story without never being sure！ I found interesting to learn about Nigerian culture and t So pleased to meet again all the main characters particularly Barbara Havers in this 704-page-book ！ It will be published January 11th， 2022。Lynley and his team investigate the murder of a police woman who was working on a case linked to women's cutting， a tradition found in Africa to preserve women's purity and chastity。 An excellent plot leading to a conclusion I started guessing at towards the end of the story without never being sure！ I found interesting to learn about Nigerian culture and traditions through the extensive account of a Nigerian family in London （relevant to the story）; I also learned quite a bit about how to sensibilise young girls against circumcisions; and also what always fascinates me is how far a mother goes to protect her children considering the relativity of the concept of protection according to each our upbringing。。。。 Sometimes thought provoking， all way through a compelling read！Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this novel for free in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Josephine Sorrell
，
This book is number 21 in the series involving Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley。 This is my first book to read in The Linley series。 It reads fine as a stand alone novel。 This newest installmenr involves an unusually sensitive murder case during a London summer “hot enough， to make an iguana sweat。” An undercover officer who was investigating the illegal Nigerian “medical services” offered at a women’s health clinic in Hackney is found in a coma in her apar This book is number 21 in the series involving Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley。 This is my first book to read in The Linley series。 It reads fine as a stand alone novel。 This newest installmenr involves an unusually sensitive murder case during a London summer “hot enough， to make an iguana sweat。” An undercover officer who was investigating the illegal Nigerian “medical services” offered at a women’s health clinic in Hackney is found in a coma in her apartment flat。 She is rushed to the hospital， yet she dies。 The autopsy shows that a blow to her head fractured her skull。 Everyone seems to be a suspect in the murder and as the case unfolds， the lies pile up。 Everyone is harboring secrets。 This includes the immigrant Bankole family who are in the process of forcing an arranged marriage on their 18-year-old son， Tanimola， and a horrific surgical procedure on their eight-year-old daughter， Simisola。 Why the disfigurement to their own child？ The procedure is necessary to get a “good bride price。” I found this novel entertaining but no page turner。 This could be partly due to my introduction to the characters in the 21st book of their detective career。 。。。more
Kid Ferrous
，
Lynley and Havers have always been one of the best detective duos in crime fiction so it’s heartening to see them return after a gap of four years in Elizabeth’s George latest novel， “Something To Hide”。 The book sees Elizabeth George tell a gripping and visceral story involving the grotesque yet hidden ritual of female genital mutilation （FGM）， which is regularly practised in the Nigerian immigrant communities in London。 George handles this sensitive subject deftly， creating a classic murder my Lynley and Havers have always been one of the best detective duos in crime fiction so it’s heartening to see them return after a gap of four years in Elizabeth’s George latest novel， “Something To Hide”。 The book sees Elizabeth George tell a gripping and visceral story involving the grotesque yet hidden ritual of female genital mutilation （FGM）， which is regularly practised in the Nigerian immigrant communities in London。 George handles this sensitive subject deftly， creating a classic murder mystery with a modern， brutal twist。 It is not a perfect book; it is probably a hundred pages or so too long and could have used some judicious trimming。 There are many scenes that are superfluous。 Some characters make baffling decisions and the villain of the piece is a little too broadly drawn， becoming almost like a comic-book villain。 Overall， “Something To Hide” is a strong and often disturbing book， and I’m glad to see Lynley， Havers and the usual recurring characters back in a new novel， but I hope Elizabeth George makes the next instalment a tad more concise。 。。。more
Lizanne Johnson
，
Elizabeth George tackles a highly sensitive topic: female genital mutilation （FGM） and white savior complex in her latest addition to the Linley/Havers series。 It was a deeply moving book， even traumatizing at times。 It was great to see Deborah St。 James return in a central role。 I especially loved learning more about Winston Nkata and his family。 George’s books always have such strong character development and depth。 They are more than mysteries。 This is another excellent addition to the series Elizabeth George tackles a highly sensitive topic: female genital mutilation （FGM） and white savior complex in her latest addition to the Linley/Havers series。 It was a deeply moving book， even traumatizing at times。 It was great to see Deborah St。 James return in a central role。 I especially loved learning more about Winston Nkata and his family。 George’s books always have such strong character development and depth。 They are more than mysteries。 This is another excellent addition to the series。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sid Nuncius
，
I’m badly out of step with the majority of reviewers because didn’t get on with Something To Hide at all， I’m afraid。 I found it long-winded， slow and very overdone。The main story， when we finally get to it， involves Lynley， Havers and Nkata investigating the murder of a fellow detective， which eventually leads to an organisation committing female genital mutilation。 This is a very important issue， but I found the storytelling so slow and turgid that I simply couldn’t get into it at all。 I’m all I’m badly out of step with the majority of reviewers because didn’t get on with Something To Hide at all， I’m afraid。 I found it long-winded， slow and very overdone。The main story， when we finally get to it， involves Lynley， Havers and Nkata investigating the murder of a fellow detective， which eventually leads to an organisation committing female genital mutilation。 This is a very important issue， but I found the storytelling so slow and turgid that I simply couldn’t get into it at all。 I’m all for thorough research， a well-painted background and carefully developed characters， but Elizabeth George tells us so much in painstaking （and for me， pain-giving） and repetitive detail I began to skim and didn’t feel I was missing much。 I think the book， at 600-odd pages， could have done with some severe editing down。Others have plainly loved this book， so do read more reviews before being put off by mine， but it wasn’t for me。（My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley。） 。。。more
Fleurtje Eliza
，
I was glued to the pages of this book for days！ Like before， Elizabeth George has written a captivating story with well-developed characters， but all of them being so normal， all of them complicated like people are。 Passionate， unkind and everything in between，Plenty of twists and turns in this book， but none of them too far-fetched。 Somehow it is not simply about the whodunnit， about solving that puzzle， but about a little girl that might or might not come out of this unharmed。Good thing the au I was glued to the pages of this book for days！ Like before， Elizabeth George has written a captivating story with well-developed characters， but all of them being so normal， all of them complicated like people are。 Passionate， unkind and everything in between，Plenty of twists and turns in this book， but none of them too far-fetched。 Somehow it is not simply about the whodunnit， about solving that puzzle， but about a little girl that might or might not come out of this unharmed。Good thing the author is writing about young bride's to be and FGM。 Not an easy subject， but communicated in a balanced way。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book。 。。。more
Patricia Ann
，
Appears all the characters even Lynley along with Havers and Nkata have “Something to Hide” in Elizabeth George’s latest Inspector Lynley novel。 How each of their hidden and disturbing secrets was exposed and how they all led to a compelling conclusion was quite enthralling。Thank you to the publisher PENGUIN GROUP Viking and to NetGalley for an eARC。
Ilyssa Wesche
，
The book started slow （maybe could have used some more editing） but once I got into it， I was all the way in。 Just enough Lynley & Havers， was so happy to get more Nkata。 The two plotlines worked very well together， and we get just enough detail to be horrified without being unable to continue。 The ending was a （relatively） pleasant surprise。 I never want this series to end。
Carly Thompson
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Lenthly mystery novel centering around the topic of female genital mutilation （FGM） in Nigerian immigrant communities in London。 I usually really like Elizabeth George but I felt this book could have used some editing - there were lots of scenes of characters going back and forth that didn't really advance the plot。 I also found the evil Nigerian immigrant father a rather simplistic depiction of a misogynist and one of the police officers makes a major mistake that was a bit hard to believe （and Lenthly mystery novel centering around the topic of female genital mutilation （FGM） in Nigerian immigrant communities in London。 I usually really like Elizabeth George but I felt this book could have used some editing - there were lots of scenes of characters going back and forth that didn't really advance the plot。 I also found the evil Nigerian immigrant father a rather simplistic depiction of a misogynist and one of the police officers makes a major mistake that was a bit hard to believe （and since when do police officers decide to house victims of domestic abuse in their own homes instead of a women's shelter？）。 All of George's favorite recurring characters were present for series fans。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
SOMETHING TO HIDE has the return of the characters that make Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley series so engaging。 I had more trouble with this installment than previous books。 The subject matter relies heavily upon cultural practices that are extraordinarily difficult for Westerners to tolerate: genital mutilation and promised marriage of very young African girls。 Despite how well the topic dovetailed with another mystery in the book， I just had a hard time with it。 Other readers may not stum SOMETHING TO HIDE has the return of the characters that make Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley series so engaging。 I had more trouble with this installment than previous books。 The subject matter relies heavily upon cultural practices that are extraordinarily difficult for Westerners to tolerate: genital mutilation and promised marriage of very young African girls。 Despite how well the topic dovetailed with another mystery in the book， I just had a hard time with it。 Other readers may not stumble as much as I did。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Jennybeast
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Powerful storytelling， and I have to admit， I rather enjoyed that the action has shifted away from Lynley and Havers and Nkata's lives -- I mean， there are still updates and dramas there， but it's less center stage。 I like the return to the mystery as the focus。 As with other recent installments， George focuses on some struggling families -- in depth， with compassion， keeping an eye to all the pressures that locate them where they are and what challenges they are facing。 It's an immersive， hard Powerful storytelling， and I have to admit， I rather enjoyed that the action has shifted away from Lynley and Havers and Nkata's lives -- I mean， there are still updates and dramas there， but it's less center stage。 I like the return to the mystery as the focus。 As with other recent installments， George focuses on some struggling families -- in depth， with compassion， keeping an eye to all the pressures that locate them where they are and what challenges they are facing。 It's an immersive， hard read， and I really appreciate Deborah St。 James' struggle to be a good ally to the Black women she wants to assist， despite their clear indication that they neither need nor want her。 I think a lot of white women are struggling with that right now， and it's refreshing to see it so unapologetically portrayed -- not least the justified irritation of Black women resenting interferance。 I learned a lot about FGM， and about immigrant struggles to recreate （or choose not to recreate） traditional values in a new country。 I also learned a lot about the day-to-day worry and grief that can accompany raising a child with significant disabilities。 It's a sensitive， thoughtful read with a puzzling， heartbreaking mystery at the center。 Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
When asked the name of my favorite author， the name Elizabeth George is what first comes to mind。 As I said in 2018， reviewing The Punishment She Deserves （5 stars）， “I LOVE Elizabeth George， and have been reading the Inspector Lynley novels （or， as I prefer to call them， the Lynley-Havers novels） since the mid-1990s when introduced to them by a fellow librarian when we were stuck in an airport。” There are now 20 or 21 in the series， and Something To Hide is the latest。I was super excited to get When asked the name of my favorite author， the name Elizabeth George is what first comes to mind。 As I said in 2018， reviewing The Punishment She Deserves （5 stars）， “I LOVE Elizabeth George， and have been reading the Inspector Lynley novels （or， as I prefer to call them， the Lynley-Havers novels） since the mid-1990s when introduced to them by a fellow librarian when we were stuck in an airport。” There are now 20 or 21 in the series， and Something To Hide is the latest。I was super excited to get a copy of Something To Hide from Penguin GroupViking and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 I had no idea what it was about， only that I was being reunited with Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers — good enough for me！ So， here’s the thing: the Lynley-Havers books always include a cdentral mystery， but there is also a significant amount of character development as well as a focus on a particular topic。 The characters have become people we KNOW， so I was happy to have both Thomas and Barbara present in the story。 When I began reading， I was in the dark about the topic in this latest book: FGM， or female genital mutilation For anyone unfamiliar with it， you can Google it to get way more information than you probably want， but essentially “Female Genital Mutilation comprises all procedures involving the removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons， as defined by the World Health Organisation （WHO）。” Although it is illegal in England， where there are many immigrants （the Pakistani community in particular has been woven into several prior Lynley stories）， and it helps to know that FGM is practiced in 31 countries in Africa， the Middle East， and Asia。（It’s most prevalent in Djibouti， Egypt， Guinea， and Mali， where 90% or more of women aged 15 to 49 have been subjected to FGM。 In this particular story， the focus is on Nigerian women。 Although the practice is declining in Nigeria since it was outlawed in 2012， it is still quite common）。 I’m personally horrified by the practice， particularly the common practice of having it done by people without the proper training or instruments to perform even the simplest surgical procedure， but it is central to this amazing book， and Ms。 George covers this sensitive topic without being overly judgmental （hard to do） or getting too clinical — she makes her points where needed。The initial storyline revolves around the murder of a female police detective who died while participating in a task force in the Nigerian community in North London。 Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case， and is his usual refined and intelligent self， despite being thrown into cultural issues which have totally been outside his life as a Lord。 Both Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata are part of the story， with the Nkata family being a welcome addition to the recurring case of characters in this series。 The question comes up as to whether the murder of the detective was related to her work with the task force， trying to prevent FGM （something she knew a lot about， as she was a victim of it herself）。 She knows that the “。。。hideous practice of mutilating girls was not going to end simply because there were people who wanted it to end。” Despite being transferred out and away from the task force， she has continued to explore the situation， but she also has an estranged husband and jealous sister， who may or may not be related to her death。 So it takes some digging to find out who might have wanted her dead and why。A parallel storyline involves a traditional Nigerian immigrant family， which includes parents， a teenage son， and an 8-year old daughter。 The domineering father has promised his teenaged son a virgin bride from Nigeria， which the son refuses even though his father has already paid a dowry。 But the father isn’t content with marrying off his son， he is also set on recovering the money paid for the bride of his son by promising his young innocent daughter Simisola to be married off as well。 It seems that the first step in preparing the child for the marriage is to have her cut in preparation。 As Simi’s mother sees it， her intention in arranging the “ceremony” and presenting it as a party was “。。。to have Simisola made pure so that she could proceed into her womanhood。” EEEEEK！）The two storylines （the murdered detective and the looming FGM of a sweet 8-year old in a traditional family） converge， as expected。 Familiar bits of the story include Barbara resisting the ongoing efforts of Dee Harriman to get Barb into a romantic relationship and Thomas still trying to figure out the relationship between him and Daidre， the independent woman with whom he became involved after his recent relationship with Isabelle Ardrey （the functioning alcoholic he was possibly in love with most recently） failed。 Thomas hasn’t had great luck with women， and I hope Ms。 George finds someone for him — see， the characters are REAL， we know them and care about them！ Their lives have unfolded over 20 books， and although the books in the series can be read as standalones， I really recommend that people read them in order， as the plotlines and personal lives of the characters really do move as the stories go on。 I NEVER reveal spoilers， but both storylines in this one are handled masterfully。 Both the murder and the issue of FGM are resolved — or are they？ There is an ongoing question as to whether it’s appropriate for outsiders to interfere in culturally significant but horrifying activities that the traditional immigrant families often see as part of their lives。 Should these events and practices be subject to attention and regulation from the typically white outsiders， who are often crusaders for ways to advance the inclusion of the immigrants into life in the U。K。 ？I learned a LOT （OK， more than I wanted to know！） about FGM， and enjoyed the opportunity to explore the sensitive topic within the framework of a beautifully written novel with multiple stories to tell。 Worth waiting for。 Five stars for sure。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Thanks to Viking & NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。Elizabeth George's books are more like novels replete with character study than mysteries。 The mystery is always at the center， but you always get a full plate of other stuff in the form of character development and a deep dive on whatever the attendant topic of the mystery is。 This time it's FGM， female genital mutilation， and damn if I didn't learn a lot about the topic （and it's not an easy read， as you Thanks to Viking & NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。Elizabeth George's books are more like novels replete with character study than mysteries。 The mystery is always at the center， but you always get a full plate of other stuff in the form of character development and a deep dive on whatever the attendant topic of the mystery is。 This time it's FGM， female genital mutilation， and damn if I didn't learn a lot about the topic （and it's not an easy read， as you might guess）。 George covers the topic well without pointing fingers and without being overly clinical， and while gently pointing out the devastating effects of the practice。 She also touches on the tricky aspects of white saviorhood in areas that are the distinct domain of the Black community in England; that is done with a bit more mob-handedness， but shows that unintentional harm that can come from such situations。A police officer has died of head trauma after going to the hospital， and it becomes apparent that she was deliberately attacked。 A survivor of FGM herself， she was working in the community to prevent the practice， illegal in the UK。 Was she killed as a result of her work， which she continued undercover on her own after being transferred out of her department after an affair-gone-wrong with her superior officer？ Or was her murder the result of her possibly contentious relationships with her estranged husband or jealous sister？ While that story unfolds， we meet a Nigerian family with a teenage son and an 8 year old daughter and explore its dynamics。 The family setup is a traditional one， with the father taking the lead role as head of household in every way， even to the point that he has an entire separate family secondary to the first， and everyone accepts this （it's a shock， but it is what it is）。 The teenage son is promised a virginal bride from Nigeria， which he refuses after his father has paid the dowry。 Then it seems that the father wishes to marry off the 8 year old to get back what was spent on the dowry， and the first step to making that happen is the have the 8 year old cut in preparation。Naturally， these two stories converge， and， as usual， George marries the storylines expertly。 There is a fair amount of Winston Nkata in this story， and we get info on his family （so nice！）， as well as a little update on Barb and her continuing efforts to fend off Dee Harriman's efforts to get Barbara coupled off （still？ Really？ More reasonable storylines for Havers please）。 Tommy is still Tommy， still seeing Daidre， whose situation is as annoying and complicated as ever。 Maybe I repressed the fact of her weird， feral siblings; maybe this is the first we're hearing about them; either way， that whole storyline doesn't work。 I think Tommy deserves a real GF after suffering through Isabel Ardery and her functioning alcoholism and Daidre who doesn't seem to want a boyfriend at all， let alone one as attentive and doting as Tommy。If you can muddle through that mess and get beyond all the odd contractions that are the Elizabeth George trademark （why're， c'n， et al）， you're left with a really great story， as we've come to expect from George。 。。。more
Marlene
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Lynley and his team are investigating the murder of a fellow officer。 Teo was found unconscious in her flat and later died of head trauma。 There are multiple suspects and the investigation leads to a related case involving female genital mutilation taking place in underground clinics。The multi-faceted case makes for a fast-paced read with an interesting plot。George is a master at never letting the personal lives of recurring characters overwhelm the story。A perfect balance of plot and personalit Lynley and his team are investigating the murder of a fellow officer。 Teo was found unconscious in her flat and later died of head trauma。 There are multiple suspects and the investigation leads to a related case involving female genital mutilation taking place in underground clinics。The multi-faceted case makes for a fast-paced read with an interesting plot。George is a master at never letting the personal lives of recurring characters overwhelm the story。A perfect balance of plot and personalities。 。。。more
Sandra
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Note: I read this as a free eARC from Netgalley。 In this continuation of the Inspector Lynley series， Deborah St。 James makes a welcome appearance in this installment。 While trying to solve the murder of a police detective， they uncover the shadow world of FGM （female genital mutilation） and the cultural associations。 This broadens the detectives' cultural perspectives that were previously foreign to them。 All the while， the killer evades them lies and superficial cooperation。 Definitely， one of Note: I read this as a free eARC from Netgalley。 In this continuation of the Inspector Lynley series， Deborah St。 James makes a welcome appearance in this installment。 While trying to solve the murder of a police detective， they uncover the shadow world of FGM （female genital mutilation） and the cultural associations。 This broadens the detectives' cultural perspectives that were previously foreign to them。 All the while， the killer evades them lies and superficial cooperation。 Definitely， one of the better installments of recent years。 。。。more
Nora Rawn
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The gang's all here！！ The gang's all here！！ 。。。more
Penny （Literary Hoarders）
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https://www。penguinrandomhouse。com/bo。。。Now we're waiting until January 2022 for this one！ Gah！！ Longest wait ever！ Finally， news about the next Inspector Lynley novel！ Expected publication 2021。 The author attached to this is the wrong Elizabeth George， but the book title is right。 Looking forward to it！ It's been a longer wait than usual！ https://www。penguinrandomhouse。com/bo。。。Now we're waiting until January 2022 for this one！ Gah！！ Longest wait ever！ Finally， news about the next Inspector Lynley novel！ Expected publication 2021。 The author attached to this is the wrong Elizabeth George， but the book title is right。 Looking forward to it！ It's been a longer wait than usual！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Something to Hide
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Something to Hide&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Something to Hide&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0