Something to Hide
- Downloads：9904
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-01-13 21:20:59
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Elizabeth George
- ISBN：B092KVF6JP
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Anne - Books of My Heart
，
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。4。5 heartsIt was so good to get back to the Inspector Lynley series which I started nearly 30 years ago。 I've mostly read them but I've listened to the last few。 The narrators are exceptional and Simon Vance does well with Something to Hide。I had a bit of trouble with the very start when all the various plot layers w This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。4。5 heartsIt was so good to get back to the Inspector Lynley series which I started nearly 30 years ago。 I've mostly read them but I've listened to the last few。 The narrators are exceptional and Simon Vance does well with Something to Hide。I had a bit of trouble with the very start when all the various plot layers were being introduced but without connection yet。 In fact， Lynley， Havers or Nkata， none of the team showed up until the second chapter and then it was off and running。 There are two mysteries we follow， one is a murder mystery but the other is a cultural abuse within a family which is hard to read。The murder mystery is wide open with far too many suspects。 The victim is a cop。 The husband， the sister， the lover's wife are all possibilities。 The team sifts through the facts gathering， confirming， verifying and working to understand。 There are a lot of motives but the right one must be found。The family with abuse is a more suspenseful storyline。 It particularly had me on edge because we are talking about a child。 We see the values and actions of the father， mother， son and daughter。 There is much conflict and difference of preferences。The other aspect， not to be overlooked are all the personal lives of the team members。 I don't like Lynley's current lady so that part bored me。 Dee is trying once again to get Havers to date which is sadly hilarious。 Nkata seemed much more active in these investigations， perhaps partly because he is black and so are many of the people in both investigations。The characters are so well developed they seem like real people to me。 Of course， I have the advantage of longevity and history with the regulars。 But the new ones in these investigations are also so realistic。There were plenty of layers and twists I didn't see coming。 Other than the first chapter， I was fully engaged but mostly clueless all along。 The team is so compassionate， even when some of the people they interview are horrible。 I love watching how they pull together the oddest bits and manage to figure things out。 I'll keep reading as long as there are books available。 Narration: Simon Vance is a favorite narrator of mine。 He did so well with all the voices and it was such a pleasure to listen。 Each character sounds just as I have come to recognize and enjoy。 I listened at 1。25x speed。Listen to a clip: HERE 。。。more
Joanna
，
The gangs all here！ And they are acting more or less like themselves again， and I LIKED them。 I liked Deborah and Simon and Nkata and Havers and Tommy and Dorothea and Daidre and， well， everyone。 I most especially liked getting to know Nkata's family a bit more， and oh， I just loved his mom。 The topic， FGM， is heavy， but it's handled well， and the mystery was twisty enough that I didn't see everything coming， but straightforward enough that I didn't cry foul either。 There were a lot of new chara The gangs all here！ And they are acting more or less like themselves again， and I LIKED them。 I liked Deborah and Simon and Nkata and Havers and Tommy and Dorothea and Daidre and， well， everyone。 I most especially liked getting to know Nkata's family a bit more， and oh， I just loved his mom。 The topic， FGM， is heavy， but it's handled well， and the mystery was twisty enough that I didn't see everything coming， but straightforward enough that I didn't cry foul either。 There were a lot of new characters， and I suspect we'll never hear from any of them ever again， because that's how it goes， and I'm a little disappointed I don't expect to see them again but I can accept that。 So all of that's the good。 That's what made me smile， and click five stars in satisfaction。 But。 But。 I wasn't satisfied， not really。 It's still a solid four star book， no question。 All of the above is true， and I am just so dang relieved to have the series back on track。。。。 But here's the thing。 The gang's BARELY here。 We got a lot of Deborah， and loads and loads of the Nigerian community， and stingy little spoonfuls of the rest of the team。 And oh my lord， Barbara， her character development is so glacially slow that we really did take two steps back and a half step forward in this installment。 Keep improving Barbara！ She becomes a caricature。 It's been years now。 She deserves an actual friend， or an actual relationship， or better meal planning or outfits or SOMETHING。 She has started a path and hit a roadblock too many times。 Okay。 Also there were some laughably unprofessional choices here that just really did not make sense。 They did make for entertaining reading， but it's like。。。 they chose the Stephanie Plum way to protect people and they are SCOTLAND YARD。 It was not believable。 There were also some nice gardens， lots of descriptions of endless unseasonable and unpleasant heat， a couple of cats， Peach the dachshund， art， stray additional relatives， lots of food， endless tea， iced tea， and coffee， and more！ It was a lot， that's all I'm saying。 。。。more
Joanna
，
Could have used a bit more editing to remove some of the descriptions of mundane objects， but the plotting was excellent。
Melissa Joulwan
，
I've read every book in this series at least once — these are British-style， psychological murder mysteries with rich characterization and very vivid settings that are practically characters themselves。 While I've enjoyed all of them， the earlier books stuck with me more than the last few installments。 I'm thrilled to say that this epic mystery feels like old times。In this installment， DI Thomas Lynley and his longtime sidekick， the ever-rumpled but well-intentioned Detective Sergeant Barbara Ha I've read every book in this series at least once — these are British-style， psychological murder mysteries with rich characterization and very vivid settings that are practically characters themselves。 While I've enjoyed all of them， the earlier books stuck with me more than the last few installments。 I'm thrilled to say that this epic mystery feels like old times。In this installment， DI Thomas Lynley and his longtime sidekick， the ever-rumpled but well-intentioned Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers， start out investigating the murder of another police detective， but soon find themselves unraveling dark secrets that involve infidelity， family rivalries， and deep-seated tradition in London's Nigerian community。 The mystery is VERY satisfying with plenty of likely suspects and many surprise revelations。 And， as always， the interplay among the characters feels authentic and is genuinely moving。If you're already a fan of Inspector Lynley， you'll be thrilled with this one， and it's a great place to start if you're new to this rich world that Elizabeth George has created。 。。。more
Vicki
，
“Something to Hide，” by Elizabeth George， Viking， 704 pages， Jan。 11， 2022。Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Teodora Bontempi is found comatose in her home。 After she is taken off life support， an autopsy reveals she was murdered。 Until recently， Bontempi had been working on a special task force investigating female genital mutilation （FGM） within North London's Nigerian community。 Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Phinney was Bontempi’s boss。Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is ass “Something to Hide，” by Elizabeth George， Viking， 704 pages， Jan。 11， 2022。Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Teodora Bontempi is found comatose in her home。 After she is taken off life support， an autopsy reveals she was murdered。 Until recently， Bontempi had been working on a special task force investigating female genital mutilation （FGM） within North London's Nigerian community。 Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Phinney was Bontempi’s boss。Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to investigate。 He is assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata。 Meanwhile， the Department of Education asks Lynley’s friend， Deborah St。 James， to take photographs at Orchid House， a refuge for Nigerian girls who are at risk of FGM or who have been abused。Tanimola Bankole works at Into Africa Groceries Etc。， which is owned by his father， Abeo。 To Tani’s dismay， his father has arranged for him to marry a Nigerian girl whom he has never met。 Tani says he won’t marry her。 His father has already paid the dowry。When his eight-year-old sister Simisola tells him about her upcoming initiation ceremony， Tani confronts his mother， Monifa， and realizes his father is arranging Simisola’s marriage to get back the money spent on the dowry。 The first step in the initiation is for Simisola to undergo FGM。“Something to Hide” has a very complex plot， but all of these threads come together as George expertly weaves them into a whole narrative。 It deals with a difficult subject， but she doesn’t go into too much clinical detail。 George writes excellent police procedural novels that are character studies in addition to being mysteries。 Lynley and the other characters have real personalities。 This is the 21st in one of my favorite series。In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Janet
，
3。5 StarsWhen Detective Sergeant Teo Bontempi 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 that have nothing to do with life as he knows it。 In his pursuit of a killer determined to remain hidden， he’s assisted by De 3。5 StarsWhen Detective Sergeant Teo Bontempi 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 that have 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。This is the twenty first book in the series & whilst I’ve not read all of them I've read a quite a few & am a fan of Lynley & Havers but I found this book to be too long & it moved at tortoise pace， so much so that I found myself skimming through pages until things happened， I would have preferred a shorter faster paced book， which could easily have been achieved if quite a few unnecessary scenes had been deleted。 There were also lots of characters to get my head round & lots of scene setting。 So said it was a well written book with， once it warmed up， a good storyMy honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read 。。。more
Helen Farch
，
I have to admit， this is the first time I have read an Elizabeth George novel and so it is the first book that I have read featuring Dectective Lynley and crew。 But， if like me you haven't been reading this series from the start， don't let that put you off。 There was obviously back story for each of the main characters that I wasn't aware of but that didn't detract at all from my enjoyment of this wonderful crime novel。This story centers around the investigation of the death of a police woman。 B I have to admit， this is the first time I have read an Elizabeth George novel and so it is the first book that I have read featuring Dectective Lynley and crew。 But， if like me you haven't been reading this series from the start， don't let that put you off。 There was obviously back story for each of the main characters that I wasn't aware of but that didn't detract at all from my enjoyment of this wonderful crime novel。This story centers around the investigation of the death of a police woman。 But woven throughout this intriging book are storylines about a controversial cultural practice that divides families。There are so many threads to this story， and in fact the dead body doesn't appear until you are over 100 pages in。 I loved how all these seemingly disconnected storylines slowly wove themselves into a complete picture - and no I didn't pick who the murderer was。 😂Thanks to Hachette Australia and the author for the advance readers copy to read and review。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
，
I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of Something to Hide， the twenty first novel to feature Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers of the Met。Lynley and his team are asked to investigate the murder of a Nigerian born detective who was murdered by a blow to the head in her own flat。 DS Teo Bontempi had been doing some off the books investigating into illegal cultural practices， so that adds another layer to I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of Something to Hide， the twenty first novel to feature Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers of the Met。Lynley and his team are asked to investigate the murder of a Nigerian born detective who was murdered by a blow to the head in her own flat。 DS Teo Bontempi had been doing some off the books investigating into illegal cultural practices， so that adds another layer to the investigation。It is years since I spent time with Lynley and the team。 I gave up reading the series as I found Barbara Havers increasingly tiresome and less and less credible- she’s a smart woman， why make her repeat the same mistakes or variations on them in every novel？， but when the opportunity arose to revisit them I took it， to see if time had changed my perspective。I must admit that I initially baulked when my Kindle estimated a reading time of 15 hours as I wasn’t sure I would have the concentration to see it through， so I just got the head down and took it in bite sized chunks。 It is a long novel， maybe not the full 15 hours， and that brings pluses and minuses。 The length of the novel allows the author to give detailed drawings of the characters so the reader gets a really good idea of them and their motivations。。 it also allows her to have a wide cast and attack the main theme from various angles， painting a much broader picture of the issues than would normally be the case in crime fiction。 Of course， the downside to this is a slow moving plot and a lot of threads to keep up with。I enjoyed Something to Hide。 I found it interesting and the author has the knack for continually hinting at more to come， so I found it moreish without being totally compulsive。 I’m not prepared to mention the social issue at the centre of the novel， because the author obviously wants to surprise the reader， but I found it a bit uncomfortable to be reading a white author’s thoughts on a uniquely African activity， which incidentally is horrific。 Kudos nonetheless to the author for the depth of her research and some of the cultural nuances she fits in that seem realistic， but I have no way of telling。I liked that the novel builds up steam as it progresses。 The detectives gradually gather the necessary information to build a case， detouring through assorted linked misdemeanours and more serious crimes on their way。 At the same time the social issue gets quite tense in terms of the personalities and the potential for violence。 Throughout it all there are twists and unexpected turns， culminating in solutions I never saw coming。 The author has great command of her plot， if the reader doesn’t mind the odd coincidence or unlikely bout of carelessness。 I even came to like Barbara again。Something to Hide is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
Who murdered DS Teo Bontempi？ And why？ The investigation run by ADCS Thomas Lynley， DS Barbara Havers， and DS Winston Nkata is entwined with the story of Tani's effort to protect his little sister Samisola from his parents。 Know that this story line about FGM and family violence at times feels like the bigger plot line and that Lynley/Havers/Nakata don't shine as much as they usually do。 Interestingly， there's surprisingly little insight into Teo， who is only seen though the eyes of others， incl Who murdered DS Teo Bontempi？ And why？ The investigation run by ADCS Thomas Lynley， DS Barbara Havers， and DS Winston Nkata is entwined with the story of Tani's effort to protect his little sister Samisola from his parents。 Know that this story line about FGM and family violence at times feels like the bigger plot line and that Lynley/Havers/Nakata don't shine as much as they usually do。 Interestingly， there's surprisingly little insight into Teo， who is only seen though the eyes of others， including DCD Mark Phinney who loved her and who is struggling with his wife Pete and neurologically damaged child。 I'm a fan of George because of the layering of her novels but this one was layered with an incredible amount of despair。 I liked seeing a bit of Winston's home life and always enjoy Barbara， but Lynley， oh Lynley。 He acts quite out of character wrt Barbara at one point。 Deborah gets a good turn here as her photography proves key to much， including， no spoilers， answers to key questions。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 Because this is less dependent on the central characters than most of the series， it would make a fine standalone and while it's slow in parts （it's a long novel）， you will find yourself wrapped up in both the murder mystery and the effort to keep Simi whole。 。。。more
Annarella
，
It's been a bit since last I read a Linley mystery and I was very happy to catch up with Thomas， Barbara and the cast of this beloved mystery series。This is a an excellent mystery that deals with a tragic issue like FGM and I appreciated how the author dealt with this topic。A complex plot， full of red herrings and twists。 You never know who is to be trusted and the parallel plots make it even more complex。 I didn't guess the culprit and appreciated the solution。My only note: there's plenty of in It's been a bit since last I read a Linley mystery and I was very happy to catch up with Thomas， Barbara and the cast of this beloved mystery series。This is a an excellent mystery that deals with a tragic issue like FGM and I appreciated how the author dealt with this topic。A complex plot， full of red herrings and twists。 You never know who is to be trusted and the parallel plots make it even more complex。 I didn't guess the culprit and appreciated the solution。My only note: there's plenty of information and details。 Some editing would have helped and made the story more gripping。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Kathleen
，
Something to Hide is a glittering mosaic of a mystery。 It’s also tough， compelling， disturbing and highlights the problems caused when cultures collide。Policewoman Teo Bontempi has been murdered。 She’s been part of an investigation into the sexual mutilation of young girls in London’s Nigerian community。 Immigrant society there is patriarchal， as illustrated by the Bankole family。 The investigation leads DI Lynley， DS Havers and DS Nkata into unfamiliar territory。 They painstakingly identify man Something to Hide is a glittering mosaic of a mystery。 It’s also tough， compelling， disturbing and highlights the problems caused when cultures collide。Policewoman Teo Bontempi has been murdered。 She’s been part of an investigation into the sexual mutilation of young girls in London’s Nigerian community。 Immigrant society there is patriarchal， as illustrated by the Bankole family。 The investigation leads DI Lynley， DS Havers and DS Nkata into unfamiliar territory。 They painstakingly identify many suspects， hear alibis， work on timelines looking for a killer who does want to be found for many reasons。Something to Hide is an outstanding police procedural with richly drawn characters。 Lynley and Havers become more real with each book in the series but this is Winston Nkata’s turn to shine。 Plots and subplots come at you from so many different angles that you can’t see how it will ever come together but， as always with Elizabeth George， it does。 5 Stars。Thank you to NetGalley， Hodder and Stoughton and Elizabeth George for this ARC。 。。。more
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
，