A terrific addition to the series. One of her best.

I must say that I have only read two of the late Lynley books. The one that is set just after his wife died, which I did not like very much. Lots of talking in a small village where evrybody seems to sleep with everybody else. A bit too unreal. And hardly a part for Lynley.
The book following that one was much better in my opinion. And well written.
I never read the earlier Lynley mysteries, but I like the tv adaptations. Only a few are adaptations of the books, I believe.

Reply to post #2 (show post):
Yes, only the first three (or 2 1/2) seasons were lifted from Elizabeth George's books -- the last "straight" adaptation of one of her novels was "A Traitor to Memory." From then on, the TV series and the books developed lives of their own.

I liked Sharon Small as Barbara Havers -- Nathaniel Parker is a great actor, but he is approximately 100 miles off from the character (and looks!) as written by George. Nevertheless I liked the series; the first parts, those that actually were adaptations of George's books much more so than the later, "freewheeling" parts, though, at least by and large.

You may want to check out some of the series's early novels to see how the various characters were actually conceived by George, and how they developed over time -- not only for Lynley and Havers but also for Lynley's friends Deborah and Simon St. James ... their back story is actually quite crucial to the series, and that's a part that got dropped almost entirely in the TV adaptations (except for the wedding bit at the beginning of "A Great Deliverance," but that really doesn't even begin to lay open the complexities involved).

I like George's novels (though haven't read the ones past Careless in Red, yet). Could never get into the TV series. I think the cast Lynley did not do it for me.

I'd happily read endless books that are all about Havers 24/7. I love me some Havers.

Reply to post #4 (show post):
Oh, agreed about Havers; absolutely. George should do at least one more featuring just her ...