A Slowly Dying Cause: A Lynley Novel

Elizabeth George has always been interested in exploring the WHO and the WHY in her mysteries, delving into motive. She writes well, excelling at description and dialogue. In her latest, set in Cornwall, we’re given multiple points of view over 600 pages: the eager sales rep who discovers the murder victim, the detective leading the investigation, even the decedent himself. Devoted fans of the Lynley mysteries may be surprised that Thomas Lynley and his DS Barbara Havers don’t appear until more than 100 pages in and are nearly incidental to the solving of this case. Their personal tribulations are layered in with those of the murder victim’s wife, ex-wife, grown children, brother, and so forth. If you’re new to the series, definitely start with earlier books; there are many instances where you need to understand how the characters have developed over time. To my disappointment, I found this novel unremittingly bleak: nearly every relationship is predatory, obsessive, manipulative, and selfish. George routinely includes damaged characters, but here, she seems intent on proving the impossibility of love, parity, or intimacy. Even the last few pages reveal sexual abuse so intensely that the final moment of hope feels false.