Diving into the Elizabeth George novels while beginning my quest to visit all the area’s independent bookshops.

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Fans of detective fiction have been singing the praises of Elizabeth George since the arrival of her first novel in 1988. Friends who have been my guides in this newfound passion for murder mysteries have spoken of the beauty of her writing and the depth of her characters. Mystery writer Anna Scotti gave her especially high praise:

“Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley novels are marvelous―she’s incredibly talented. What she did with the back-to-back novels, With No One as Witness and What Came Before He Shot Her provides a masterclass for mystery writers, as well as a feast for readers.”

As I began a new personal project in 2026, this seemed an appropriate place to start.

A Great Deliverance (1988) by Elizabeth George introduces us to Inspector Thomas Lynley, the eighth earl of Asherton, and his unconventional working-class partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Lynley and Havers are assigned to investigate a gruesome murder in the Yorkshire Moors. The unlovely Roberta Teys has been found in her best dress, an axe in her lap, seated in the old stone barn beside her father’s headless corpse. Her first and last words were “I did it. And I’m not sorry.” The residents of the usually peaceful village of Keldale cannot believe that Roberta is the killer. Scotland Yard Superintendent Malcolm Webberly has sent two unconventional detectives into the situation knowing they will be met with several old external and internal grievances, but believing that their pairing can break through a difficult case.

What they find in their investigations uncovers deep, dark secrets—some held for generations. There are myths to uncover and reputations to reconsider. Lynley and Havers establish an unlikely chemistry that, while combative at first, moves toward a grudging respect for what each brings to the work at hand. And with great care and little asides that illuminate the whole, George fleshes out their character. As when a local schoolteacher tells them that nearly everyone in the village passed through her classroom except for Father Hart:

“‘He and I are of the same generation.’

‘I should never have guessed,’ Lynley said solemnly.

She laughed. ‘Why is it that truly charming men always know when a woman is fishing for a compliment?'”

The Inspector Lynley mysteries have been adapted for television twice by the BBC, first in a well-loved series that ran from 2001 – 2008 and which can still be seen on Brit Box, and then in a new series debuting in 2025. Adaptation is the operative word, especially for the most recent series which seems to borrow very little from the novels except for the most basic of structures. I’ve watched several episodes of both and very much prefer the earlier series, especially the work of actress Sharon Small as the gritty Barbara Havers. I will say, however, when I was buying the book two of the women helping with the purchase mentioned that the new Inspector Lynley was “a hunk.” (I think I’m quoting correctly.) That seems to be a universal view, given the reviews.

All of which brings me to that special project I mentioned above.

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THE YEAR OF THE INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOP

In 2026 I am on a quest to visit all the independent bookshops in the immediate Washington vicinity (the DMV). A few weeks ago I made my way to a cozy shop on a Georgetown side street and climbed the stairs into The Lantern Bookshop. As I did, I was greeted by my friend, neighbor, and Brilliant Reader Noell who was working that day at the front desk and who had encouraged me to put The Lantern on my list. After the warm welcome, I spent the better part of a half hour looking through the shop’s used and rare books.

The Lantern was founded in 1977 and is run by volunteers, most of whom—like Noell—are local Bryn Mawr College alumnae. Its mission is to provide financial assistance to women at Bryn Mawr College, with all of the profits going to the college to support students’ summer internships.

The selection is eclectic, due to the fact that all the books are donated, so the offerings are curated by the tastes of the donors. I found several that interested me, but ended up choosing a hardback version of the George novel from the original press run.

The bookshop—like the novel—is a jewel. So that’s one down, twenty-four bookshops to go!

More to come . . .

DJB

Photo of Yorkshire landscape by Ian Cylkowski on Unsplash