Monday, October 7, 2013

Elizabeth George's JUST ONE EVIL ACT & Giveaway



Elizabeth George's new Inspector Lynley novel, JUST ONE EVIL ACT, comes out October 15th and with it comes the return of one of my favorite characters of all time, Barbara Havers. 

This book focuses on Barbara as she helps her neighbor, Taymullah Azhar, try to find his missing daughter. Of course the story becomes much more complicated and involves love affairs, murder, tabloid reporters, racial tension and charming Italian police inspectors. 

Thanks to Dutton Publishing, we have a copy of JUST ONE EVIL ACT to give away to one Mystery Playground reader. All you have to do to enter is write a comment below. 

Elizabeth George is one of my favorite writers of all time and here are five reasons why I love the Inspector Lynley Mysteries and this book: 

1) Barbara Havers is a real (fictional) person. She gets crumbs on her shirt. Sometimes her shoes don’t match. On occasion, she cares too much. She remains patient under extreme circumstances. So even though she is fictional, she keeps it real.

"Barbara Havers was in her third hour of dragging herself into shops in Oxford Street when she wondered whether it would have been wiser to shoot Bing Crosby before he could have recorded it or shoot the person who had composed 'The Little Drummer Boy' before he had a chance to dream it up.”   
- Quote from JUST ONE EVIL ACT

2) Havers and Lynley are friends. They have evolved to be more than work colleagues, and it is still just friendship between a man and a woman, which some people say isn’t possible. They have almost nothing in common, except for the really important things, like values and loyalty.

3) The characters change. Life changes. These characters change. Bad things happen. Bad things happen to all of us too.  I have laughed and cried while reading these books. I know there are some people (you know who you are, and we must respectfully disagree on this point) who never like characters to change. That gets a little tedious for me. George takes risks and I keep reading.

“Barbara had been keeping her nose remarkably clean at New Scotland Yard. There was nothing she could do about the wreck she’d made of her hair, but she’d decided it behooved her to slither onto the better side of Acting Superintendent Ardery, so her manner of dress had been for days if not impeccable then at least not worthy of note.” 
         - Quote from JUST ONE EVIL ACT

4) The relationships are complicated. The main characters have history. It plays into every book in new ways.  In case you haven’t read the books, or seen Mystery!, I won’t go into details here. Just trust me and get a hold of a copy of A Great Deliverance now.

5) Every book is different. The same four orbital characters are always there – Barbara, Thomas, Deborah and Simon, but different characters are featured and the story always varies. Many series have “jumped the shark,” went on too long and declined in quality, after ten or eleven books. Elizabeth George is still going strong after seventeen.

“She (Barbara) busied herself with making the tea and popping teacakes beneath the grill in her oven. The fact that she had butter for these and milk for the tea actually made her feel like a domestic goddess."
     - Quote from JUST ONE EVIL ACT

If you have never read Elizabeth George's novels, and have never seen the PBS Mystery! series based on them, I suggest you start with her first in this series, A GREAT DELIVERANCE. If you have read Ms. George's work and are a Havers fan, you'll love JUST ONE EVIL ACT. 


Don't forget to enter the giveaway, just comment below by October 10th. Winners have to be in the US and please make sure there is some way to contact you. 





Portions of this post appeared on Criminal Element

35 comments:

  1. I really like what you said about book, it makes so much more interesting when the characters are not the same all the time and the book feels like the author is following a formula. Now I really want to read books by Elizabeth George. Thank you for the chance to win.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

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  2. Sounds fabulous and I'd love a free book.

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  3. Sounds like a great book I love authors who take risks and further develop the characters

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  4. Elizabeth George has always been one of my favourite authors. I revel in her characters as much as her plots.

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    1. Sorry - just read you have to be a US resident to enter. I'm in Canada. No free book for me!

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  5. Sounds like a great read and I'd LOVE a free book :)

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  6. I love Barbara Havers and would love a chance to win.

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  7. Love Elizabeth George! Can't wait to read about the evil act!

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  8. I've always loved Havers and her messiness. I'm glad she's the focus of this one.

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  9. I was just thinking a few days ago about catching up on this series. Definitely would love a free book.

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  10. I love Elizabeth George and these two wonderful, enduring characters. Havers is indeed real. I feel I would know her if I met her on the street. Can't wait to read this.

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  11. This sounds like a fabulous read and I do love me some Elizabeth George! Fingers crossed to win!!

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  12. Elizabeth George is my favorite author and I aspire to write like her. Not easy. Barbara is my favorite character and it's been too long since she's been featured in a book. I can't wait to read Just One Evil Act.

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  13. I can't wait to see what Havers is up to. I love the fact that Elizabeth George puts social class into the mix in her stories.

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  14. I love Elizabeth George's work. How did I miss the fact that they have been produced for public television? Must go see now.

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    1. Sandra - it's an excellent series. They called it, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Several seasons await your viewing pleasure...

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  15. Barbara's my favorite, too, and I found her as abrasive and difficult at first as Lynley did. But as the reasons for her thorniness were revealed and her toughness was tested again and again, how could I not admire and root for her?

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  16. I have been a fan of EG forever and have read every single book in this series. I always eagerly await the next installment. The author and I live in the same state, Washington State. I want to find out where she lives on Whidbey Island so I can do a drive-by. No, I will not become a stalker! ha

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  17. So glad Barbara is back. Also I always appreciated the relationship she had with her neighbor and his daughter. So it sounds like an interesting plot where she will be highlighted along with her neighbor and his daughter. Looking forward to this one- And maybe PBS will bring back the series if this book does well-YEAH!

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  18. Love the Linley series and Havers is a great character. I think she's a great counterpoint to a rich policeman and keeps things real.

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  19. I love Elizabeth George's books, and I adore Barbara Havers. Finally, a book of her own. And what a great plot.

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  20. Endearing smoky, frumpy Barbara in trainers. I think I have read an escapade where she was the major investigator. Long ago. Elizabeth George is incredible, a talent that deserves admiration and a work ethic that deserves emulation.

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  21. I haven't read Elizabeth George for awhile. Thanks, Deb, for reminding me to catch up on what I've been missing.

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  22. Thank you for your review of Just One Evil Act. I'm looking forward to reading Elizabeth George's latest. I have always been a fan of hers and now I'll get to see her in person. She'll be at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh NC on October 21st.

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    1. Thanks Caryquilter! wish I could be in Raleigh with you. Here's a list of all of Elizabeth's appearances for this book: http://www.elizabethgeorgeonline.com/appearances.htm

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  23. I was wondering what was going to happen between Barbara and her neighbor. I'm not on 'get Barbara and Linley together' team. I look forward to reading One Evil Act too.

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    1. Patg - I didn't even ever think about Barbara and Lynley getting together. There's a whole team for that? It just seems so impossible.

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  24. I absolutely love Elizabeth George novels. Have been reading them for quite a while. It would be wonderful to receive the new book"Just One Evil Act". I hope I am chosen. Thank you Louise Laba

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  25. Whenever I'm in the UK and eating a package of crisps, I think of Havers. Can't wait to read more!

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  26. I've never read any of Elizabeth George's novels but I would like to! I've heard so many good things about her books and this one sounds really good!

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  27. Thank you for all our entries! Our winner is Leigh Neely! Leigh, I will be in touch with details.

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  28. I have been collecting Elizabeth George and will indeed attempt to read in order.

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