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    A Banquet of Consequences: A Lynley Novel
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    A Banquet of Consequences: A Lynley Novel
    Unavailable
    A Banquet of Consequences: A Lynley Novel
    Audiobook21 hours

    A Banquet of Consequences: A Lynley Novel

    Written by Elizabeth George

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The unspoken secrets and buried lies of one family rise to the surface in Elizabeth George's newest novel of crime, passion, and tragic history. As Inspector Thomas Lynley investigates the London angle of an ever more darkly disturbing case, his partner, Barbara Havers, is looking behind the peaceful façade of country life to discover a twisted world of desire and deceit.

    The suicide of William Goldacre is devastating to those left behind who will have to deal with its unintended consequences-could there be a link between the young man's leap from a Dorset cliff and a horrific poisoning in Cambridge?

    After various issues with her department, Barbara Havers is desperate to redeem herself. So when a past encounter gives her a connection to the unsolved Cambridge murder, Barbara begs Thomas Lynley to let her pursue the crime, knowing one mistake could mean the end of her career.

    Full of shocks, intensity, and suspense from the first page to the last, A Banquet of Consequences reveals both Lynley and Havers under mounting pressure to solve a case both complicated and deeply disturbing.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 27, 2015
    ISBN9780698189027
    Unavailable
    A Banquet of Consequences: A Lynley Novel

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    Reviews for A Banquet of Consequences

    4/5

    271 ratings37 reviews

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    • 4/5
      For me, it's all about DS Barbara Havers. (I love her.)
    • 2/5
      Other reviewers have written at length about the characters and multiple plot-lines in this latest novel from Elizabeth George so I won’t waste my time on looking for different ways to write about them – not least because I feel I have already wasted too much time reading this over-long story! Although some of the novels in the Lynley/Havers series have been better than others, I have always looked forward to the latest instalment in the developing relationship between this unlikely pairing. However, this book was a huge disappointment and has left me feeling that I no longer care what happens to either of them. The story abounded with complex, often disagreeable, characters and multiple plot-lines; whilst I have no need to like every character in a book, for much of the time I didn’t feel convinced by anything. I thought that the author was trying so hard to weave in what had clearly been comprehensive research into personality disorders that, instead of creating interesting, three-dimensional characters, she ended up with what felt like one-dimensional caricatures! In fact, by the end of the 676 pages I decided that the most likeable character was Arlo, the PAD (psychological assistance) dog!There were several occasions when I felt very tempted to give up on the story, it was only a hope that the familiar characters would finally engage my interest which kept me reading – even though I had a good idea “who dunnit” about half way through! I think that there was far too much padding throughout the novel and that it could have done with some serious editing – in my opinion it was about two hundred pages too long.
    • 5/5
      "Sooner or later, we all site down to a banquet of consequences." Nancy Horan "Under the Wide and Stary Sky" - Not normally a mystery reader, but this is making me into one. It's a tome: 500+ pages. A young man in England commits suicide, the mother strangely grieves, the stepfather is having an affair, a famous feminist appear to die suddenly, her friend is taken to the hospital being poisoned.... and so many twists and turns. Caroline "Caro" is a truly unlikable and obnoxious woman who is connected to all: the mother and as an assistant to the feminist. Barbara Havers is a police inspector is on the outs with her supervisors, but she becomes involved in the case. Lots of plot lines, but easy to follow. It's a winner for this author who I intend read more.
    • 4/5
      Thomas Lynley, Barbara Havers, and others are back after some fairly harrowing events in previous novels.

      Havers has a transfer to Berwick-on-Tweed hanging over her, with Chief Superintendent Ardery ready to sign it at the least excuse. She's gotten completely restrained in dress and behavior--and Lynley feels he's effectively lost the use of his partner, previously an excellent detective. Havers needs some leeway if she's to do anything useful. Dorothea Harriman, department secretary, tries befriending Havers in the hope of changing her focus just a bit, with mixed results.

      Then a famous feminist author Havers has met briefly, Clare Abbott, dies suddenly, and her editor, Rory Statham, doesn't believe it's "just" a heart attack. At Havers' urging, Lynley pushes for and gets a second autopsy--which finds evidence of poison, specifically sodium azide.

      Then Statham is found barely alive, apparently of the same poison.

      Lynley and Havers have no idea how complex this murder investigation is about to get.

      Lynley works the London end, including keeping Ardery from pulling them off of it, while Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata go to Abbott's home in Shaftesbury, and start digging into the life of the dead woman and those around her. This turns out to mean, mostly, her assistant, Caroline Goldacre, her two grown sons (one of them dead of suicide), her second husband, and their complicated extended family.

      This is a hefty and character-driven story, and despite being #19 in a mystery series I haven't read before, it really drew me in. These are complicated, flawed, and likable (sometimes oddly likable) characters. Despite all the backstory that obviously exists, there are enough information salted in skillfully and undistractingly to let someone new to the series get with the flow and enjoy this story. The unfolding of the complex story of why Clare Abbott died and who was responsible is also extremely well done.

      Recommended.

      I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via Penguin's First to Read program.
    • 4/5
      The #1 New York Times bestselling author's award-winning series returns with another stunning crime drama featuring Scotland Yard members Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Dectective Sergeant Barbara Havers.You can never outrun your past. Redemption comes at a cost, and consequences can be deadly.The book slowly played out the investigation -- at a pace though that is much truer to life than your typical one hour crime drama on TV. There were a large cast of characters, but even though put the book down a good number of times, one could still pick it up without losing the thread. Was a long book at over 600 pages and did get boggish in the middle. Lots of English phrases which enjoyed even though had to look a number of them up. Last hundred or so pages skipped along.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book but the issue with Barbara Havers became tedious after a while. I do like the characters in this series and the story was quite interesting. I hope the office politics perspective is minimized in future books.
    • 4/5
      After a few less-than-stellar books, Elizabeth George is back at the top of her game with this one. Long but very enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      I got to page 159 of this book without there being a crime... if it had been written by any other author, I might have given up but this is Elizabeth George. I do miss Taymullah Azhar and Hadiyyah and hope that they might find their way back from Pakistan soon. They are needed to round out Barbara's character now that she's one bad decision away from being transferred out of London. I also miss Simon and Deborah... I feel like their story was dropped just as it was getting interesting. Besides all of that, the other characters were rich and the crime complicated enough to keep my interest through 500+ pages.
    • 5/5
      The last 2 or 3 of George's novels in this series were definitely not my favorites. With this one, I felt that the author had returned the series to a familiar place. Maybe even a better place. I finished this book in record time which tells means that I obviously couldn't put it down. Good going, Elizabeth George. I look forward to the next Inspector Lynley novel.
    • 5/5
      Finally Elizabeth George is back! I had almost given up on the series, but was tempted by the 19th book and I an so glad I gave in to my temptation. The team is back and the mystery is top notch.
    • 1/5
      Sodium azide? Just take it and be done with it, George.

      This book was so extraordinarily bad, I don't even know where to start criticizing it.

      I've read all the Lynley novels and enjoyed them greatly until one of the protagonists was killed off. From then on, not only a life derailed but the entire series and its author.

      It looks like George would much prefer to become known for "serious" books instead of mysteries but doesn't understand she simply doesn't have it in herself to ever really succeed at that.

      Instead, she keeps writing horribly bad books that deserve no praise at all because they fail at being mysteries and serious social criticism both.

      Just calling it a Lynley novel doesn't really make it one and this certainly was the last sham I've fallen victim of.
    • 4/5
      A Banquet of Consequences is a modern story of flawed, well-rounded characters, messy relationships stemming from troubling, complicated pasts. A novel with many characters, but with enough idiosyncrasies and sub plots to tell them apart and keep you interested in their stories. In fact this marvelous whodunnit took me less than four days to finish reading. I was shocked, saddened, enraged and every bit as mystified as the author intended her readers to be. Elizabeth George is not afraid to look at each human being, warts, bumps and all with a clear, discerning eye. There is hope for some of the characters, but not for all - as is only fitting in a crime drama. I have to admit, I was a little impatient towards the end and could have whittled it down to 500 pages.
    • 4/5
      Although a little overlong, this is another story from my favorite detective series, not only for the mystery, but for the character developments. Ms. George has kept up with the progression of human culture over the many years she has been writing these novels and I hope she continues to produce the next chapters for Tommy and Barbara.
    • 5/5
      This is a good, thick, juicy mystery novel with an ending I did not see coming. Truly did not see coming. The story is neat and compact and moves along, but provides all the depth and detail to satisfy. The characters are all interesting and none of them are superfluous to the story line in any way. Quite satisfying.
    • 4/5
      I approached this one with a good deal of trepidation. The previous volume in the series was absolutely too long, too ponderous and dragged along. I love the characters in this series so much that I decided I'd give it another chance when this latest one arrived.Although this is still a bit too long, the always entertaining Barbara Havers shines in this one as she attempts to re-ingratiate herself with Lynley and the new super Isabelle Ardury. There may in fact be hope yet for Havers. This story, like all the earlier ones in the series, is very convoluted, with many characters, many plot twists, lots of suspects, super yucky crimes, and lots of red herrings. It is not a quick read, but it is one that faithful fans will be able to sink into and come out at the other end with their enthusiasm for the series intact. I just wish George could learn to write with about 20% less words...she gets so bogged down sometimes that I just want to throw the book away yelling "get on with it!" As always though, I have too much invested after 18 of these to let it go until I find out what happens to everybody involved.
    • 4/5
      George's strong suit as a mystery writer are the complicated back stories of her characters as well as the complexity of the story line and unraveling of the mystery. This one is no different, but that's also why it's a difficult book to read as an audio book, although John Lee did a great job. Even so, and even tho I had to move back and reread a few times, it was a fascinating story although I sort of had an inkling of where things were headed.
    • 4/5
      Yes, I thoroughly enjoy reading Elizabeth George, and this book continued that assumption. George, like Mary Shelley, employs eloquent language to enhance the story. The richness rests in the description of setting and character. The characters seep into your thoughts with all their foibles. So, which character utilizes poison and has the correct person died? Elizabeth George does not reveal the killer until the bitter end, after the reader has suspected the cast of characters. What is the motive? Again, George presents many possibilities as the story progresses. In this novel, Barbara Havers must be on her best behavior or she will be sent to a remote village. I enjoy the attempt to make Barbara more like the average inspector, and the dance between Lynley and his current lady love displays comedy and drama. I miss the St. James family.
    • 5/5
      A brisk and engaging mystery. I was left feeling that I should have guessed the ending sooner than I did (that’s not a criticism!). Havers is under the gun in this one and has to prove to Lynley’s boss that she can follow the rules. The focus is on the legwork required to solve the case; while there are a couple of lucky breaks, the luck was earned. John Lee’s narration was easy to listen to for long periods of time: he always brings a certain kind of energy to the books he narrates that keeps the story moving forward.
    • 2/5
      I like Elizabeth George and her Lindley- Havers books, but not this one. The pace was slow,, and Haver's character is distorted so it is unlike anything in the other books in the series. I listened to only about 40% of the book. Maybe it got better, but I did not enjoy the experience and I have many good books to read, so I stopped.
    • 4/5
      I've still never forgiven her for Helen, but Elizabeth George continues to write excellent mysteries, and this is no exception. Another thoughtful book, which leaves me pondering justice, and tragedy and how we keep on.
    • 3/5
      Ok bus book. not enough of the character delvelopment for me - all seemed to be given the trait after the fact - need to see it in the characters action not be told. jumped about a bit time line wise. Maybe 3.5 as I like theHhavers character. Linley Is always a bit wet to me.
    • 3/5
      Like PD James, George provides extensive narrative and back story to her murder mystery. This one is about a young man who jumps off a cliff when his girlfriend reads his diary, a feminist author and her editor and assistant, and if course the detectives involved in the eventual murder. It is long and not completely unpredictable, scandalous but still entertaining for it's genre.
    • 4/5
      This is not the first book with Barbara Havers and Thomas Lynley and you can understand the story but I recommend reading the one before this. This book kept me on my toes. I liked the characters. I receiv d an ebook of this from firsttoread for a fair and honest opinion.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful new lease on the characters and a way forward for them; can't wait for the next installment.
    • 3/5
      I have read and liked many books of the Inspector Lynley series. It's been now a few years without me reading anything written by Elizabeth George. So I don't know if my tastes have changed or if A banquet of consequences is not one of her better novels. But let me explain.As always the beginning is rather slow, but it is not boring. You just get to know the characters. Characters, who are all in unhealthy relationships, it seemed, so I was wondering the whole time: Who's gonna die?!Sadly it soon stopped being thrilling to me and started being boring. The book felt artificially prolonged. The whole Charlie-India-Nat-story or the Rory-Fiona-Memories for example? I could have done without it being so detailed. (Amazon tells me this novel has 592 pages... it felt like 1500...)I did like the feministic touch of this book and Carolin was a very interesting, emotions provoking character.If I think back, I remember Elizabeth George's novels being long, but I never felt bored reading them. Maybe my tastes changed, maybe it was because of the rather small role Lynley and Havers have in this story?Disclaimer: I was provided through NetGalley with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
    • 4/5
      Good book with puzzling ending--murder not resolved since person arrested may not be guilty. Perhaps story will continue in the next novel????
    • 5/5
      Elizabeth George is an extraordinary novelist who happens to write in the mystery genre. That is a wonderful thing for those of us who love mysteries and who appreciate a master storyteller. Each book in Ms. George's Lynley and Havers series further develops and fleshes out these two wonderful characters. Ms. George's creation of Barbara Havers in particular is quite incredible. Barbara is so wonderfully human with her strange wardrobe and her bad habits like smoking and eating all the wrong things. But she is unstintintingly honest, and exceedingly clever. Time and time again Barbra pulls rabbits out of various hats while trying to get to the truth behind a murder. This book is masterfully written, and it touches on extremely volatile social occurences that make us as readers reexmine the world as we know it. The characters that Ms. George has written for just this book are also well-drawn and realistic. It is a book about long-kept secrets and how these secrets manage to bring about catastrophic events later on in the life of the characters. We see Barbara valiantly trying to win back the favour of her superiors after her digression from obedience in the last book. We see her valiantly trying to work with others instead of going off half-cocked on her own. The partnership between her and Winston Nkada is realistically discussed during the course of the book while her and Winston are tying to unravel secrets in a small rural community. As more and more secrets come to life under the merciless excavation of Barbara and Winston, the motives behind the various crimes become clear, but they are very, very disturbing. Do they, with the help of Lynley in London, get it right eventually? That you'll have to read and determine for yourself. I cannot wait for the next book in this wonderful series.
    • 5/5
      Barbara Havers redeems herself after the disaster that she created in the last novel. Once again, she is in her usual good form, solving a murder mystery, in a sense. You have to read the book for the details. I have learned to dislike Ardery even less than I have in the past and wonder how she can keep her job, working as she does in such an unprofessional manner. I especially like the ending. I have come to know all of these characters so well over 19 novels that they are almost like family. I eagerly await number 20.
    • 5/5
      Oh, yes, this is why I love Elizabeth George's work! While I've enjoyed all of her books, except for "What Came Before Her" which deviated greatly from her other books, the last few haven't been quite on the mark as her earlier work - almost, but not quite. But as many others have said, Ms. George is back on track with this one. She's a fabulous writer of British mysteries and I'm always amazed that she isn't in fact British.Barbara Havers is my favorite character in the Lynley series and this book centered mostly on her and her efforts to remain efficient without going off the deep end as she tends to do. She's such a likable character and I held my breath every time she came close to stepping over the line as she tried so hard to redeem herself with her boss and avoid a much dreaded transfer. I felt that at times the animosity that her boss, Isabelle Ardery, has for Barbara was too extreme and unprofessional, almost to the point of being ridiculous. I think that was one negative aspect that I had about the book and I found Isabelle to be very annoying. But the wonderful humorous parts as a co-worker tries to remake Barbara and Barbara's hilarious responses to those attempts more than make up for that small annoyance.As far as Lynley and his love life, that isn't what draws me to this series. Sure, I care about him and don't want to see him hurt. But it's Barbara's character that keeps me reading.I don't want to go too much into the mystery as I know I don't like knowing too much about a plot before reading a mystery. I will say that I thought the mystery was very well plotted, with enough red herrings to keep you guessing. Ms George doesn't write cozy mysteries and this one is a disturbing story about a very dysfunctional family. What I like about the Lynley series is that Ms. George doesn't hold back clues and you learn each of the clues as the police learn them and can try to puzzle things out with them. This one had a lot of suspects and I jumped from one to the other and was still surprised at the end.As much as I recommend this book, I do recommend that anyone starting off with this series start at the very first book, "A Great Deliverance", so you can build a connection with these characters. I really do feel as though I know these people personally as they have been part of my life for a very long time. And I do hope that they will continue to be a part of my life for a long time to come. This is a character driven series and the only way to really get involved with these characters is to start at the beginning.This book was given to me by the publisher through First to Read and Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      This is another great novel by Elizabeth George. While it stars her normal cast of characters, this novel is different in some way from the others of the series. Great writers use their genres and settings to tell stories about people. Whether they be science fiction or mysteries, whether they be set in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York , London, Dorset, or on the Moon, great stories are about the people, not the where or when of them. This novel’s mystery takes some time to get started while Ms. George introduces new characters for this story and new circumstances for our beloved ongoing characters. While doing these introductions, the story still holds a mystery lover’s rapt attention and never loosens it grip. They ways that this story felt different from her others are all ways that highlight the strengths of George’s gifted writing and hard work.Some readers might have difficulties with the book’s descriptions of sexual assaults, especially victims of these horrible crimes. While some of the realistic descriptions are explicit, Ms George treats the topic with sensitivity. Her story highlights how everyone is shaped by their past experiences, both good times and horrible ones. As the wonderfully warm and complex sound a large pipe organ is created by many overtones, her stories are similarly composed of many intricate sub-narratives. The book’s title, “A Banquet of Consequences” accurately summarizes the major theme within the book, which is that people are defined not by what has happened to them during their lives, but instead defined by how they response to the events of their lives. Each of us is made not of the things done to us and for us, but made of what we do to and for others. Like life, this novel is a complex mix of deeply disturbing scenes, hilariously funny scenes (most of them Barbara’s of course), touchingly loving moments, and excitingly suspenseful scenes, which all make it very difficult to put the novel down and go to sleep before reading just one more chapter…..Greg