This was the last paperback I picked up on our trip to Half Price Books. The page count on this one was particularly intimidating. It's almost 800 pages, and I started it over Christmas break. At that time, the kids were here, so progress was slow. The book is also unwieldy, so I can't cozy up with it while I'm winding down for the night, so I wasn't able to blaze through it like I normally do. So, the time it took isn't a reflection on how good the book is.
Guy is headed down to the beach for his morning swim, but he doesn't return. Instead, he's been murdered in a gruesome way. The suspect is American, and she has connections with Deborah. Deborah's husband, Simon, is something of a detective, so when the suspect's brother shows up on their doorstep, they all head off to Guernsey to solve the mystery.
There are a lot of characters and a lot going on. Guy is a multi-layered character, and he's not an angel. The fate of a WWII museum dedicated to those who resisted the occupation of the island becomes important to the case as well as the unusual will of the dead man.
I picked this book up because the summary sounded interesting. When I saw it was listed as an Inspector Lynley, I was confused. The man was barely a side character. Upon further search, it seems that Simon is usually the side character. It's just a coincidence that I picked up one of the few books in the series that didn't have the Inspector as the main character.
Short note about Deborah. Man, she was irritating. She was a poo to Simon. She made some of the weirdest decisions, and then she'd blame him. For instance, she took a side trip before turning over evidence. This was evidence Simon had trusted her to take straight to the police. Instead, she took it to the suspects and all over town. That led to Simon getting reprimanded, which can harm his reputation. Understandably, he's upset. Deborah doesn't understand this. She's all huffy and indignant. And the crap she pulled at the end? Argh!
Okay, putting her aside, I did enjoy the mystery. Little clues were being revealed bit by bit, like an onion. What I'd like to do is read an actual Inspector Lynley. It seems like not only is Simon not the main character in the series, 800 pages isn't usual. The first book is A Great Deliverance, and it looks like it's on sale right now. It's only 430 pages, so I'd like to give it a shot. Hopefully, Deborah is nowhere to be seen. This book was really good, though and gets a Good Book! review.
