“A Great Deliverance” by Elizabeth George is a captivating murder mystery. Set in the English countryside the twists and
turns will keep you guessing till the end. Even though George is an American her ability to depict England and the English is comparable to any English author’s.
Her main characters are Detective Lynley and Sergeant Havers. These two characters are expertly developed in the story and while they’re pairing may not seem natural at first, by the end of the book you would think they had always been together. In addition to Lynley and Havers we are introduced in the book to a myriad of other players, none of them superfluous and all serving to push the story forward.
While the investigation of the decapitation of a local farmer has some graphic detail it is necessary to the story. The exploration of the Tey family’s history is riveting and the impact the investigation has on the two lead characters is well drawn out by the author and perfectly believable.
This book is the first by the author and the beginning of a successful series. Anyone who loves a good mystery will thoroughly enjoy this book.