A SUITABLE VENGEANCE - A KIRKUS STYLE REVIEW

In "A Suitable Vengeance" Elizabeth George delivers a prequel in order to provide her dedicated readers with some insight into the earlier lives and relationships of Inspector Thomas Lynley and forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James. In a book billed as a "mystery" novel, the mystery is never very mysterious or intriguing. The death and castration of a local journalist is the first of the bodies to pile up, but doesn't do so nearly early enough in this novel; the reader is forced to anticipate the introduction of a mystery for over 100 pages. The mystery itself and its subsequent solving are secondary; the novel is bogged down with relationship angst and a love triangle, which may appeal to dedicated fans of the series and characters but befuddle and annoy those not familiar with the series looking for a page turner. Those looking for an edge of your seat page turner would be best to look elsewhere, those looking for a slow paced romance with a dash of mystery may just find this fulfills their needs.