Product Description

The quiet, confident atmosphere of Bredgar Chambers School is shattered by the discovery of the body of one of its pupils in a country churchyard. Who murdered the brilliant boy and why? How did his body get from the school to the distant churchyard? Why had he lied about his exeat destination? Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner, Barbara Havers, find their investigations hampered by the code of honour and loyalty that prevail in the old and distinguished public school. But they discover within the confines of that privileged community a culture of cruelty that stretches back across the generations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #130092 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Mail on Sunday
'Life and death in an enclosed society – excellent'

Review
'Life and death in an enclosed society – excellent' (Mail on Sunday )

'Impressive . . . Her form is P.D. James and her characters by Dorothy Sayers' (Newsweek )

About the Author
Elizabeth George is the author of highly acclaimed novels of psychological suspense. She won the Anthony and Agatha Best First Novel awards in America and received the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France. In 1990 she was awarded the prestigious German prize for international mystery fiction, the MIMI. Her novels have now been adapted for television by the BBC. An Edgar and Macavity Nominee as well as a New York Times and international bestselling author, Elizabeth George divides her time between Washington and Kensington, London.

Customer Reviews

The Code of Silence Destroys Lives!
Well-Schooled in Murder is a fascinating and critical look at social class, the traditions of English public schools and the problems with having a "stiff upper lip." What is more remarkable is that those themes are developed in the context of an unusually complex and rewarding murder mystery. This book barely misses becoming a classic in detective fiction and will greatly reward fans of Elizabeth George's series about Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers and those who do not know the novels.

This is the third book in the series. You can read this book as a stand-alone, but it will work better for you if you first read A Great Deliverance and Payment in Blood.

As the story opens, Lynley is still reeling from having destroyed his relationship with Lady Helen. She's gone off to Greece and sends him occasional noncommittal post cards. Lynley is burying himself in his work. That's making life hard on Barbara Havers whose parents are not doing well.

John Corntel, an old school chum from Eton, approaches Lynley for unofficial assistance in locating a missing student who was under the chum's care. The situation soon changes when the student is found in an unlikely place dead, nude and having been tortured. Lynley takes on the case to avoid having free time to mourn his lost love. A delayed autopsy means that Lynley has to develop a sense of means, motive and opportunity without knowing the facts. The various "suspects" and "witnesses" do their best to mislead him, adhering to a code of silence that protects their most delicate secrets as well.

As the case evolves, it's not a pretty picture that is revealed behind the "privileged" walls of Bredgar Chambers.

There's little to complain about with this book and much to praise. There's a powerful subplot about the marriage of Simon Allcourt-St. James that nicely develops Simon and his wife as characters. You also get a deep look into several other marriages and relationships. Elizabeth George seems to be saying that as much as we crave intimacy with others; such intimacy will probably bring us more pain than pleasure or happiness. That's a pretty downbeat message, and one that keeps the book from working quite as well as it could. The lesson is that we have to perfect ourselves with another perfected person who shares a mutual attraction before we can achieve happy intimacy. Even then, if we are not candid with one another . . . all bets are off!

Ms. George is equally suspicious of physical attraction. It only seems to lead to no good in this book.

For fans of taut, challenging plotting, this book has few peers. It's as though Ms. George wanted to move away from writing novels that contain mysteries into writing mysteries that reveal the darkest secrets of the human condition. I defy any normal reader to sense the outcome of this book in all of its dimensions until right before the end.

This book will haunt you the most if you read it on a dark and stormy night when unhappiness is poisoning your sleep.

Murder, Abuse, Adultery & Miscarriage!
Another excellent book from Elizabeth George. As Deborah struggles to recover from her miscarriage (precipitated by aborting Lynley's child many years earlier) she comes across the body of a child in a graveyard and... the story goes from there! As usual the characters and places are more-than-life-like, the plot is entralling and the book is un-put-downable!

There are so many strands of plot to keep you interested! We watch Lynley and Havers struggle to come to terms with the apparently inexplicable nature of the case, and despair as Lynley's preoccupation makes him insensitive to the breakdown of his best friends' marriage - he nearly loses their friendship when he places extra strain upon them by sharing the demands of his case.

If you like crime novels and enjoy excellent writing then you will love this book!

Excellent page-turning mystery with great character depth
Set in a second-rate boys public school, the novel captures the feeling of an instituion that's hardly moved on since the days of "Tom Brown's School days" where not to "sneak" on fellow pupils is the main code, even it means covering details for a murder. As the investigation progresses Lynley & Havers uncover many different secrets - but which are red herrings and which are linked with young Matthews death ? Mixed with this the detectives are also dealing with problems in their personal lives. It keeps you guessing and coming up with different solutions - but I never guessed before the end.