If this latest crime offering by Elizabeth George were a river it would be a long, winding outback river that has experienced a once-in-a-lifetime flood—breaking its banks and spreading slowly in all directions. In this instance, the once in a lifetime flood is the murder of Michael Lobb, owner of a tin and pewter workshop that’s become the subject of a mining company’s offer.

It’s a straightforward crime with a clear motive, yet it takes Detective Beatrice Hannaford the first half of the novel to make very little progress. To be fair, she spends a lot of time dealing with her estranged husband and son. Fortunately, one of Lynley’s ex-partners is the sister of one of the suspects, and she enlists Barbara Havers to assist. But of course Lynley—who’s dealing with his own private drama of having to replace the roof of his ancestral home, Howenstow—finds out and feels obliged to become involved.

This slow-moving river of a story is muddied by subplots and character details that drift far from the main current, slowing the pace and leaving me wondering why they were even included. Take Henshaw, the eco-mining representative, and his relationship with his teenage girlfriend, for instance. 

Clearly branded as A Lynley Novel, I was disappointed that Lynley and Havers didn’t enter the action until almost halfway through the novel. However, the setting is evocative, and I was left wanting an invitation to Howenstow—leaky roof and all.

If you choose to travel this river of a book, you’ll see rich landscapes and meet interesting people along the way—just don’t be in any hurry.