Something to Hide

I was glued to the pages of this book for days! Like before, Elizabeth George has written a captivating story with well-developed characters, but all of them being so normal, all of them complicated like people are. Passionate, unkind and everything in between,
Plenty of twists and turns in this book, but none of them too far-fetched. Somehow it is not simply about the whodunnit, about solving that puzzle, but about a little girl that might or might not come out of this unharmed.

Good thing the author is writing about young bride's to be and FGM. Not an easy subject, but communicated in a balanced way.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Elizabeth George has written another page turner.I sat down to read a few pages and read late into the night.Her wonderful characters feel like old friends back to solve another murder.I will be highly recommending.#netgalley #hodderstoughton

Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley books have always been engrossing reads and this new one was no exception. I haven’t read the more recent ones in the series so I was playing a bit of catch up on the characters’ lives. It seems that Lynley has a new love interest but he’s having trouble moving the relationship on to the next stage.
However it is in the mystery sections of the book that the author really excels as she leads the reader on a long journey trying to find out who murdered police officer Téo Bontempi.
This is a long novel which goes into great detail about a theme that is quite difficult to read about, FGM, so it is not for the faint hearted.
I knew little about the subject but it seemed to me that it had been well researched which was helpful as it was central to the plot of the novel.
There are many characters in the book and it was difficult at first to work out how everyone fitted in. Despite this, once the scene was set, I became very invested in their story. I really liked Tani, the 18 year old big brother of the wonderful little girl, Simi. He seems old beyond his years and has many complex decisions to make as he tries to work out how he can best protect his little sister.
This is a long book with many strands and it was difficult to work out how they were going to eventually link up and the murder be resolved. I certainly did not guess the ending and when I thought afterwards about what had happened and the characters’ motivations there were a lot of gray areas and protagonists in the novel.
I liked the sub plot of sergeant Barbara Havers being reluctantly encouraged to look for love by one of her colleagues and the thought of her learning tap dancing provided some light relief in a very serious book.
Sergeant Nkata’s loving home life with his family was also interesting to read about- his mother’s work in her cafe and his father’s bus driving. It proved a real contrast to Tani’s situation which I suspect was the point.
I could not say this was an enjoyable read due to the subject matter but it was compelling and engrossing with some excellent characters so I was keen to get to the end to find out “whodunnit” and to see how Tani and Simi’s impossible family situation could be resolved.
I will certainly be looking out for the next book in the series as I definitely enjoyed finding out how Lynley’ s and Havers’ life had progressed since my last encounter with them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

Elizabeth George has done it again !
The main subject of this book is female genital mutilation ( fgm) , which in its nature is hard to read about , but George weaves an outstanding story around this horrid subject.
The calibre of writing is both intelligent and in depth . There are numerous strands that all become interwoven to make an unforgettable read!
Lynley and Havers make the perfect investigation partners , chalk and cheese is an excellent description for them , whilst Winston Nkata finishes the team off perfectly.
I did find some of the book hard to read due to the subject but George is a master at weaving the perfect web of a story and I will be thinking about this book long after reading it.
If you are looking for a light hearted read this book is not for you.

Highly recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton .

This densely textured novel, the 21st in the Inspector Lynley series, is far more than just a police procedural, in fact Lynley (now Acting Chief Superintendent) doesn’t take on the murder case around which the rest of the plot entwines until almost a fifth of the way into the book. Prior to this we learn more of his troubled love life and a great deal about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). FGM is, of course, illegal, but it still plays a significant role in the culture of the Nigerian population in London. For many it is a necessary proof that a bride to be is ‘clean’ and ‘chaste’. An alternative reason is that it ensures a high ‘bride price’ and maintains the imperative of male domination.
An undercover police offer is investigating a clinic where she believes ‘medical FGM’, that is FGM under anaesthetic, using proper tools and in sterile conditions, is being practiced. That is as opposed to being held down on the kitchen table being sliced with anything reasonably sharp. She calls in a police team to raid the clinic when she sees a woman in traditional costume taking a young girl into the premises. However, nothing untoward is found. We have met this woman, Monifa Bankole, and her eight-year-old daughter, Simisola, earlier in the book, and learned much about the abusive household in which they live, so we know the situation. The undercover officer is subsequently murdered, which is the reason for Lynley and his usual team, Barbara Havers and Winston Ntaka being called in.
These two story lines, the murder and the attempts to protect Simisola from her father’s attempts to have her subjected to FGM, occupy most of the book, but there is also much detail about the background lives of the three police officers, plus several other characters and their actions. The city of London, its size and the range of communities within it, almost forms another character. As usual, Elizabeth George has produced a novel which is extremely well written, contains three-dimensional characters and addresses broader issues. Some readers may find the FGM details, although sensitively handled, a bit too extreme, but they should persevere.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Something to Hide is a glittering mosaic of a mystery. It’s also tough, compelling, disturbing and highlights the problems caused when cultures collide.

Policewoman Teo Bontempi has been murdered. She’s been part of an investigation into the sexual mutilation of young girls in London’s Nigerian community. Immigrant society there is patriarchal, as illustrated by the Bankole family. The investigation leads DI Lynley, DS Havers and DS Nkata into unfamiliar territory. They painstakingly identify many suspects, hear alibis, work on timelines looking for a killer who does want to be found for many reasons.

Something to Hide is an outstanding police procedural with richly drawn characters. Lynley and Havers become more real with each book in the series but this is Winston Nkata’s turn to shine. Plots and subplots come at you from so many different angles that you can’t see how it will ever come together but, as always with Elizabeth George, it does. 5 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and Elizabeth George for this ARC.

Another fabulous Lynley mystery from the consistently brilliant Elizabeth George. These books are a joy to any crime fiction lover, intricate and intersecting stories, wonderful characters and a very real feel of England. The returning characters have been developed so well, that you greet them as old friends. Even minor characters are never one dimensional. A true master of detective fiction.