Product Description

Balford-le-Nez is a dying seatown on the coast of Essex. But when a member of the town's small but growing Asian community, is found dead on its beach, his neck broken, sleepy Balford-le-Nez ignites. Working solo, without her long-time partner Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, Sergeant Barbara Havers must probe not only the mind of a murderer and a case very close to her own heart, but the terrible price people pay for deceiving others...and themselves.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35405 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10
• Released on: 1998-10-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 752 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780553575095
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
In Deception on His Mind Sergeant Barbara Havers places herself at the center of an investigation in Essex concerning the mysterious death of a recently arrived immigrant from Pakistan. Although still recovering from the broken ribs and nose (received at the end of In the Presence of the Enemy), Havers convinces herself that she needs to stay on the job in order to help her neighbor Taymullah Azhar and his elfin daughter Hadiyyah who have a familial connection to the dead man. As is typical with Elizabeth George's novels (this is the 10th in a popular and powerful series), the murder and its investigation are the central feature of the story. But in this case they are also the means by which she explores the Pakistani experience in a foreign and not always friendly culture. As Havers herself notes, the food may well have improved in Britain with an increasingly diverse population, but that same population has "engendered a score of polyglot problems." Whether or not the dead man is a victim of a racially motivated crime is only one of the questions Havers tries to sort out. The result, with George's typically complex characterizations and deft plot turns, is a deeply satisfying novel. Fans of Havers's superior officer, Thomas Lynley, and his lady love Helen Clyde will be disappointed as the two are off on their honeymoon. But with Lynley out of the picture, Havers, with her prickly personality, caustic tongue, and sound investigative skills, comes well and truly into her own. Nitpickers might question one aspect of the final denouement--motive and opportunity are securely in place but the means are on the outskirts of unbelievable. Still, the book is a rich and enjoyable one that continues to tickle the imagination well after it has been shelved amidst other favorites. --K.A. Crouch

Review
"One of George's best... insightful, tense and compassionate."
--Entertainment Weekly

"Deception falls smartly into place in [George's] literate, impassioned series, one of today's best."
--Chicago Tribune

"Typically extravagant: long on ambition, long on characterization...it's tough to resist the pull of george's storytelling once hooked."
--USA Today

"So much fun to read, it's criminal."
--Newsday -- Review

Review
"One of George's best... insightful, tense and compassionate."—Entertainment Weekly

"Deception on His Mind falls smartly into place in [George's] literate, impassioned series, one of today's best."—Chicago Tribune

"Typically extravagant: long on ambition, long on characterization...it's tough to resist the pull of George's storytelling once hooked."—USA Today

"So much fun to read, it's criminal."—Newsday

Customer Reviews

I knew we had problems...but obviously so do the British!
First off, I didn't know Elizabeth George was an American writing about the English. Previous exposure to authors writing about other nations makes me a little bit nervous. I sure hope she knows what she is talking about. From her background material it looks like she talks to the right people to get information. In this case, the information needed to be about racial problems in Britain. As Americans, we often think that we are the only ones with the big problems between the races and with civil rights...but unfortunately this is a problem throughout the world. Prejudice is obviously something that all nations have to deal with. The only thing that changes is who is being discriminated against and why.

George writes very complex stories. Her characters are never simple, the plot is never straightforward. I don't think I have ever picked up one of her books and known before her ending who the actual 'culprit' was, and I am always wrong about what the true situation is.

This time her female protagonist, who for a change is more like us normal people (rather than the athletic women we see in American mysteries/PIs) is dealing with the aftermath of a brutal attack and her being 'put out to pasture.' She becomes involved in a neighbor's problem because of her concern for a child, and this problem involves what appears to be a racially-motivated killing of a Pakistanian man in another town. Barbara just happens to know the investigator in charge in this case, and respects her from a previous encounter. Wishing to be of help to all concerned, she involves herself into a situation without fully disclosing her previous knowledge of her neighbor or her own concernes and biases.

Like many of us in the real world, Barbara relunctantly comes to understand that her former mentor (another woman) may be a good cop, but she also has feet of clay. The investigation revolves around race, not just because it looks like a race-based crime, but because the primary investigator has racial prejudices herself and brings those prejudices to her work. This happens all too often in the real world, in all fields of work.

George is an excellent writer. My only complaint is again, the language used tends to be more colorful then I would like it. I know I am deaf, but surely people do not speak like that constantly. I am being naive, I guess...but maybe we need to put ratings on books to indicate language, violence, and sex for those who prefer not to be exposed to this stuff all the time? Just a suggestion!
Karen Sadler,
University of Pittsburgh

Fantastic as Always
I really enjoyed this book because I have always wanted to see more of the Havers character and this book is entirely devoted to her. Her neighbor, Azhar, and his daughter go to a seaside town in Essex to help out some family members. Barbara, being on medical vacation from the beating she received at the end of the last book, goes there to help out, thinking that Azhar will be out of his depth dealing with a criminal investigation.

I was surprised at some of the things that she missed during her investigation particularly something with regards to her acting superior officer. The best part of the book for me was the personal interaction betwen Havers and Azhar. I am glad to see her get a personal life other than dealing with her parents' problems.

The ending has a major twist and, having already bought the next book in the series, I did something I have never done before and peeked at the beginning to see what the ramifications of that twist would be....so, I guess I will be "forced" to read on...

Thanks to God, and Allah too
Someone has murdered Mr. Haytham Querashi, a recent Pakistani immigrant, in Balford-le-Nez, a small, economically depressed town on the coast of Essex, England. Mr. Querashi was to soon wed the beautiful Sahlah, daughter of Akram Malik. In the Pakistani tradition, the parents of the bride and groom had arranged the marriage. As part of the deal, Mr. Querashi had become Production Manager in Mr. Malik's mustard factory where he displaced the last non-Pakistani, full-time employee.

Just a few weeks ago Mr. Malik became the first Pakistani on the Town Council when his formidable adversary, the aging Agatha Shaw, was forced to resign due to a stroke. Despite her condition and Malik's appointment, Mrs. Shaw, with the help of her grandson Theo, is determined to obtain the Council's approval for her project. She is resolute in the renovation and development of the pleasure pier to attract tourists, resuscitate the town's economy and thus assure her legacy as savior of the community.

Querashi's death is threatening to ignite smoldering racial tensions, however. The Asian's in general and Malik's son in particular suspect the murder was racially motivated and expect the police will ignore white suspects and blame a Pakistani. Enter Sgt. Barbara Havers, who is conveniently vacationing in the town, to mediate with the Pakistani as police liaison. As the case proceeds, Barbara discovers that nearly all the players have something to hide, including her self. Indeed, the title of this English mystery novel should be "Deception on Their Minds."

Elizabeth George is a master of this genre. Her characters are believable, the events are realistic, the scenes evolve with interesting complexity and the plot is superb, although sometimes I found her style more descriptive and dragging than in her prior novel, "In the Presence of the Enemy." And unlike her previous novel, I had the killer figured in this one before the cops did.

"Deception" is unusual and outstanding, however, for George's treatment of the culture clash. Her characters cover the full spectrum of personalities one would expect to find in her hypothetical community. Thanks to God and Allah too, she does it without the least bit of moralizing.