Believing The Lie

Believing The Lie is Elizabeth George's seventeenth Inspector Lynley novel. I know it takes much, much more time to write a book than it does to read one, but it seems I'm always 'waiting for the next one to come out' whenever there is a series I particularly enjoy.
Inspector Thomas Lynley has been sent undercover to the Lakes District to investigate a death which has already been ruled an accident. He enlists the aide of his friends, Simon and Deborah St. James. All the dead mans relatives could have motive for killing him. As Lynley, Simon and Deborha delve into their lives secrets, lies and motives are uncovered.

Ever since Inspector Lynley's wife, Helen, was killed a few books back, I haven't enjoyed George's series quite as much - they didn't seem to be up to the par of the first ones. With this book, I felt like the author was beginning to get back on track with the characters. Now I'm really interested in seeing what happens with Inspector Lynley and his partner Barbara Havers in the next novel, for which I will have to wait another year or two.

I do note that Elizabeth George is now writing a new young adult series and have read an excerpt of the first one, The Edge of Nowhere, which comes out in September. It does sound promising - and will help while I bide my time for another of her Inspector of  Scotland Yard mysteries.

There are eleven more books in M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth Mystery series than in George's Inspector Lynley series. Granted, Beaton's books are not as ponderous as George's. Death of a Kingfisher is the 28th book about Lochdubh's lovable Police Constable, Hamish Macbeth. It is always fun to read about Hamish's attempts to stay ahead of his superiors at their headquarters in Strathbane.
The recession has hit Scotland, causing the Highlanders to come up with inventive ways to lure tourists to their small towns. The savvy new tourist director comes up with the idea of renaming Buchan's Wood, "The Fairy Glen". Soon tourist buses are making the idyllic woods, with its waterfall, pool and gift shoppe, a regular stop and Hamish is coming under the spell of the beautiful director. Perhaps this time, he will find true love. Or not.
First, one of the kingfishers, which is nesting in the area of the pool, is found hung. Then other acts of vandalism occur culminating in the murder of the cranky older woman living nearby. Macbeth is working on solving this murder when another body is discovered.
As previously stated, it is always fun to read about Hamish Macbeth and all his foibles, as well as the mysteries he is so good at solving. Beaton will always be an author I'll read.

A couple authors I read on a regular basis have also written books for Young Adults, so I was checking to see if they had any in our library's YA section when I happened upon Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson. The book won a 2007 Newberry Honor Award, which was enough of a recommendation for me to read it. But I also liked that it was based on the true story of the author's great-grandmother homesteading in eastern Montana.
In this age of social networking, vampire chronicles and wizard books, I'm not sure how many young adults would be interested in a historical novel about homesteading, but I found it very interesting. There were many truths about friendship, loyalty, determination and following your dreams in this story. I enjoyed it very much. (One of my great-grandfather Ridnour's brothers homesteaded in Montana. I thought of him and his family as I read of all the hardships in this novel.)