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    Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir
    Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir
    Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir
    Audiobook7 hours

    Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir

    Written by Toni Braxton

    Narrated by Robin Eller

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    In this heartfelt memoir, six-time Grammy Award-winning artist and star of WE TV’s reality hitBraxton Family Values, Toni Braxton writes about her personal life decisions and their impact on her health, family and career.

    While Braxton appears to be living a gilded life—selling 60 million records, appearing in sold-out Las Vegas performances and hit shows like Dancing with the Stars, and starring in her own reality series—hers is in fact a tumultuous story, a tale of triumph over a life filled with obstacles, including two bankruptcy filings. The mother of an autistic child, Braxton long feared that her son’s condition might be karmic retribution for earlier life choices, some of which will shock fans. But when heart ailments began plaguing her at the age of 41 and she was diagnosed with Lupus, Braxton knew she had to move beyond the self-recrimination and take charge of her own healing.  Intensely honest and deeply inspirational, Unbreak My Heart is the never-before-told story of the measures Braxton took to make herself and her family whole again. 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMay 20, 2014
    ISBN9780062308757
    Author

    Toni Braxton

    Toni Braxton has won six Grammy Awards and sold more than sixty million records worldwide. Her hit song ""Un-break My Heart"" still stands as the number two all-time bestselling single by a female recording artist. Currently, she is the star of the WE tv hit reality series Braxton Family Values and the new Lifetime original movie Twist of Faith. Braxton was the first African American woman to play a leading role in a Disney Broadway production when she starred as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and she has headlined in one of the top ten Las Vegas shows of all time. Toni is a passionate advocate for both Autism Speaks and Lupus L.A.

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    Reviews for Unbreak My Heart

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      Elizabeth George never disappoints. She is perhaps the most literate author of detective fiction that I have encountered. While I love Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers, the secondary characters and subplots in this book are also appealing. The murder mystery is what kept me turning the pages, but the "life lessons" that are woven into the story made this so much more than a mere whodunnit. There were passages that brought tears to my eyes, as well as moments that caused me to laugh out loud. A bonus is George's perfect command of the English language.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Not up to her usual; Lynley is a bore in this and it's far too long. Bright spot is when Havers shows up and works with the woman Det. this is set on the Cornwall coast, with surfers, beach hotel, and the woman vet.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Like many of George's Inspector Lynley novels, this is a well-written, skillfully drawn portrait of very human and hence very flawed people. One of the things I like best about her work is how real the people she writes about seem and that's as true of this book as it is of her others.So why only three stars? First, I felt the book really suffered from not enough Barbara Havers. I know: they're the Inspector Lynley mysteries. She's not the main character. But she's by far my favorite and I always like best the books that give her a major role.And secondly, as devastating as I found the end of With No One as Witness, this one might even be more so, albeit in an entirely different way. This doesn't make it bad, but I guess I'm more of a (at least sort of) happy ending kind of person.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Much to my relief this book is a recovery for the author, Elizabeth George, and the main character Thomas Lynley. Her last two books, were confusing and dull. And it took me a long time to finish each one. Not so with this book. Lynley is interesting as he slowly recovers from his grieving. There is a new character D.I. Bea Hannaford, who is both repellent and sympathetic. George continues a sub theme of Lynley's pain delving into people's lives but nevertheless is essential to truth and solving mysteries. A good read!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      A Real Page Turner. I have read just about everything Elizabeth George has written, and overall I have found her novels a terrific read and Careless in Red was no exception. I thought this book in the Detective Lynley series was a real page turner in her latest Detective Lynley series. And the reunion of his former partner Barbara Havers was nice touch. There are lots of other characters and settings in the story and Ms. George ensured that each was developed (maybe a bit too much) until I almost felt like I knew them. If you're into cliff climbing, then you'll be in for a treat since the author does a terrific job of explaining all technical and difficulties of cliff climbing. If you haven't read any of Elizabeth George's books try this one. Highly recommend.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      This novel would have improved a lot by being 200 pages shorter. I had a lot of trouble keeping the characters apart. When reading a thriller, you should be dying to know who did it; this is not the case here.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Woow!!!!
    • 3/5
      This one had a lot of sex talk and entirely too many characters to keep track of. I know I’ve read Inspector Lynley books before and enjoyed them but this one just didn’t do it for me. It was ok but I guess maybe I was expecting it to be better. And really by the time it got around to who dunnit, did I care? Not so much.There was entirely too much going on in this book that had nothing to do with the story. I almost felt like the author really wanted to write a story about the town and people of Casvelyn so she thought hey Inspector Lynley can just happen to be walking there then we can have a murder and Barbara will show up yep that’s it. I wonder if there’s going to be another book with Bea Hannaford because there sure was a lot about her towards the end of the book.So for me this book was just ok, yes I probably will read more by this author because I know she has better books out there than this one.3 stars(barely)
    • 4/5
      this one didn't quite gel for me as well as Lynley stories usually do. a large and interesting cast of characters to lend their varied PoVs, one theme of catastrophic loss in different permutations, another of daddy issues, another of lies and identity issues, a lovely dark and oppressive setting along the Cornwall coast - what was not to like? i guess it seemed to me to belabor its various points a tad too often, manipulate the characters and their stories a bit too much to get to where the writer was going. and i dunno but maybe i'm just not English enough to get the whole class-angst thing that blindsides Lynley in the climax of this one; i'm all 'get over your various selves, and don't be so foolish', even though i know that's not where the story wants me to be. also, i can't believe Lynley couldn't have just said no to Detective Inspector Hannaford in the first place; sure, then there wouldn't have been a story, but it's possible i prematurely used up my store of suspension of disbelief on that one, though the writer clearly took it as, well, you know, read. so anyway, the whole thing left me a bit unexpectedly disgruntled.
    • 4/5
      This long, rich mystery does several things, all well. First, although well into the Inspector Thomas Lynley series, it opens shortly after the detective suffers a horrific and wrenching loss that in some sense serves as a reboot for the character. This is the first novel I've read by Elizabeth George, and so came to the novel without personally missing the characters killed off in the previous volume, but I still found the subplot of Lynley's grieving quite powerful, and very well done. Second, the complex is emotionally complex, with at least six major strands of interactions between characters - relationships that are not in good shape at the beginning of the book, reach some kind of breaking point, and then either find a reconciliation or are beyond repair by the close. The book explores the ways the dead hand of past events shapes the choices and futures of young people starting out, and also how aging characters come to terms with (or instead double down on) their past bad decisions and failures. A third key theme is sexual promiscuity: how it works, whether it can be pursued with integrity, and how other people react to it. The suspension of disbelief only broke down for me a couple of times -- once, when a chapter closed before two policewomen had realistically reached the conclusion of their interview with a key suspect; and one other time, when a grandfather-grand-daughter conversation derailed for the third time, unnecessarily. But that's pretty amazing, for a 626 page murder mystery filled with strongly drawn, idiosyncratic characters with a wide range of ages. I was also satisfied by the ending, with wove tragedy for some characters together with reconciliation and hopeful freedom for others.
    • 4/5
      After Lady Helen’s brutal murder in With No One as Witness (2007), Elizabeth George seemed to be hinting that she had reached the end of the road with the Inspector Lynley series. Careless in Red picks up several weeks after Helen’s death. Lynley is barely alive himself as grief for his dead wife and unborn son overwhelm him. In desperation, he begins a walking tour of the Cornish coast where after several weeks, he looks more like a homeless bum then an English aristocrat not to mention a Scotland Yard detective. Naturally, he stumbles across a dead body and becomes embroiled – albeit against his will – in solving the crime. The book is characterized by all the standard George hallmarks, evocative descriptions of place, rich characterizations and deep insight into the development of her on-going protagonists. The only series regular who makes an appearance (besides Lynley) is Sergeant Barbara Havers. As usual, the unconventional relationship between the intellectual Lynley and working class Havers is very enjoyable to read. By the way, if your only exposure to the Lynley series is the BBC production which has been shown on American PBS, do not judge the books based on the TV show. The books are far superior. In particular, the depiction of both Lynley and Havers is such a radical departure from the books, that I find the series virtually unwatchable.
    • 5/5
      I shouldn't say I was surprised at how well written this one was, as all the Lynley's are great, but this was excellent. Again, unfortunately, this was almost spoiled by on line chatter. Most of what I unwillingly caught a glance of was critical of the amount grief, with some saying it was never ending. If you haven't read there series, in order, you're certainly not going to be able to sympathize with the depth of despair Lynley was at and that the incident evolved only over a week's span of time, so everything would be quite intense, from the investigation through the characters and the past events that were crucial to discovering the outcome.I was surprised that there was no mention of Simon or Deborah or Helen's family, but here again, this is a murder investigation . I don't think there would be a lot of lengthy discussions in all actuality. George's positioning of Haver's character was truly remarkable and you couldn't but help be pleased to see her at her best, which was always there but rarely seen. I so hope, hope, hope that this trend continues in the future. It would also be interesting to see DI Hannaford pop up in the future as well. I think there could be some mutual 'mentoring' between Hannaford and Lynley. As usual, I can't wait to see what comes up next and who will be involved.
    • 5/5
      Elizabeth George fans have been waiting a while for this new novel.WITH NO ONE AS WITNESS in which Lynley's wife Helen was murdered was published in 2005, and WHAT CAME BEFORE HE SHOT HER, which explained how she came to be murdered, in 2006.In terms of modern day publishing, the wait, for the next Lynley & Havers case, has been quite long. But in fact the "virtual time" lapse between novels is nowhere near that long.The blurb on the back of the book begins "It is barely three months since the murder of his wife and Thomas Lynley has taken to the South-West Coast Path in Cornwall, determined to walk its length in an attempt to recover from his loss..."Six weeks into the walk he finds the body of a young man who appears to have fallen down a cliff to the beach and Lynley's inbuilt knowledge of what to do about a crime scene kicks in.But Lynley is obviously not ready to return to work. Not only has he been sleeping rough for 6 weeks, he is bearded, unwashed, and he smells. He tries to get away without identifying himself but someone recognises his name. As the person who reports the discovery of the body, he also finds himself at first as a suspect.Lynley is co-opted into the investigation by D.I. Bea Hannaford into whose lap it has fallen because she is short staffed. Her gut feeling is that, despite appearances, he is not a suspect but that she can use him to find out more about other suspects, for example Daidre Trehair who owns the cottage closest to where Lynley discovers the body. First investigations indicate that Trehair is hiding something, but is she guilty of murder?There is no getting away from the fact that this is a complex, many stranded book, with an almost bewildering cast of characters, and an array of sub-plots, some of which turn out to have little to do with the main murder investigation. But what most of the sub-plots do have in common with the main story are the themes of loss, the love of parents for their children, the need for children to break away eventually, and what makes a marriage.The length of the book comes directly from George's exploration of these themes in sub-plots that are really stories on their own. Many of the reviews that I have seen have criticised its length, even said that George is attempting to take her writing to the level of literature, as if that was a bad thing. In reality she couldn't have done what she has done in less.This case is part of the rehabilitation process for Thomas Lynley. Helen is only 3 months dead, and with her died his unborn child. He has been unable to imagine a meaningful life without her, and in CARELESS IN RED, you can see meaning being re-born.I am very much taken with the character of Bea Hannaford and would like to see more of her in a future book. Her marriage to the Assistant Chief Commissioner has been in limbo for 14 years and an exploration of the causes of this and its effect on her life is one of the enjoyable sub-plots in CARELESS IN RED. I couldn't help comparing her to Helen Tursten's Irene Huss, Aline Templeton's Marjorie Fleming, and Cath Staincliffe's Janine Lewis.So, even though this took me a long time to get through, it was a quality read. I kept thinking "I must remember to mention that in my review" when I read one thing or another. And of course I haven't mentioned everything. How could I and not spoil the experience for you? But if you find it long reading like I did, I'd like to tell you that this morning I found the final 70 pages totally gripping.
    • 3/5
      This well-written mystery is all about who killed the surfer, and it’s a page turner. Occasionally it’s irritating, as its characters tend to speak elliptically. They seem a bit coy in the way they hide their secrets. But it definitely draws you in, more and more as you keep reading. There’s a great cast of suspects, and an interesting solution to the puzzle. If you’re already emotionally invested in George’s Inspector Lynley, this novel will cinch that.
    • 4/5
      Another in the Inspector Lynley series as he carries on after losing his wife. I am such a fan of this series; I enjoy the progression of the characters. This story seemed somewhat "padded" with a lot of extra dialogue and a somewhat disappointing ending. Still I love the English setting and the interaction of the characters. Looking forward to reading George's next one...
    • 3/5
      the return of Lynley--glad to have him back (and Havers too). Book is not as excellent as What Came Before He Shot Her and thankfully not as devastating as With No One as Witness but a solid entry in the series. Really need to re-read from the beginning now to assess the others.
    • 4/5
      Lynley is walking the coast of Cornwell disheveled and unkempt, trying to escape, having left the force and all his friends after the brutal murder of his wife and unborn child.. He comes across the body of a young man who seems to have fallen to his death. However this death turns out to be murder and we are drawn into the life of this small village of surfers and adventurers. Many characters are introduced who could have had a motive for killing the young man, and Lynley himself is drawn into the investigation as he is asked to investigate someone he has become friendly with whom they believe to be lying. This book is different in that the investigation is mainly carried out by the local police ( Bea Hannaford) with Barbara Havers only making an appearance part way through the book. The end of the book is shocking and unexpected but it leaves Lynley maybe more ready to face the world again as some healing has taken place. Even though this book has had mixed reviews I still enjoyed it . It was a bit slow moving at times but the characters were well drawn and I liked the fact that it was set in Cornwell for a change in a different kind of environment.
    • 5/5
      My third book to read this vacation. (I still have to finish the second one I started, wasn't really a good holiday-read). This was a very good holiday read! Another Lynley-novel by Elizabeth George. The book made me feel like I was there, in Cornwall. Like I was there on the spot, with all those people she brings to life and who had means and motive to murder the boy who was murdered.I like her books because of the peoples' lives being described, their interactions, the murder getting solved peace by peace, the recurrence of the same characters solving the murders, the English atmosphere and most of all I like her sense of humor in the character of Barbara Havers. If she writes a book without DS Havers in it, it won't be complete. I just love her!
    • 4/5
      In the aftermath of his great tragedy, Inspector Lynley is unable to bear the kindness of friends and family. He starts to walk the British coast, walking for weeks with almost no gear. He is forced to stop when he finds a body on the beach near a village in Cornwall. The police there, led by Bea Hannaford, of course insist he stay around until they know if the young man's death was a climbing accident or murder. When it turns out to be murder, he is in part a suspect, and in part drafted into service by the understaffed Hannaford.The dead boy, Santo Kerne, takes after his mother in being very attractive and addicted to sex. He recently broke up with a young woman who took it badly. The book tells the story mostly of the families of the Santo and his girlfriend. The veterinarian, Dairdre, whose cottage is closest to the site of the death, becomes a suspect yet also friend to Lynley.A good book. Lynley's grief is very real, down to the guilt he feels when he realizes he is beginning to heal. George is good at creating complex and interesting characters.
    • 3/5
      I got this book on loan from a friend, who loved it. So I gave it a try and to my surprise, I loved it. I was rather fed up with the emotional troubles of all her characters in the previous books, but I was less annoyed with that in this one. All the angst and interpersonal inadequacies are still there, but they seemed to come more naturally this time.George tells a good story, and tells it well. I may not be tempted to buy her books any more, but I will definitely read them when I am given them :-)
    • 5/5
      Classic form for the Lynley series.
    • 5/5
      It’s been four years since we last caught up with Inspector Thomas Lynley and Sgt. Barbara Havers. Four very long years.Four years made longer by the fact that at the end of With No One As Witness, Elizabeth George left Lynley and the entire series as a cross-roads. Something big happened at the end of the book that left me stunned at the audacity of George to contemplate it, much less pull it off. And it left me eager for more.And then we got her last book, What Came Before He Shot Her, which was good but didn’t quite satisfy the craving and yearning I had for more Lynley and Havers.Finally, we get Careless in Red. And it was worth every last day she made us wait for it.Careless in Red opens a few months after the events of With No One as Witness. Lynley, in his depression over his wife and unborn child’s death, has gone on a walk and a rather long one. He’s wandering up the British coast, trying to get away from places and things that remind him of Helen and those well-meaning friends and family who are trying to understand what he’s going through. On the forty-third day of his walk, he discovers the body of Santo Kerne on the rocks, apparently killed while cliff climbing. Lynley tries to report the crime and soon finds himself drawn into the murder investigation (early on, he’s as suspect, but soon he’s dismissed as such and made part of the investigation, though his role is entirely unofficial).As she’s done with the last few Lynley and Havers novels, George expands the focus beyond our two protagonists. George introduces a myriad of characters who knew the deceased, many of which have a very good reason to wish harm to the eighteen-year old boy. Kerne was part of the surfing commuity as well as a ladies’ man and had burned more than his fair share of bridges. Add that to mysterious ties to the past by his parents and you’ve got the usual George tapestry of colorful suspects, all of whom had a very good motive for bumping off Santo Kerne.All of these lead to a satisfying conclusion to the mystery, which I won’t give away here. And while the mystery itself is absorbing, it’s the pyschological aspects of the novel that make it compelling. From a literary standpoint, George is head and shoulders above any mystery novelist writing today because she does more than just present the facts of the case. She take the time to get inside the lives of each of the suspects, having them be characters rather than simply suspects. We get to see why they’d each have a myriad of reasons to comit the crime and why they have a myriad of reason to not comit each crime. In Careless in Red, George takes the time to develop each of the people of the setting into something more than just a standard suspect. But the character development doesn’t stop there. The story is about Thomas Lynley and his journey through the healing process. When we first meet Lynley in Red, he’s still reeling from the death of his wife. The novel provides Lynley with a way to reconnect with the world and become part of it again. Yes, it’s a bit of convienence that Lynley is walking on the coast and happens across a dead body. But that event serves as a catalyst that allows Lynley’s healing process to continue and bring him back to the things of his life that matter–his friends, his family and his work at New Scotland Yard. You can take Lynley out of Scotland Yard, but you can’t take out his essential instincts as a detective. George highlights this in a subplot when Lynley assigned to watch and discover more about a mysterious vet. And the book includes Havers, who may be my favorite character of the novels. When Lynley calls her for help around page 200, I was literally cheering. Bringing the two together is a delight and it’s always a pleasure to see how others outside of the Lynley/Havers circle react to the give and take of the characters.In short, Careless in Red is everything that I was hoping for and more. Well-drawn characters, a well-executed mystery and our chance to explore more about Lynley and Havers. I won’t say this is an ideal place for a new fan to step in, but certainly you could if you wanted to. Instead, I’d say if you want to find out why everyone loves Elizabeth George, start with her first novel A Great Deliverance and explore the Lynley and Havers universe from the beginning.
    • 5/5
      Whew! After her last book, I had worried a lot about Elizabeth George, so I'm happy to add to the chorus of "She's Back!" I've been hearing from other readers.This is not her strongest or best book, but it's very good and interesting and managed to surprise me, which is good. Less of Havers than I'd like, no sign of the St. James', and little of Lynley's family, but the various new characters are well-drawn and interesting. The lead detective is a well-rounded, interesting character who could undoubtedly carry a book or a series all by herself. In fact, there are still facets of her character unexplored and unexplained and I'd actually like to know more about her.There are a couple of plot holes. Why Lynley was out in the Cornish countryside without money or ID remains unexplained. I can sort of understand why he was out there, but why he left behind money and ID puzzles me. Considering what is implied about the tabloid coverage of Helen's murder, I'd think he'd have paparazzi trailing behind him like a snake's tail. And having him turn up at the scene of another murder should have Cornwall sinking under the weight of the incoming press and photographers.Still, this was an enjoyable read with most interesting new characters and their stories, vividly drawn. She's back!
    • 4/5
      Elizabeth George is one of my favorite authors. I consider her a master of the English detective/police procedural genre. I’ve looked on her writing as an exemplar of near-perfect prose, a joy to read. Her portrayals of a rather large group of main characters in the Thomas Lynley/Barbara Havers series are so evocative that I have a hard time with what are probably perfectly good portrayals of these characters in the TV series based on the books. George’s descriptions are simply too sharp to be replaced by anything else.However, George did remark some years ago that the reason she had such a large cast is that it would allow her to kill one of them off and still keep the series alive and interesting. In With No One As Witness, she did exactly that, thereby eliminating one of the most empathetic characters in the series, Lynley’s wife, Helen. The following book, What Came Before He Shot Her, was only tangentially related to the series, and was the story of the adolescent youth of a Jamaican mother who, abandoned by his mother to live with his older sister, becomes involved in the street gangs and winds up shooting and killing Helen. Because there was no tension in the story—we all knew the outcome-- to me it wound up reading like a sociological study, which is not what I wanted out of George. I wound up not finishing the book.So it was with relief that I greeted Careless in Red as a return to and continuation of the series.However, the book did not live up to my hopes, which were of a smooth transition back into the series. Transition it is, but not the best, not the caliber of which we know George is capable. In the story, Lynley, to escape his well-meaning and understanding family, friends and colleagues, takes the walking route up the coast of Cornwall. Six weeks into this walk and looking like a homeless beggar, Lynley happens upon the body of a young man in which it appears that the victim has died in a climbing accident. One thing leads to another, and Lynley is fairly sure that the young man was murdered. He stays on to participate in the investigation.This is the basis for the plot, which itself is rather well done. But what is the surprise is the radical shift in George’s style of writing. From precise prose where every word seemed perfect and polished, George in this book has developed a looser, more informal style which she does not handle in the same masterly way. It’s so startlingly different that at first it hinders getting into the book; you keep expecting the “real Elizabeth George” to step up, please. Even after you adjust, it still is somewhat uncertain and simply does not fit the personas of the characters she created with her previous style—Lynley does not seem like Lynley, Havers appears like an impersonation of Barbara Havers. Given that a good deal of the strength of George’s books is based on her outstanding characterizations, this is a severe handicap to Careless in Red. It’s interesting to note that in between With no One As Witnessand Careless in Red, George moved to the Seattle area, notorious home (I’ve lived there) to informality and a PC type of vagueness. You worry about George, as if she’s caught a serious infection from which you hope that she recovers fully.The book is good but not her best, and in fact so far below in quality to any of the others in the series that you wonder if George is ever going to make it back to the standard which she herself set. Too bad if true.
    • 2/5
      DS Thomas Lynley is the protagonist. The language is corny and there are many expressions which are banal.
    • 4/5
      I started to read this a couple of weeks before going on holidays and felt myself being hooked in so I stopped and waited until I was on holidays so I could really relax and enjoy it. And it was well worth the wait. I was pulled up short as I realised who I was reading about. Enjoyed the return of Barbara Havers. Enjoyed the way characters saw themselves in contrast to the way other characters saw them. Wonder if we will see Bea again, such a colourful character. This book is like coming back to a more even keel after the tumultuous events of the past two books. (Will never forget the impact of "With No One As Witness" and ensuing outcry.)For some reason, I am drawn to books set in Cornwall - an added attraction.
    • 4/5
      "Careless in Red" opens with the still-grieving Thomas Lynley making his way along the coast of Cornwall on foot. Lynley has been walking so long, in fact, that he could more easily pass for a vagrant or homeless person than he could for the highly respected Detective Superintendent of New Scotland Yard he used to be. Since Lynley wants no part of New Scotland Yard, or anything else regarding his former life, he prefers it that way. But, as luck would have it, he stumbles upon the body of a teenage boy who has apparently fallen from the cliff below which Lynley is walking. When it becomes clear that this is a case of murder, rather than accident, Lynley will find himself one of the early suspects in the investigation.Detective Inspector Bea Hannaford has a murder to solve but she does not feel that she has been given the proper tools to solve the case. The local policemen assigned to help her on the case do not impress her at all, so she is determined to make the most of having a former star of New Scotland Yard on the case. Hannaford refuses to let Lynley leave the area and convinces him that, since he is there anyway, he may as well give her some help. Hannaford, though, gets more than she bargained by forcibly recruiting Thomas Lynley into the investigation and she soon realizes that he will, indeed, help investigate the murder - but only on his own terms.Elizabeth George writes big books and this is another whopper, coming in at 623 pages. It is filled with complex side plots and back stories involving a wide array of characters all the way from a grandfather trying to raise his overly religious granddaughter to a Greek expatriate sleeping her way through Cornwall's men (married or not, young or old) at an astonishing pace. Some of the side plots and much of the back story involve the murdered boy, Santo Kerne, a young man who had more than his share of enemies for someone so young. While some might see the multiple characters and stories as a distraction, fans of George will revel in the way she gets so deeply into the lives of such different people and will be impressed with the way she tidies everything up by the book's end.Longtime fans of the series are, however, likely to be somewhat disappointed that Thomas Lynley is little more than a side character in "Careless in Red" or that Barbara Havers does not even appear in the story until about its mid-point. Havers, though, is Havers and when she does show up, Lynley's character seems to change for the better and the whole pace of the book seems to sharpen.Note that the unabridged audio book version of "Careless in Red" is some 18 CDs in length and that total listening time is something close to 20 hours in total. This is quite a challenge unless one has an extremely long commute or, as I did, brings the book along on a road trip. Narrator John Lee, who does an excellent job on the recording, is consistent throughout and does a remarkable job on a variety of British accents.Fans of the series will appreciate this one; newcomers, perhaps not as much. The good news is that Thomas Lynley is recovering from the tragedy he suffered in "With No One as Witness" and that he should be more his old self in the next book in the series.Rated at: 4.0
    • 3/5
      Long live DS Barbara Havers!!!

      I've read a few of the Inspector Lynley series by this time. No use covering old ground in this review. Hence, these drippings of opinion are dedicated to the disheveled delight of a detective. She has a hairstyle no doubt maintained by a pair of clothing shears kept in her medicine cabinet, a body best described as one that itself will probably be grateful when it gives out, and eating habits that would make junk-foodies cringe [I restate from a previous review... watermelon Pop-tarts?!...(O_o)....]. What isn't to absolutely adore about this character?

      Shall I give an example of my adoration? Why not.

      Havers is the one to provide such fuck-bloody-all clarifications to evasive suspects as:

      Aldara said, "Santo Kerne. What about him?"
      "We'd like to talk to you about your relationship with him."
      "My relationship with him. What about it?
      "I hope this isn't going to be your style of answering," [Detective Inspector] Bea [Hannaford] said.
      "My style of answering. What do you mean?"
      "The Little Miss Echo bit, Miss Pappas. Or is it Missus?"
      "Aldara will do."
      "Aldara, then. If it is your style - the echoing bit - we're likely to be with you most of the day, and something tells me you'd not appreciate that. We'd be happy enough to oblige, however."
      "I'm not sure I understand your meaning."
      "The gaff's been blown," Sergeant Haver told her. Her tone was impatient. "The chicken's flown the coop. The orchard pig's in the laundry. Whatever works."
      "What the sergeant means," Bea added, "is that your relationship with Santo Kerne has come to light, Aldara. That's why we're hear: to sort through it."
      "You were bonking him till he was blue in the face," Sergeant Havers put in. (George, 2008, p. 485)

      Havers is obviously a woman who, if not comfortable in her own skin, certain doesn't give a rat's ass about being uncomfortable. Another complete mess of an individual to love and enjoy.
    • 5/5
      A most excellent return to George's Inspector Lynley mysteries. While I could understand the merit of What Came Before He Shot Her, I had a very hard time identifying with any of the characters, and really didn't appreciate the end result. My fear had been this was the end of the Lynley series, and wished it had perhaps gone on an up-note. But, thankfully, the series continues!In this story, Lynley has chosen the solitary route of the Cliff Walk up Cornwall, England, still broken from the destruction of his personal life. During his journey, he discovers the body of a teenager, which kicks of the next investigation of whodunit. George weaves yet another wonderful mystery, full of uncertainty until the very end.
    • 4/5
      In this new Thomas Lynley mystery we find Thomas unkempt, unshaven, and carrying no identification, wandering the cliffs of Cornwall just weeks after the murder of his pregnant wife Helen. One needn’t have read any other Inspector Lynley mystery to empathize with the pain and loss that has driven Sir Thomas to abandon his life and career to seek solace in the bracing air of England’s seaside. George does a masterful job of creating depth in her characters with detailed descriptions of not only the look of a character, but by describing their movements, thoughts, choice of words, the way they make their tea or eat their shepherd’s pie. Sir Thomas’ walk is interrupted when he encounters the body of a young climber at the foot of a cliff in Polcare Cove near Casvelyn in Cornwall, an area famous for its surfing, along with the coastal walking path. Much to his dismay he is drawn into the investigation, especially after his identity is discovered, as the tiny town’s police force is undermanned and D.I. Bea Hannaford needs all the skilled investigators she can muster. As the investigation proceeds we learn all about the personal and relational struggles of the suspects and their families, and there are many indeed. Thwarted lovers (both young and old), disgruntled employees, grudge-bearing townspeople, deluded sex tarts -- the story has them all, presented in a most intriguing and entertaining manner.