(2003)Another very good/well written mystery. Simon & Deborah St. James try to figure out who killed a Guernsey Islander when her best friend from California is implicated. Lynley makes cameo, the St. James's are main guys in this one. Turns out her friend was murderer and she blows herself up in the end.

Can you call it an Inspector Lynley novel when he is barely in it? I think he has three lines. Maybe four. Following Deborah and Simon was painful. Also Deborah is just the worst. I got nothing anymore on her. I swear George must take pleasure of having her being okay in the first couple of books to turning her into a selfish brat. I don't get why anyone wants to deal with her.

"A Place of Hiding" follows Deborah who is reeling for a less than fantastic photography exhibit. She rails on Simon cause of course. Then a knock at the door brings an old friend from her time in California, Cherokee River. Cherokee has come to ask for help since his sister, China, River has been accused of murdering a wealthy elderly man, Guy Brouard. Cherokee came into contact with Guy when he was asked to deliver a package with the request that two people bring it. Cherokee cannot understand why anyone thinks that his sister did the murder since she has no reason to since she just met Guy a few weeks back.

Deborah being the worst, wants to go and investigate even though the local Guernsey police are dealing with it. Simon goes along to help and the two of them are doing their own unofficial investigation. Deborah doesn't listen and wants to show Simon she's not a child (really girl? really?) and then goes off and makes matters worse it seems as the book goes on. Deborah starts to see how China and even Cherokee view her and starts to wonder about her friendships with the two of them.

Simon is Simon, focusing on the evidence and being logically and also rightfully angry at Deborah because of some of the actions she took.

There is a cast of thousands in this book. It was hard to track everyone. Let's just say everyone had a motive to kill Guy and he sucked. I won't reveal who the killer was and why, but I have to say it was an awesome reveal and I loved what it meant.

The writing is just jumbled in this one. So was the flow. I gave up trying to keep certain people straight and started skimming in some parts.

That said, the ending once again seemed a bit flat. I wish it had ended on Simon and Deborah and not a secondary character who I forgot was in the book at that point. ( )

I liked this book until the denouement. Not what I imagined. Did not make sense to me. ( )

Auf der britischen Kanalinsel Guernsey wird der Millionär und Mäzen Guy Brouard ermordet aufgefunden. Die junge Amerikanerin China gerät in Mordverdacht. Ihre Freundin Deborah stellt gemeinsam mit ihrem Mann, dem engsten Vertrauten von Chief Inspector Lynley, Nachforschungen an. Doch je tiefer sie in die verschworene Inselgemeinschaft eintauchen, desto mehr Personen entdecken sie, die auf irgendeine Weise in den Mord verstrickt sind...

A Place of Hiding. Elizabeth George. 2003. It is always time for a Lynley novel even though he makes only a couple of appearances in this one. Simon and Deborah St. James go to the Isle of Guernsey to help a friend of Deborah’s who has been arrested for murder of Guy Brouard who was forced to flee the Nazis with his sister. He has been working with a local man and his son to establish a museum of memorabilia from the time of the Nazi occupation to honor the men and women of the resistance. Naturally there are numerous suspects and you are surprised in the end. Deborah and St. James have their difficulties too. People who read and loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will enjoy this book. ( )