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Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:An isolated beach on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel is the scene of the murder of Guy Brouard, one of Guernsey’s wealthiest inhabitants and its main benefactor. Forced as a child to flee the Nazis in Paris, Brouard was engaged in his latest project when he died: a museum in honor of those who resisted the German occupation of the island during World War II.It is from this period of time that his murderer may well have come. But show more there are others on Guernsey with reason to want Guy Brouard dead: his wives, his business associates, his current mistress, the underprivileged teenagers he mentored—any of whom might have harbored a secret motive for murder. As family and friends gather for the reading of the will, Deborah and Simon St. James find that seemingly everyone on the history-haunted island has something to hide. And behind all the lies and alibis, a killer is lurking. In order to bring this person to justice, the St. James must delve into Guernsey’s dark history—both past and present—and into the troubled psyche of someone who may have exacted retribution for the most unspeakable crime of all.
In A Place of Hiding, bestselling novelist Elizabeth George marks new territory in the darker landscapes of human relationships. She tells a gripping, suspenseful story of betrayal and devotion, war and remembrance, love and loss...and the higher truths to which we must all ultimately answer. show less
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KayCliff Both books deal with the occupation of Guernsey by the Nazis.
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I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that Elizabeth George does not understand what I like about the Inspector Lynley mysteries. The thing that makes the series shine is Lynley and Havers. In the past three books we've had Havers on her own, Lynley and Havers on different cases, and Lynley and Havers working together but barely in the book. Why did she come up with two characters who go great together and then either not put them together, or minimize their appearances? A Place of Hiding contributes to this problem by having no Havers and barely any Lynley; the detective for this story is Simon St. James, Lynley's good friend. George overestimates the extent to which I am interested in St. James. In theory, he's a different show more character (and certainly people in the story keep on saying he is), but I would be hard-pressed to name a difference between how St. James and Lynley conduct their investigations.
All that grumbling aside, this is a pretty good mystery on its own merits. It's really slow to get started (also par for the course for the last few books), but around halfway through, it began to accelerate, and at the three-quarter mark, it was rocketing. The last quarter was excellent: great stuff. George knows how to assemble a puzzle, and how to make not one, but many revelations that shock you as things come to a climax. Once again, though, I completely failed to guess the culprit. I think I will have to admit that I am just rubbish at mysteries, even though I enjoy them. show less
All that grumbling aside, this is a pretty good mystery on its own merits. It's really slow to get started (also par for the course for the last few books), but around halfway through, it began to accelerate, and at the three-quarter mark, it was rocketing. The last quarter was excellent: great stuff. George knows how to assemble a puzzle, and how to make not one, but many revelations that shock you as things come to a climax. Once again, though, I completely failed to guess the culprit. I think I will have to admit that I am just rubbish at mysteries, even though I enjoy them. show less
Once again, Elizabeth George has written a taut mystery with a rich cast of intriguing characters. The island of Guernsey, which was occupied by the Germans in World War II, is the setting for this twisting tale.
A wealthy eccentric, Guy Brouard, retired some years ago with his sister, Ruth, to the island. A great deal of Nazi memorabilia has been discovered and Brouard plans to create a museum for it. China and Cherokee River (who thinks up these names!?) have come from America to deliver a set of architectural plans supposedly for the museum. But Guy chokes to death one morning after his swim. At first, it looked like accidental death. After all, he was a rich man and played the role of benefactor in the local community. He was not show more the sort of man to have enemies and it would be hard to find a motive for murder. But things are not what they seem.
Who was the cloaked figure that followed him to the beach that morning? How could he choke accidentally on a stone charm the islanders use to ward off evil? After further investigation, the finger points to China as the murderer. Deborah and Simon St James are in the thick of things, thanks to Deborah's past college friendship with China and Cherokee.
Brouard's will is very surprising to everyone, his sister included. Something strange had been going on and no-one is sure what it is. The estate is missing a lot of the expected funds. There is no provision for the museum. A young boy and his dog are unexpected beneficiaries. A son has to face the fact that his heroic-seeming father was a collaborator. A former wife, a spurned son and a teenage lover add further complications.
Fans of previous George novels may be surprised that Helen Clyde and Thomas Lynley make only fleeting cameo appearances, while Barbara Havers isn't mentioned at all. After all, George has built her reputation with eleven previous books featuring those stars. Until now, Deborah and Simon St James have played only supporting roles in those novels.
Deborah is presented here as a childish, whining, irresponsible and boring ninny. The mystery is how she ever got Inspector Lynley and Simon St James to fall in love with her in the first place. They both go down in my estimation. But that is how it is - not all leading characters will be likeable. If only the "exciting" climax to this story had killed her off! But now for the patient waiting until Ms George brings back Tommy and Helen and Havers...
The story has some of the feel of Agatha Christie's inimitable "Ten Little Indians". The people you suspect the least ... well, don't even go there! This story has more red herrings than a fish shop. And don’t think you can read the last page to discover who did it. George has the neatest trick of putting off back page readers by not disclosing the identity of the murderer on that page.
Nobody does seaside England like George ("Deception on His Mind" is a prime example) and the delicious intrigues of a small island are beautifully done here. It is a compelling read. show less
A wealthy eccentric, Guy Brouard, retired some years ago with his sister, Ruth, to the island. A great deal of Nazi memorabilia has been discovered and Brouard plans to create a museum for it. China and Cherokee River (who thinks up these names!?) have come from America to deliver a set of architectural plans supposedly for the museum. But Guy chokes to death one morning after his swim. At first, it looked like accidental death. After all, he was a rich man and played the role of benefactor in the local community. He was not show more the sort of man to have enemies and it would be hard to find a motive for murder. But things are not what they seem.
Who was the cloaked figure that followed him to the beach that morning? How could he choke accidentally on a stone charm the islanders use to ward off evil? After further investigation, the finger points to China as the murderer. Deborah and Simon St James are in the thick of things, thanks to Deborah's past college friendship with China and Cherokee.
Brouard's will is very surprising to everyone, his sister included. Something strange had been going on and no-one is sure what it is. The estate is missing a lot of the expected funds. There is no provision for the museum. A young boy and his dog are unexpected beneficiaries. A son has to face the fact that his heroic-seeming father was a collaborator. A former wife, a spurned son and a teenage lover add further complications.
Fans of previous George novels may be surprised that Helen Clyde and Thomas Lynley make only fleeting cameo appearances, while Barbara Havers isn't mentioned at all. After all, George has built her reputation with eleven previous books featuring those stars. Until now, Deborah and Simon St James have played only supporting roles in those novels.
Deborah is presented here as a childish, whining, irresponsible and boring ninny. The mystery is how she ever got Inspector Lynley and Simon St James to fall in love with her in the first place. They both go down in my estimation. But that is how it is - not all leading characters will be likeable. If only the "exciting" climax to this story had killed her off! But now for the patient waiting until Ms George brings back Tommy and Helen and Havers...
The story has some of the feel of Agatha Christie's inimitable "Ten Little Indians". The people you suspect the least ... well, don't even go there! This story has more red herrings than a fish shop. And don’t think you can read the last page to discover who did it. George has the neatest trick of putting off back page readers by not disclosing the identity of the murderer on that page.
Nobody does seaside England like George ("Deception on His Mind" is a prime example) and the delicious intrigues of a small island are beautifully done here. It is a compelling read. show less
Just finished Elizabeth George's last-but-one, "A Place Of Hiding". And it was, like all of hers, very good in parts; extremely good in the parts that had to do with the actual case, the intricacies of following all the threads of everyone who might have done it, might have had reason to do it, were related to people who might have done it, were related to the victim, and so on. Excellent stuff.
But like most of her stories it was also seriously marred by her insistent inclusion of her uninteresting lame overprivileged rich neurotic aristocrats, with whom she lumbered her series so many years ago, and whom she seems utterly unwilling to jettison. She has created so much more interesting characters since then. Barbara Havers is great. show more Sergeant Nkata. All the one-off characters that show up in one novel only. And her research into different communities and cultures for her books is just excellent. So why can't she dump the whiny aristocrats?
The males are not so bad because she's given them jobs, at least. Though I really, really don't give a damn about the long-ago drunk driving accident that crippled one of them and leaves the other one feeling constantly guilty and oh, who cares. I mean, I certainly don't.
But the women? Tell me, does she really think that all aristocratic women are whiny yappy neurotic bimbos of limited intelligence and no conceivable social utility? Maybe I'm missing the point and it's all a wicked social satire. Because she gives me no reason at all to care about these people, though she keeps telling me I SHOULD, but what the hell does it matter to me that Helen North-Lynley wears stupid stiletto mules with wobbly heels and little feather things and I'm supposed to think this is endearing? What I actually think is, this woman has WAY too much time, also money, on her hands. Lynley loves her because she always asks him how his day has gone? A dog could do that much.
And this one is all about the neurotic Deborah-the-butler's-daughter and Simon something-or-other-St.James and their marriage, and yes, okay, I'm sorry Deborah can't have children. I'm sorry she has doubts about her calling as an artiste. But we're supposed to believe that Deborah has a way with people, they automatically open up to her? If she went babbling on to me the way she does to total strangers who also happen to be murder suspects in the novel I would not instinctively open up to her like a flower in sunlight, I wouldn't. I would tell her to get the hell off my porch. I'd do it in some polite Canadian way (I'm so sorry to hear about your troubled adolescence, now I really must get back to work), but I would leave her standing there, alone, without a particle more information than she came with.
And do I care about her troubles in her marriage? Get over yourself, girl, it's not all about you.
And while I'm here, get a job. And Helen, get out of the stupid feathery shoes. Only a blowup sex doll wears those things, what were you thinking?
Ahem.
Right. I admit that in this particular story Deborah gets to grow up a little. But she still needs a day job.
And Elizabeth George needs to ditch the aristocrats and write about the characters she's good at. Barbara Havers, for a start. show less
But like most of her stories it was also seriously marred by her insistent inclusion of her uninteresting lame overprivileged rich neurotic aristocrats, with whom she lumbered her series so many years ago, and whom she seems utterly unwilling to jettison. She has created so much more interesting characters since then. Barbara Havers is great. show more Sergeant Nkata. All the one-off characters that show up in one novel only. And her research into different communities and cultures for her books is just excellent. So why can't she dump the whiny aristocrats?
The males are not so bad because she's given them jobs, at least. Though I really, really don't give a damn about the long-ago drunk driving accident that crippled one of them and leaves the other one feeling constantly guilty and oh, who cares. I mean, I certainly don't.
But the women? Tell me, does she really think that all aristocratic women are whiny yappy neurotic bimbos of limited intelligence and no conceivable social utility? Maybe I'm missing the point and it's all a wicked social satire. Because she gives me no reason at all to care about these people, though she keeps telling me I SHOULD, but what the hell does it matter to me that Helen North-Lynley wears stupid stiletto mules with wobbly heels and little feather things and I'm supposed to think this is endearing? What I actually think is, this woman has WAY too much time, also money, on her hands. Lynley loves her because she always asks him how his day has gone? A dog could do that much.
And this one is all about the neurotic Deborah-the-butler's-daughter and Simon something-or-other-St.James and their marriage, and yes, okay, I'm sorry Deborah can't have children. I'm sorry she has doubts about her calling as an artiste. But we're supposed to believe that Deborah has a way with people, they automatically open up to her? If she went babbling on to me the way she does to total strangers who also happen to be murder suspects in the novel I would not instinctively open up to her like a flower in sunlight, I wouldn't. I would tell her to get the hell off my porch. I'd do it in some polite Canadian way (I'm so sorry to hear about your troubled adolescence, now I really must get back to work), but I would leave her standing there, alone, without a particle more information than she came with.
And do I care about her troubles in her marriage? Get over yourself, girl, it's not all about you.
And while I'm here, get a job. And Helen, get out of the stupid feathery shoes. Only a blowup sex doll wears those things, what were you thinking?
Ahem.
Right. I admit that in this particular story Deborah gets to grow up a little. But she still needs a day job.
And Elizabeth George needs to ditch the aristocrats and write about the characters she's good at. Barbara Havers, for a start. show less
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 show more 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. show less
"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 show more 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. show less
hmmm. yeah. so... this one strained credulity just a bit too much. a lot too much.
this one has lynley making only the briefest of appearances. barbara is not in this one at all, nor is helen. this one mostly focuses on deborah, and the three years time from her past, which she spent in california. her best friend from that time - china rivers (yes. that's her name!) - gets herself into a pickle on the isle of guernsey. china's brother, cherokee rivers (!!), travels to london seeking help from deborah. simon and deborah then leave for guernsey with cherokee, hoping to be helpful.
the mystery that unfolds, as is the norm for george, is multi-pronged, overly peopled with messy relationships, and nothing is straightforward. every character show more is hiding something which may or may not be related to the crime being investigated. and, as with the past couple of instalments in this series, some of the threads of the story are left unsatisfyingly dangling by the end.
this one was a bit of a slog, and i found myself getting irritated by some of the characters: deborah, china, simon; guy was a total pig. i don't care about likability of characters while reading, but i do care about whether a character is redeemable, or unrepentant. if the former, a growth or awakening should happen. if the latter, that can be played up to the nines by an author. so i guess i feel a bit like george missed an opportunity. much of the tone set by the characters was one of whiney complaint. with lots of shouting. save for ruth. who i adored and would absolutely read a novel in which she was the main character!
and so as to not be totally down on the book, george's writing continues to be strong. i enjoyed the setting and the history of guernsey that george included in her story, and it is clear george takes her research seriously.
i am hoping the next in the series brings us back to lynley and havers again, as this one just didn't work for me. it just felt like everything was flailing about. show less
this one has lynley making only the briefest of appearances. barbara is not in this one at all, nor is helen. this one mostly focuses on deborah, and the three years time from her past, which she spent in california. her best friend from that time - china rivers (yes. that's her name!) - gets herself into a pickle on the isle of guernsey. china's brother, cherokee rivers (!!), travels to london seeking help from deborah. simon and deborah then leave for guernsey with cherokee, hoping to be helpful.
the mystery that unfolds, as is the norm for george, is multi-pronged, overly peopled with messy relationships, and nothing is straightforward. every character show more is hiding something which may or may not be related to the crime being investigated. and, as with the past couple of instalments in this series, some of the threads of the story are left unsatisfyingly dangling by the end.
this one was a bit of a slog, and i found myself getting irritated by some of the characters: deborah, china, simon; guy was a total pig. i don't care about likability of characters while reading, but i do care about whether a character is redeemable, or unrepentant. if the former, a growth or awakening should happen. if the latter, that can be played up to the nines by an author. so i guess i feel a bit like george missed an opportunity. much of the tone set by the characters was one of whiney complaint. with lots of shouting. save for ruth. who i adored and would absolutely read a novel in which she was the main character!
and so as to not be totally down on the book, george's writing continues to be strong. i enjoyed the setting and the history of guernsey that george included in her story, and it is clear george takes her research seriously.
i am hoping the next in the series brings us back to lynley and havers again, as this one just didn't work for me. it just felt like everything was flailing about. show less
This is not my favorite of the Inspector Lynley novels. First, Lynley and Havers aren't in the book, or hardly at all. The main characters are St. James and Deborah. I can barely tolerate Deborah. She is a spoiled rotten brat who needs desperately to grow up, and St. James gives into her constantly. Fortunately, in the other books, her part is much smaller than in this one! The mystery itself is a good one. A wealthy man is killed on Guernsey, and the main suspect is an American whom Deborah knew when she was in California. Her brother contacts them to try to free his sister. As in all of George's novels, the plot is complicated and takes many twists and turns. You won't know until the very end who actually committed the murder and why, show more although for some reason, the ending of this one is less satisfying than the others I have read. (This is the 12th in the series.) show less
Elizabeth George's A Place of Hiding (Inspector Lynley, #12) is excellent. Her characters are very well developed, the story transitions are smooth and the various storylines are all wrapped up by the end.
Inspector Tommy Linley takes a back seat in this book, as his friend Deborah is unexpectedly reunited with old friends that draw her and Simon into a wonderfully written story of murder and motives. When I had to put this book down for such interruptions as work or sleep, I would find myself wondering what was coming next. She gives nothing away, all the clues are there, misdirections abound, and the ending makes you say "Why didn't I see that before." More than that, I will not say. You will have to find out for yourself!
I have not show more read that many of Ms. George's books, but the ones I have read are consistently very good. Make no mistake, Ms. George does not write cozies (although I love them too). Some of the issues she has explored in her books that I have read include the impacts of poverty, sibling relationships, dependency, and domestic violence. When I finish her books, I invariably can only take a deep breath and say "Wow" - I bet you will too! show less
Inspector Tommy Linley takes a back seat in this book, as his friend Deborah is unexpectedly reunited with old friends that draw her and Simon into a wonderfully written story of murder and motives. When I had to put this book down for such interruptions as work or sleep, I would find myself wondering what was coming next. She gives nothing away, all the clues are there, misdirections abound, and the ending makes you say "Why didn't I see that before." More than that, I will not say. You will have to find out for yourself!
I have not show more read that many of Ms. George's books, but the ones I have read are consistently very good. Make no mistake, Ms. George does not write cozies (although I love them too). Some of the issues she has explored in her books that I have read include the impacts of poverty, sibling relationships, dependency, and domestic violence. When I finish her books, I invariably can only take a deep breath and say "Wow" - I bet you will too! show less
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Elizabeth George was born on February 26, 1949, in Warren, Ohio. She received a bachelor's degree in education from the University of California in Riverside and a master's degree in counseling/psychology from California State University at Fullerton. She taught English in high school for about thirteen years before leaving to become a full-time show more writer. She is the New York Times and internationally best selling author of twenty British crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his unconventional partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Her novel, A Great Deliverance, won the Anthony Award, the Agatha Award, and France's Le Grand Prix de Literature Policiere in 1989. Her crime novels have been translated into 30 languages and featured on television by the BBC. She is also the author of a young adult series set on the island where she lives in the state of Washington. Her title's include Edge of Light, The Edge of the Shadows, The Edge of the Water, I, Richard, and The Punishment She Deserves. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- A Place of Hiding
- Original title
- A Place of Hiding
- Original publication date
- 2003
- People/Characters
- Simon Allcourt-St. James; Deborah St. James; Guy Brouard; China River; Cherokee River; Ruth Brouard (sister of Guy) (show all 19); Kevin Duffy (groundsman); Valerie Duffy (wife of Kevin); Thomas Lynley; Helen Clyde; Frank Ouseley; Graham Ouseley (father of Frank); Paul Fielder (16); Margaret Chamberlain (ex-wife of Guy); Adrian Brouard (37, son of Margaret and Guy); Anaïs Abbott (46, lover of Guy); Jemima Abbott ('Duck', daughter of Anaï | s); Stephen Abbott (17, son of Anaï | s); Louis Le Gallez (Guernsey DCI)
- Important places
- Guernsey, Channel Islands; London, England, UK; Montecito, California, USA
- Epigraph
- In one respect, indeed, our employment
may be reckoned dishonest, because, like great Statesmen,
we encourage those who betray their friends.
The Beggar's Opera,
John Gay. - Dedication
- This is a book about siblings and
I dedicate it to my own,
Robert Rivelle George,
with love and with admiration
for his talent, wit and wisdom. - First words
- Santa Ana winds were no friends of photography, but that was something you could not tell and egomaniacal architect who belived his entire reputation rested upon capturing for posterity - and for Architectural Digest - fifty ... (show all)two thousand square feet of unfinished hillside sprawl today.
- Original language
- English
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- 8,021
- Reviews
- 50
- Rating
- (3.63)
- Languages
- 10 — Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 65
- ASINs
- 19