Literary Mystery Done Elizabeth George Style

THE MISSION for Elevated Mystery Reads is to connect readers with new voices in Upmarket and Literary Mystery. But for this maiden post, I wanted to pay homage to the author responsible for my love of the genre: Elizabeth George and her novel, PLAYING FOR THE ASHES.

I was a road warrior back then, commuting every week for my job, and I picked up Playing for the Ashes in an airport giftshop. After the first chapter, I was hooked. I had never read a detective novel (or any mystery novel) written with literary-level prose and real-life emotional depth. I became immediately invested in the lives of Inspector Thomas Lynley and Sargeant Barbara Havers, and would soon connect with their found-family Simon, Helen, and Deborah. Playing for the Ashes was actually the 7th in the Inspector Lynley mysteries, and I joyfully went back to read the earlier novels to get caught up. Then it hit. I had to WAIT for the next release. Each new novel by Ms. George felt like a gift, and for the past thirty years, I have treasured each one.

I owe a big thanks to Elizabeth George for introducing me to Literary Fiction, and I can’t wait to pick up her new novel, A Slowly Dying Cause.

Please check her out! I promise, you won’t be sorry.  And please keep a lookout for my next post in April, where I’ll be reviewing an exciting new author in the Literary Mystery world.

Happy Reading!

Suzan

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