Review: A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George

I really should do more research before requesting review books that are in a series.

A Slowly Dying Cause is book #22 in the Inspector Lynley series.

" The Inspector Lynley Mysteries series was developed for television by the BBC and ran for six seasons from 2001 to 2007. Britbox announced a reboot of the series to air in 2025."

When the body of Michael Lobb is discovered in his family's workshop police are called in to investigate. As the investigation continues the number of likely suspects increases.

I loved how Elizabeth George delved deeply into each character's life, making the story more about the characters and their nuances than the mystery itself. There seemed to be a theme around men's sexual fantasies and older men lusting after much younger women.

I found A Slowly Dying Cause to be a complex and satisfying read. It's a large book at over 600 pages and the intriguing mystery kept me entertained throughout.

A Slowly Dying Cause is a story about manipulation and deceit , infidelity and desire, and the family ties that bind us.

If you are already a Lynley fan you will not be disappointed with this new mystery however this book is not a good place to start even though the murder case is solved during the novel the focus on the characters' lives and their shared histories left me lost at times.

I enjoyed this enough to find some previous novels in the series to catch up on the characters.

My rating reflects on the fact I didn't know Lynley's and Haver's backstories and I found it hard to connect.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 16th September 2025

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Series: Inspector Lynley #22

Pages: 643

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#inspectorlynley #aslowlydyingcause #elizabethgeorge #murdermystery #crime