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Inspectors lynley & havers are back in 4 intriguing new contemporary mysteries. This picks up where the last story ended – with havers shot in the line of duty & lynley estranger from his wife helen. How will these traum… More >>
Inspector Lynley Mysteries – Set 4
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This series has been steadily improving since its debut double-episode five or so years ago, and after the cliffhanger ending of Season 3 I was very eager to get my hands on Season 4. But as impressive as it has been up to this point, I was still not prepared!
As an avid fan of the British murder mystery genre, I have never seen a series improve so much in just one season, and I was a staunch fan before. Everything about Season 4 is extraordinary. The stories, the interaction of the characters which has made the show such a joy to follow, the magnificent acting of Parker and Small, the stunning scenery, even the cinematography has become more edgy and artistic. The series has reached entirely new and unprecedented heights. I would say it is now in a completely different league. Wow is an understatement!
I must nit-pick, though – what a shame that this perfection is not presented as well as it could be. Letterbox is a poor substitute for anamorphic widescreen, and it deserves better. Also some extras would be more than welcome. However, for the price, what you will get is certainly more than worth the money.
Despite the shortcomings of the set, the series itself is without flaw, comparable in quality (almost) to Foyle’s War, and far superior to Midsomer, Frost, and all the rest of the greats in the canon.
If you are new to the series, I believe you will be enchanted on the merits of this season alone, but if you have been following it since its rather humble beginnings, you will be amazed. Season 4 is less “gritty” and more aesthetic than previous seasons, and has developed beyond the confines of E. George’s (reputedly very gritty) novels into an entity all its own. Extremly well done.
And now – after a cliffhanger even more stunning than the last one – I eagerly await Season 5. I can’t WAIT to see what they do next!!
Rating: 5 / 5
I have to admit, I’m a little negatively biased on this series, simply because the casting is awful. Not that Nathaniel Parker ánd Sharon Small are bad actors, just that they’re not Lynley and Havers the way Elizabeth George wrote them. Certainly not physically and not really emotionally either. Still, the chemistry between Parker and Small is good and the stories are entertaining enough. The final episodes were a disappointment, however, because they were so very different from the book–and not near as creative. At least they got a better Helen half-way through the series!
Rating: 3 / 5
Again, I love the series and truly enjoyed every episode, which is why I purchased the entire series. I highly recommend the series for any fan of mysteries, especially British ones. Intelligent dialogue, scenic locations and the developing respect and admiration between the two lead characters make this a show worth viewing.
Again, the four episodes contain a mix of darkness and wry humor.
Again, Series 4 does an excellent job of continuing where Series 32 ended. Again, Sharon Small. presents an excellent and believable portrayal of the working-class detective without difficulty. I agree with some other reviews that it is Havers that carries the show and Lynley in the process.
We get to see Lynley’s relationship with his mother and sister, as he and Havers stumble upon a case while both happen to be in Cornwall.
If you enjoyed the previous series, or in British television, especially crime drama, don’t hesitate to add this to our collection.
Rating: 4 / 5
This season might as well have been subtitled ‘Lynley: brooding and nasty’. For the most part, his character is completely unlikeable. Havers, again, carries the show. Though, again, she’s not the Havers I’d have pictured from the book. With each series she gets prettier and far more likeable, and it’s obvious she’s the one with the real knack for investigation.
The mysteries themselves are still wonderful, with good plots and decent twists that keep you guessing. Very much worth watching, especially if you can filter out a lot of Lynley.
Rating: 3 / 5
“The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 4″ contains some of the very best mysteries in the series for the aristocratic Inspector Thomas Lynley and his working class partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers to solve. It also portrays a powerful if subtle evolution in their complicated relationship.
“In Divine Proportion” features the return to duty of Havers, who was shot and badly injured at the close of Set 3. She rejoins a partner still mourning the death of his child and his marriage. Their case is the brutal shotgun murder of a woman who has returned to her rural village after years away at university and at work. As the detectives dig into the murder, they begin to peel away the complicated history of the village, which hides a brutal secret and holds a deadly threat for the still shaky Havers.
“In the Guise of Death” has Lynley returning to his native Cornwall, where he becomes involved in an apparent suicide that is soon shown to be a murder. He and Havers work with the local police to unravel the connections between the murder and a smuggling ring run by an unlikely suspect, while Lynley wrestles with a family matter.
“The Seed of Cunning” brings our detectives back to London, where a classified document missing from the House of Lords leaves behind it a trail of bodies. Lynley and Havers soon discover they are not the only ones following the clues. Their competition is powerful, ruthless, and perhaps beyond the reach of the law.
“The Word of God” presents Havers and a Lynley cranky over a possible divorce with a body frozen inside a meat transport. The body has a missing kidney, a false passport and a priceless page from a ancient Koran. The clues lead to multiple suspects and additional murders. At the end, Lynley must weigh procedure, and his career, against the life of a pregnant woman. This last episode may be most notable, however, for a frank late night conversation between Lynley and Havers that is a remarkably honest statement of their nuanced relationship.
“Inspector Lynley Mysteries 4″ is very highly recommended to fans of this excellent series for its offering of tough and complicated crime mysteries and for the further exploration of a remarkable partnership that fans have come to treasure.
Rating: 5 / 5