Book Review: A Traitor to Memory

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

A Traitor to Memory     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Elizabeth George
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural   [Short Stories]
Series: Thomas Lynley & Barbara Havers # 12
Bantam, Jul 2001, $26.95, 736 pp.

He made his public debut at the age of six and a half and almost two decades later former child prodigy Gideon Davies remains internationally renowned for his music. One day just before a performance, the music vanished and Gideon could no longer even play a simple note. After a complete neurological work up that showed no physical cause, his doctors recommend a psychiatrist.

Following several intense sessions over the next few weeks, Gideon concludes that he suffers from repressed memories. He did not remember that he once had a sister Sonia who suffered from Down’s Syndrome before being killed by her nanny when she was two. While Gideon struggles to adjust to his recollection, his mother who deserted the family years ago is murdered in front of the London home of a man who one lodged with the Davies family when Sonia still lived. DI Inspector Lynley and Constable Havers begin an investigation to keep the surviving Davies kin safe even though it means digging deep into a family’s darkest secrets.

Elizabeth George has written a monster sized, yet fascinating police procedural that allows numerous subplots to fully develop and characters to feel both real and complex. Unlike their usual appearance where Lynley and Havers play center court, Gideon is the star of A TRAITOR TO MEMORY. Although it takes a while for the meat of the plot to be served the soup and salad is as tasty as the delicious main course. Ms. George provides sub-genre fans with a psychological look at a family in crisis wrapped inside a strong police procedural that will bring the author much acclaim. Set aside a few days and enjoy.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner