In the Presence of the Enemy

A tabloid editor opens a letter and finds himself entangled in the most carefully kept secret of his adult life: the existence of a daughter he has never acknowledged, now kidnapped by someone who knows everything. The eighth Inspector Lynley novel is a pressure-cooker exercise in divided loyalties, as the child's mother — a prominent government minister who will not allow her career to be destroyed — refuses to cooperate with the investigation. Lynley and Barbara Havers must navigate the resulting standoff while the clock runs.

Donada Peters brings the extended cast to life with the precision the novel demands — each character's specific social performance must be distinct, since the story turns on the gap between who these people appear to be and who they actually are. At just under 21 hours, this is a full-scale Lynley entry with the emotional density characteristic of George's best work.