Finally a novel by Elizabeth George excites me from the beginning. It starts very slowly as the others but in a stunning setting in the New Forest in Hampshire not far from London. This region is remarkably raised with its wetlands, wild ponies, its people and its customs. The characters are encamped in great detail. Two stories alternate from the beginning (written in different typography), a murder committed free 3 boys 10 years on a very young child, a true story as there was some in Britain, in a suburb disadvantaged, and those that are seemingly most important, which has its source in Hampshire and takes place partly in London. The second survey features the recurring characters of Elizabeth George, atypical Inspector Thomas Linley, friends Saint James and his wife. But the police investigation takes time to take center stage, and that fully occupies the end of this long novel where the two stories meet. This is not really the detective story which fascinated me, but the power of style, quality of translation and characters.
