What Came Before He Shot Her--SPOILERS

17 years ago

"What Came Before He Shot Her" is Elizabeth George's new book in the Inspector Lynley series. If you plan on reading it, don't read any more as this post contains SPOILERS, information that reveals things that happen in the book. Fair warning.

This book just came out last week and thru several coincidences, I was able to get it from the library and read it on a trip. I am eager to hear what others think of it as people get the chance to read it.

I found it very disturbing. If I had been home, with other things to read, I am not sure I would have finished it. It portrays the worst of human behavior and unrelenting tragedy for a number of innocent people. Every time something positive happens, things get even worse. And it is all so believable, with similar things happening to real people right now, which makes the reading experience even worse.

My own opinion is that Elizabeth George has long wanted to be a novelist, a literary figure, rather than a mystery writer. Her books have increasingly moved from the mystery genre to serious literary effort. Others will have to judge if she has succeeded. This book has almost no mystery and does not feature any of her usual characters, except for a brief moment.

And I firmly believe that the book is a direct response to the strong shock and criticism Elizabeth George received from many of her readers when she "killed off" a major recurring character in the last book. "What Came Before He Shot Her" is an apologia, an explanation for that event. I'd be surprised if the author would have written this book without the tremendous hostility she felt from so many of her fans. Even on her own website!

I think we are intended to feel such compassion for Joel, the young boy we believe to be the killer, that we forgive him--and Elizabeth George--for the murder of Helen Lynley. My heart certainly broke for that child but I do think he--and other characters in the book--made a number of sudden behavioral changes that were too sudden and not quite believable.

I've only seen one or two reviews so far and I have heard comparisons with Charles Dickens in that the book portrays the dark side of London life. But Dickens was an impossible optimist; this is the exact opposite. It might be subtitled: "The [British] Empire Strikes Back".

I guess it's a sign that the author succeeded if this book is still haunting me so strongly but I'm still not sure I'm glad I read it.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

sherwood38
17 years ago
Ginny - I just got notice that I can pick up the book from the library, I was suprised that my turn came so quickly, but I will be back after I read it-probably over the weekend.

Pat
ginny12
Original Author
17 years ago
I saw this morning that this is on the NYT bestseller list. If you have read it, what do you think?
Related Discussions
Granite install sch for Wed-pics of granite and before shot
Q
Comments (21)
Thanks everyone! We were a little nervous about the seam, but all turned out well. Maryallie...We live in Pennsylvania, about 2 hours east of Pittsburgh...sort of western/cental pa I guess you'd describe it. Anyway, there is a granite dealer about 1 hour east of us in Everette, PA called B.C. Stone. They also have a location in Wilmington, NC according to their website. About 3 years ago, a local cabinet maker mentioned that he used them for his granite; we had never heard of them, but if you're not in the market for granite, you probably wouldn't have. He said he used them other than using Lowes or HD. They do deal direct so I gave them a call. They work with many granite yards, so you can choose from their somewhat limited selection at their shop or go to the various granite yards they deal with, select your stone, and they'll have it brought to their shop for fabrication. We really just got lucky as they are close (about an hour away) and they have a very good reputation. I've read some posts hear in the kitchen forum about them. Best way is to really look around and see who you're comfortable with. Visit their company and see what they do and how they do it. The trick is to work with a company who will "make it right" if anything goes wrong. Doge1959...no the granite does not go up the wall. We considered it, but decided against it. It ended up we couldn't do it anyway as we got two slabs, but the slabs were small and we had very limited material to work with and wouldn't have been able to go up the wall anyway. I posted awhile back when we got the slabs but may post again for backsplash ideas. I thought I wanted glass but don't want to constantly be cleaning it every time I see a water spot on it. What would you folks recommend? Should I stick to something simple as to not compete with the granite? Simple white or cream subway? Our cabinets are cherry our granite, of course, lots of shades of green, and our walls a golden/tan color.
...See More
Wow! I'm at the end..here are some before/after shots...
Q
Comments (33)
Hey!! Just returned from a long day...passed the electrical inspection! Just have my final on Friday and we'll be done! I tried to get some additional pictures but it's hard to take pictures at some angles...here are some additional shots... Downstairs Guest bath... After...the fabric on the toilet top will be a valance on my one window in here...blends with the shower curtain which are actually drapes..I'm going to put a waffle weave with cotton ball tassles in natural on a rod behind these to hid the grey tile on the tub... My master bathroom had the same vanity/flooring/toilet as the previous bathroom..they used all those in all 3 baths...so I bought a new vanity very cheap and painted it and tiled the floor...I've got to go buy some brushed nickel or pewter knobs...just haven't found any I like yet... I only used Jamesboro Gold in the kitchen and great room...Norwich Brown was my second choice... Alicia...I really wanted a kitchen that looked a little rustic and I love maple cabinetry but didn't like the look of wood floors against wood stained cabinets..they just seem to clash unless they're much different in color...so I simply used the same stain on my maple as I used on the white oak floors...it may not really "match" but they blend well and I think you'd enjoy the look of throwing another color in whether your cabinets are painted or stained..and using the opposite above your range...there are several kitchens in the remodel section that show some beautiful colors/stains mixed..they look amazing!! It would definitely be much better than redoing them all...I think you'd love the look! On the master bath...I painted those cabinets..a'la igloochic's instructions! :) It was very easy! I'm not too sold on the cabinet color, while I like it on it's own I just don't think it pops like I'd thought it would...but for a quart of paint and time, it's soo much better than the orange stained looking option that I had! :) The floor tiles were $9/sq foot tile...but I got them for .75 cents per sq. foot! :) Someone had returned them...and it worked great! :) I hope in 5-10 years to do a complete remodel on the bathroom so I didn't want to do anything more than a quick update... Here's a pic of the tile in the new bathroom that I put in the finished attic space...I'm going with a beach theme.. I only have to paint the walls in this room and the adjacent toilet/vanity room...hmmm..need to ask for some help! :) Tara
...See More
Flu shot or No flu shot that is the question?
Q
Comments (46)
i am on the fence as to whether it is good to have the H1N1 shot or not. BTW my background is a BS in biology w/ a specialization in both plant sciences and medical microbiology (taught at IU med school). i have a special interest in unusual viruses. i do not even read information about medical things until i look at credentials and personal opinions mean nothing to my scientifically trained mind. i am interested only in verifiable info thru proven scientific routes (CDC, AMSRID, WHO, some universities w/ elite medical schools only etc..) there is soooooo much incorrect non-scientific info out there it's sad what people think and know on issues like this. it truly doesn't matter for most people since they are only making a limited # of doses (enough for 10% of the population i believe) and the ranking for getting it starts w/ pregnant women, then children, adults under 40 then anyone over 40 w/ pre-existing lung/heart conditions making them susceptible to it. that is the order of risk for death also. it will also be interesting to see how much this shot costs, i'm gonna guess more than most would pay out of pocket, i understand it will not be covered by most insurances. would i get it given i have asthma and am 40? i will wait and see...DH & i have had several flu's this yr (more than any previous yr infact) and believe we may have already had it, so i'm willing to wait it out. i have had flu shots in the past after getting a B version of Hong Kong flu and getting extremely sick in my 20's but i don't get it every yr. this is too new of a vacccine for me, now next yr after i see how things go this fall/winter i might. ~ liz
...See More
Hubby came home and thought he hit it big - for Christmas that is.
Q
Comments (30)
I would fill those boxes. I love to give (probably too much) at Christmastime. We save heavily for the Christmas Holidays during the year with a saving account at our bank. We also give money along with gifts to spend on the after Christmas sales. Hubby and I give each other gifts. We give children and spouses and grands and great grands each a gift. That is why we save heavily during the year, and we LOVE doing so. Oh, forgot! The dogs and grand dogs, grand cats get presents too! There are only two great grand cats that are in the family and we get them some kind of interactive toy the great grands can play along with their kitties. We always find out from the mother or father what is something they would like. Can you tell I love Christmas time!!??
...See More
Kath
17 years ago
My thought throughout my time reading this book was: 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. So many people in this book were doing the best they could, but things still went from bad to worse.
I have read (somewhere but I don't recall where) that George originally wanted to put this side of the story in the previous book, but it would have been too long.
I am glad I read it, because it did put Helen's death into some kind of weird perspective.
ginny12
Original Author
17 years ago
Didn't you find it depressing tho? A number of people reached out to help that family...but it just didn't work. I wonder why not. I admired Kendra so much for taking the kids in after Grandma abandoned them so cruelly, and for having her own dreams and pursuing them, but then she jumped into bed with the first guy who beckoned.

And, interestingly, we still don't know why Helen was targeted. More questions than answers for me.
sherwood38
17 years ago
I finally finished it-taking longer than I thought due to having a houseguest.

It really was depressing and disturbing, but how can we here possibly relate to the lives of such people-and kids and how they deal with events that overwhelm them.

Of course to me I find it hard to acept that Joel couldn't tell someone-anyone what was going on, that he couldn't feel he could trust anyone, but being so young how could he possibly understand how he was being used by the Blade.
He did seem to have some recognition at the end of the 'why' which I think was all related to Vanessa and the original choice that she made which unfortunately had a backlash effect on the entire family.

As for why Helen was killed, the seems to me to be obvious-because Lynley was investigating the murders of the boys-and since there was a strange relationship between Ivan & the Blade I think that maybe Ivan was the murderer and he has some sort of deal with Blade.

Cal did make several attemps to warn Joel about Ivan and about Blade, but Joel was too young to understand what was going on and that he was being set up. I think Cal did the shooting because he knew Joel would not be able to and that Helen's murder was to distract everyone from investigating the serial killings....

Overall a sad hopeless story about a family that never seemed to stand a chance!

Pat
carolyn_ky
17 years ago
I had avoided this thread until I read the book, which I finished at 11:30 last night and could hardly get to sleep for thinking about it. What a dark book, and the worst thing is to think that there are areas in big cities that are probably like that.

I didn't think Kendra acted out of character at all; she liked men but didn't want commitment after her last marriage. I agree that Joel was too young to see what was really happening and thought Nessa was too damaged by her early trauma to make it through a second one.

I found the book utterly engrossing but was filled with dread from the beginning. Ms. George just gives a glimmer of hope for Nessa and Joel and then pulls the rug out from under them--and us.

I'll be anxious to see where she goes from here.

What Came Before He Shot Her--SPOILERS

Comments (6)

sherwood38

ginny12
Original Author

Related Discussions

Kath

ginny12
Original Author

sherwood38

carolyn_ky

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

What Came Before He Shot Her--SPOILERS

Comments (6)

sherwood38

ginny12Original Author

Related Discussions

Kath

ginny12Original Author

sherwood38

carolyn_ky

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

ginny12
Original Author

ginny12
Original Author