Elizabeth George Popular Books

Elizabeth George Biography & Facts

Susan Elizabeth George (born February 26, 1949) is an American writer of mystery novels set in Great Britain. She is best known for a series of novels featuring Inspector Thomas Lynley. The 21st book in the series appeared in January 2022. The first 11 were adapted for television by the BBC as earlier episodes of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Biography Elizabeth George was born in Warren, Ohio, the second child of Robert Edwin and Anne (née Rivelle) George. She has an older brother, author Robert Rivelle George. Her mother was a nurse, and her father a manager for a conveyor company. The family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when she was 18 months old as her father wanted to get away from Midwestern weather. She was a student of English, having received a teaching certificate from the University of California, Riverside. While teaching English in the public school system, she completed a master's degree in counseling and psychology. She received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Cal State University Fullerton in 2004 and was awarded an honorary Masters in Fine Arts from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts in 2010. She also established the Elizabeth George Foundation in 1997. George married Ira Jay Toibin in 1971 and they divorced in 1995. George is currently married to Tom McCabe. Career Her first published novel was A Great Deliverance (1988). It introduces Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, in private life the Earl of Asherton, privately educated (Eton College and Oxford University); his partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, grammar-school-educated and from a working-class background—both from Scotland Yard; Helen Clyde, Lynley's girlfriend and later wife; and Lynley's former school friend, the forensic scientist Simon St. James and his wife, Deborah. Awards George's first novel, A Great Deliverance, was favorably received by the mystery fiction community. It won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel in 1988 and the 1989 Anthony Award in the same category. It was nominated for an Edgar Award in 1988. Bibliography Fiction: Inspector Lynley 1988: A Great Deliverance (ISBN 9780553278026) 1989: Payment in Blood (ISBN 9780553284362) 1990: Well-Schooled in Murder (ISBN 9780553287349) 1991: A Suitable Vengeance (ISBN 9780553295603) 1992: For the Sake of Elena (ISBN 9780553561272) 1992: Missing Joseph (ISBN 9780553566048) 1993: Playing for the Ashes (ISBN 9780553092622) 1996: In the Presence of the Enemy (ISBN 9780553092653) 1997: Deception on His Mind (ISBN 9780553102345) 1999: In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner (ISBN 9780553102352) 2001: A Traitor to Memory (ISBN 9780553801279) 2003: A Place of Hiding (ISBN 9780553801309) 2005: With No One as Witness (ISBN 9780060798451) 2006: What Came Before He Shot Her (ISBN 9780060545628) 2008: Careless in Red (ISBN 9780061160875) 2010: This Body of Death (ISBN 9780061160882) 2012: Believing The Lie (ISBN 9780525952589) 2013: Just One Evil Act (ISBN 9781444706000) 2015: A Banquet of Consequences (ISBN 9780525954330) 2018: The Punishment She Deserves (ISBN 978-1444786613) 2022: Something to Hide (ISBN 9780593296844) Whidbey Island Saga 2012: The Edge of Nowhere (The Edge of Nowhere: Saratoga Woods or The Edge of Nowhere 01: The Dog House) (ISBN 9781444719956) 2013: The Edge of the Water (The Edge of the Water: Saratoga Woods) (ISBN 9780670012978) 2015: The Edge of the Shadows (ISBN 9780670012985) 2016: The Edge of the Light (ISBN 9780670012992) Short story collections 2001: The Evidence Exposed (ISBN 9780340750636; Short story collection UK) 2002: I, Richard (ISBN 9780553802580; short story collection) 2004: A Moment on the Edge: 100 Years of Crime Stories by Women (editor; ISBN 978-0-06-058821-2) Non-fiction 2004: Write Away (ISBN 9780060560423) 2020: Mastering the Process - from Idea to Novel References. Discover the Elizabeth George popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Elizabeth George books.

Best Seller Elizabeth George Books of 2024

  • Behind the Palace Doors synopsis, comments

    Behind the Palace Doors

    Michael Farquhar

    Spanning 500 years of British history, a revealing look at the secret lives of some great (and notsogreat) Britons, courtesy of one of the world’s most engaging royal historians &#...

  • A Banquet of Consequences synopsis, comments

    A Banquet of Consequences

    Elizabeth George

    “George’s mystery unfolds with great psychological depth, finely drawn characters and gorgeous portraits of the English countryside. . . . [George] is an essential writer of popula...

  • Payment in Blood synopsis, comments

    Payment in Blood

    Elizabeth George

    “The Lynley books constitute the smartest, most gratifyingly complex and impassioned mysteries now being published.”Entertainment WeeklyThe career of playwright Joy Sinclair comes ...

  • Missing Joseph synopsis, comments

    Missing Joseph

    Elizabeth George

    Deborah and Simon St. James have taken a holiday in the winter landscape of Lancastershire, hoping to heal the growing rift in their marriage. But in the barren countryside awaits...

  • Goliath synopsis, comments

    Goliath

    Matt Stoller

    “Every thinking American must read” (The Washington Book Review) this startling and “insightful” (The New York Times) look at how concentrated financial power and consumerism has t...

  • Not in the Flesh synopsis, comments

    Not in the Flesh

    Ruth Rendell

    A new Chief Inspector Wexford mystery from the author who Time magazine has called “the best mystery writer in the Englishspeaking world.” When the trufflehunting dog starts to dig...

  • Freethinkers synopsis, comments

    Freethinkers

    Susan Jacoby

    An authoritative history of the vital role of secularist thinkers and activists in the United States, from a writer of "fierce intelligence and nimble, unfettered imagination" (The...

  • Richard III synopsis, comments

    Richard III

    William Shakespeare

    The authoritative edition of Richard III from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers.In Richard III, Shakes...

  • The Punishment She Deserves synopsis, comments

    The Punishment She Deserves

    Elizabeth George

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERDetective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are forced to confront the past as they try to solve a crime that threatens to tear...

  • Alexander Hamilton and the Battle of Yorktown, October 1781 synopsis, comments

    Alexander Hamilton and the Battle of Yorktown, October 1781

    Phillip Thomas Tucker

    Discover the littleknown role Alexander Hamilton played in the decisive battle of the American Revolution: Yorktown.Alexander Hamilton and the Battle of Yorktown, October 1781 is t...

  • Playing for the Ashes synopsis, comments

    Playing for the Ashes

    Elizabeth George

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Those who haven’t discovered Elizabeth George . . . should rush to read Playing for the Ashes.”Us“The story begins with my father, actually, and the fac...

  • The Tapestry synopsis, comments

    The Tapestry

    Nancy Bilyeau

    The next pageturner in the awardwinning Joanna Stafford series takes place in the heart of the Tudor court, as she risks everything to defy the most powerful men of her era.Henry V...

  • North By Northanger, or The Shades of Pemberley synopsis, comments

    North By Northanger, or The Shades of Pemberley

    Carrie Bebris

    Named Best Historical Mystery of 2006 by Romantic Times BOOKreviews!After the intrigues and excitements of their time in the city, the Darcys are more than prepared for a bit of pe...

  • My Husband and I synopsis, comments

    My Husband and I

    Ingrid Seward

    For more than 70 years, the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip was at the centre of the nation's life. Now, in My Husband and I, Ingrid Seward reveals the real story ...

  • The Queen Mother synopsis, comments

    The Queen Mother

    Lady Colin Campbell

    Packed with stunning revelations, this is the inside story of The Queen Mother from the New York Times bestselling author who first revealed the truth about Princess DianaQueen Eli...

  • My Kingdom for a Horse synopsis, comments

    My Kingdom for a Horse

    Ed West

    From William Shakespeare's series of history dramas to Sir Walter Scott and George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, not to mention the smashhit TV show Game of Thrones, the Br...

  • The Royal Secret synopsis, comments

    The Royal Secret

    Lucinda Riley

    Note to readers: In the UK, this book is published under the title The Love Letter.“Plenty of twists, flashbacks, and a dash of romance keep the suspense high. For anyone looking f...

  • The Hamilton Affair synopsis, comments

    The Hamilton Affair

    Elizabeth Cobbs

    A New York Times Bestseller and one of the best historical fiction books of 2016 and 2017!“A juicy answer to Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton…” CosmopolitanSet against the dramatic...

  • Birds of a Lesser Paradise synopsis, comments

    Birds of a Lesser Paradise

    Megan Mayhew Bergman

    An “astonishing debut collection, by a writer reminiscent of such greats as Alice Munro, Elizabeth Strout, and even Chekhov” (Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants), focusing o...

  • William and Kate synopsis, comments

    William and Kate

    Christopher Andersen

    With a new chapter on the birth of the royal baby and 17 new photos, the complete story of the romance and marriage of William and Kate and their son, George Alexander Louis Windso...

  • The Little Princesses synopsis, comments

    The Little Princesses

    Marion Crawford

    Once upon a time, in 1930s England, there were two little princesses named Elizabeth and Margaret Rose. Their father was the Duke of York, the second son of King George V, and the...

  • The Intrigue at Highbury synopsis, comments

    The Intrigue at Highbury

    Carrie Bebris

    Mr. and Mrs. Darcy are looking forward to a relaxing stay with dear friends when their carriage is hailed by a damselindistress outside of the village of Highbury. Little do the Da...

  • The Real Elizabeth synopsis, comments

    The Real Elizabeth

    Andrew Marr

    A surprising and very personal biography of a woman who may be the world's last great queen, published to coincide with the sixtieth anniversary of her reignElizabeth II, one of En...

  • The Body in the Castle Well synopsis, comments

    The Body in the Castle Well

    Martin Walker

    Another installment in the delightful, internationally acclaimed series featuring Chief of Police Bruno: When a young American woman turns up dead in the courtyard of an ancie...

  • Vertigo 42 synopsis, comments

    Vertigo 42

    Martha Grimes

    The inimitable Richard Jury returns in the latest in the bestselling mystery series: “Martha Grimes has written a whodunit with terrific characters and a grand plot mixed with her ...

  • The Book of Magic synopsis, comments

    The Book of Magic

    Gardner Dozois, George R.R. Martin, Scott Lynch, Elizabeth Bear & Garth Nix

    A new anthology celebrating the witches and sorcerers of epic fantasyfeaturing stories by George R. R. Martin, Scott Lynch, Megan Lindholm, and many others! Hot on the heels of Gar...

  • Something to Hide synopsis, comments

    Something to Hide

    Elizabeth George

    An Instant New York Times Bestseller! Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back in the next Lynley novel from #1 New York Times bestsell...

  • Well-Schooled in Murder synopsis, comments

    Well-Schooled in Murder

    Elizabeth George

    “The Lynley books constitute the smartest, most gratifyingly complex and impassioned mystery series now being published.”Entertainment Weekly When thirteenyearold Matthew What...

  • Behind the Throne synopsis, comments

    Behind the Throne

    Adrian Tinniswood

    An "enchanting" upstairs/downstairs history of the British royal court, from the Middle Ages to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Wall Street Journal). Monarchs: they're just like u...

  • The Big New Yorker Book of Cats synopsis, comments

    The Big New Yorker Book of Cats

    The New Yorker Magazine, Haruki Murakami, Calvin Trillin & M.F.K. Fisher

    Look what The New Yorker dragged in! It’s the purrfect gathering of talent celebrating our feline companions.This bountiful collection, beautifully illustrated in fu...

  • George VI and Elizabeth synopsis, comments

    George VI and Elizabeth

    Sally Bedell Smith

    A revelatory account of how the loving marriage of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth saved the monarchy during World War II, and how they raised their daughter to become Queen Eli...

  • Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Spear Reading Group Activity Guide synopsis, comments

    Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Spear Reading Group Activity Guide

    Jason Elliott

    This “Sign of the Beaver” activity guide is set up so it can be used as a unit plan for the teacher, or used by students in literature circles. It is broken up into a 14 day plan, ...

  • The Dream Lover synopsis, comments

    The Dream Lover

    Elizabeth Berg

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY USA TODAY  Elizabeth Berg has written a lush historical novel based on the sensuous Parisia...

  • In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner synopsis, comments

    In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner

    Elizabeth George

    Calder Moor is a wild and deadly place: many have been trapped in the myriad limestone caves, lost in collapsed copper mines, injured on perilous gritstone ridges. But this time, w...

  • The New Royals synopsis, comments

    The New Royals

    Katie Nicholl

    Vanity FairRoyals correspondent and bestselling author ofWilliam and HarryandKateexplores the remarkable life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, with new chapters to include the las...

  • Character Is Destiny synopsis, comments

    Character Is Destiny

    John McCain & Mark Salter

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Senator John McCain tells the stories of celebrated historical figures and lesserknown heroes whose values exemplify the best of the human spirit.He illu...

  • Pure Murder synopsis, comments

    Pure Murder

    Corey Mitchell

    A “compelling” deep dive into the case that rocked Houston, Texas: the horrific murder of two teenage girlsby the bestselling author of Strangler (Suzy Spencer, New York Times–best...

  • Speeches That Changed the World synopsis, comments

    Speeches That Changed the World

    Simon Sebag Montefiore

    Comprehensively updated with many new speeches including Earl Spencer's lament to "The extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana", Nikita Khrushchev's secret speech of 1956 signalling ...

  • In the Presence of the Enemy synopsis, comments

    In the Presence of the Enemy

    Elizabeth George

    Hailed as the "king of sleaze," tabloid editor Dennis Luxford is used to ferreting out the sins and scandals of people in exposed positions. But when he opens an innocuouslooking ...

  • Wishful Drinking synopsis, comments

    Wishful Drinking

    Carrie Fisher

    The bestselling author of Postcards from the Edge comes clean (well, sort of) in her firstever memoir, adapted from her onewoman Broadway hit show. Fisher reveals what it was reall...

  • George V synopsis, comments

    George V

    Jane Ridley

    From one of the most beloved and distinguished historians of the British monarchy, here is a lively, intimately detailed biography of a longoverlooked king who reimagined the Crown...

  • The Last Queen synopsis, comments

    The Last Queen

    Clive Irving

    A timely and revelatory new biography of Queen Elizabeth (and her family) exploring how the Windsors have evolved and thrived, as the modern world has changed around them. ...

  • Eliza Hamilton synopsis, comments

    Eliza Hamilton

    Tilar J. Mazzeo

    From the New York Times bestselling author of Irena’s Children comes a “vivid, compelling, and unputdownable new biography” (Christopher Andersen, #1 New York Times bestselling aut...

  • Elizabeth I synopsis, comments

    Elizabeth I

    Margaret George

    The New York Times bestseller from Margaret Georgea captivating novel about history's most enthralling queen, the legendary Elizabeth I.England’s greatest monarch has baffled and i...

  • For the Sake of Elena synopsis, comments

    For the Sake of Elena

    Elizabeth George

    Elena Weaver was a surprise to anyone meeting her for the first time. In her clingy dresses and dangling earrings she exuded a sexuality at odds with the innocence projected by ...

  • Shockaholic synopsis, comments

    Shockaholic

    Carrie Fisher

    This memoir from the bestselling author of Postcards from the Edge and Wishful Drinking gives you an intimate, gossipfilled look at what it’s like to be the daughter of Hollywood r...