Deception on His Mind (Inspector Lynley Series #9) » (Reprint)

The reigning queen of the British mystery, it turns out, is an Ohio native living in Washington State. Best known for her Inspector Lynley series, Elizabeth George says that what drives her books is the psychological goings-on of her characters. She doesn't even mind, she says, if readers figure out the killer before the end -- the motive will always be a surprise.

Elizabeth George reigns as queen of the mystery genre . . . the smartest, most gratifyingly complex and impassioned mystery series now being published. -- Entertainment Weekly

Balford-le-Nez is a dying seacoast town on the coast of Essex. But when a member of the town's small but growing Asian community is found dead, the sleepy town ignites. Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers arranges to have herself assigned to the investigation, but this time, she'll have to solve the crime without her longtime partner Detective Inspector Lynley. Havers must probe not only the mind of a murderer and a case very close to her own heart, but the terrible price people pay when they deceive others -- and themselves.

Chicago Tribune

Deception falls smartly into place in [George's] literate, impassioned series, one of today's best.