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Inspector Lynley Mystery Series Television Mystery Series

I was an avid fan of Elizabeth George (even though they aren’t Cozy Mysteries) when I first attempted to watch the Inspector Lynley Mysteries, a British police procedural mystery show. Because I had read all of the novels, and felt I “knew” George’s well-defined main characters, I could not embrace this BBC television series when I first tried watching it. (It originally aired 2001-2007.)

My favorite Elizabeth George character was Sergeant Barbara Havers – a very unattractive, over-weight, socially inept police detective who wore too-tight clothes, and could not keep her opinions to herself. She was brusque, to the point of being rude, but an incredibly quick learner and an incredibly astute detective. Although she was terse and opinionated, she also had a more tender, giving side to her personality, which George was able to show every time Havers interacted with her little neighbor.

I felt that the Inspector Lynley Mysteries took all of George’s well-defined, complex characters and tossed them aside… This television mystery series had a classical beauty portraying Sgt. Barbara Havers. They had this beautiful actress wear an over-sized pea coat & no make-up. Yikes! I would have thought this was a North American production rather than a British one. (I had pictured an unattractive, overweight actress playing Barbara Havers >>> certainly not svelte Sharon Small without makeup!)

However…

My husband decided he wanted to watch the Inspector Lynley Mysteries series. Once he convinced me to look at the series as if it was NOT based on the Elizabeth George mysteries I enjoyed so much, I actually enjoyed the shows! I found myself looking forward to the next time we would be able to watch one!

Nathaniel Parker (aristocratic police inspector) and Sharon Small (blue collar Havers) were perfect in their roles. (Remember, I am no longer basing them on Elizabeth George‘s very complex, three-dimensional characters!)

As with the Elizabeth George mysteries, this made-for-television series is gritty. It is not a series that you would want to watch with children. It is also not a Cozy series, so don’t watch it if you don’t want to see graphic violence!

Again, once I was able to divorce the Inspector Lynley Mysteries television series from Elizabeth George’s mystery books, I enjoyed the shows. I am sure I would have watched them when they originally aired on PBS had they titled them something like “The Inspector Smith Mysteries” and had not mentioned Elizabeth George as the author.

If you would like to see more TV & Movies entries, here is the link to that page on my Cozy Mystery site: TV and Movies page,

*** This series is available on Netflix.

Comments

  1. I haven’t watched the shows since they were on PBS. After reading the books, I couldn’t handle a dark, not blonde, Lynley, Havers was okay, she was okay. But, I didn’t think much of how they presented Lynley’s wife, she was not attractive, he was overreactive when she left him, etc. Maybe if I watched again it would be different, it’s been awhile, and I really like the books. For someone who never read the books, they would probably be fine. Just my opinion, and it may change, someday.

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    • Karen, I felt the exactly the same as you do. Had my husband not wanted to watch the shows I would never have made an effort to watch them. (And I mean never!) But, as I said in my entry, I just “pretended” these had nothing to do with the novels, and then I enjoyed them.

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  2. I enjoyed the series but hadn’t read the books so didn’t have anything to base it on. I agree about Lynley’s wife, she just didn’t seem to fit in at all.
    I only read one of Susan George’s books and I found it a bit long winded and gave up. Perhaps I need to try a different one as they seem so popular.
    Ann

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  3. This was pretty much a flop here in Britain even though it ran to a couple of series. It didn’t ring true and the characters were bizarre. I saw an interview with Elizabeth George at the time and she came across as very nice, and sincere in her striving for authenticity. Her novels are much more complex as you say but she doesn’t really “get” Britain. Lord Peter Wimsey was fiction you know! Also her Britain is so gloomy and grimey! I think the best way to think of her is as a good writer of “noir.”

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    • Anne, having never been to England I didn’t know she didn’t get it right-on. I wonder why some authors set their series in places they don’t live. I mean, why couldn’t Inspector Lynley lived in Los Angeles?

      I enjoyed the first several books in her series, but stopped reading them a while back. I used to be willing to devote more time to each of the books I read. I have to admit that I have become a little hard on authors who write a book longer than 250 pages. They had better have a lot going on in the book for me to want to stay with it longer than that. Books that are in the 600 page range had better be excellent for me to stay with them. (I guess I’ve just gotten lazy about sticking around…)

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      • She couldn’t set “Inspector Linley” in Los Angeles because she is fascinated by the idea of a “Toff.” But toffs don’t join the police force. Jeanne Van Damm is the same. Her “retired Chief Constable” is a posh gent. They’re living out a fantasy invented by Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers and others and perpetuated by pap such as “Downton Abbey.”
        There’s no harm in it I suppose but that’s why their books don’t ring true with us native Britons who by and large don’t give a toss about “Toffs.”
        The American who most “gets” Britain is Bill Bryson. He has the same sense of humour. But he doesn’t write cosies, just very funny and scholarly books.
        Anyway, it doesn’t matter. No doubt British writers don’t “get” America. If a book is good enough it can be set on the moon.

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  4. I had that same disconnect with the Midsomer Murders books by Caroline Graham. I love the Midsomer Murders TV series. But when I read one of the books I was like “what the heck IS this? Where’s the charm of the TV show?” 🙂

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  5. does anyone know what has happened to patricia sprinkle, have not seen any new books by her in a very long time ????????

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  6. Do you know if Netflex has the Lynley series on streaming? I would love to get them that way, all I have seen are DVD’s.

    I never miss reading your blog. I really enjoy having a way to keep up with the cozy series that I love.

    Thanks,
    Deanna

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  7. Personally I loved the Inspector Lynley series because it is set in Britain (anglophile). I wish there had been more. I didn’t like Sharon Small because I don’t like her at any time. All of the British detective series are enjoyable..Midsomer, Morse, Endeavor, and Foyle is perfect.

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  8. I am currently watching the Inspector Lynley series on DVD from my library. I have only read a few of the books and the reason is I have lived in England and much of my family still does and she really does NOT get it right in the books. I kept having trouble with establishing a sense of place and time in reading the books, the overwhelming class warfare/resentment just does not ring true, it seems like a class structure from Downtown Abbey times but it is set in current times.

    For whatever reason it is easier for me to deal with these aspects watching the TV series than reading the books.

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  9. Deanna, When I had Netflix on streaming there were only a couple of the Lynley mysteries available.

    I liked the series episodes I managed to see over the years. George’s books were just too long. I like character details and development but her books, while well- written and descriptive, with standout minor characters and solid mysteries that made good societal commentary, spent a lot — and I mean a LOT — of time on the angst of the core characters. Havers’s angst seemed a little better justified to me somehow.

    I really enjoyed Sharon Small’s portrayal of Havers in the TV series, she seemed to have the character’s prickliness and sensitivities well down and showed respect for the character she was playing. (I just figured that, “as usual” they wouldn’t put a heavy actress on television. )

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  10. Hi Danna, I know this is an older post, but I LOVE the Elizabeth George books and I really enjoyed the television series although it wasn’t true to the books. It seems as though very few of the movies/ tv productions are. Do you think it’s because they are trying to appeal to a broad range of viewers ? It was interesting to read the views of the British readers, Elizabeth George was the speaker at my son’s college graduation, she was an excellent speaker and very personable. As always thank you for all the work you do on this delightful site.

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  11. Personally I have not read the Lynley stories. My wife and I have never been to England either but we love British Mystery. While I suspect it may not be that accurate or true British, I think the reason is that first it is often carried on shows which will be broadcast on both continents, so it is meant to appeal to American Audiences as well as British, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the authors also think something like this. As an American, there are some things that I do not like about American TV, it’s often too predictable, it’s often more gritty and there are so many Made for TV movies (well at least there was before Reality TV showed it’s ugly face) that it seemed hard to find ones of quality and ones that had a difference that would make them attractive. While I liked a few American mystery shows (ie. Columbo and similar) I find that they still feel very American. Inspector Lynley feels English, even if it may not be done perfect in an Englishman’s eyes. No matter to me, I like it, though I noticed in a few of them that they did some American like things, like bringing Helen back just to kill her off, that seemed too American TV like, and wish they hadn’t done that. The mystery is really what it is about and I wished that it had stuck to those. Though I am not sure if the Author had done that or if the BBC producers and writers did that.

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  12. Is it just a weird coincidence that a character in Elizabeth George’s Well Schooled in Murder is named Kevin Whately (actor who plays Inspector Lewis)?

    Reply

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