Description: Love, life and murder. Just a few of Inspector Lynley’s mysteries.
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries feature the most celebrated British detective duo in years: Inspector Thomas Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and Sergeant Barbara Havers (Sharon Small). Over the course of more than 10 intriguing Elizabeth George novels, beginning with A Great Deliverance, Lynley and Havers have won millions of loyal fans. It’s no mystery why.
Decidedly uppercrust detective Lynley and his partner Havers endure a marriage made at police headquarters. Lynley is suave, sophisticated, and the eighth Earl of Asherton. Havers is rumpled, resentful, and working class—with an inborn dislike of the highborn. Despite their differences, the sleuths evolve into a potent team, employing their cunning, intuition, and street smarts to unravel some of the most heinous—and suspenseful—crimes.
Well-Schooled In Murder When a student from prestigious Bredgar Hall is found dead under bizarre circumstances, Lynley receives a call from an old school chum asking for help. The Inspector and Havers soon discover hints of impropriety among both masters and students and race to crack the case before more students come into harm’s way.
Payment in Blood A playwright is murdered in her sleep on the eve of her new play’s debut, forcing Lynley and Havers to select from an entire cast of suspects. The mysterious drama is further complicated by Lynley’s deepening feelings for a woman involved with the play’s director, who is himself a prime suspect.
For The Sake Of Elena The fog lifts over the green hills of Cambridge, revealing the lifeless body of a prominent professor’s daughter, a young woman admired for being fun-loving, popular, daring—and deaf. The mystery is far from academic as Lynley and Havers discover fatal twists that sealed the fate of one dysfunctional family.
Missing Joseph A rural vicar is the victim of hemlock poisoning. Lynley and Havers discover that everyone from the local herbalist and her troubled teenage daughter to the local constable has a motive. The duo combs the countryside sifting for clues, and finally uncovers the secrets behind the murder.
Special DVD features include: virtual tour of the Mystery! studio; Q&A with Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small; selected cast filmographies; selected cast list; biography for Diana Rigg, host of Mystery!; bibliography for Elizabeth George; selected cast list; link to the Mystery! Web site; scene selections; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.
On fourDVD9 discs. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.
Amazon.com: As Diana Rigg, the host of Mystery!, the venerable PBS series which premiered these films, observes, Inspector Lynley gives his partner, Barbara Havers, class, while she gives him nothing but grief. That's not quite the case, although by the final episode in this four-part series, they can be heard bantering like David and Maddie from Moonlighting. And what is that tentatively wistful look on Havers' face while Lynley regards his relationship with an unrequited love? The Inspector Lynley Mysteries reunites author Elizabeth George's mismatched partners first introduced onscreen in A Great Deliverance. Nathaniel Parker (Eddie Murphy's ghostly host in The Haunted Mansion) stars as Lynley, Oxford-educated detective, and eighth earl of Asherton. Sharon Small costars as Havers, a working class cop. Their class differences and personal prejudices are well delineated in "Well Schooled in Murder," set at a posh boarding school where a young student has been slain, and "For the Sake of Elena," which investigates the death of a Cambridge Universty professor's deaf daughter.
The other two cases are more intriguingly personal, as Lynley is reunited with lifelong friend Helen Clyde. In "Payment in Blood," she is one of a cast of suspects when a playwright is slaughtered. In "Missing Joseph," she returns as a profiler, who assists Lynley in the case of a poisoned vicar. We also see the softer side of Havers as she deals with her increasingly senile mother. While fans of George's books may regret the abridgements necessary to bring each episode in at 90 minutes, mystery buffs will enjoy the contemporary spin on classic genre conventions, and Lynley and Havers' prickly relationship, which is at the heart of the series. --Donald Liebenson
Partnership in Crime... "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries-Set 1" picks up where the pilot movie "A Great Deliverance" left off, as aristocratic New Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and working class Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers combine their unique skills and intriguing relationship to solve crimes in four excellent 90 minute episodes.
"Well-Schooled in Murder" takes Lynley and Havers to an elite boarding school to investigate the seemingly ritualistic murder of a student. They uncover a web of deceit and an array of suspects. Their investigation is complicated by Lynley's old friendship with one of the teachers, and turns into a race against time to save another student's life.
"Payment in Blood" is a closed house murder mystery, except that the suspects are the cast of a play, and one of them is Lynley's long-lost love Helen. Havers must keep Lynley on task as they sort through the complicated past of the suspects to identify the killer and save the surviving cast members.
"For the Sake of Elena" brings the two detectives to Cambridge to solve the murder of a young deaf girl, whose parents and associates all seem to have motive. Havers is distracted by the care of her ailing mother, while Lynley again encounters his old friend Helen.
"Missing Joseph" takes the two dectectives to a visually stunning Peak District parish to solve the mysterious poisoning of a vicar by one of several likely suspects. This episode highlights Lynley's affection for Helen while expanding his relationship with Havers. Lynley's attempt to help Havers with the refurbishing of her apartment leads to an argument pregnant with nuances about their relationship.
The mysteries are presented in a realistic fashion; the viewer only rarely knows more than our two detectives. Clues must be sorted through and solutions are often complicated and messy. Splendid location shooting adds to the fun. However, the heart of the series is the slowly evolving relationship between Lynley and Havers. Their differing backgrounds are a frequent source of friction; yet the two bicker with a sense of restraint based on mutual respect. The intuitive Lynley offers Havers professional respect and basic decency she doesn't get from other officers; Havers is a good and loyal subordinate but has no qualms about bringing Lynley up short in private when he gets overbearing. The episodes reinforce the subtle sense that this partnership has lots of growth in front of it.
"The Inspector Lynley Mysteries-Set 1" is very highly recommended as good entertainment to fans of Masterpiece Mysteries, who will enjoy a second look at these episodes and perhaps a first look at the one they missed.
Wonderful I am looking forward to purchase all the Sets of Inspector Lynley. They are wonderful.
Inspector Lynley Season 1 This is a very interesting series. My wife & I have been watching it on PBS but unfortunately did not start until the series was well established. The 4 episodes in this set show the development of Havers-Lynley. It was very sad for this series to end. Joe H
Inspector Lynley I am an Elizabeth George fanatic, and while I enjoyed these films, they were not as good as the books. It was adjustment seeing Inspector Lynley as a blond, but the gentleman playing the part does an excellent, excellent job. Helen Clyde is a disappointment---role should be played by someone beautiful, vivacious and likable. Havers is perfect---played very well.
All in all, I would highly recommend---especially for a rainy day---and lots of popcorn.
excellent Inspector Lynley mysteries are great!! I can't wait to see them all. I hope that there are more than 4 sets to buy.
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