Cambridge University, with its impressive architecture, its sprawling campuses, and its strained history with those living in town, becomes a place of suspicion, lies, and mayhem.Īmid all this, Inspector Lynley is faced with the task of unraveling a mystery while piecing together the complicated and often shocking personal life of Elena Weaver.Elena Weaver was a surprise to anyone meeting her for the first time. Past hurts and resentments are played out and secrets abound among the illustrious faculty. More than one character harbors murderous intentions. Conflicts within the local constabulary threaten to slow the investigation. On the grounds of prestigious Cambridge University, there are those who belong and those who do not. The investigation into Elena Weaver's vicious murder seems to generate more questions than answers. After a string of disasters with hired caregivers, Havers now faces a difficult decision to either continue with things as they are or put her mother into a care facility. Her elderly mother suffers from dementia and Havers is ill-equipped to care for her mother alone.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Havers has problems of her own. Inspector Lynley hopes to rekindle his relationship with Helen, which went awry when Lady Helen refused his proposal of marriage. Lady Helen Clyde, the woman Lynley has been in love with for some time, is in Cambridge and staying with her sister Penelope for a short while. Lynley is more than happy to oblige his superiors since he has another reason to visit Cambridge. Along with his longtime partner, Sergeant Barbara Havers, Lynley is dispatched to Cambridge to solve the killing of Elena Weaver. Detective Inspector Thomas 'Tommy' Lynley, of New Scotland Yard, is assigned to the case. At this point in his life, Anthony Weaver's main concern is winning back the love of the daughter he abandoned. Weaver's second wife, Justine, is resentful of this newfound relationship with his daughter, but this proves to be a minor matter in light of their seemingly perfect ten-year marriage. After leaving his wife when Elena was just five years old, Anthony Weaver believes that Elena's arrival at Cambridge will give him a chance to make up for lost time. Raised by her divorced mother, Glyn, Elena Weaver is the daughter of Professor Anthony Weaver, a well-respected history scholar and a don at Cambridge. Any number of men would have jumped at the chance to be involved with Elena, but only one of them could have killed her. Elena is beautiful, lively, sexually precocious, and extremely troubled. Stephen's College, one of the colleges belonging to prestigious Cambridge University.

For the sake of elena elizabeth george