"A meaty and juicy mystery"
He made his public debut at the age of six and a half and
almost two decades later former child prodigy Gideon Davies
remains internationally renowned for his music. One day
just before a performance, the music vanished and Gideon
could no longer even play a simple note. After a complete
neurological work up that showed no physical cause, his
doctors recommend a psychiatrist. Following several intense sessions over the next few weeks,
Gideon concludes that he suffers from repressed memories.
He did not remember that he once had a sister Sonia who
suffered from Down's Syndrome before being killed by her
nanny when she was two. While Gideon struggles to adjust
to his recollection, his mother who deserted the family
years ago is murdered in front of the London home of a man
who one lodged with the Davies family when Sonia still
lived. DI Inspector Lynley and Constable Harris begin an
investigation to keep the surviving Davies kin safe even
though it means digging deep into a family's darkest
secrets. Elizabeth George has written a monster sized, yet
fascinating police procedural that allows numerous subplots
to fully develop and characters to feel both real and
complex. Unlike their usual appearance where Lynley and
Harris play center court, Gideon is the star of A TRAITOR
TO MEMORY. Although it takes a while for the meat of the
plot to be served, the soup and salad is as tasty as the
delicious main course. Ms. George provides sub-genre fans
with a psychological look at a family in crisis wrapped
inside a strong police procedural that will bring the
author much acclaim. Set aside a few days and enjoy.
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted June 28, 2001
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