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  • A Banquet of Consequences

  • A Lynley Novel
  • Written by: Elizabeth George
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 21 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (44 ratings)

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A Banquet of Consequences

Written by: Elizabeth George
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's Summary

The number one New York Times best-selling author’s award-winning series returns with another stunning crime drama featuring Scotland Yard members Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers.

Look out for Elizabeth George’s newest novel, The Punishment She Deserves.

The unspoken secrets and buried lies of one family rise to the surface in Elizabeth George’s newest novel of crime, passion, and tragic history. As Inspector Thomas Lynley investigates the London angle of an ever more darkly disturbing case, his partner, Barbara Havers, is looking behind the peaceful façade of country life to discover a twisted world of desire and deceit. The suicide of William Goldacre is devastating to those left behind who will have to deal with its unintended consequences - could there be a link between the young man’s leap from a Dorset cliff and a horrific poisoning in Cambridge? After various issues with her department, Barbara Havers is desperate to redeem herself. So when a past encounter gives her a connection to the unsolved Cambridge murder, Barbara begs Thomas Lynley to let her pursue the crime, knowing one mistake could mean the end of her career.

Full of shocks, intensity, and suspense from the first minute to the last, A Banquet of Consequences reveals both Lynley and Havers under mounting pressure to solve a case both complicated and deeply disturbing.

©2015 Elizabeth George (P)2015 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

"Definitely a literary force to be reckoned with." ( Suspense magazine)
"It's tough to resist George's storytelling, once hooked." ( USA Today)

“George’s mystery unfolds with great psychological depth, finely drawn characters and gorgeous portraits of the English countryside...[George] is an essential writer of popular fiction today.” (The Washington Post)

What listeners say about A Banquet of Consequences

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love this series!

I usually tire of characters when series go on too long, but I just love the Lynley (Havers) series. Of course, some books I've enjoyed more than others. I don't believe an author can write 20 books with each better than the last.
This one certainly kept me guessing . . . and as usual, I was wrong on a couple of points.
I also find the changing of narrator every few books keeps it from getting stale, rather than being a distraction. And I've very much enjoyed ALL of the chosen narrators!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story!

Loved the book and was glad to hear John Lee narrate again (also narrates Ken Follet's 'Pillars of the Earth' trilogy).

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of Her most entertaining

The subject matter was a little dark but the story kept you guessing and there were surprising twists. I like that you got to know some of the supporting characters better and they were quite funny at times. It took me a while to get used to the narrator some of his inflection sounded like a poor imitation of Captain Kirk from Star Trek and other times like Anthony Andrews as the scarlet pimpernel but the story was strong enough to override it. Very enjoyable listen

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  • 'houla
  • 2015-11-11

Great Addition to the Series

This installment has fewer ambiguous characters and more humor than many of her books. Lynley grows past some of his aristocratic assumptions, as does his girlfriend. The villainy is spread over several people, and those story lines are compelling. I really like the interaction of recurring characters, including some that were barely mentioned in previous novels.
The best part is Elizabeth George's writing style. She respects the reader with detailed descriptions and a decent vocabulary. I pick up some of the accent and patterns of my audiobooks. I like the way I think when Elizabeth is my influence. Of course, I go straight to southern redneck when listening to Diana Rowland's White Trash series.
Some reviews criticize John Lee, but I think he's great. Davina Porter also narrates some of the series, and she's also outstanding. While listening I thought how wonderful it is that two narrators can do justice to these books.
My hope is that Audible will bring more unabridged books to their inventory. Many of George's books aren't available in their entirety. Who knows the author's talent based on a pared-down version? Maybe some of the readers auditioning for Audible will make unabridged books their project.

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24 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Grandma
  • 2015-10-30

Please retire John Lee!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Banquet of Consequences to be better than the print version?

No, the awful narration ruins the book.

What didn’t you like about John Lee’s performance?

Can't explain why his voice is so irritating.

Any additional comments?

If it weren't for health issues, I would have read the print version. I enjoy Elizabeth George.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Augusta
  • 2015-11-05

A Terrible Letdown

I have enjoyed this series and was looking forward to seeing how Lynley, Havers and Nkata were doing. Instead, I slogged through a l-o-n-g uninteresting story where they were merely bit players with no real growth or change. Nkata especially - who would be a fascinating character to get to know more of merely stated a few facts here and there. And the actual mystery - I hated it. The characters were annoying, immature, indecent and repetitive. A real disappointment.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Julia
  • 2016-03-09

For those who dislike John Lee...

... simply set the speed to 1.25 or 1.5. I admit that listening to him at normal speed made me me sleepy, however once sped up a bit I found him perfectly charming. As far as the book itself is concerned, Elizabeth George has long established herself as a crime writer who takes her time to unfold the story, so if you like your crime fast-paced and snappy, I'll say go look somewhere else. Personally, I like to dig deep, as it were, and found the characters in this Lynley installment particularly riveting (nice after the last book, where I couldn't have cared less about half of the people involved). I *must* add, however, that she just cannot seem to reign in her desire to pair Lynley off with women who are, let's face it, so bland and annoying with their "oh yes, oh no, oh I don't know"s that it makes my stomach turn.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Brooke
  • 2015-11-03

Struggled, skipped chapters, etc

What disappointed you about A Banquet of Consequences?

Plot was dull. Narrative was over-written / often contrived. "Motive" for the murder was awful. Characters were two dimensional.

Would you ever listen to anything by Elizabeth George again?

Not sure, but if John Lee narrates - NO! His reading style is stilted and halting, and there is a sense that he has no sense of the characters or of what he is reading. He creates NO atmosphere. It's quite off-putting. I kept wondering if it would have been better to listen to this book with a different narrator. John Lee is a narrator who I avoid - yet authors often select him. When I see he is narrating a book, I skip it.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of John Lee?

I would have selected Sean Barrett, Steven Crossley, Simon Vance, Alex Jennings and others of that level.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. Annoyance. Impatience.

Any additional comments?

Not sure if there is more E. George can wring out of these characters...

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Karen Weaver
  • 2015-11-15

Horrible performance

I am sorry to say that I found the speakers performance so annoying I could not even listen to this book. I will never ever buy another book with this narrator. What a shame

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • J.I.
  • 2015-12-07

Horrible narration

I am a big fan of Elizabeth George and therefor wanted to listen to this book, although I had seen the reviews telling that the narration was bad. It is not the best book by Elizabeth George, but a good story, a bit slow sometimes. But the narration...HORRIBLE. It made listening a struggle. I will never again purchase a book narrated by John Lee again.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Glenn
  • 2015-12-01

Another huge let down

I am so sorry to say that I was enormously put off by the story. I wasn't exactly expecting a great tale, a great come back to the quality of the series since its last catastrophic installment but still, I was somehow hoping I would be able to enjoy it a bit.
Alas, A Banquet of Consequence is one, mediocre and two, way too long. I didn't even recognize Linley since Miss George has transformed him into a rather sad and irrelevant character. Barbara has lost all appeal (I used to love her) to become quite the cruel bitch and her vulgarity is now down right unpleasant.
As for the family at the center of this sorry tale, they go from the miserable to the unsavory and quickly to the repugnant. I began soon enough to push the forward button every time Carolyn and/or Charlie were present. In the end, no one was even remotely reedemable. I couldn't feel a hint of empathy for any of them. They all deserved what they got.
Still, I am sorry because I was a huge fan of the Lynley series. It's like losing a beautiful friend. It's like the beautiful friend has turned old, repetitive and bitter.
Perhaps Miss George should consider ending the series and begin a new one?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Elizabeth
  • 2016-03-27

Elizabeth George never disappoints

Would you listen to A Banquet of Consequences again? Why?

I would definitely listen to this book again, as I would any of George's books. Such a great series!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I thought I was sure who "did it," but George took the plot on a detour that had me doubting my assumptions, and then she took it back in yet another direction again. Great plot twists!

Have you listened to any of John Lee’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think I've listened to John Lee before. I thought he did well, but I found his dramatic pausing on some of the main characters a little off-putting. He did very well with the women!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me want more!

Any additional comments?

A great book, and very good performance by John Lee. I definitely recommend this audio book!

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Donna J. Shaw
  • 2015-10-31

George at her best

George is back! I haven's been impressed with many of the series since the death of Lynley's wife, they were just too dark and depressing. With A Banquet of Consequences, the mystery writer has proven she is still capable of crafting a magnificent tale. I must say though, John Lee's performance, both his emotion (read lack thereof), and his female "voices" are often lacking.

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7 people found this helpful