Listen free for 30 days

  • Believing the Lie

  • An Inspector Lynley Novel
  • Written by: Elizabeth George
  • Narrated by: Davina Porter
  • Length: 23 hrs and 3 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (23 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Believing the Lie cover art

Believing the Lie

Written by: Elizabeth George
Narrated by: Davina Porter
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $55.58

Buy Now for $55.58

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

After writing 16 Inspector Lynley novels, New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth George has millions of fans waiting for the next one. As USA Today put it, "It's tough to resist George's storytelling, once hooked." With Believing the Lie, she's poised to hook countless more.

Inspector Thomas Lynley is mystified when he's sent undercover to investigate the death of Ian Cresswell at the request of the man's uncle, the wealthy and influential Bernard Fairclough. The death has been ruled an accidental drowning, and nothing on the surface indicates otherwise. But when Lynley enlists the help of his friends Simon and Deborah St. James, the trio's digging soon reveals that the Fairclough clan is awash in secrets, lies, and motives.

Deborah's investigation of the prime suspect - Bernard's prodigal son Nicholas, a recovering drug addict - leads her to Nicholas's wife, a woman with whom she feels a kinship, a woman as fiercely protective as she is beautiful. Lynley and Simon delve for information from the rest of the family, including the victim's bitter ex-wife and the man he left her for, and Bernard himself. As the investigation escalates, the Fairclough family's veneer cracks, with deception and self-delusion threatening to destroy everyone from the Fairclough patriarch to Tim, the troubled son Ian left behind.

©2012 Elizabeth George (P)2012 Penguin

What the critics say

"A multiplicity of subplots and a richness of physical detail.... The terrain and the weather are objective correlatives to the characters' stormy patches. Meanwhile, the story strands are untied and retied in satisfying and often moving ways." (The Wall Street Journal)

"Elizabeth George is a superstar of the crime-fiction world, British Inspector Division. Deservedly so: Her tales always provide nuanced character studies and insights into social issues along with their intricate mysteries." (The Seattle Times)

"Devilishly complicated." (Entertainment Weekly)

What listeners say about Believing the Lie

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love the serie

love the series and Barbara is my favorite but she didn't show up much in this book. love the humor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

ONLY SO, SO!

It is extremely unfortunate that the author chose to kill off such an integral character as the inspector's wife.
A decidedly main character. For anyone who has been a regular reader is it not hard to understand how much one had invested in her story and the wonderful character she was.
SORRY; SPOILER...It is impossible to replace her.
Her removal also sets Det. Linley back to a place where he is now"less", and there is nothing the author can do to rescue him.
The introduction of a new love interest is annoying, off character and demeans hims
POINT: TRANSVESTITES; MEN WHO CHOSE TO DRESS AS WOMAN ARE NOT HOMOSEXUAL. I REPEATEDLY COME ACROSS THIS AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR AN AUTHOR, EDITOR, PUBLISHER TO NOT RELEASE A BOOK WITH SUCH MISINFORMATION.
SHAME!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Disorganized story

Disorganize story, hard to figure out all the characters. It is a different writing style then she usually has. Seems to be disorganized from what I read from her before.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
  • AZ
  • 2024-04-18

Lackluster

The narration was dry. I lost interest serval times but persevered as I’d already downloaded the book. The story was not captivating and lacked intrigue. The characters were not well developed and it was hard to care about any of them.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Homophobic trash

I was appalled at this story. George metes out the death penalty for the gay or trans characters, while the heteros live happily ever after. She has several characters voicing the most vile homophobic vitriol I have ever encountered... to the point that the author's own position is abundantly clear. I will never read another one of her books. I feel sickened by this. Oh, and it will be a relief never to hear the simpering, self indulgent whine of Deborah St. James, too.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful