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Crime

In The Presence Of The Enemy

4.1(37)
Language
English
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About the book

A high-stakes, personal case in the bestselling series that inspired BBC's Lynley

'The tension is high and unrelenting' ¿¿¿¿¿ Reader review
'Excellent; a real difficult-to-put-down read' ¿¿¿¿¿ Reader review
'The perfect description of psychopathology' ¿¿¿¿¿ Reader review
'Gripped me from page 1!' ¿¿¿¿¿ Reader review
'Truly gripping, at times funny, but in general very moving' ¿¿¿¿¿ Reader review

As the editor of a popular tabloid, 'King of Sleaze' Dennis Luxford has made a career out of scandal. But the tables turn when he receives a ransom letter concerning his illegitimate daughter.

To save the life of his child, Luxford must expose the girl's mother - Eve Bowen, now Under Secretary of State for the Home Office. Convinced that Charlotte's disappearance is just one more shabby tabloid ploy, Eve refuses to involve the police.

Only when events take an unbearable turn is New Scotland Yard brought in, in the guise of Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner, Barbara Havers. And as their investigations move from Westminster to Wiltshire, Lynley and Havers discover that treachery and betrayal lie perilously close to home.

Praise for In the Presence of the Enemy

'A page-turning treat'
Sunday Times

'Plenty of chill factor . . . This story is gripping from start to finish'
Daily Mail

'George is a superb purveyor of fear, malevolent atmosphere and warped minds . . . So cleverly does she manage the narrative threads, so convincingly do her characters behave on the edge of their emotions, so startling are the twists to her tale that I could have read more'
The Times

'A superb novel with a twist in the tale worthy of Agatha Christie'
Daily Express

'A highly astute psychological thriller . . . It has more twists and turns than a mountain road'
OK

Editions (3)

ISBN9781444738339
PublisherHodder And Stoughton Ltd.
Publication Date06/07/12
Pages636

Reviews & Ratings

37 ratings

3 reviews

4.1

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  • elisabeth67
    elisabeth67

    2 Followers

    4.0

    Manchmal etwas zäh, trotzdem sehr fesselnd. Hat mich mitgenommen.

    Mar 8, 2026

  • kanelbolle
    kanelbolle

    22 Followers

    5.0

    Masterpiece!

    Elizabeth George is a master in writing complex characters! I've never hated a book character more than the mother of the kidnapped child. Which may sound weird, but if you read the book, you know why. Even though the beginning dragged a bit and I felt like I hated everyone involved in this kidnapping I really enjoyed the character dynamics. I loved that Havers got to lead a part of the operation and - most of all - that I had no clue at all to the identity of the bad guy. Even though I asked all the right questions and deducted everything right, I was blind on that eye, which made the gut punch of a realisation all the more visceral and the book 'unputdownable'. Can only recommend this!

    Mar 14, 2026

  • barbs
    barbs

    5 Followers

    3.0

    Aber nur weil die letzten 50 Seiten mal etwas Spannung in die Sache gebracht haben...

    Dec 19, 2025

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