Updated 1/23/2008

Inspector Lynley

I like the Inspector Lynley series very much. Not only do you have interesting stories, but you have an interesting interaction between the main characters, Detective Inspector Lynley and his partner Sgt. Barbara Havers. Lynley is a titled aristocrat and Havers is working class. They live in different worlds, but the differences over time seem to compliment each other. This is a great series. Lynley is played by Nathaniel Parker and Sgt. Havers is played by Sharon Small.

As a side note, people have asked about the type of car Inspector Lynley drives. It is a Bristol 410 sports car.

Pilot - 2001

"Great Deliverance"

Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard is assigned to investigate a puzzling and gruesome murder of a farmer in a seemingly peaceful country village while trying to understand his new partner Sgt. Barbara Havers, a woman police sergeant who has no time for good looking upper-class policemen. Lynley and Havers travel to the Yorkshire moors to investigate the beheading of farmer found dead at the feet of his teenage daughter. The investigation of the farmer's murder leads Lynley and Havers into the seamy side of a quiet village. The farmer's hidden past provides a wide range of suspects and motives.

1st Series - 2002

"Well-Schooled in Murder"

When a student from prestigious Bredgar Hall is found dead under bizarre circumstances, Lynley receives a call from an old school chum asking for help. Lynley is well placed to understand the tensions of this closed society which reminds him of his own boyhood.

"Payment in Blood"

A playwright is murdered in her sleep on the eve of her new play's debut, forcing Lynley and Havers to select from an entire cast of suspects. Unhappily for Lynley, his own beloved Helen is one of the suspects.

"For the Sake of Elena"

The fog lifts over the green hills of Cambridge, revealing the lifeless body of prominent professor's daughter, a young woman admired for being fun-loving, popular, daring - and deaf. A post mortem reveals that the victim was pregnant and the police build up a picture of a promiscuous girl with a large number of admirers.

"Missing Joseph"

A rural vicar is the victim of hemlock poisoning. The detective duo discover that just about everyone in town has a motive. Once again Lynley's friends and family are involved in one of his cases. It's a complex case and in working to solve it Lynley and Havers improve their relationship.

2nd Series - 2003

"Playing for the Ashes"

Who would murder a beloved cricket star? After an arsonist torches a cottage and takes the life of pro batsman Kenneth Waring, Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers discover the game of catching a killer has a set of rules all its own.

"In the Presence of the Enemy"

Lynley and Havers investigate a case of kidnapping involving the 10-year-old secret child of a radical member of parliament and a newspaper editor. The kidnapper threatens the editor with the same kind of personal scandal usually found on his tabloid's front page. He demands the editor announce his affair on the front page or the child will be murdered.

"A suitable Vengeance"

A party at the Inspector's idyllic Cornwall estate to celebrate his engagement should be a splendid reason to escape the pressure of solving heinous murders. His difficult relationship with his dysfunctional family is soon overshadowed by a murder on part of his own estate and the chief suspect is Lynley's drug-addict brother.

"Deception On His Mind"

The body of a young Asian man is found on the beach at a seaside town leading the police into a web of racial tensions, family loyalties and illicit sexuality in investigating the murder.

3rd Series - 2004

“In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner”

A young woman and a male friend are bludgeoned to death while camping in the country. The woman is the daughter of a retired Detective Supernatant who worked for years in vice. Inspector Lynley is called down from London to assist the local police. Complicating Lynley’s investigation is the recent demotion of his assistant Sergeant Havers.

“A Traitor to Memory”

A woman is run down on a residential street. The murder was particularly grisly because the driver appeared to have backed over the body and then drove forward again to insure the victims death. Inspector Lynley is called in to investigate. Upon further investigation it turns out woman is divorced and estranged from her brilliant violinist son. By coincidence, the son suffers a breakdown during a performance at about the same time his mother is killed. It is also discovered that the woman had a daughter who was murdered as a child many years before and the alleged killer was recently released from prison.

As a side story, Lynley’s assistant DC Havers wants to resign from the force. Inspector Lynley also is dealing with personal issues at home.

"A Cry for Justice"

A woman is found died. At first it appears to be a suicide but an autopsy shows she was killed by a blow to the head. By chance, Sergeant Havers was first on the scene. Inspector Lynley and Havers are assigned the case. The woman's position at an upscale club and secrets uncovered about her past creates a diverse list of suspects. Sergeant Havers goes undercover for the first time in order to discover who might want this woman dead.

"If Wishes Were Horses"

A noted criminal profiler is killed by a car bomb. Inspector Lynley is called in to investigate. The investigation reveals that the victim was a womanizer. Who was the murderer? Was it one of the women with whom he had had an affair? Was it the husband or boyfriend of one of the women? Was it one of the many prisoners the profiler helped send to prison? Inspectors Lynley's focus on the case is distracted by his relationship with his pregnant wife and her relationship to the murder victim.

4th Series - 2005

"In Divine Proportion"

Inspector Lynley and DS Havers are called to the scene of the murder of a young woman. The woman had recently moved back to the village where she lived as child. She was in the process of changing an old manor house into an upscale restaurant. As Lynley proceeds with the investigation, he gets the feeling the people in the village are hiding something. Some past event may have been the motive for this crime.

"In the Guise of Death"

While visiting his mother at the family estate, Inspector Lynley becomes involved in the investigation of the death of the owner of a neighboring property. At first glance, the death appears to be a suicide. The man was found hanged in his stable. The autopsy findings indicate foul play. Working with the local Detective Sergeant, Lynley sets out to discover a possible motive which will then lead to potential suspects. They are joined by DS Havers who was at a near by spa trying to get back in shape following her recovery from a gunshot wound.

"The Seed of Cunning"

A man's body is found floating in the Thames. He had been tied and beaten to death. The victim was a doorman at the House of Lords. Inspector Lynley and Sgt. Havers are assigned the case. Lynley discovers that the man had access to sensitive information. He also had bank accounts that his wife did not know about. The investigation is complicated by House protocols and his relationship with an old school acquaintance. Also as side story, Sgt. Havers has joined a dating service.

"The Word of God"

A Jordanian immigrant is found dead in a meat truck. An ancient and valuable page from the Koran is found on his body along with a forged passport. An autopsy finds that he was strangled, he had had a kidney removed recently and his other kidney was failing. Inspector Lynley and Sgt. Havers are called upon to investigate. They need to discover the motive to find the murderer. To complicate matters, Lynley's estrangement from his wife, Helen, is taking its toll and is now seriously impacting his work.

5th Series - 2006

"Natural Causes "

The police receive a cell phone call from a woman trapped in a car that is sinking in a lake. They find the car at the bottom of the lake and the young woman is dead. Sgt. Havers is temporarily assign to work with a very pregnant woman Detective Inspector while Lynley is on suspension. The team is assigned the case. It is apparent the car was pushed into the lake by another vehicle. The lake was on land that was in dispute and the victim was part of the protest involving the land use and development. She also was involved with a number of men. Lynley arrives on the scene and wants to help unofficially which Haver's new boss is not happy about.

"One Guilty Deed "

The witness in an organized crime case leaves a witness protection program and moves to a town by the sea. Shortly there after, he is found murdered on the beach. The autopsy raises questions about his death. Inspector Lynley and Sgt. Havers discover that the victim grew up in this seaside community and left in haste after the accidental death of a boy over 20 years ago.

"Chinese Walls "

A young woman is murdered in Hyde Park. During Inspector Lynley's and Sgt. Haver's investigation they discovered the victim's life was filled with contradictions. Since the age of 13 she wanted to be a lawyer. She went to law school and graduated with top honors. She secured a position at a top law firm working for a well known attorney she had admired since she was a teen. Then she just quits. She had a problem with intimacy, but takes job that would indicate just the opposite. She was an extraordinary beauty. Several men were obsessed with her. Inspector Lynley has to find the killer and motive among a number of people involved in this contradicted life.

"In the Blink of an Eye "

A former war photographer is found shot to death execution style in a back alley. When a policeman goes to the victim's apartment he is shot at by a mysterious young woman. As Lynley and Haver's conduct their investigation, they discover that the dead photographer was broke, ill and having an affair with a married woman. Lynley's wife, Helen, reluctantly agrees to assist in the investigation.

For a full list of available DVDs see below!

Open Printable Window

Important! If you only received this page and there is no menu on the left, please click on BritishMysteries.com

Thank you!

Inspector Lynley

Click here for "Inspector Lynley " DVDs, Videos and Elizabeth George books

Amazon.com Affiliate

When you purchase a DVD or other product through my aStore you are actually buying through Amazon.com with all the security and customer service provided by Amazon.com. I get a small commission which does not affect your price and helps support this site. Please consider making your purchase through my aStore - Thanks!

Based on characters created by Elizabeth George