Rating: 
Summary: It's Her Masterpiece
Review: In my view, Elizabeth George has written her masterpiece in this story. Her characterization is unsurpassed -- the rebellious Olivia living on the edge, running after the ever-more-bizarre experience, at times downright unlikeable, yet she touches the human spirit in hidden, unexpected ways that no goody-goody heroine could ever manage to do.The plot too is George's best in my opinion, her talent for complexity woven into a fabric of the strangest realms of human behavior. "Nothing human is alien to me," a sage once said. While we're wondering if the strange players in this exotic web might be the exception, we are suddenly struck to the very bone of human compassion. Olivia's mother is a vivid portrait of an unhappy, unsatisfied woman, the murdered man a not-so-simple enigma, and his teenage son's raw pain and searing uncertainty almost made me weep. And at last, the choice that the straightlaced Lynley faces brings "Playing for the Ashes" a final standing ovation. One word to Elizabeth George for this wonderful book: Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: A new style for Elizabeth George
Review: It took me a little while to get into this story. At first I found the chapters entitled "Olivia" to be confusing and annoying, but then as I read on, Olivia's story began to mesh with the rest of the plot in a fascinating way. I felt as if my patience had been rewarded! This back-and-forth technique was new for George, but I think she did it very well. She always does such a good job of presenting situations that point out the absurdities of life, the ironies, the pointless hurtful things people do to each other. And of course the amazing acts of love and kindness as well! This book is full of all that, and yet it is not so much depressing as philosophical. I just wish she would continue to follow Olivia and Chris in future books.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific Plot But The Characters Could Have Been Better
Review: No one plots as well as Elizabeth George and her books are worth every penny for that alone. With the execption of Barbara Havers, though, I just don't like her characters and find them more than a little unbelievable. (I can usually overlook this, however, because the basic story is so darn good.) With this book, however, Ms. George veers into the wierd and the absurd. Olivia was so very disgusting that I could barely finish the book despite the engaging plot. George did do a fabulous job of intertwining the two stories but Olivia was just too much of a freak to feel any empathy for her or for her plight. Frankly, I wished she'd just drop dead. Olivia, that is. I'm probably one of the least prudish persons in the world, but there are things I prefer not to read about in an otherwise first-rate mystery. The softening of Olivia would have done a lot to improve this book and render it a true classic. I wish Ms. George would leave the sexually explicit themes to others, but I'll keep reading--her plots are simply the best.
Rating:
Summary: Commendable, but...
Review: No plot twist goes unexexamined, and no sub-plot is too small, in this tedious, over-blown mystery. It takes true dedication to pull through.
Rating: 
Summary: Excruciatingly dragged out
Review: No plot twist goes unexexamined, and no sub-plot is too small, in this tedious, over-blown mystery. It takes true dedication to pull through.
Rating:
Summary: Commendable, but...
Review: Numerous reviews have detailed the virtues of this work. I especially agree with the praise for George's integration of multiple plot lines and her employment of a "diary" element in the voice of Olivia. I do have some reservations about Olivia, however. Though we may be persuaded to grant her a fair amount of native intelligence, it is hard to think she would have been a devoted student. So her level of articulateness frequently seems implausible. The "romance" of Lynley and Lady Helen ranges from cloying to tedious. Helen describes herself as "utterly useless," and proceeds to do nothing to dispel this impression. (Elsewhere in the series she is depicted more favorably.) The best Lynley can muster is the assurance that she "distracts" him from the demands of his occupation. Some compliment from an ardent lover! On the other hand, Havers is surely George's most inspired character creation and does much to leaven the proceedings. Despite its flaws, Playing For the Ashes is absorbing and mostly quite well written.
Rating:
Summary: Commendable, but...
Review: Numerous reviews have detailed the virtues of this work. I especially agree with the praise for George's integration of multiple plot lines and her employment of a "diary" element in the voice of Olivia. I do have some reservations about Olivia, however. Though we may be persuaded to grant her a fair amount of native intelligence, it is hard to think she would have been a devoted student. So her level of articulateness frequently seems implausible. The "romance" of Lynley and Lady Helen ranges from cloying to tedious. Helen describes herself as "utterly useless," and proceeds to do nothing to dispel this impression. (Elsewhere in the series she is depicted more favorably.) The best Lynley can muster is the assurance that she "distracts" him from the demands of his occupation. Some compliment from an ardent lover! On the other hand, Havers is surely George's most inspired character creation and does much to leaven the proceedings. Despite its flaws, Playing For the Ashes is absorbing and mostly quite well written.
Rating:
Summary: Another Magnificent Mystery!
Review: Once again, Elizabeth George has written another magnificent mystery which draws her fans to the scene of the crime like a spider seductively inviting a fly into her parlor and keeps them enraptured with a mixture of curioisity, anticipation, and suspense as to who committed the crime. What is more, fans of the great Shakes- pearian actor Derek Jacobi will be pleased to listen to yet another exquisite performance! ''Playing For The Ashes''is well worth playing on your sound system's tape deck!
Rating:
Summary: Returning Again and Again
Review: Playinng for the Ashes is the best mystery I have ever read. The skill of the narrative is amazing. I am a student of Henry James and know he himself would be astounded at the complex weaving of character and situation and the evolution of a self-centered, self-destructive young woman into a caring and loving individual. Chris Farady has to be one of the great characters of the English novel. George has a way of putting true goodness on the page that is utterly credible and, most of all, ever human. I love this book and turn to it over and over. I feel the characters are real people who influence the ways I think and treat others. I hope Elizabeth George brings these characters back to us, as she does her major ones.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful & moving
Review: Rarely have I found myself clinging to a text that moved me to cry while concurrently "gross-ing me out". Vivid. Almost too vivid (but isn't life?). This is the first of E.George's books I read. After reading all of the others (except for In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner), this is still the best one. Riviting presentation of the plot from an unexpected view point (one of the suspects). I find it enjoyable to be able to read a mystery novel and have the end remain a mystery until I get there. Reading the books in order might be beneficial for people who enjoy the character development across several volumes, but isn't necessary to the enjoyment of the book. If you only buy one of Elizabeth George's books, this is the one to get.
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