For more information, or to purchase a copy of this novel, simply click on one of the links above.

Balford-le-Nez is dying seatown on the coast of Essex. But when a member of the town's small but growing Asian community is found dead near its beach, the sleepy town ignites with unrest. Intrigued by the involvement of her London neighbor-Taymullah Azhar-in what appears to be a potential racial conflagration, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers takes off for the town of Balford-le-Nez and discovers at the head of the investigation Detective Chief Inspector Emily Barlow, an officer whom Havers has long known.

During the course of the investigation, Havers discovers the social differences between the English and Pakistani communities in England, and she experiences first hand the racial divide that separates people whose cultures are like polar extremes.

The victim of the crime is Haytham Querashi, who came to England from Pakistan to take part in an arranged marriage with Sahlah, the willing daughter of Akram Malak whose business interests in the town have revitalized it and made him a well-respected citizen. But Akram is unknowingly at odds with Agatha Shaw, a longtime resident of Balford-le-Nez who is determined to be its benefactress at any price.

Suspects in the crime are many because the climate in Balford-le-Nez is rife with cultural misunderstandings and racial bias. While the Pakistani community demonstrates and argues that the murder is a crime of hate aimed at an entire ethnic group, the police turn their attention to the leader of the Pakistani demonstrators, a young man who has long been a thorn in the side of the local constabulary.

During the course of the investigation, Barbara must probe not only the mind of a murderer and a case very close to her own heart, but also the terrible price people pay for deceiving others and themselves.

Praise for Elizabeth George's "Deception on His Mind!"

"There is a mad scramble here at The Denver Post when the newest Elizabeth George mystery comes in. We fight over it' outright thefts off people's desks are not unknown; we fall on our knees and beg to borrow it. Her latest…is a winner, especially if you're a fan of Sgt. Barbara Havers, who comes into her own."
--The Denver Post

"Compelling and complex…All sorts of secrets and surprises figure into the well-wrought narrative, but what one remembers of a George book are not the mysteries of plot but those of character."
--The Orlando Sentinel

"George's story is compelling and complicated, on that avoids facile moralizing on a subject of real human importance."
--Austin American-Statesman

"Recommended reading for…those mystery readers who look for moral dilemmas and psychological issues as well as murder mystery for their entertainment."
--Star Tribune, Minneapolis

"George's novels are complex, stylishly written and delve deeply into the human psyche…Wonderful reading."
--Orange Coast

"This rich, engrossing novel portrays a contemporary England that's culturally complex and simmering with tension…George keeps an unrelenting grip on her readers."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"George doesn't' disappoint…Don't think you'll easily flush out the villain here…George manipulates the giant cast and manifold subplots with her usual aplomb…[An] intelligent, finely nuanced performance."
--Booklist

"Elizabeth George is one of the best writers of British mysteries on the current book scene, even though she's an American. Her absolute mastery of the genre is evident."
--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

If you would like a copy of Elizabeth George's novel "Deception on His Mind" you can easily purchase one on-line through either of the book retailers listed below.

	Purchase a copy of  this novel on-line! Simply chose your vendor and click on the edition you would like to own.
	Purchase the Hardcover Purchase the Paperback	Purchase the Hardcover Purchase the Paperback