the books are different and helens demise is not as in the films . I guess Lesley Vickerage wanted to move on or was tied up in other projects. Thanks to self absorbed Helen he not only lost his child but his wife too and in one feld swoop. Having adored the Inspector Lynley series since I first stumbled upon it years ago, and always enjoying the beauty and detail of George's sublime writing, I'd found a few of the more recent Lynley books a little disappointing in terms of the main character, so much so, in one of my reviews I actually filed a Missing Persons Report on the Eighth Earl of Asherton, one Inspector Thomas Lynley. The old one was boring, bitchy and not very loving. I really hope that George's next book will be more like those previous to this one! James "Murder Room" This Helen seems too sunny and level headed I cannot imagine her reacting to the marraige problems the way Helen did in previous episodes. The 2nd Helen is a much happier person and I like how she's actually made me give a fig if they get back together. This particular scriptwriter is one of my favourites. She isnt so lucky. I don't know if George's comments influenced the producers. Plus, I started disliking her when I learned she was supposed to be Helen -- before that, I gave her the benefit of the doubt.She doesn't seem very likeable or romantic or vulnerable, or someone who could be as emotional as Lynley.But again, this is all talk in the dark, if the series really is over. I always wondered why Lynley was attracted to a bitchy neurotic self-absorbed psychologist when the far more appealing Havers was right there at his side.In the books, Helen is a pleasant, elegant, and very attractive woman who fit Lynley's life style much better than Havers could, and the thing made sense.The departure of the old Helen is, for me, a breath of fresh air in a series that was getting moldy. Still, the author's wonderful writing kept me moving forward in sustained interest. The real perpetrator's are unknown to the police. I guess it all boils down to this: this book was supposed to show the background of a person guilty of a crime and how his circumstances led up to this crime. In this manner, how did Inspector Lynleys wife die? It's just too unbelievable and that's the nail in the new helen's coffin, in my opinion. Who is he? Helen herself mentions that the robe is intended as a future wedding gift, and that it comes from her hands. 6 How did Helen Lynley die in the killing? The mystery was interesting, compelling even, and in places very scary/suspenseful. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. The author explores each character's inner feelings, their wants and desires and evokes empathy in the reader. I knew she was going to backtrack and tell how that came to happen, but I thought it would be a subplot to the next book, not the ENTIRE next book. This one was. I completely agree with you and other people who have said that Lesley Vickerage was a near disaster as Helen. It involves the shooting of Inspector Lynley's wife, Helen, but Inspector Lynley does not participate in this novel, nor is the novel a mystery. That story begins on the other side of London, in rough North Kensington, where the three mixed-race, virtually orphaned Campbell children are bounced first from their grandmother then to their aunt. There are/were more believable romances and appealing love-interests, like Lewis and Laura Hobson (they really got a great chemistry, plus IMHO Holman is a better actress than Vickerage), Sam Tyler and Annie in "Life On Mars" or Richard and Camille in "Death in Paradise" (what a pity Ben Miller quit the show). "Havers . But even still I could probably accept her if 2. she acted like the old Helen. A-plus. 1:13:21: 1:13:25 Why did they think that? Inspector Lynley! The kids, Ness a sixteen year old rebel with all the reasons to be surly, streetsmart and tough; Joel the most normal of the three thrust in the role of provider and head of household while he has his own issues and finally special Toby who is not quite a regular kid with developmental and social problems..The book follows their lives and their dramas as it leads up to the shooting of the wife of Detective Lynley, which for a 500+ page book was really no more than five page of crime and four hundred of buildup and tension..I guess it would have helped to know the previous story and how it relates but alas I can only take it for what it was, a look on London's racial and socioeconomic standards and how they mold and influence the three innocent and scarred children.. Helen as played by Vickerage is a true wretch - not someone anyone would want to spend ten minutes with. Why was the attack on Helen Lynley so badly planned, with the poor black boys in the posh white neighborhood, no escape planned? twink_2. My first Elizabeth George book. Can we say "false advertising"? But even still I could probably accept her if"What the hell does the new Helen's look and voice have to do with the actual character? Inspector Lynley tv series axed. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries was a BBC series that ran from 20012007, starring Nathaniel Parker as aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, 8th Earl of Asherton, and Sharon Small as his working-class partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, both of Scotland Yard.The first eleven episodes were based on novels by the American author Elizabeth George, though the author's . Elizabeth George explains why she killed Inspector Lynley's wife Helen. This Body of Death is one of Georges best as she shows Lynley still dealing with wife Helens death, and as she introduces Isabelle Ardery and her story, and as she lets the mystery and investigation unfold. . Clear a space here. As it happened her husband lost their baby too. . It was sad & puzzling to watch Lynley grovel to such a cold and bitchy woman who couldn't have cared less for him, IMO. Helen didn't make an appearance in season 4 so maybe the writers could have indicated she underwent a facelift or something like that, hence explaining the transformation from Lesley Vickerage, who herself transformed from Emma Fielding who played Helen in the Pilot (sort of like Dick York/Sargent in a way? She was sulky, surly and insensitive to the needs of anyone save herself.----------you're right: helen was really annoying, i couldn't stand her. She and the whole annoying, almost soap-opera like drama about Lynley's and Helen's relationship is the main reason which spoiled this series for me and why I prefer other shows like "Lewis" or "Inspector George Gently". This is one of the new ones that isn't based on a book. It was very different from the other books and I just couldn't get past the fact that none of George's usual characters were around. Under the circumstances, I think she really lucked out in the genes department! They should've dropped Helen then and there given her absence in the series and went with Caroline Miller, a new love interest. i liked lesley vickerage as helen because she and tommy made a good looking couple together. Barbara had worked with him long enough to know what it meant when he said her name with such studied neutrality. . That was part of the problems within their relationship, thoughthe inability to commit; the disappointments--this "new" Helen seems like a totally different person and she doesn't seem suitable for Tommy, either. Guess who oh-so-conveniently dies in this episode, clearing the way for the fandom's, her entire family being wiped out by a group of Serbians, Later, the same scenario plays out again, with Helen at the muzzle end. For the unfortunate Nicola Maiden was the daughter of a former officer in an elite undercover unit, a man Lynley once regarded as a mentor. Lynley didn't lose much. Lesley Vickerage. 4 Episodes 2003. Even more horrifying is that the trigger was apparently pulled by a twelve-year-old boy. Losing Roy Marsden was like losing Connery as Bond. Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings; Barbara Havers/Thomas Lynley; Thomas Lynley; Summary. You were lucky the authorities gave you another chance. why did they change helen in inspector lynley. Why do they do that, switch actors for a main character - do they think we won't notice? She boldly approaches Lynley with a pitch to help her not only solve the murder, but to steer her through the maze of running the London office, acting as her mentor. I have not read Elizabeth George before, but I am aware of her long running series with Inspector Lynley. I haven't seen the new Helen, though! I told him. Before long, there are signs that Joel himself has problems. Thank you. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries is a British crime drama, broadcast on BBC One from 12 March 2001 to 1 June 2008, comprising six series and twenty-three episodes. In viewing Natural Causes last night we were surprised to see the Helen (Lynley's wife) is now being played by a new actress. Lesley Francesca Vickerage (born Woolwich, 1961) is an English actress best known for her roles as WPC Jenny Dean in the television series Between the Lines, as Lieutenant (later Captain) Kate Butler in Soldier Soldier, as Helen Lynley in the television series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and as Aunt . "Have you seen - It doesn't matter." Both Vickerage and Parker played deeply flawed characters; watching them eat away at each other was the MAIN plotline of the series. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. but it still works, in that No Way Out way that this kind of societal/psychological novel tracks. I believe that here in the states the programs are behind as shown in the UK, so I do not know the fate of the new storyline. in that context, of course, the indictment's aimed at us. British crime investigation series based around aristocratic, Oxford-educated Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley ( Nathaniel Parker ) and his working-class assistant Sergeant Barbara Havers ( Sharon Small ). They did indeed change actresses that play his wife Helen. i am disappointet that elizabeth george did not write a last story where tommy finally found fulfilment in his job and some private happiness with a new love and an heir for howenstow. . out of the characterAs for the Vickerage characterization, it is true that Elizabeth George found it appalling, but the relationship between Helen and Tommy in the BBC series was the BEST thing--apart from the Havers/Lynley tensions, of course--about it. Inspector Lynley! I'm watching the series now - from start to finish (by renting the DVDs) and am just amazed at this Helen. . Thanks for finally mentioning Emma Fielding. Their chemistry isn't as strong as compared to the 1st Helen, but apples and oranges. Following other leads, Lynley discovers that Rooker was having an affair with Melissa Booth, the editor of a top newspaper. Hmm, after reading all the responses here it seems to be the general agreement that the second Helen was rather a neurotic whiner. Really didnt like the first half. Does Inspector Lynley stay married to Helen? July 16, 2015 at 10:29 am. Lynley is suspended and yet appears almost throughout, which means that Fiona Knight (DI) hardly gets a look in. I got through it, but it was the worst Elizabeth George book I have read. murder of Inspector Lynley's wife. Still nothing. The two final episodes begin six months after Lynleys wife has been shot dead. But I read George for the mystery part of her books. I'm just on season 2 of the series. The one writing a book about losing a kid? In the book Helen was not quite the sourpuss as depicted in the series. Aan het einde is er nog wel een link met Linley en Havers. A forensic psychologist and Helen's former mentor, Finnegan has been murdered by a car . Sorry !!! . The only worse actor in the series is Nathaniel Parker, whom a reviewer in a British newspaper calls 'Television's most turgid detective.'. Why would they choose three actresses who looked so different; they might at least have tried to get a similar hair color or style. Fans of the series mounted a campaign to save it, with a petition and by contacting the BBC, but to no avail. I admit, this Inspector Lynley Mystery had some delightful moments. Good story, interesting role switch. What Happened To Meyer Lansky's First Wife, The last thing I want when I read a fiction book, is to stay in the real world. In the 4th EP Helen does not appear and in number 5 we have again another and in EP 6 there is no Helen anymore (Hope . Catherine Russell replacing Lesley Vickerage is almost criminal; she's dull and unappealing. I think they had to find a new Helen because the old Helen was the least appealing character in this or almost any other show. Some love. I've read most of Elizabeth George's books, and am familiar with her characters, I think they're even a TV series. But all in all a satisfying show. Her first published novel was A Great Deliverance in 1988, featuring Thomas Lynley, Lord Asherton, a Scotland Yard inspector of noble birth; Barbara Havers, Lynley's assistant, from a very working-class background; Lady Helen Clyde, Lynley's girlfriend and later wife, of noble birth as well; and Lynley's friends Simon and Deborah St. James. The pilot episode, in two parts. This is such a sad book also. It involves the shooting of Inspector Lynley's wife, Helen, but Inspector Lynley does not participate in this novel, nor is the novel a mystery. Too bad she was only in one episode. Shortly after his death, someone breaks into Rookers flat and leaves bloodstains on the walls. . 25th March 2004, BBC One. Why were Neal and Hibah outside of the daycare where Ness worked? And what were the circumstances that led to his final act of desperation? It wasn't me. The victim, Eugenie Martin, has been knocked down and driven over several times. Sure, the other "family" members are mentioned and the family backgrounds is somewhat revealed, but way too much time is on the exploits of Ness, the sullen teenager who is beyond control.