Series ✦ Penny’s Take
Careless in Red
Elizabeth George · 2009
82/100
👍 Worth It
Elizabeth George at her most emotionally ambitious — watching Lynley grieve his wife by walking Cornwall's cliffs, then stumble into a murder he cannot officially investigate, is a compelling structural choice that pays off. The Cornish setting is vividly rendered, the ensemble is complex, and The Bookbag's praise of 'intelligent, surprising, sexy, funny, compassionate and wise' is earned. Adults who can handle the length and the strong language will find this one of the series' richest entries.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
📚 Buy the book ↗📱 Read on Kindle ↗🎧 Listen on Audible ↗ affiliate links · support the site, never the verdict
As an Amazon Associate and Audible affiliate, Penny earns from qualifying purchases. This never affects the verdict — see our affiliate disclosure.
Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety70
substance84
craft86
originality76
accuracy88
hype82
age-fit75
human-eye86
Penny’s verdict82
Cross-pollinate