The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Set 5

Product Description

Detective Inspector Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and Detective Sergeant Havers (Sharon Small), Elizabeth George s crime-cracking duo from opposite sides of the track, are back in four intriguing new mysteries. The fifth series begins with Lynley suspended from duty for alleged police brutality, and Havers with a new boss. Can they still function as a team, now that they re apart?

Average customer rating:

Intriguing mysteries!!
Inspector Lynley BBC Series
Excellence Series
INSPECTOR LYNLEY
Lynley and Havers - 4

Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Set 4
Starring: Maggy Sherif , Khalid Laith , Sharon Small , Nathaniel Parker , and Paul Hickey
Director: Julian Simpson , Jeremy Silberston , and Nigel Douglas
Manufacturer: WGBH BOSTON
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000HEWH0U
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Customer Reviews:

Intriguing mysteries!!.......2007-08-28

We are big fans of the Inspector Lynley mysteries, and this set did not let us down! The only problem is having to wait for the next series to come out!! They are intelligently written mysteries with intriguing characters - so much more entertaining than the brainless stuff on television these days.

Inspector Lynley BBC Series.......2007-06-27

Excellent as usual. We enjoyed series 4 more than series 3. Great scenery and camera work.

Excellence Series.......2007-06-09

This was the best series so far. I enjoy Inspector Lynley and his relationship with Barbara Havers.

Sharon Small is perfect for her part. She has to put up with a lot of nonsense from her peers.

I'm waiting anxiously for the next series to see what happens with Inspector Lynley dealing with his own problems and Havers having to work with another partner.

INSPECTOR LYNLEY.......2007-04-20

GREAT WATCHING ON A RAINY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. GOOD STORIES, PLOTS ARE NOT PREDICTABLE

Lynley and Havers - 4.......2007-03-20

These are very good stories...whether the episodes were based on an Elizabeth George novel or not. I am enjoying the later episodes very much. I like the actors and the scripts are well done.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Vol. 1-4

Average customer rating:

Watchable
WOW
The Inspectorr Lynley Mysteries, Vol. 1 - 4
Inspector Lynley Mysteries
The Best Crime Fighting Duo on the screen

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Vol. 1-4
Starring: Nathaniel Parker , and Sharon Small
Manufacturer: WGBH BOSTON
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ASIN: B000HEWH0A
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Customer Reviews:

Watchable.......2007-09-08

As a fan of the Elizabeth George novels, I was impressed by the initial quality of the series. As the series moved beyond the novels, the plots became irritatingly predictable. George had the sense to expand the narrowness of a two character lead by adding four other central characters. We are left with Helen, interpreted as so neurotic that one wonders why anyone would spend more than ten minutes with her.

WOW.......2007-07-27

What a great way to spend hot summer evenings, in front of the tv watching good mysteries with great acting and plot lines. Fantastic to watch the character development between Lynley and Havers. The English scenery shots are fantastic, almost feel like I am there.

The Inspectorr Lynley Mysteries, Vol. 1 - 4.......2007-07-11

Considering that the stories on which this series was based were written by an American lady, the programmes are excellent. Both stars are well drawn; particularly Sharon Small, and the scenery alone makes the series worth watching.

Agatha Christie it may be not, but an entertaining, beautifully filmed series it is.

Inspector Lynley Mysteries.......2007-07-03

My husband and I love British mysteries. I read many of the books years ago and was delighted to find them on PBS. We have now started to purchase sets. We really enjoyed this series but found Inspector Lynley to be overly harsh to Havers, his DS. I don't remember him being quite so rude in the books. We were not happy with the abrupt ending of the series - many plot lines left unfinished and we're disappointed to not have answers to our questions. The quality of the series was great - well photographed, great dialogue, good plots. I'd buy it again.

The Best Crime Fighting Duo on the screen.......2007-06-13

I've been a long time fan of the good inspector and the Inspector Lynley Mysteries are a cut above the rest, because it really concentrates on the complex relationship between Lynley and Havers. It's not just who dunnit, but more about how Lynley and Havers go about solving it that makes it compelling viewing.

This dvd set, with 17 dvds ( including a Great Deliverance) is like a big box of chocolates - watching it is an absolute treat. If you watch in order, you can see how their relationship evolves from their first reluctant pairing to the genuine friendship that develops.

The acting is sublime - Nathaniel Parker really shows Lynley to be a complex character ( as is the protagonist in Elizabeth George's books) and he captures Lynley's emotions well. Lynley is unlike other British detectives who seem fairly one dimensional and rather wooden. Sharon Small is also outstanding as Havers - from the ugly duckling early days to the assured, s strong character she becomes. Both characters seem very real, again, unlike other detective series and to get these two fine British actors sparring off each other for over 25 hours is television heaven.

All in all, a great DVD collection to own. Bring on Series 5 and 6 please!

Average customer rating:

Classic Danny Kaye humor
Weak but pleasant thanks to Kaye
Now I know why I had never heard of this film.....
Funny but typical
One of the Funniest and cleverets films around

The Inspector General
Starring: Danny Kaye , Walter Slezak , Barbara Bates , Elsa Lanchester , and Gene Lockhart
Director: Henry Koster
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
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ASIN: B0000AGWJ3
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Customer Reviews:

Classic Danny Kaye humor.......2007-09-03

Although not as good as "The Court Jester," "The Inspector General" is classic Danny Kaye. I am going to go with the presumption that pretty much everyone has seen this movie already - it's been released for over 60 years! - so I won't be spoiling it for anyone if I outline the plot; but then again, there is no need to outline the plot because people have seen it. If you have NOT seen it, the basic premise is the typical case of mistaken identity leading the corrupt members of a small-town's government to believe Danny Kaye's character is the Inspector General come to town to conduct a secret inspection. Much hilarity ensues, especially when Kaye's former partner, an amoral gypsy, shows up and decides to take the townsfolk for all they are worth, convincing Kaye to take advantage of this opportunity. And then the real Inspector General arrives . .

Danny Kaye was one of the best comedian/actors the world has ever known, in my opinion. He could play handsome, gentle and still mug for the camera - making silly faces. Plus he could sing! People today compare Jim Carey to Danny Kaye, but Jim Carey couldn't begin to hold a candle to Danny Kaye - not even close. Danny Kaye should live forever in our hearts as one of the best in the business. Don't miss out on this classic piece of his work.

Weak but pleasant thanks to Kaye.......2007-02-25

A weak but pleasant farce based on a play, there's really only one reason to watch this movie, and that is Danny Kaye. The man had a unique talent for making tongue twisting lyrics not only possible but intelligible. This movie is no exception, with a few witty songs, fewer still witty moments, and more than soupcon of gurning along the way.
In terms of content, the style is light and frothy, with the satirical nature of Gogol's play on which the movie is based is sweetened away almost in its entirety. Message filled farce has given way to Danny Kaye vehicle, often way over the top. That said, it does raise a smile with infectious humour. There are a few good lines.. "Oh, I love my family, but I'd give my six kids to get rid of my wife.", and the twisting of the original lyrics to a well known song.. "Drink to me only wi-ith thine eye-eyes / And I will drink with my nose!".
The Gypsy song is probably the highlight, as Kaye gets the crowd participation (zzzum - shtok shtok - hahaha ... watch the movie and you'll know what I am talking about..).
If you're a Danny Kaye fan then you'll likely enjoy, but if you don't care for his style this movie will certainly not win you over.
This DVD version is particularly poor, with a very poor transfer of the original Technicolor. I assume this is the common public domain Eastmancolor 16mm transfer, rather than the superior 35mm Technicolour print which seems rare to find. The sound is also weak and scratchy. Danny Kaye needs larger than life colour and sound to match his larger than life comedy, and I suggest that if you have not seen it before or even want to relive the highlights, wait a bit longer to see if they will finally release a restored remastered version which would do the material better justice.

Now I know why I had never heard of this film............2007-01-16

Though I had never seen nor heard The Inspector General, I thought I would purchase this DVD because I am a Danny Kaye fan. Unfortunately, after the first 15 minutes, I was ready to turn it off. The story was very slow, with Danny Kaye coming off as obnoxious, not witty. The songs were weak. There were a few moments of an occasional snort of laughter, but they were far and few between. This film must have been found in the farthest back shelf of the dusty film archives of forgetable films.

Funny but typical.......2007-01-12

This seems to follow a typical pattern of Danny Kaye movies: a zero turns into a hero. However, you'll also find laughable moments like Kaye's other works. It's funny, but it's not one of his best movies. If you could see this for free, I'd recommend watching it. Otherwise, you might want to watch one of Kaye's other, higher quality movies.

One of the Funniest and cleverets films around.......2005-02-06

I have always loved Danny Kaye and at 55 am still a big kid at heart. I love the theatre too and reckon this to be one of the best and cleverest adaptations of a classic play I have ever seen. Gogol's origuinal play has always been considered a major comic classic and while this adaptation does not follow the play exactly it catches so well the exact targets of pomposity and corruption that Gogol lined up. Along with the Court Jester it is clearly Danny Kayes greatest work and I am so glad it has been rediscovered by yet another generation. I reduced it by one star because it needs to be remastered and rereleased properly.
J

Average customer rating:

Mystery Inspector Lewis
EXCELLENT SHOW
"People do just die, every day, for no good reason."
It isn't Morse but I like what I saw
This is the rare sequel that is as good as the original

Mystery!: Inspector Lewis
Starring: Kevin Whately , Jemma Redgrave , Clare Holman , Jack Ellis (III) , and Laurence Fox
Director: Bill Anderson (III)
Manufacturer: WGBH Boston
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ASIN: B000FNNHZC
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Amazon.com

Inspector Lewis is a very satisfying follow-up to the legacy of Inspector Morse, the late investigator (played by John Thaw, who died in 2002) beloved by many a fan of British television mysteries. Lewis (Kevin Whatley) was Morse's right-hand sergeant. Following the elder sleuth's death, Lewis was promoted but then faced the sudden and unexpected loss of his wife. Inspector Lewis catches up with him upon his jet-lagged return from a two-year assignment in the British Virgin Islands. Destined to be put out to pasture as an instructor at detective school, Lewis instead gets caught up in a murder case that overlaps with an old, strangely yet apparently unresolved investigation by Morse. Joined by a new character, Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), Lewis looks into the murder of a brilliant American student at Oxford and her connection to the survivors of a racing legend killed, years before, under questionable circumstances. A coffee-stained, cryptic note in Morse's hand could provide a valuable clue, but fans of Morse holding any doubts about a possible new series built around Lewis will see this determined and hugely likable fellow come into his own. Lewis's emerging partnership with Hathaway is one of the real delights of this drama. The younger man, a former seminarian, and Lewis, who lost religious faith following his family tragedy, manage to find some ground for mutual respect and appreciation. --Tom Keogh

Description

MYSTERY! presents a gripping detective drama featuring echoes of the past, as Kevin Whately returns as Robbie Lewis, former sidekick to the legendary Inspector Morse. Inspector Lewis is an intelligent contemporary crime story set once again against the beautiful backdrop of Oxford, England. Following a family tragedy, Inspector Robert Lewis has been on a two-year assignment in the British Virgin Islands. Now he's back in the familiar territory of the English university city - five years after the death of his long-time police partner Morse. Teamed up with the much younger Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox; Gosford Park, Island At War), Lewis doesn't even make it home from the airport before he is pulled onto a murder scene. As Lewis and Hathaway join forces to investigate the death of American college student Regan Peverill (Sophie Winkleman), they are led to another student, Danny Griffon (Charlie Cox; Casanova), a man with a family secret whose previous brush with the law was investigated by a certain Inspector Morse.

Customer Reviews:

Mystery Inspector Lewis.......2007-09-10

I liked the movie very much. I hope there will be more Inspector Lewis movies. I also liked Inspector Morse very much.I am a great fan of Lewis.

EXCELLENT SHOW.......2007-07-30

I didn't see this show when it came out, but I certainly hope they made a lot more than one episode. Anybody who was a fan of Morse surely must be interested in the career and life of Morse's long-suffering assistant. This is the promotion Lewis and Kevin Whately deserve -- the leading detective, the star of the show. This mystery is absolutely up to the standard set by Morse, a series I was sorry to see end. Lewis' assistant here is the more intellectual and educated of the two men, whereas Morse was the more sophisticated man in the prior series. Lewis, however, is a clever man; and where cleverness leaves off, hard work and determination take over. Actually, Lewis is more sympathetic than Morse and more approachable. Yes, this one is a keeper, a film to enjoy for years to come. Let's hear it for Detective Lewis!!!

"People do just die, every day, for no good reason.".......2007-06-29

Inspector Robbie Lewis arrives at the Oxford Police Department to a whole new regime when he returns to Oxford after three years in the Caribbean. He has been trying to come to grips with the death of his mentor, Inspector Endeavor Morse (whose series, including specials, ran from 1987 - 2000), and of his wife Valerie, in a London hit-and-run accident. The Chief Superintendent is now Jean Innocent, an abrupt woman who immediately assigns Lewis to a senior training post, though he wants to get back into action. Reluctantly, she allows him to manage a new murder case, but only for three days.

A young math student has been shot in the head at close range while at an Oxford sleep lab to which only a few people have access. The suspect is Danny Griffon, a disturbed but brilliant fellow-student, and the heir to a sports car company which the Japanese are in the process of buying. Lewis (Kevin Whately) and his partner, James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), a former seminarian, investigate this death and several others which occur within the next few days.

Those who loved the Inspector Morse series and who mourned not only the death of Morse, in the final episode, but also of actor John Thaw, in 2002, will be delighted by this spin-off, which gives Morse's sidekick his own series. Actor Kevin Whately continues his self-effacing role, but he also conveys a sense of competence, and his relationship with Hathaway reminds one of Morse's relationship with Lewis. Whately has obviously aged in the seven years since the end of the Morse series, and this serves him in good stead here, providing a sense of gravitas.

The wonderfully intricate plot to this pilot, as good as the best of the Morse series, keeps the viewer totally involved, and the occasional references to Morse, including a poignant visual reminder via a crossword puzzle which retains the outline of his coffee cup, add to the sense of continuity. The photography is outstanding, though not as dramatic here as it was in the Morse series, and Barrington Pheloung, who did the brilliant music for the Morse series, returns for this series. In England, this pilot was followed by three more episodes in February and March, 2007, and one can only hope these will be made available soon to those of us who long for more of the clever mysteries and wonderful characters we enjoyed with the Morse series. n Mary Whipple

It isn't Morse but I like what I saw.......2007-04-08

I didn't even know there had been an "Inspector Lewis" story out until I saw it mentioned in a mail order catalog I get. Amazon had a much better price so I bought my copy here just based on the old Morse stories I'd seen.

Kevin Whately, as Inspector Lewis, might be a smarter man than the old character but he does a good job and I certainly love seeing Oxford again. One or more other reviews write about a different pacing to the show- I didn't really notice that. I did like the way several false leads were given to the viewer, you really have to pay attention to the story.

I saw several links to the old Morse stories starting when the jetlagged Inspector Lewis is almost run down by a Jaguar of the same model and similar color to the car Inspector Morse used to drive, some I didn't pick up on until a day or so later after a llittle thought.

The show is very well done and I'll watch more episodes if PBS ever gets more of them (I think season 1 of the Inspector Lewis series is now out at AmazonUK- if it isn't it will be soon, you'll need something that can play region 2 PAL format to watch those)and I'll buy them somewhere even if there isn't a U.S. market copy available.

This is the rare sequel that is as good as the original.......2007-02-07

This show is extremely well-written and should not be missed by any fan of Morse. I put off watching this for a month because I thought it would be depressing - Morse dead, Inspector Lewis widowed, and now he's been promoted. Would he be turned into a brooding sort of person, or perhaps another Morse? Would the sidekick take on the personality of Lewis? Would they bumble along without leadership? Would it be a sad farce of the Morse series?

Well, not to worry - it is WONDERFUL. They were true to the original characters, with a couple of new ones added that bring forth all sorts of future possibilities. The sidekick is absolutely perfect - intriguing, intelligent, subtle, and with a very understated but devastating wit. As for Lewis, even though he's mourning his departed wife, he never strays from the fundamentally optimistic character that we know and love. He's older, more mature, still wounded, but not bitter.

The subtle references to Morse are delightful: the anonymuosly funded "Endeavor" scholarship, the comment about no one knowing the first name of Morse (ah, but Robbie Lewis actually does, and so do you, if you've watched the one Morse episode where Lewis overheard Morse reveal it), the old crossword filled in by Morse with cryptic comments, the references to Hamlet, the ring of stain from a Morse beer glass, and the sidekick banging on the window of Lewis' house to awaken him. The mystery part is well up to the Morse standard; the characters are very three-dimensional; and the scenery is as gorgeous as ever.

I hope they make more like this one, and I hope they keep the same great combination of writers, actors, and all the rest. You can really tell that this is a winning team, right out of the gate.

Average customer rating:

excellent
A great gift
Wrong Actor
Entertaining, but not as good as Morse.
A TOUCH OF CLASS

Inspector Lynley - Set 1
Starring: Samantha Baker , Cherie Lunghi , Nathaniel Parker , Sharon Small , and Tim Pigott-Smith
Director: Richard Laxton , and Kim Flitcroft
Manufacturer: WGBH BOSTON
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ASIN: B0000WN12W
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Amazon.com

As Diana Rigg, the host of Mystery!, the venerable PBS series which premiered these films, observes, Inspector Lynley gives his partner, Barbara Havers, class, while she gives him nothing but grief. That's not quite the case, although by the final episode in this four-part series, they can be heard bantering like David and Maddie from Moonlighting. And what is that tentatively wistful look on Havers' face while Lynley regards his relationship with an unrequited love? The Inspector Lynley Mysteries reunites author Elizabeth George's mismatched partners first introduced onscreen in A Great Deliverance. Nathaniel Parker (Eddie Murphy's ghostly host in The Haunted Mansion) stars as Lynley, Oxford-educated detective, and eighth earl of Asherton. Sharon Small costars as Havers, a working class cop. Their class differences and personal prejudices are well delineated in "Well Schooled in Murder," set at a posh boarding school where a young student has been slain, and "For the Sake of Elena," which investigates the death of a Cambridge Universty professor's deaf daughter.

The other two cases are more intriguingly personal, as Lynley is reunited with lifelong friend Helen Clyde. In "Payment in Blood," she is one of a cast of suspects when a playwright is slaughtered. In "Missing Joseph," she returns as a profiler, who assists Lynley in the case of a poisoned vicar. We also see the softer side of Havers as she deals with her increasingly senile mother. While fans of George's books may regret the abridgements necessary to bring each episode in at 90 minutes, mystery buffs will enjoy the contemporary spin on classic genre conventions, and Lynley and Havers' prickly relationship, which is at the heart of the series. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Love, life and murder. Just a few of Inspector Lynley's mysteries.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries feature the most celebrated British detective duo in years: Inspector Thomas Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and Sergeant Barbara Havers (Sharon Small). Over the course of more than 10 intriguing Elizabeth George novels, beginning with A Great Deliverance, Lynley and Havers have won millions of loyal fans. It's no mystery why.

Decidedly uppercrust detective Lynley and his partner Havers endure a marriage made at police headquarters. Lynley is suave, sophisticated, and the eighth Earl of Asherton. Havers is rumpled, resentful, and working class—with an inborn dislike of the highborn. Despite their differences, the sleuths evolve into a potent team, employing their cunning, intuition, and street smarts to unravel some of the most heinous—and suspenseful—crimes.

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. The Inspector and Havers soon discover hints of impropriety among both masters and students and race to crack the case before more students come into harm's way.

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. The mysterious drama is further complicated by Lynley's deepening feelings for a woman involved with the play's director, who is himself a prime suspect.

For The Sake Of Elena The fog lifts over the green hills of Cambridge, revealing the lifeless body of a prominent professor's daughter, a young woman admired for being fun-loving, popular, daring—and deaf. The mystery is far from academic as Lynley and Havers discover fatal twists that sealed the fate of one dysfunctional family.

Missing Joseph A rural vicar is the victim of hemlock poisoning. Lynley and Havers discover that everyone from the local herbalist and her troubled teenage daughter to the local constable has a motive. The duo combs the countryside sifting for clues, and finally uncovers the secrets behind the murder.

Special DVD features include: virtual tour of the Mystery! studio; Q&A with Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small; selected cast filmographies; selected cast list; biography for Diana Rigg, host of Mystery!; bibliography for Elizabeth George; selected cast list; link to the Mystery! Web site; scene selections; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.

On fourDVD9 discs. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Customer Reviews:

excellent.......2007-03-22

Inspector Lynley mysteries are great!! I can't wait to see them all. I hope that there are more than 4 sets to buy.

A great gift.......2007-01-17

This was a present for family members who enjoy British shows, and they seemed very happy to receive it. They had heard of Inspector Lynley before, when the series was on Mystery! on PBS. It seems like an excellent series and was recommended to me by an acquaintance.

Wrong Actor.......2006-08-08

I haven't viewed any of the DVD's or videos but I can tell by the Inspector depicted on the cover that he is wrong. Where is the beautiful blond hair that is described in so many books of Lynley's looks. If they are going to be put to video they should at least be true to the authour's descriptions.

Entertaining, but not as good as Morse........2005-12-14

I haven't read any of the novels of Elizabeth George, which is probably just as well, since, with very few exceptions, the film versions of novels usually do not do justice to the originals.

The obvious comparison of these dramas is with the Inspector Morse series, which is superior in some ways. Aside from John Thaw's superb acting, Morse was a far more interesting character than Lynley. Lynley is just a bit too perfect to really identify with. Nathaniel Parker is a pretty good actor - it's his character that's the problem. Lynley would be an upper-class "twit" if it weren't that underneath all his good breeding he is basically a decent human being.

Sharon Small does an excellent job as Inspector Sergeant Havers, I think better than Kevin Whately in the Morse series. In fact, the Lynley series gets most of its dramatic strength from the slight lunacy Havers brings to her relationship with Lynley. Havers is highly IMperfect, to the point that no one will work with her but Lynley. Yet she somehow muddles through, sometimes in a big way, which is a big surprise to everyone, including Havers.

Lesley Vickerage does an excellent job as Lynley's love interest, a brilliant and neurotic psychologist and criminal profiler. In the later series she provides additional human complexity to offset Lynley's superb and gentlemanly perfection.

The plots in this first series are not as good as those in the later ones. Still, the view of England and English society is interesting, even if it's just TV. The cultural divergeance between America and England continues, to the point that Havers' accent is often completely incomprehensible, at least to my ear. It's somewhat surprising that an American could write novels about England and English society that are so well-accepted by the English.

Enjoyable viewing for fans of English mysteries.

A TOUCH OF CLASS.......2005-10-20

I'm coming rather late to this series. As they say, "better late than never". I've completely fallen in love with this Murder/Mystery series. Besides being a superbly presented and acted Murder/Mystery, it has the additional appeal of having the two principle characters being of different backgrounds (classes). Nathaniel Parker is superb as the Oxford educated detective Lynley (in other words "Upper Class".) and Sharon Small is wonderful as the working class cop Havers. Their differences of perception of each case adds just the right amount of "spice" to each case and they end up requiring each others input in order to solve each case.
In light of the above, I look forward to purchasing the other episodes in the series!

Average customer rating:

I am a fan!
great dvd
Inspector Lynley-A Great Deliverance
Fantastic Adaptation
Clash of classes

Inspector Lynley - A Great Deliverance
Starring: Nathaniel Parker , Sharon Small , Anthony Calf , Amanda Ryan , and Emma Fielding
Director: Richard Laxton
Manufacturer: WGBH BOSTON
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009MECO
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Amazon.com

"A decapitation, a traumatized teen, and localized police corruption," a superior tells Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard. "A good result is important for all of us." The result is very good indeed, as Elizabeth George's gripping bestseller is given the grand PBS treatment. Originally broadcast on Mystery!, this production marked the long-running series' first adaptation of a whodunit written by an American. Nathaniel Parker stars as Lynley, the Oxford-educated detective (and the eighth earl of Asherton, no less). Sharon Small costars as his very reluctant partner, Sgt. Barbara Havers, a working-class cop who considers Lynley "an arrogant aristocratic ponce." Their relationship is at the heart of a baffling case involving the grisly ax murder of farmer William Tey. At the scene of the horrific crime is Tey's 16-year-old daughter, dressed in her bloodied Sunday best, and unable (or unwilling) to speak. While sorting out the clues and suspects (including a runaway wife and daughter, and a nephew poised to inherit the farm), Lynley and Havers are bedeviled by their own personal dramas (his best friend has married the woman he loves, and she struggles to take care of her senile mother). Havers, who initially has a sizable chip on her shoulder, remarks early on that maybe her new assignment is her boss's idea of a joke. "Maybe," Lynley offers, "he thought we'd make a good team." How right he is. --Donald Liebenson

Description

Talk about a puzzling case. Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard (Nathaniel Parker, Far from the Maddding Crowd) is assigned to investigate the gruesome murder of a farmer in a seemingly peaceful country village, but it's his new partner, Sgt. Barbara Havers (Sharon Small, About a Boy), whom he's finding indecipherable. Havers is as gritty, rumpled, and working-class as the Inspector is refined, well-heeled, and sophisticated.

Is the murderer the farmer's shy daughter who was found next to her father's decapitated corpse? The nephew who stands to inherit the farm? The estranged wife who's protecting her new family from an unsightly past? Or is it a suspicious village resident with a shady past and a weak alibi?

Based on the best-selling mystery by Elizabeth George, A Great Deliverance introduces Inspector Lynley with first-rate performances and abundant amounts of nail-biting suspense.

Special DVD features include: virtual tour of the Mystery! studio; Q&A with Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small; selected cast filmographies; selected cast list; biography for Diana Rigg, host of Mystery!; bibliography for Elizabeth George; selected cast list; link to the Mystery! Web site; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.

On one DVD9 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Customer Reviews:

I am a fan!.......2007-04-10

I had watched the series on TV but had missed the pilot.
I never knew that there was so much murder and mayhem in
London and the English countryside.

great dvd.......2007-03-22

it's a great beginning to the lynley mysteries.....havers and lynley make a great team...ithey really belong together, even though he is rich and she is not...i am tired of investing myself in these movies or shows where the lead characters do not get together in the end....

Inspector Lynley-A Great Deliverance.......2006-11-06

"A Great Deliverance" is in a series of British mysteries genre which she explains is similar to Agatha Christie novels and much like a good crossword puzzle.

Fantastic Adaptation.......2006-07-30

This was an excellent movie. It stayed very true to the book. The English countryside was a perfect backdrop for this mystery. I think Elizabeth George is a wonderful author, and I am very excited that her novels are now movies. I highly recommend this movie. I would, however, recommend you read the book first. The experience will then be even more enjoyable.

Clash of classes.......2006-03-09

They come from different worlds, they bicker and they fight but they're great together. Grit, class and murder...and a hint of romance. Above all, a great mystery.

Average customer rating:

Inspecter Lynley #2
terrific cast, entertaining stories
Inspector Lynley Mysteries
DVD's vs BOOKS
SUPER SERIES

Inspector Lynley - Set 2
Starring: Clare Swinburne , Mark Brighton , Nathaniel Parker , Sharon Small , and Andrew Havill
Director: Richard Spence , Brian Stirner , and Edward Bennett
Manufacturer: WGBH BOSTON
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001WTWQK
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Amazon.com

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 2 finds the mismatched police detectives from Elizabeth George's novels somewhat more harmonious than in their previous quartet of BBC/PBS dramas. While aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and his working class, protégée-partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers (Sharon Small) maintain a shaky trust, they develop a firm regard and respect for one another, even making small inroads into each other's personal lives. Not that romance is in the air: One can spot the occasional wistful look on their faces, but the emerging intimacy between Lynley and Havers has more to do with sharing tough times in the trenches of murder investigations.

Playing for the Ashes concerns the killing of a respected cricket star and the strange constellation of suspects directly or indirectly connected to him, including an estranged wife, an angry lover, a maternal philanthropist and her streetwalker daughter, an untrustworthy agent, and a network of animal-liberation activists. Lynley and Havers find, not surprisingly, that looking into a high-profile murder is a slow and hazardous venture; all the more so in In the Presence of the Enemy, a tense thriller about a kidnapped girl whose abductor demands that a powerful newspaper editor publicly confess he is the child's secret father. While Lynley searches for clues in London, Havers teams with an eager detective in a small town and is instantly uneasy about the latter's emotionally unbalanced mother and girlfriend. A Suitable Vengeance is set deep within the intrigues of Lynley's wealthy family. Havers shows up as a guest at her partner's Cornwall estate to help celebrate Lynley's wedding engagement, but is soon navigating old grudges between family members when Lynley's drug-addicted brother becomes a suspect in the death of a shopkeeper. Finally, Deception on His Mind strains Lynley and Havers's relationship a bit when the latter's investigation of the murder of a Pakistani man is called into question by an old chum. A harrowing climax leaves enough ethical and narrative ambiguity to make one yearn for more in the Lynley-Havers series. --Tom Keogh

Description

The most celebrated detective duo in years is back on the case. Nathaniel Parker (Far from the Madding Crowd) and Sharon Small (About A Boy) return as the New Scotland Yard team of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers in four riveting murder mysteries that take them from seedy urban underbellies to posh country estates in search of whodunit. The misfit tandem of the suave Inspector and the rumpled Sergeant has evolved from cultural rivalry into a successful team of close friends and confidantes. But solving murders isn't their only problem. In addition to his puzzling caseload, Lynley struggles with his blossoming relationship with Helen (Lesley Vickerage), while Havers grapples with both newfound personal freedom and professional challenges. Inspired by a string of successful cases, Lynley and Havers unravel a fresh caseload of heinous, suspenseful crimes, each based on a novel by Elizabeth George. Playing For The Ashes The murder of a beloved sports star leads to a loaded lineup of key suspects and bizarre twists. Without much cooperation from a dysfunctional family and other odd "players," Lynley and Havers break the rules to tease the killer out of hiding. In the Presence of the Enemy The abduction and killing of a Government minister's daughter brings Lynley into a lethal web of political and personal unrest. But after another child is kidnapped, the pair must decipher the deceit and pinpoint the murderer to stop a second senseless killing. A Suitable Vengeance When a local shopkeeper is found dead, a celebration of the Inspector's engagement to Helen at his impressive family estate becomes a murder investigation. But the biggest surprise is the key suspect: Lynley's drug-addict brother, Peter. Deception on His Mind While Lynley is honeymooning in Mexico, the body of a young Asian man is found on the beach, leading to a trail of racial tensions, family loyalties and illicit sexuality. Havers, after discovering an old police school chum is on the case, sets off to ensnare the killer. Special DVD features include: link to the Mystery! Web site; scene selections; and closed captions. On four DVD5 discs. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Customer Reviews:

Inspecter Lynley #2.......2007-06-13

Love the whole series. The only thing is that it is to hear the conversations, especially Sharon's, But the acting and plots are great.
I have them all. I wish there more of the Inspector Lynley's series.

terrific cast, entertaining stories.......2007-05-15

I have now purchased all of the DI lynley DVDs and I enjoyed every one - each story is full of engaging storylines, wonderful acting and a stressful, but believable partnership between two people who come from different sides of the tracks.

I have also read many of the books by Elizabeth George - but I think the movies won me over because of the crisp adaptations without too much detail where it wasn't neccessary - and engaging actors who bring these stories to life. Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small are really outstanding in these roles.

Inspector Lynley Mysteries.......2007-03-08

We are so delighted with the Inspector Lynley and Barbara Havers mysteries. We have all four sets and absolutely waiting eagerly for the next series. Hurry up!

Thank you,

Paul & Judy Langer

DVD's vs BOOKS.......2007-01-13

I've read all of the Inspector Lynley books. These DVD's do come close to doing the books justice; however, some of the suspense is passed over because of time. Nevertheless, I think the stories run relatively true.
In the beginning, I didn't like the two people playing Lynley and Chevers, but I have grown used to them. The woman playing Helen, Lynley's love interest, is perfect for her part.

SUPER SERIES.......2006-03-22

You'll get hooked once you start this series.
Can not go wrong with purchasing this set or any one of the series.

Average customer rating:

Great series but annoying lines on top of screen
british best
GREAT SERIES CONTINUES
a thinkers mystery
Lynley = Love

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Set 3
Starring: Catherine McDonough , Steven Webb , Sharon Small , Al Weaver , and Terence Harvey
Director: Alrick Riley , and Sebastian Graham Jones
Manufacturer: WGBH BOSTON
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009OUC5U
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Amazon.com

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Set 3 begins where set 2 left off, with Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers (Sharon Small) enduring a demotion following her controversial (though logical) handling of the climactic crisis at the end of "Deception on His Mind." But Havers is soon brought back into action as a sleuth in the first story here, "In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner," when her mentor, Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley (Nathaniel Parker), requests her participation in solving a double murder. One of the victims is the daughter of a retired Superintendent in Vice, who believes the killer is probably someone he once put away in jail. But the aristocratic Lynley and working-class Havers, an unusual team created in a series of novels by Elizabeth George, find the truth is more complicated than that as their investigation leads into a seamy world.

Long past their class differences and early conflicts--most of which were over differing perceptions and levels of experience with police business--Havers and Lynley increasingly cling to their relationship as events in their individual lives get more complex. This is especially true of Lynley, whose marriage suffers as he struggles to find a balance between work and home. Indeed, work only gets more complicated in "A Traitor to Memory," which concerns the murder of a woman who (a) disappeared from her family years before following the death of her daughter and (b) appears to have been on her way to see a man who claims never to have known her. "A Cry for Justice" sees Havers regaining esteem and ground in the homicide division after she determines that a woman thought to have committed suicide might have, in fact, been murdered. Finally, loyalties are tested in "If Wishes Were Horses," when a forensic psychologist--the former mentor of Lynley's wife--is killed by a car bomb. Havers and Lynley's investigation finds evidence that the latter's pregnant spouse might have been involved with the dead man at one time. As the chips fall, tragedy strikes Lynley's already unhappy marriage, followed by another terrible crisis that befalls the other important woman in his life, Havers. --Tom Keogh

Description

Lynley and Havers are about to face their ultimate tests. Nathaniel Parker (Far from the Madding Crowd) and Sharon Small (About A Boy) return as the New Scotland Yard team of Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers in four riveting murder mysteries that share some striking--and disturbing--parallels to their own lives. Having weathered the early storms of their partnership, the high-brow Inspector and the emphatically working-class Sergeant face new challenges--including questions about Havers' future and Lynley's loyalty. While solving murders remains the partners' focus, Lynley finds it hard to find the proper balance between work and marriage to his wife, Helen, while Havers struggles to bounce back from her demotion and to find her proper path in life. While Lynley and Havers unravel the heinous and suspenseful mysteries based on Elizabeth George's best-selling whodunits, they are also grappling with a mounting series of challenges and twists in their personal lives in a season that culminates with a true cliffhanger.

In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner The daughter of a retired detective and her companion are murdered in the bucolic countryside of northern England, leading Lynley and Havers to countless suspects--and more victims.

A Traitor to Memory When Eugenie Martin falls victim to foul play, her complicated and tragic past provides Lynley and Havers with an obvious suspect--and a case that doesn't quite add up.

A Cry for Justice Morag McNicholl appeared to live a life of quiet respectability, but her death reveals a darker existence. As Lynley focuses on her mysterious past and the death toll mounts, Havers follows her hunches by going undercover.

If Wishes Were Horses There's no shortage of suspects in the murder of noted criminal profiler Dermot Finnegan. But when the case hits too close to home, Lynley takes extraordinary measures to bring the murderer to justice.

Customer Reviews:

Great series but annoying lines on top of screen.......2007-04-30

I love the Inspector Lynley Series but couldn't watch this series because of moving, annoying lines on the top of the screen on all four installments. I've obtained this series from two different sources now and both have these lines.

british best.......2006-03-03

the best of the detective series and a must for your own cllection dvds

GREAT SERIES CONTINUES.......2006-01-30

This superb "Murder/Mystery" series continues to delight me in every way especially with its two main characters. As stated before in my review of Series Two of this Murder/mystery, I'm besotted with the character of Barbara Havers as played by Sharon Small. I really feel that her character "matured" wonderfully in Series Three exhibiting much of her "strength" therein-she is more than willing to "stand-up" to the powerful men that are "running the show" in other words her bosses or those that consider themselves her "betters". Continuing where Series Two left-off with Havers having suffered the unjustified and humiliating demotion to merely "a cop on the beat" she really proves that she is made of "tough stuff" helping upper-class Lynley (who, to me is, at first in this series, sickeningly tolerant towards Havers while at the same time, rather condescending towards her) to solve some mysteries with her "of common folk" intelligence playing a vital part in resolving the cases and showing Lynley that he needs her in more ways than one (to me that also includes romantically which, of course, still remains hidden). She certainly, on a few occasions verbally "lets him have it"! In most of the instances, it's good that she is there because Lynley is having troubles "on the home front" with that bore of a wife that he's so in love with-I'll never understand the attraction! However, their relationship (or lack thereof) with all of its ramifications adds "interest" to the program (if nothing else but confirming the saying "love is blind" This is very evident in Series Three. There's a pregnancy that I don't think Lynley is too happy about with the bore of a wife not too happy with his reaction). The two main characters of this series are a wonderful duo and the writers have allowed in Series Three them to somewhat meld naturally (while maintaining their fierce independence) with the characters changing in a most natural way. Especially in Series Three, it's a good thing for Lynley that Havers is around. When a case hits too close to his home, Lynley almost loses it with Havers really proving her "worth".

Havers in series three has become a little more of a "lady" while Lynley is less of a "dandy". However, the "class thing" is still very much evident which adds just the right amount of "spice" to the series. The "class status" of the characters (Lynley's upper class" and Havers "working class") was very evident in the third disc episode "A Cry for Justice" with both of their sensibilities needed in order to solve the murder/mystery. That was just one of the four outstanding shows in Series Three. All are great! I'm really looking forward to more series from this murder/mystery show-I love it!

a thinkers mystery.......2005-10-07

i enjoy the Lynley mysteries so much. the stories include the case itself and then insight into the main charaters lives. i love the interaction between lynley and havers. i think they do truly enjoy each others company even though they are from different backgrounds. i so enjoy watching them play off of each other. i always find myself feeling for the two of them. one thing i really appreciate about lynley is that, when he does lose his temper or say something harsh, he always goes back at sometime and apologizes for his words. now there is a great man!

Lynley = Love.......2005-09-29

This series is great. The acting is great. The stories are great, even the two not based on Elizabeth George's books are great. The funny thing is that the books are so complex that you can watch the show and then read the book and not all be spoiled because they are so different, but they are both so good. My only complaint is that the sound on BBC productions consistantly sucks. How can their be an entire country with bad sound production? But I can't blame the DVDs because it's been like that on every British show I've ever seen via DVD or BBC America.

Average customer rating:

Inspector Mom
Starring: Danica McKellar
Director: Brad Keller
Manufacturer: Fireside Releasing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000T8D9X8
Release Date: 2007-09-04

DVD:

DVD

DVD