Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers are approached by a member of Parliament with a request to investigate the supposed suicide of a constituent's son.

Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are forced to confront the past as they try to solve a crime that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of a quiet, historic medieval town in England The cozy, bucolic town of Ludlow is stunned when one of its most revered and respected citizensIan Druitt, the local deaconis accused of a serious crime. Then, while in police custody, Ian is found dead. Did he kill himself? Or was he murdered? When Barbara Havers is sent to Ludlow to investigate the chain of events that led to Ians death, all the evidence points to suicide. But Barbara cant shake the feeling that shes missing something. She decides to take a closer look at the seemingly ordinary inhabitants of Ludlowmainly elderly retirees and college studentsand discovers that almost everyone in town has something to hide. A masterful work of suspense, The Punishment She Deserves sets Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Inspector Thomas Lynley against one of their most intricate cases. Fans of the longtime series will love the many characters from Elizabeth Georges previous novels who join Lynley and Havers, and readers new to the series will quickly see why she is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed writers of our time. Both a page-turner and a deeply complex story about the lies we tell, the lies we believe, and the redemption we need, this novel will be remembered as one of Georges best