Just One Evil Act

This excerpt is from an advance uncorrected proof.

The world is still deceived with ornament. In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt But, being season'd with a gracious voice, Obscures the show of evil?
The Merchant of Venice

15 NOVEMBER

EARLS COURT
LONDON

Sitting on a plastic chair inside Brompton Hall among a crowd of two hundred shouting individuals-all dressed in what had to be called alternative garb-was the last thing Thomas Lyn ley had ever expected to find himself doing. Edgy music was blasting from speakers the size of a tower block on Miami Beach. A food stall was doing a very brisk business in hot dogs, popcorn, lager, and soft drinks. A female announcer was periodically shrieking above the din to call out scores and name penalties. And ten helmeted women on roller skates were racing round a flat ring delineated with tape on the concrete floor.

It was supposed to be an exhibition match only: something to educate the populace in the finer points of women's flat track roller derby. But it was a case of tell-that-to-the-players, for the women engaged in the bout were deadly serious.

They had intriguing names. All of them were printed, along with suitably menacing photos, in the programmes that had been distrib uted as spectators took their seats. Lynley had chuckled as he'd read each nom de guerre. Vigour Mortis. The Grim Rita. Grievous Bodily Charm.

He was there because of one of the women, Kickarse Electra. She skated not with the local team-London's the Electric Magic-but rather with the team from Bristol, a savage-looking group of females who went by the alliterative collective Boadicea's Broads. Her actual name was Daidre Trahair, she was a large animal veterinarian em ployed at Bristol's zoo, and she had no idea that Lynley was among the howling mass of spectators. He wasn't sure if he was going to keep matters that way. He was, at this point, operating strictly by feel.

He had a companion with him, having lacked the

Elizabeth George is the New York Times bestselling author of nineteen suspense novels, two young adult novels, one book of nonfiction, and two short-story collections. Her work has been honored with the Anthony and Agatha Awards as well as several other prestigious prizes. She lives in Washington State.

Praise for Just One Evil Act

"Riveting tale of love, passion, and betrayal . . . series fans will enjoy following Lynley and Havers on their first investigation outside the U.K., while newcomers will be just as enthralled." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

" Just One Evil Act [is] among the most demanding and satisfying of the many detective novels by Elizabeth George." -The Wall Street Journal

"A serious, suspenseful, thought-provoking and heart-rending novel." - Richmond Times Dispatch

"George is a master of the wily plot and the timely tossed out red herring. . . . George's fans will be glad to see Havers back in action, even though, as ever, she's quick to land in trouble. And as for Lynley-well, he's as cool as ever, in more than one sense of the word." - Kirkus Reviews

"This is a must for fans of this series. Twists and turns are vintage George and do not disappoint." - Library Journal

Praise for no.1 New York Times bestseller Believing the Lie

"A multiplicity of subplots and a richness of physical detail. . . . The terrain and the weather are objective correlatives to the characters' stormy patches. Meanwhile, the story strands are untied and retied in satisfying and often moving ways." - The Wall Street Journal

"Elizabeth George is a superstar of the crime-fiction world, British Inspector Division. Deservedly so: Her tales always provide nuanced character studies and insights into social issues along with their intricate mysteries." - The Seattle Times

"Devilishly complicated." - Entertainment Weekly

"A dense, twisty plot with characters who reveal the sad spectrum of human dereliction." - People

"Masterly . . . an intricate crime drama." - Marie Claire

"George's . . . ability to continually enhance the portraits of Lynley, Havers, and other recurring characters while generating fully fleshed new ones for each novel is nothing less than superlative, and her atmospheric prose, complete with lovely and detailed