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Elizabeth George

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For other people named Elizabeth George, see Elizabeth George (disambiguation).

Elizabeth George
BornSusan Elizabeth George
(1949-02-26) February 26, 1949 (age 76)
Warren, Ohio, U.S.
OccupationWriter
EducationEnglish
Bachelor of Arts
Counseling and psychology
Master's of Education
Alma materUniversity of California, Riverside
GenreMystery fiction, detective fiction
Spouse
Ira Jay Toibin
​
​
(m. 1971; div. 1995)​

Thomas McCabe
Website
elizabethgeorgeonline.com

Susan Elizabeth George (born February 26, 1949)[1] is an American writer of mystery novels set in Great Britain.

She is best known for a series of novels featuring Inspector Thomas Lynley. The 21st book in the series was published in January 2022. The first 11 were adapted for television by the BBC as earlier episodes of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. A separate four-part series entitled Lynley to be shown on BBC One began filming in 2024, starring Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay.[2][3]

Biography

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Early life

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Elizabeth George was born in Warren, Ohio, the second child of Robert Edwin and Anne (née Rivelle) George. She has an older brother, author Robert Rivelle George. Her mother was a nurse, and her father a manager for a conveyor company.[1] The family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area when she was 18 months old.[4] She has described the family as "quite poor" and with little formal education, but recounts that her mother gave her an old Remington typewriter, and she began writing at the age of 7.[5] She says: "I have always felt compelled to write. When I began reading the Little Golden Books as a 7-year-old, I knew that I wanted to write one, too. I wrote tiny stories like that in the beginning."[6] She names Anne of Green Gables as one of the literary influences of her childhood.[7]

She studied at Foothill Community College (now Foothill College) in California, and at the University of California, Riverside, where she received a BA in 1970.[8] While teaching English in the public school system, she completed a master's degree in counseling and psychology.[9] She received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Cal State University Fullerton in 2004[10] and was awarded an honorary Masters in Fine Arts from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts in 2010.[11]

Literary career

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George taught English in the public school system for 13 years, writing three crime novels before being accepted for publication.[5] The critical and commercial success of her first published novel, A Great Deliverance (1988), allowed her to give up teaching and become a full-time writer.[8]

The novel introduces the upper-class Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley of Scotland Yard (in private life, the Earl of Asherton) and his working-class partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers[12]. When asked in interview why she chose to create a titled hero, she spoke of the freedom of being a debut novelist, saying: "I could do anything, you see, because when I started I never thought it would be published."[5]

Since 1988 George has published 20 more Inspector Lynley mysteries, four young adult novels in the Whidbey Island series,[13] three collections of short stories and two self-help books for writers. She names the author John Fowles as her main literary influence.[6]

She established the Elizabeth George Foundation, a grant for unpublished and emerging writers, in 1997.[14]

As of 2025, George teaches creative writing seminars in the US, Canada and the UK.[8]

Personal life

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George married Ira Jay Toibin in 1971 and they divorced in 1995.[9] George is currently married to retired firefighter Tom McCabe.[15] She has spoken of her struggle with depression,[6] saying: "Happiness is an inside job - it takes a long time to learn that."[5]

Reception

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George has spoken of being a great Anglophile since her first visit to Britain in 1966, and has spoken of watching UK TV shows and reading books by UK novelists to "pick up the syntax of British speech."[16] She has been praised for the authenticity of her portrayal of "the nuances, class system, language, humour and habits of the British,"[15] although not all critics have been in agreement. The Times crime critic Marcel Berlins has been quoted as saying she "is an exasperating writer, insists on perpetuating a police procedure that hasn’t existed for decades, is not good on social mores and her dialogue often reveals a tin ear."[5] Critics have commented adversely on the length and complexity of her novels[17] whilst acknowledging the satisfying nature of the read.[18]

Awards

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A Great Deliverance: Winner: Agatha Award for Best First Novel (1988); 1989 Anthony Award for Best Debut Novel (1989); Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (France).[5] Nominated: Edgar Award in 1988.[19][20][21]

Bibliography

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Inspector Lynley

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Whidbey Island Saga

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Short story collections

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Nonfiction

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References

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  1. ^ a b Thompson, Clifford (2001). Current Biography Yearbook 2000. Bronx, New York: H. W. Wilson Company. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-8242-1004-5.
  2. ^ Goldbart, Max (July 26, 2024). "Inspector Lynley Series In The Works At BritBox International & 'Wolf Hall' Producer Playground". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "Lynley, a new imagining of the hit crime novels, acquired by the BBC". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  4. ^ Stenger, Karl L. (2005). "Elizabeth George". Dictionary of Literary Biography. Detroit, Michigan: Gale. pp. 132–143.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Wheatley, Jane (June 12, 2008). "Interview with Elizabeth George, the Californian crime writer who looks to England for inspiration". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Pohl, Kathy (June 2007). "The Writer" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Q&A with 'Edge of Nowhere' author Elizabeth George". www.crackingthecover.com. April 4, 2025. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c "Elizabeth George | Biography, Books, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Lindsay, Elizabeth Blakesley (2007). Great Women Mystery Writers. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-313-33428-3.
  10. ^ "Best-Selling Author to Receive Honorary Doctorate At Cal State Fullerton's 45th Annual Commencement". calstate.fullerton.edu. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  11. ^ "Remarkable Women of UC Riverside | 150 Years of Women at Berkeley". 150w.berkeley.edu. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  12. ^ George, Elizabeth. "Chapter 2". A Great Deliverance. As if a grammar school background and a working-class accent were social diseases that might infect him
  13. ^ "Best-selling author Elizabeth George discusses her YA debut". EW.com. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  14. ^ Iwunze-Ibiam, Chioma (June 13, 2024). "The Elizabeth George Foundation Grants/ How to Apply (Award: $495,200 + More)". Creative Writing News. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Lynley detective author Elizabeth George speaks about new novel". The Scotsman. March 28, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  16. ^ "Lynley detective author Elizabeth George speaks about new novel". The Scotsman. March 28, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  17. ^ "a book review by Kathleen Hennrikus: Believing the Lie". www.nyjournalofbooks.com. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  18. ^ A BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCES | Kirkus Reviews.
  19. ^ "Malice Domestic Convention – Bethesda, MD". Malicedomestic.org. August 23, 1988. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  20. ^ "Bouchercon World Mystery Convention: Anthony Awards Nominees". Bouchercon.info. October 2, 2003. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  21. ^ "Best First Mystery Novel by an American Author Edgar Award Winners and Nominees – Complete Lists". Mysterynet.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2012.

External

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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elizabeth_George&oldid=1284117089"