A banquet of consequences
A Banquet of Consequences is a crime novel by Elizabeth George. It is the author's 20th novel featuring Inspector Lynley and Detective Barbara Havers of Scotland Yard. Lynley and Havers are called to investigate the poisoning of Clare Abbott, a feminist writer, and uncover a series of human connections, including links to the suicide of a troubled young man three years previously. Meanwhile, Havers, under pressure to redeem her professional reputation, struggles to reinvent herself after heading to Dorset to pursue a lead, while Lynley remains in London to pursue another avenue of investigation, while attempting to further his relationship with Daidre, a vet who works at London Zoo.
Inspector Lynley of Scotland Yard, a thoughtful and observant detective who leads the investigation into Clare Abbott's death.
Detective Constable Barbara Havers, Lynley's long-time partner, who pursues a parallel line of inquiry and grapples with her own professional and personal challenges.
A feminist writer and activist whose poisoning sets the plot in motion; her death and the secrets surrounding it drive both Lynley's and Havers' investigations.