Son of Lynley: A (proposed) Masterpiece MYSTERY! Original Series
Author's Foreword/Introduction

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters of Thomas Lynley or Barbara Havers, much as I might wish to, and I mean no disrespect to Elizabeth George, nor infringement of copyright, in creating and posting this project. I am neither a professional screenwriter nor a resident of the United Kingdom just yet (though I did enjoy the privilege of living there for several months) nor formally acquainted with police procedure in the United Kingdom or otherwise, so kindly overlook any shortcomings in those departments. Also, in the interest of readability, I have retained more of a "story" than "script" format, complete with the infamous parentheticals, so please bear with it.

This project was born out a combination of factors, namely: certain plot details from the episode "Payment in Blood" (series 2) and my sister's recognition of the strong resemblance, in both appearance and mannerism, between Christian Coulson (best known as Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)and Nathaniel Parker. In our madcap minds, Thomas Crawford is and could only ever be played by Christian, and since he was passed over to reprise his role in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it's high time someone offered him a breakthrough role of his own. Not to mention, with the BBC axing Lynley, what better time for a spin-off segue? (This means, if you like what you read, forward demands to BBC or PBS, telling them you've stumbled across an awesome Lynley spin-off and you want to see it on the air. In the meantime, I'll be figuring out how I can do the same without being sued for all I'm worth. )

(SPOILERS ahead for fans who haven't seen US series 4-6!) Son of Lynley: Series 1 is set loosely during the 5th US series of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (i.e., between "Natural Causes" and "In the Blink of an Eye"), as that was the point in the Lynley timeline when I began serious work on this project, but with very few adjustments, it could take place after the show's final episode ("Know Thine Enemy"). Havers has recovered from her shooting and is starting to grow her hair out ;D; Lynley and Helen are separated but Helen is (significantly) still alive and played (when occasion calls for it) by Lesley Vickerage. Lynley and Havers are of course intended to be played by Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small, respectively, and Thomas Crawford by Christian Coulson. John Crawford has, in my mind, always been David Bradley (who has, curiously enough, acted with both Parker and Coulson), and though I've yet to stumble across the perfect incarnation of Adele, I'd like nothing more than for Young Lynley to be a cameo by the exquisite Ben Barnes, whose performance in Stardust as a young Nathaniel Parker literally made my heart skip a beat with its uncanny accuracy.

One final note:While it may not seem so at the outset, Son of Lynley is indeed a Lynley/Havers 'ship (originally published on the Yahoo group page "Inspector Lynley: The Punch & Judy Show," if anyone's keeping track). The pilot episode – the introduction of Thomas and Adele Crawford – serves as a catalyst for events in the subsequent episodes. Trust me – a little delayed gratification never hurt anyone. :D