Who do you think is the better detective?

Havers is definately the better detective. If Lynley listened to her instead of shouting her down and pulling rank, they'd solve the murders in half the time. It's beyond me why she hasn't punched his lights out by now!

Couldn’t agree more, crazy_janes.

I’ve now watched the entire series and think that the problem with Havers is that she tolerates Lynley’s verbal abuse because she suffers from low self-esteem.

This is demonstrated by the frequency of her hesitant responses when asked direct questions by others, where she often, if not always, reacts with some surprise that her opinion is actually being asked for, before tentatively replying.

This behaviour pattern became increasingly irritating as the episodes progressed.

I could even go so far as to say that in some ways her behaviour demonstrated some of the characteristics more commonly associated with what has been described as “battered wife syndrome.”

Very rarely did she stand up to Lynley during his shouting episodes, even when he became actually insulting not only about her abiilties as a detective but also, by implication, as a person. No matter how rude Lynley was she always “forgave” him with a simpering smile. By doing so she acknowledged that he was right and she was wrong.

When she later received the same treatment she yet again accepted that it was well-deserved, and “forgave” him. Whenever her insights into a case turned out to be correct, and Lynley grudgingly recognised her input, she always accepted his scant recognition of her contribution with unnecessarily obsequious gratitude.

Even in the final episode of Season 6, in which Havers stood up to Lynley more strongly than she’d ever done before, and his behaviour toward her became correspondingly even more aggressive and bullying, she once again accepted it without a fuss, even though officers in an adjacent room were well aware of his tirade.

As far as Lynley himself is concerned, his behaviour toward his subordinate is characterictically that of a wife beater. As portrayed by Nathaniel Parker he was nothing less than a bully, very quick to anger whenever his opinions were questioned, and one whose arrogant and domineering manner enabled him to control others—not only Havers, but even his own superiors—and whenever he’s forced by circumstances to admit that he’s either gone too far (either with Havers, witnesses, suspects and/or others) or he attempted to ingratiate himself (i.e. with Helens I & II, his mother and his sister) these attempts are always accompanied by one of the most insincere, fake (i.e. stomach-churning) “smiles” I’ve ever seen on film.

That those to whom he was speaking didn’t recognise—and respond appropriately to—his patently patronising insolence, but instead accepted it as "sincere," is beyond me.