Where to Start Reading: P. D. James
‘Queen of English crime’ (Guardian) P. D. James is often compared to the genre’s greats – Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell – and her detective Inspector Adam Dalgliesh remains ‘one of crime fiction’s most interesting and original creations’ (The Times). The fourteen Dalgliesh novels are sharply observed, dark-edged murder mysteries set in closed communities, and they span the second half of the twentieth century from her country-house set debut Cover Her Face (1962) to her final detective novel, The Private Patient (2008), following a plastic surgery patient’s murder.
James is celebrated by Ian Rankin, Mick Herron, Sophie Hannah and many more of the most well-regarded names in contemporary crime for her atmospheric settings, her fiercely astute insight into character and the best writing crime fiction has to offer.
These beautifully designed new editions are the perfect reintroduction to a writer Val McDermid simply called ‘a legend’.
Cover Her Face (1962)
Adam Dalgliesh. I’ve heard of him – ruthless, unorthodox, and working always against time.
When the body of Sally Jupp is discovered in her bedroom – the door bolted from the inside – the occupants of Martingale House are sure that the blame for this unthinkable crime will fall on an unknown intruder. But each of the household is hiding a secret that could shed light on the murder.
And there’s only one man who can sift through the layers of deceit and pretence to unmask the truth: Detective Chief Inspector Adam Dalgleish.
A Mind to Murder (1963)
Adam Dalgliesh has never failed to solve a case – yet.
When the body of a woman is discovered at the Steen Psychiatric Clinic with a chisel through her heart, it seems to Dalgliesh a straightforward enough case: the building was locked, and no-one has been able to enter or leave since the murder. Logically, the killer must be one of the shocked group waiting to meet him.
But Dalgliesh quickly discovers an intricate web of lies and grudges among both patients and staff which threatens to derail the investigation. And as he works to uncover the truth, the murderer is preparing to strike again . . .
Unnatural Causes (1967)
An unfinished manuscript. A murder stranger than fiction.
Battered by the conclusion of a particularly brutal murder case in London, Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh has escaped for a hard-earned break, which he plans to spend taking long walks with his aunt and doing a little bird-watching in the Suffolk countryside.
But all hope of peace is shattered by murder, when the mutilated body of local crime writer Maurice Seaton is discovered floating in a dinghy near Dalgliesh’s rural idyll. Faced with such a macabre crime, Dalgliesh feels compelled to join the investigation – but as he delves into the dead man’s secrets, the case seems poised to take another murderous turn . . .
Shroud for a Nightingale (1971)
WINNER OF THE CWA SILVER DAGGER
Dalgliesh recognised with weary resignation the first lie and wondered how many more there would be before the investigation was complete.
On a crisp January morning, a group of third year nursing students gather in Nightingale House for a clinical lesson. One student will play the patient, while the others practice their nursing skills. But none of them is prepared for the demonstration’s gruesome end.
Later, when a student dies by apparent suicide, Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh is sure her death must be connected to what happened during that fateful demonstration. But in order to prove this and uncover the truth, he must sweep away a cloud of secrets, lies and blackmail at the nursing school – before there are any more deaths.
The Black Tower (1975)
WINNER OF THE CWA SILVER DAGGER
There’s something wrong about this place. Haven’t you noticed?
Dalgliesh is recovering from a life-threatening illness when his elderly friend Father Baddeley reaches out for advice. By the time he can respond, Father Baddeley is dead. And his is not the first recent death at the Dorset home for the disabled where he worked.
Dalgliesh feels he must try to understand these deaths, even without official jurisdiction or support, but amid the growing suspicion of the residents, he can’t be sure either of them was murder.
Until another body is found – and Dalgliesh suddenly finds himself in very grave danger.
P. D. James (1920-2014) was a bestselling and internationally acclaimed crime writer best known for her books starring poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh. She wrote nineteen novels as well as several short story collections and works of non-fiction. Her work has been translated into thirty-six languages, and has sold millions of copies worldwide.
Read more