About this title: With Death in Holy Orders, P. D. James makes a triumphant return to the genre for which she is best known - the classic English detective story. The story is set in an Anglican theological college on a desolate stretch of the East Anglian coast. When the body of one of the students is found on the shore, his wealthy father demands that Scotland ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780375412554ISBN:0375412557
Description: Fine in very good dust jacket. Clean, No stamps or marks. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 382 p. Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries (Hardcover). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780375412554ISBN:0375412557
Description: Fine in very good dust jacket. Clean, No stamps or marks. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 432 p. Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries (Hardcover). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780375412554ISBN:0375412557
Description: New in New jacket. New-This book has not been read and shows no obvious defects. It may have a remainder mark. Our ultimate goal is to provide you with a satisfying customer experience. read more
Description: Good. Large softcover, faber and faber, 2001, with full # line, cover has some shelf, edge and corner wear, text is clean and spine is tight, ships within 24 hr. sku 5009. read more
"This is a hard book to review - I think that the story only deserves two stars, but PD James is a gifted writer (not necessarily always an equally gifted story teller). Here, she choose fantastic language, pays incredible attention to detail, and gives a literary reader plenty of reasons to praise her work. Unfortunately, though, the story is really not well pulled together, there are many plot holes and tons of repetition that I found annoying. I happen to hate Kate Miskin, AD's assistant (detective inspector), and normally find Dalgliesh to be quite intriguing, but in this book, I got very few reasons to empathize with or understand Dalgliesh, but more examples of why Miskin is annoying and an idiot. Finally, the story is too predictable, and the conclusion is neatly tied in a bow at the end. I hated that! But, again, the actual words are beautifully chosen and eruditely written."
I'm sure I would have liked this better if I'd known more about Dalgliesh (the detective) before reading it. James doesn't explain too much about him--which I like because although it's #11 in the 'series' I easily picked it up and read it. On the flip side, because I haven't been through ten other books with him and his other detectives, and because I don't get a load of back story, I didn't really care about him too much.
The mystery itself was fine, although not the sort I usually flip over. I adore Christie's big 'reveals' with Poirot where the murderer is shown up and all is explained. James is much more understated about it (more modern, perhaps?), and as a result I felt it was a bit anti-climactic. Dalgliesh suspected who it was, pretty much knew who it was, and then they just had to get evidence and then catch him. So not a lot of mystery.
Beautifully written, though. James's prose is terrific and the narrator was great. I think I just prefer the thriller type books of hers (Children of Men). Although I might read the first AD book to see if it sucks me in."
"First Mystery. Yes, tis my first. Which means I don't have much by which I can discriminate the good mystery from the bad. But as a story itself, I am amazed at how much I enjoyed being wrapped up in the who-done-it... especially since I didn't read it to for that end. Many of her sentences are glorious. The mood and scenery can be enchanting. But too many of her characters wear their dark side on their sleaves. Even the foibles (and down right dark sides) of some of her heros are ugly... and a who-done-it without a hero seems less than rewarding at times."
"I was pretty disappointed by this book. I have heard such good things about P.D. James, and I was really excited to read something by her. And this was recommended by a librarian as one of her best. But I thought her prose was mediocre at best--in in some places just sloppy--and the story wasn't all that interesting.
That said, I can see why people like P.D. James, and I do think I will try something else by her at some point. She combines the classic British-style whodunit with more developed characters and psychology."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
