About this title: Commander Adam Dalgiesh investigates a murder which seems to be tied to a dispute over whether or not to close a private museum dedicated to London's interwar years of 1919-1939. After a second murder occurs, Dalgiesh realizes the killings are following a pattern: they are imitations of crimes covered in the museum's own "Murder Room"--a gallery ...
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Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 11/2003
ISBN-13:9781400041411ISBN:1400041414
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 432 p. Ex-Library expected imperfections. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9781400041411ISBN:1400041414
Description: Like New in Fine jacket. Book is in the same condition as it was published. Book may have been previously read. Our ultimate goal is to provide you with a satisfying customer experience. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9781400041411ISBN:1400041414
Description: Very good in good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 432 p. Audience: General/trade. There is one stain front board at the bottom. Dj has a little wear and the inside is clean. read more
"a solid read. great for mornings on the elliptical. sure, perhaps not the most challenging of books, but as mysteries go, i enjoyed it, and who can resist a murder set in modern day england? plus the writing's pretty decent for what some could consider a beach read."
"I still like P.D. James, although this wasn't my favorite of those I've read. It's more contemporary than the others I've read (since it's a recent novel), but it does still have that classic murder mystery "charm." Basically, Adam Dalgliesh and co. are called in to solve a series of murders at a museum dedicated to the interwar years in Britain. Now that I'm thinking about it again, I'm remembering that my key disappointment was that I was able to figure out who did it. I know lots of people who work really hard to puzzle through and solve murder mysteries, but I do my best to not think about it, since I like to be carried along with the gore and horror and be surprised by the ending. I was not surprised; how good could it be? :)"
"It is unusual for me to give any book 5 stars. It has to be more than a book I've enjoyed and even more than a book I might re-read. Mostly I give the books I enjoy 4 stars. To some extent I'm reacting to the bad reviews this book has received from people who did not understand what they were picking up when they chose to read the book, and therefor ended up with the wrong book at the wrong time.
PD James has been writing murder mysteries with Dalgliesh as her main character since the 1960s. One reviewer objected to the fact that the background story of his own life took such a small part of the book. But the book is not about Dalgliesh or his life. The book is about solving a series of ugly murders. His life, and the lives of his team are the background. Her regular readers are glad to know about parts of their lives and care what happens to them, but they aren't the main focus of the story.
I don't care about spoilers, reread favorite authors all the time, and tend to read the last chapter of every book I read and I'll admit that finding out the puzzle of the mystery isn't something I much care about. What I really want to know is how you get from point A to point Z. James writes very good plots, and this book certainly has a good plot.
But mostly you read PD James for the language. If there are literary books out there, this certainly is one of them."
"Oh I shouldn't give this a four star but I do admire P.D. James so much. She is writing with the same extraordinary skill and high literary standard as ever and she is over eighty. Her books have the unmistakable British patina and her references are cultured as well as up to date. I donm't know how she does it. So her mysteries are a bit formulaic. What mysteries aren't? She has created a couple of the most memorable detectives in the history of mystery fiction. Kudoes to her. I recommend this book on a stormy night, in front of a cosy fire. With a glass of sherry. Or hot chocolate."
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