Product Description
Books on Tape-Collector's Edition- 9- 90-min tapes----The first victim was a priest without an enemy, the second, a man who spread hate wherever he went. The third was a spinster: the fourth, a woman who used sex like day-glo hairspray. It was up to Adam Dalgliesh to find the hidden pattern in this series of slayings. Otherwise the nightmare deaths would go on and on. ... Read more

Book Description
Private detective Cordelia Gray is invited to the sunlit island of Courcy to protect the vainly beautiful actress Clarissa Lisle from veiled threats on her life. Within the rose red walls of a fairy-tale castle, she finds the stage is set for death.

"Richly intricate and literate," James's second Cordelia Gray mystery "shows James at the height of her storytelling powers" (San Francisco Chronicle). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Disappointing.
P.D. James is best known for her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, and this is for the very good reason that in Dalgliesh James has created a believable, interesting, and flawed detective whose interactions with his suspects let them tell the story, instead of beating the reader over the head with how great Dalgliesh himself is. Cordelia Gray is another story.

Gray is a Mary Sue of the purest ray serene. Tragic past (mother died when she was born, father was a famous revolutionary, also dead; convent education), described as "attractive and catlike," "sweet," "grave," "a sensitive child," she's about as interesting as processed cheese in this particular concatenation of cliches and contrived shock. The problem here is twofold: James is trying to be Ngaio Marsh, and she is also trying entirely too hard to make the audience fall as clearly as she herself has fallen in love with Gray-as-heroine.

The story is grand-guignol with a little (a very little) of modern crime stuck on top to make it seem an appropriate murder mystery for a private eye to be solving. We have a cast of supporting characters surrounding Cordelia, the murder victim, and her husband, all stuck on a small island two miles off the Dorset coast, wondering whodunit. Without exception the supporting cast is a great deal more interesting and compelling than the central characters; in fact, the individual who resounded most strongly with me is the dying theatre critic Ivo Whittington, injecting a bit of amused self-deprecatory cynicism and a great deal of explanatory dialogue into the book. Whittington, of course, feels protective toward Cordelia; it is in his white-knighting that we see Cordelia for the floppy and helpless female she really is.

In the end whodunit is rather disappointing; a small matter of blackmail and tax avoidance, rather vulgar and modernistic compared to the Revenger's-Tragedy style of the rest of the book, serves for motive, and off Cordelia runs to get herself nearly killed (again). There is no real conclusion to the book. The murder victim's stepson is involved in a dramatic underwater bit of moral quandary; Whittington is seen lying helpless in bed, presumably his deathbed, while Cordelia runs around frantically; and in the end the bad guy does not get his comeuppance, the rest of the cast has already dispersed, and our heroine is blessed with a sudden and inexplicable feeling of well-being which I feel James injected in there in lieu of actually writing an ending.

This is not to say that The Skull Beneath the Skin is a -bad- book, merely a -mediocre- one, and from an auteur like James this is embarrassingly disappointing. Read it for the supporting characters and the descriptions of the island; don't expect to be pleased when you put it down.

Disappointed
The Skull Beneath the SkinWay too much minutiae and not enough written on the plot to keep my interest. Very disappointed but will give P. D. James another try with Cover Her Face featuring Adam Dalglish. You can't beat Agatha Christie for being the queen of description in one short paragraph while James takes pages to show us a setting.

Playing at Murder
"The Skull Beneath The Skin" is the second (and presumably last) installment in the Cordelia Gray mystery series by P.D. James.Why there are only two Cordelia Gray mysteries is hard to say.James has bestowed her female detective Cordelia with the exact same rich characterization that has given her more prolific male detective its large fan base, and the plotting and mystery at the center of this tale are as rich and satisfying as the yarns she's woven for Dalgliesh.

Cordelia, a self-employed private detective, finds herself with an interesting case that actually involves humans for a change.She is hired by Sir George Ralston to protect his wife, the actress Clarissa Lisle, while she stays the weekend on Courcy Island to give a performance of "The Dutchess of Malfi".It seems that Clarissa has been receiving poison notes, not necessarily threatening, but enough to throw her of her game and make her fear for her life.Cordelia finds herself under the guise of secretary to the actress, a self-centered woman she finds herself disliking.And when Clarissa is found dead just hours before the play's performance, her skull bashed in beyond recognition, Cordelia finds herself at odds with the police who are called in to solve the murder and the desire to figure things out for herself.With the cast of suspects the party of people on the island, Cordelia finds herself racing against time to figure out which one is the murderer before he or she can strike again.

"The Skull Beneath the Skin" is richly plotted, with unique twists to the mystery and a satisfactory ending if not a resolution.Cordelia Gray is an extremely likeable character, her hesitations and second-guessing coincide with that of the reader.With James' expertise at writing mysteries, reading this last Cordelia Gray makes one wish that there were more stories with her, as one wonders how her private detective agency is getting along.

Cowards die many times before their death...
A delightful mystery in the classical, Agatha Christie style, "The Skull Beneath the Skin" has all the features making it remarkable within its genre.

A young private detective, Cordelia Gray, who has so far been struggling to make ends meet with tasks like rescuing lost pets or tailing the husbands of suspicious wives, suddenly gets a real, albeit strange, assignment. It comes from Sir George Ralston, a husband of a relatively famous actress, Clarissa Lisle. Apparently, Clarissa has been receiving anonymous notes with quotations from plays by Shakespeare, Webster and Marlowe, which she appeared in. The notes are always revolving around death and can easily be interpreted as death threats, especially that Clarissa is obsessively afraid of dying.

Cordelia is supposed to accompany Clarissa for a weekend on a private island, the Courcy Island, off the Dorset coast where the actress would give a performance in "The Duchess of Malfi", staged by an amateur theatre company in a castle theatre belonging to the eccentric owner of the island. Cordelia is to protect Clarissa and see to her well-being as Sir George is unable to be present. There are very few people present during the weekend: the owner and friend of Clarissa's, Ambrose Gorringe, a collector of Victorian curiosities, some of them morbid; Ivo Whittingham, a theatre critic, deadly ill; Clarissa's cousin, Roma Lisle, an owner of the small bookstore; Simon Lessing, a teenage son of Clarissa's second husband; Clarissa's dresser and two house servants. Unexpectedly, on Saturday Sir George makes an appearance... And on Sunday the murder takes place.

The similarity to Agatha Christie lies in the novel's British style, although it is set at the beginning of 1980s, the isolated setting, narrowing the suspect circle, and the careful rendering of the character cast, each representing in an exaggerated manner a certain type. The plot is slow at first, as the background is set with detailed introduction of each character, but as it progresses, it gets extremely engrossing (I lost the track of time while reading). There is enough suspense, despite Cordelia proving useless at solving the mystery in a way satisfactory for the police and there is no formal punishment for the murderer... The literary quotations and the theatrical setting give a very neat general interest background, and the book is full of nice, postmodern allusions to mystery fiction, which are fun to discover. Other mysteries of the castle add to the charm of the novel.

A thoroughly enjoyable read for all fans of mystery!

A Book Dripping in Creepy Atmosphere!
Many people like their mysteries well balanced:Great plot; wonderful characters; terrific character development; almost indecipherable mystery; not too much blood; and outstanding writing.If that's your goal, this book isn't the best choice for you.

But if you like your mysteries to be focused in creepy circumstances with deeply flawed characters, The Skull Beneath the Skin will probably serve your purposes quite well.

I have both read this book and listened to the Books on Tape unabridged version read by Penelope Dellaporta.I strongly prefer the recording, which better captures the book's mood.

This is the second and last (for more than 25 years so far) mystery featuring Cordelia Gray who starred in An Unsuitable Job for a Woman.Since that novel, Cordelia has carved out a living running the detective agency that her ex-partner Bernie established, which agency now specializes in recovering lost pets thanks to the help of two part-time employees from Cordelia's old typing agency.

Cordelia's still having a hard time making a go of the agency. She's putting up a new plaque (that's hung crookedly) when her prospective client arrives, the husband of the fading actress Clarissa Lisle.Clarissa had observed Cordelia concluding one of her pet detective forays and saw something undefined that she liked.As a result, Clarissa has sent her husband to hire Cordelia to protect Clarissa from receiving any more death threats while Clarissa tries to resurrect her career with an amateur production of The Duchess of Malfi on secluded Courcy Island.

Cordelia is soon being stone-walled by Clarissa . . . but does succeed in intercepting several nasty notes.Also Clarissa turns out to be a pretty self-centered, unpleasant woman.As the stories are related to Cordelia, she's finding it hard to be professional about her responsibilities.The last straw comes when Cordelia is ordered not to guard Clarissa's door just before the performance.As you can imagine, someone kills Clarissa just then . . . and Cordelia feels totally embarrassed professionally.Despite a warning to "keep out" by the local police, Cordelia finds herself unraveling the twisted motives of those on the island and checking on their access to Clarissa's room at the key moment.The suspects make all of this harder by showing a preference to create a cover up.

All the time, you feel like even more of an outsider than Cordelia looking on at most unpleasant sights.

Cordelia does unravel the mystery . . . and finds herself challenged to avoid a great wrong.That crisis brings the book to a height of emotion and to a delightfully ambiguous conclusion.

Cordelia has a lot to learn about detection.Stopping murders is harder than finding wandering cats.But she has a keen intelligence and devotion to duty that serve her well.

But the real star in this book is the mood of decay, dissipation and collapse that Baroness James creates.It's very creepy!

If you were to gauge the book on the appeal of the plot alone, this would be a 2-3 star book . . . so if that's what you're looking for, keep looking.The plot is also sub-par compared to An Unsuitable Job for a Woman.Cordelia's role also isn't quite as interesting as that book.For reasonably long sections of this book, Cordelia all but disappears into the woodwork.

Watch out for the many allusions to the skull beneath the skin.It's a masterful use of imagery to set a truly appropriate mood for many dastardly deeds.

... Read more

Product Description
10 cassettes/17.75 hours ... Read more

Book Description

Handsome Cambridge dropout Mark Callender died hanging by the neck with a faint trace of lipstick on his mouth. When the official verdict is suicide, his wealthy father hires fledgling private investigator Cordelia Gray to find out what led him to self-destruction. What she discovers instead is a twisting trail of secrets and sins, and the strong scent of murder.

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman introduces P. D. James's courageous but vulnerable young detective, Cordelia Gray, in a "top-rated puzzle of peril that holds you all the way" (The New York Times). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A Suitably Good Mystery Novel
This book, originally written in the 1970s, follows the exploits of a young female PI named Cordelia Gray as she inherits her partner's detective agency and embarks on her first case.When the son of a prominent British scientist commits suicide, he hires Cordelia to find out why.Soon Cordelia is wrapped up in the case where everything is not quite as it seems - from living in the deceased's home to interviewing his friends to embarking on increasingly dangerous interviews and following suspicious leads.

Although the book may seem a touch dated at times, it provides a captivating whydunnit as opposed to a whodunnit that will keep you guessing until the end - as any good mystery novel should.This is the first Cordelia Gray novel (as far as I know) but I believe there are sequels as well if you're interested.A nice change of pace from the modern detective novel, this book is both quaint and enjoyable as Cordelia's guesswork seems perfectly logical most of the time, rather than far-fetched and unprobable as many modern books tend to be.

An Unsuitable Book for P D James
James who is most famous for her books of Inspector Dalgleish, takes time to create a female PI in 1970s London.This book which was written in 1972 and later revised by James an set in 1977, should have been set in 1937.By the time this book was written, Agatha Christie had written ten Miss Marple books and the Avenger's Mrs. Peel had been a spy for eight years.Cordelia Gray's character is so much out of the thirties, and the 'young' people she meets seem to be part of the 'lost generation' from between the wars.

James' late 1970s London, seems never to have heard of the 1960s or The Beatles or Carnaby Street, etc.I'm not english, but, as an example, how many young people in 1977 went 'punting' on the Thames around Cambridge.You would think that it was something for 'old' people to do.And the french woman, Isabel, is something out of the 1920s, with her rich Papa back home lending her money and the occasional Renoir (as small one!) to hang in her rooms.

The story itself is interesting, a sort of locked room suicide that turns out to be a homicide.She even gets in a few digs at Dalgleish (she had written five of his novels by then) and what a 'fuss pot' he was for details.But the book just hasn't aged well like Christie, and seems to be done by a 'hack'.Too bad.

SHADES OF GRAY
Despite its rather mundane and unalluring title and the name of her lead character, Cordelia Gray, PD James has concocted a fairly riveting tale of murder, deception and betrayal.
She introduces us to Cordelia Gray, a 23 year old private detective who inherits her own agency when her older partner commits suicide due to untreatable cancer.Her first solo case comes in the form of investigating the suicide death of a young man.His father, a noted scientist, wants Cordelia to find out why he killed himself.
James' mainstay Adam Dalgleish is a ghost in most of the book but he does come in for the final section.Of course, Cordelia's digging leads her to believe the suicide is really a murder, and finds her own life in danger.
James' prose is highly atmospheric and she fills the book with interesting, if somewhat unlikeable, characters (Are Brits really as self-centered and pompous as they appear in these mysteries?).
AN UNSUITABLE JOB FOR A WOMAN is a well written mystery and again demonstrates the popularity of Ms. James.

"What's there to be afraid of?After all, we're only dealing with men."
Written in 1972 and winner of the Best Novel Award by the Mystery Writers of America in 1973, this clever mystery by P. D. James features a female detective who is no Miss Marple.Cordelia Gray, is a contemporary detective, liberated and independent.An attractive young woman in her early twenties, she has inherited a detective agency from her partner Bernie Pryde, and she intends to keep it running, make it profitable, and create a career for herself.Polite and at ease in elegant circumstances, Cordelia is also willing to take chances and do all the dirty work--and carry a gun.

On her first case following the death of Bernie Pryde, Cordelia is hired by famed environmentalist Sir Ronald Callender of Garforth House, to find out why his son Mark has hanged himself.Sir Ronald has had little interest in or affection for his son during his lifetime but now seems determined to understand the reasons for his son's shocking suicide.Cordelia soon learns that just prior to his death, Mark dropped out of college and found work as a gardener, severing relations with his father from whom he declared he would accept no money or support.Further investigation leads Cordelia to believe that Mark was murdered.

The characters, though "thin" and somewhat stereotypical, are quirky and memorable enough to keep the reader interested in their behavior--Mark's friends, who know more than they are willing to reveal; Sir Ronald's household, including Elizabeth Leaming, his secretary, formerly a student of literature; Miss Markland, the sad single mother who once lived in the cottage where Mark's body was found; and Christopher Lunn, assistant to Sir Ronald at the scientific foundation where they both work.Soon an attempt is made on Cordelia's life, and three more deaths occur before Mark's murderer and motive are revealed.

James is a master at keeping the reader guessing till the very end, creating numerous plot twists which change the reader's perceptions and expectations at every turn.The tension remains high throughout, and the conclusion, in which Cordelia has to make a report to Adam Dalgiesh, Bernie Pryde's mentor (and the main character of James's best-known series), allows James to connect Cornelia's story with that series and, perhaps, give it additional credibility.Cordelia Gray is an engaging detective conveying just the right balance of ingenuousness and fierce determination, traits that continue her appeal in James's The Skull Beneath the Skin.One of James's best novels, "Unsuitable Job" will keep even jaded mystery readers on the edge of their chairs.nMary Whipple

Dalgliesh Echoes beyond His Reach
Baroness James deserves great credit for coming up with this most unusual and interesting novel.Her detective, private investigator Cordelia Grey, is a landmark in the history of female detective fiction.The clever way that Ms. James connects this unlikely operative to the mighty Adam Dalgliesh adds great insight into both characters.The story itself is full of the unexpected . . . while maintaining touch with the ordinary.The combination is enough to keep you misdirected and fascinated until the very end.

I recently decided to reread the book to see if it still ranks up there as one of my favorite detective novels . . . and came away even more impressed than ever.

Cordelia Gray is a young woman learning her investigatory trade when her partner, Bernie Pryde, cuts his life short.Bernie has set up matters to give her as good a chance as possible to prosper in sole detection, including leaving her an unregistered gun.But will she have any clients?

It's a relief when a prospective client shows up looking for Bernie and takes Cordelia back for an interview with the famous father of Mark Callender, who recently killed himself.What father wouldn't want to know why?Cordelia in short order finds herself off on a five pounds a day assignment.

As she tracks backwards through the last days of Mark Callender, Cordelia finds that she likes him and wants to do right by his memory.Using the lessons that Bernie taught her, that he, in turn, learned from Dalgliesh, Cordelia soon has her suspicions about the suicide.Before long, she's being threatened as well.

What's it all about?

Bring a big imagination, grab a very comfy chair, turn on a good reading light and settle down for a treat! ... Read more

Book Description
Featuring the famous Commander Adam Dalgliesh, Devices and Desires is a thrilling and insightfully crafted novel of fallible people caught in a net of secrets, ambitions, and schemes on a lonely stretch of Norfolk coastline.

Commander Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard has just published a new book of poems and has taken a brief respite from publicity on the remote Larksoken headland on the Norfolk coast in a converted windmill left to him by his aunt. But he cannot so easily escape murder. A psychotic strangler of young women is at large in Norfolk, and getting nearer to Larksoken with every killing. And when Dalgliesh discovers the murdered body of the Acting Administrative Officer on the beach, he finds himself caught up in the passions and dangerous secrets of the headland community and in one of the most baffling murder cases of his career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

A Cycle Of Death: Less A Mystery Than A Character Study
Mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is celebrated for meticulously crafted plots that suddenly draw themselves to a logical but completely unexpected climax: the disclosure of the criminal.P.D. James has expressed a great distaste for Christie's work, which she considers gimmicky and unreal, and although she began her writing career with a novel very much in the Christie style (the 1962 COVER HER FACE), she soon began to drift in a very different direction, emphasizing characters who move through tangles of events that are not always fully understood by those who must endure them.

Published in 1989, DEVICES AND DESIRES is in some ways very typical of James' mature work, presenting us with a collage of characters whose preconceptions prevent most of them from fully understanding both the nature of the crime and its ultimate resolution.Commander Adam Dalgliesh takes a brief holiday in Larksoken, a sparsely populated coastal area notorious for the activities of the "Norfolk Whistler"--a vicious serial killer.When Dalgliesh makes contact with local authority, however, he stumbles into a murder that seems less the work of the Whistler than of someone who would like the police to think it is.

The victim is Hillary Robarts, acting administrative office for a controversial nuclear power plant--and a woman whose arrogance has earned her both open and covert dislike in both her workplace and the community.Among those who openly dislike her are Mike Lessingham, a plant engineer who seems to blame Hillary for the recent suicide of a friend; Neil Pascoe, who has run afoul of Hillary in his anti-nuclear-power protests; and artist Ryan Blaney, a recent widower with four small children who rents a small cottage that Hillary owns--and from which she wishes to dispossess them.Those who covertly dislike her include Alex Mair, a nuclear power scientist, whose affair with Hillary has worn extremely thin; and Alex's distinctly cool sister Alice, who may be more protective of her brother than she seems.Although all are shocked when she turns up murdered, none seem particularly grieved.

As in many James novels, the solution to the crime is not so much a matter of detective work as it is grouping in the dark until instinct points the way.When the solution arrives it a mixed one, with the local authorities of one opinion and Dalgliesh of another.Unlike some later James novels, however, DEVICES AND DESIRES does indeed present a plausible solution in fine form; it tends to suffer, however, from an excess of subplots, at least one of which---concerning espionage---is extremely far fetched and smacks of exactly the sort of plot manipulation that James herself so loudly decries.

Exceptionally well written, the book is not so much a murder mystery as it is a study of the various characters and how they react to the crime, but it has enough of "classic murder mystery" going for it to appeal to fans whose tastes run in either direction.Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

About P.D. James's books
Apart from the intricate plots, which arrest readers' attention, James's novels offer shrewd philosophical observations about life and penetrating insights into human emotions and behavior. These elements of her writing turn murder mysteries, a form of literature designed to mainly provide people with entertainment, into high quality reading. The author breathes life into her stories through the vividness of descriptions and enables readers to become invisible observers of people and events. She successfully captures the multiple facets of her characters' personalities. "Villains" in James's novels are never decernably bad people but, like all the others, complex individuals capable of the acts of good and evil. In most murder mysteries, the fascinating process of discovering the criminal takes precedence over the emotional aspect of the crime itself. Murder becomes a mere word deprived of its horrible meaning. However, at no point during my reading of James's novels, do I feel indifferent to the victims and perpertraitors. As the investigations unfold, the author involves readers into the inner circles of the characters' lives, personalities, and feelings. This is a unique approach which sets James apart from many other writers of the genre.
It is a treat to read the author's descriptions of nature. Readers can see the landscapes unfold in their mental vision, smell the air, and feel its movements. Through these descriptions, James gives presentiments of the upcoming events and explores individuals' moods and personalities.
This book(as I have read six of her others)is one of my favorite novels. It evokes introspection and broadens the understanding of aspects of reality beyond just "who dun it".

Not P D James's best
The book was initially slow but I kept reading because I know how very good P D James is. Soon enough I was sucked into the story, and kept wondering who'd done it. But as I discovered the story underneath, I was a bit disappointed. Some of it was hard to believe, and too concocted to accept; new material that I as a reader could never have begun to think.

A good mystery should give a few clues here and there during the beginning when the characters and story are set up so that when all is revealed she feels the Aha! Wow! moment. While I was not able to guess the murderer, the back story made this book fall from 5 stars to 3.

Absorbing but ultimately unsatisfying
This is the first P.D. James novel I've read and initially I shared the positive reaction of most reviewers here-- the writing was absorbing, the characters well drawn, and the overall atmosphere compelling.Putting her usual detective in a different position than lead investigator was an interesting and unusual touch.Ultimately, however, James didn't appear to know where to go with the story and threw too many extraneous and unconvincing twists into the plot.So all in all an enjoyable read, but not a memorable one.

Sensational
A great story..I am never disappointd by any book written by PD James..alas, I was sure I knew the killer, surprised to find I was wrong..Unlike many writers of mystery,PD James knows how to bring her books to a great conclusion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

absorbing on a 15 hour flight to mexico
a detective and historic read, if you're interested in early nineteenth century london and their ways of life and also interested in murder most horrid, THEN GET YOUR CASH OUT. superbly written, flows like a flowy thing and keeps you hooked like a sharp hooky type object.if you can't get hold of it then i'll sell you mine ... Read more

Book Description

Handsome Cambridge dropout Mark Callender died hanging by the neck with a faint trace of lipstick on his mouth. When the official verdict is suicide, his wealthy father hires fledgling private investigator Cordelia Gray to find out what led him to self-destruction. What she discovers instead is a twisting trail of secrets and sins, and the strong scent of murder.

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman introduces P. D. James's courageous but vulnerable young detective, Cordelia Gray, in a "top-rated puzzle of peril that holds you all the way" (The New York Times). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A Suitably Good Mystery Novel
This book, originally written in the 1970s, follows the exploits of a young female PI named Cordelia Gray as she inherits her partner's detective agency and embarks on her first case.When the son of a prominent British scientist commits suicide, he hires Cordelia to find out why.Soon Cordelia is wrapped up in the case where everything is not quite as it seems - from living in the deceased's home to interviewing his friends to embarking on increasingly dangerous interviews and following suspicious leads.

Although the book may seem a touch dated at times, it provides a captivating whydunnit as opposed to a whodunnit that will keep you guessing until the end - as any good mystery novel should.This is the first Cordelia Gray novel (as far as I know) but I believe there are sequels as well if you're interested.A nice change of pace from the modern detective novel, this book is both quaint and enjoyable as Cordelia's guesswork seems perfectly logical most of the time, rather than far-fetched and unprobable as many modern books tend to be.

An Unsuitable Book for P D James
James who is most famous for her books of Inspector Dalgleish, takes time to create a female PI in 1970s London.This book which was written in 1972 and later revised by James an set in 1977, should have been set in 1937.By the time this book was written, Agatha Christie had written ten Miss Marple books and the Avenger's Mrs. Peel had been a spy for eight years.Cordelia Gray's character is so much out of the thirties, and the 'young' people she meets seem to be part of the 'lost generation' from between the wars.

James' late 1970s London, seems never to have heard of the 1960s or The Beatles or Carnaby Street, etc.I'm not english, but, as an example, how many young people in 1977 went 'punting' on the Thames around Cambridge.You would think that it was something for 'old' people to do.And the french woman, Isabel, is something out of the 1920s, with her rich Papa back home lending her money and the occasional Renoir (as small one!) to hang in her rooms.

The story itself is interesting, a sort of locked room suicide that turns out to be a homicide.She even gets in a few digs at Dalgleish (she had written five of his novels by then) and what a 'fuss pot' he was for details.But the book just hasn't aged well like Christie, and seems to be done by a 'hack'.Too bad.

SHADES OF GRAY
Despite its rather mundane and unalluring title and the name of her lead character, Cordelia Gray, PD James has concocted a fairly riveting tale of murder, deception and betrayal.
She introduces us to Cordelia Gray, a 23 year old private detective who inherits her own agency when her older partner commits suicide due to untreatable cancer.Her first solo case comes in the form of investigating the suicide death of a young man.His father, a noted scientist, wants Cordelia to find out why he killed himself.
James' mainstay Adam Dalgleish is a ghost in most of the book but he does come in for the final section.Of course, Cordelia's digging leads her to believe the suicide is really a murder, and finds her own life in danger.
James' prose is highly atmospheric and she fills the book with interesting, if somewhat unlikeable, characters (Are Brits really as self-centered and pompous as they appear in these mysteries?).
AN UNSUITABLE JOB FOR A WOMAN is a well written mystery and again demonstrates the popularity of Ms. James.

"What's there to be afraid of?After all, we're only dealing with men."
Written in 1972 and winner of the Best Novel Award by the Mystery Writers of America in 1973, this clever mystery by P. D. James features a female detective who is no Miss Marple.Cordelia Gray, is a contemporary detective, liberated and independent.An attractive young woman in her early twenties, she has inherited a detective agency from her partner Bernie Pryde, and she intends to keep it running, make it profitable, and create a career for herself.Polite and at ease in elegant circumstances, Cordelia is also willing to take chances and do all the dirty work--and carry a gun.

On her first case following the death of Bernie Pryde, Cordelia is hired by famed environmentalist Sir Ronald Callender of Garforth House, to find out why his son Mark has hanged himself.Sir Ronald has had little interest in or affection for his son during his lifetime but now seems determined to understand the reasons for his son's shocking suicide.Cordelia soon learns that just prior to his death, Mark dropped out of college and found work as a gardener, severing relations with his father from whom he declared he would accept no money or support.Further investigation leads Cordelia to believe that Mark was murdered.

The characters, though "thin" and somewhat stereotypical, are quirky and memorable enough to keep the reader interested in their behavior--Mark's friends, who know more than they are willing to reveal; Sir Ronald's household, including Elizabeth Leaming, his secretary, formerly a student of literature; Miss Markland, the sad single mother who once lived in the cottage where Mark's body was found; and Christopher Lunn, assistant to Sir Ronald at the scientific foundation where they both work.Soon an attempt is made on Cordelia's life, and three more deaths occur before Mark's murderer and motive are revealed.

James is a master at keeping the reader guessing till the very end, creating numerous plot twists which change the reader's perceptions and expectations at every turn.The tension remains high throughout, and the conclusion, in which Cordelia has to make a report to Adam Dalgiesh, Bernie Pryde's mentor (and the main character of James's best-known series), allows James to connect Cornelia's story with that series and, perhaps, give it additional credibility.Cordelia Gray is an engaging detective conveying just the right balance of ingenuousness and fierce determination, traits that continue her appeal in James's The Skull Beneath the Skin.One of James's best novels, "Unsuitable Job" will keep even jaded mystery readers on the edge of their chairs.nMary Whipple

Dalgliesh Echoes beyond His Reach
Baroness James deserves great credit for coming up with this most unusual and interesting novel.Her detective, private investigator Cordelia Grey, is a landmark in the history of female detective fiction.The clever way that Ms. James connects this unlikely operative to the mighty Adam Dalgliesh adds great insight into both characters.The story itself is full of the unexpected . . . while maintaining touch with the ordinary.The combination is enough to keep you misdirected and fascinated until the very end.

I recently decided to reread the book to see if it still ranks up there as one of my favorite detective novels . . . and came away even more impressed than ever.

Cordelia Gray is a young woman learning her investigatory trade when her partner, Bernie Pryde, cuts his life short.Bernie has set up matters to give her as good a chance as possible to prosper in sole detection, including leaving her an unregistered gun.But will she have any clients?

It's a relief when a prospective client shows up looking for Bernie and takes Cordelia back for an interview with the famous father of Mark Callender, who recently killed himself.What father wouldn't want to know why?Cordelia in short order finds herself off on a five pounds a day assignment.

As she tracks backwards through the last days of Mark Callender, Cordelia finds that she likes him and wants to do right by his memory.Using the lessons that Bernie taught her, that he, in turn, learned from Dalgliesh, Cordelia soon has her suspicions about the suicide.Before long, she's being threatened as well.

What's it all about?

Bring a big imagination, grab a very comfy chair, turn on a good reading light and settle down for a treat! ... Read more

Product Description
Death was enthroned in the black tower - a strange isolated tower on the English coast...a seemingly saintly man of God slain by an act of satanic evil.... a prim nursing home whose walls concealed a labyrinth of human perversity and inhuman terror... all were part of the devilishly difficult puzzle that confronted Adam Dalgleish, the most subtle and sophisticated sleuth since Hercule Poirot.. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Speculating Testimony
A fan of P.D. James' mysteries, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this true crime book she had written with the historian T.A. Critchley."The Maul and the Pear Tree" tells the tale of some sinister and disturbing murders that horrified and shocked the London docks in 1811.Through recreating the time period, studying testimony and accounts of the day, both author and historian have crafted an interesting read about not only murder but also about the restrictions of a rudimentary police system in trying to apprehend an otherwise unheard of serial killer.

In December of 1811, seven people were brutally slain.The first victims were the Marr family; a husband, wife, their infant son, and the boy who worked in their shop.All were found beaten to death with their throats cut to the neckbone, including the newborn son.The second victims were the Williamsons, the proprietors of a pub, who were slain in almost exactly the same manner as the Marrs.

The search that had begun with the Marr's murders, continued when the killer struck a second time.The clues were few, but included the murder weapon alluded to in the book's title.The testimony (both real and speculative) was plentiful, and the community was filled with terror and suspicion.The magistrates had an incredible task before them - to capture a killer before he, or they, since the evidence surely represented more than one killer, could strike again.

In 1811, the different policing agencies did not work together, and very rarely shared the information they received with another branch.This combined with sketchy details, suspicious neighbors, and the number of superfluous informants who came forward with information made a virtual circus of the trial process.Arrested and jailed on circumstantial evidence, a man by the name of John Williams was assumed to be the ghastly murderer that everyone had been searching for.Yet before he could be convicted of any crime, he was found hanged in his jail cell, apparently a self-murder.Yet the evidence shows that more than one person was involved in the murders of these two families.James and Critchley lay the groundwork for who the accomplices, or even who the mastermind behind these murders, might be.The author and historian even call into question whether or not Williams was set up and murdered by the real killer in order to guarantee his own escape.The truth shall never be known about the killer's identity, but "The Maul and the Pear Tree" is a highly informative, entertaining speculation about the Radcliffe Highway Murders.

Regency Era Murder Sensation
The Ratcliffe Highway murders of 1811 were an incredible sensation in their time.The authors do a very good job of portraying a realistic look at life at the time of the killings.Whether or not the person who actually had the murders pinned on him was guilty is a question that can lead to long discussions with friends of like reading tastes.One thing I found surprising was how late people stayed up on the street in this era when street lighting was in its infancy.

I read a first edition of this book so I don't know if it has been updated to reflect some of the newer information that law enforcement has about home invasion murders as well as sadistic killers.That is the only thing I would possibly add to this very interesting history.

Brilliant!
Absolutely brilliant! At first, I wouldn't have believed so. I love true crime stories, but I thought it was a little bit presumptuous to try to solve a series of crime committed in the 1810's. But I read anyway, and it was a wonderful surprise.

First, the local color. The authors portraybeautifully (and gloomily...) the city of London and the life of itsinhabitants. It's also very informative - one comes to know how the Englishpolice force was first arranged, and what existed prior to that.

Thecharacters, as we well know, are long dead, but through a series ofeducated guesses, psychological insight and factual information, theauthors convey what was going through their minds.

P. D. James doesn'tgive us a final answer to the question of whom killed all those people, butshe points a suspect, and by detailing her suspicions the reader is able toform his idea. Her theory is very plausible, to say the least.

In short,it's a book filled with suspense and humorous insights on the ideas andbeliefs of the victorians. If you're interested in English history, famoustrue crime stories and whodunnits, do not miss this one. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cordelia Gray does her thing!
I have listened to this dramatization several times since purchasing it in 1990 and have enjoyed this atomsopheric suspense mystery immensely.P.D. James ability to give all her characters faults, insecurities, and occasional selfishness once again serves her well in this mystery.The characters are as developed as possible in the space of a 3 hour radio play.The atmosphere created on the island is just incredible, spooky, and just what you would expect in that setting.The character of Cordelia Gray is very well developed over the course of this story and her other adventure, "An Unsuitable Job For a Woman."I consider these two stories to be my favorite P.D. James mysteries.I strongly recommend these to all P.D. Jmaes fans as cracking good yarns and very entertaining.

Entertaining but not exceptional English mystery
Cordelia Gray is hired to bodyguard a bad tempered actress who has been receiving death threats.They travel to an island off the southern coast.The notes continue.Of the group on the island, almost all have some reason to hate the actress or want her money.

This is a pretty classic closed room mystery in the Agatha Christie mold.Cordelia is a fairly engaging slueth.As best I can tell, this is the end of the Cordelia Gray series.Too bad.

The audio cassette performance is in the tradition of old time radio with multiple voices and sound effects.It's a bit confusing to keep track of who's who but not too confusing.I recommend trying to listen in one sitting, if you can. ... Read more