book data
511 ratings, 3.84 average rating, 33 reviews
(more data...)
edit
published
April 2001
by Touchstone
binding
Paperback, 256 pages
isbn
0743219554
(isbn13: 9780743219556)
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 suici...more
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
friend reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 626)
Read in December, 2007
recommended to Brittany by:
Gillianrecommends it for: Fans of the Stephanie Plum series or other female detective series
How I Came To Read This Book: I think Gillian read it for a pop culture fiction class.
The Plot: I think this book marks the beginning of a series regarding a young female detective in the 1970s named Cordelia that inherits a detective office from her partner when he offs himself. Cash-strapped but wily, Cordelia takes on a case to discover why the son of a prominent scientist commits suicide - making the book a bit more whyduit than whodunit. As Cordelia dives into the case, she begins to su...more
The Plot: I think this book marks the beginning of a series regarding a young female detective in the 1970s named Cordelia that inherits a detective office from her partner when he offs himself. Cash-strapped but wily, Cordelia takes on a case to discover why the son of a prominent scientist commits suicide - making the book a bit more whyduit than whodunit. As Cordelia dives into the case, she begins to su...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in May, 2008
This was my first P.D. James mystery -- I was intrigued by Karam's reviews -- and although my choices were limited by NYU's holdings, this one was superb! The action beings straightaway and lots of drama, suspense, and scandal follows. It's set in Cambridge and involves a famous scientist and his estranged son, a history major at the university. Throughout the novel, the detective, Cordelia Gray, recalls gems of sententious wisdom spoken by Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh and also -- wonderfully! ...more
Read in January, 2008
recommended to Megan by:
Jeremy
This book both began and ended in unexpected ways. I liked the main character. I feel like the setup for her life and future novels is ripe for some more serialized medium like comics, or television. The odd and long denouement that constitutes the last third of the book seemed to be setting up future story arcs for the main character, if not how her 'series' would ultimately end. I don't know if any of that groundwork will be picked up in later novels with Cordelia Gray, but it would be rather ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2007
I was disappointed by this. It did one of my least favorite mystery things: having the bad guy die in some accidental or self-inflicted manner so that the detective character will have less mess to deal with. And that happened three times in this book. THREE TIMES. Worse, as much as I really really wanted to like Cordelia Gray—James' female detective who's out to prove that solving crimes IS a suitable job for the ladies—I just couldn't get a sense of her. James gives her an appropria...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2006
P.D. James departs from the adventures of Adam Dalgliesh to bring us a most excellent female sleuth. Cordelia Gray has had, to put it mildly, a very eclectic upbringing. At 22, she finds herself the sole proprieter of a detective agency that's on the skids, and despite the tremendous odds against success, she is determined to make a go of it. Her first case is an odd one: a wealthy scientist hires her to investigate the suicide of his son, Mark. He was estranged from his son, and has a need to k...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2008
This book was assigned for my library's mystery reading group. Feedback was mixed. Some felt it implausible that someone that young during that time period could have been as "astute" as she was. Others felt the author was too "wordy," a characteristic of British authors. This was the first P.D. James book I read and I rather liked it. Yes, a little wordy. The author took 3 pages to describe Delia getting out of the well. But I liked Delia's spunk. She reminded me a bit
Read in January, 2008
Cordelia Gray is a very different kind of protagonist from P.D. James' Adam Dalgliesh, and after having read a lot of Dalgliesh mysteries, I was surprised by the way this mystery played out. Much less structured, much more emotional, a lot about the interplay between the characters, just a very different approach. Still enjoyed it very much--P.D. James writes beautifully.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in August, 2006
While entertaining and clever, not extrordinary enough to steal my heart away from Agatha Christie.
James' books seem to be pretty dark; in fact, I actually abandoned another one of her books for that very reason. For the most part, the novel moves at a somber pace without a hint of levity to lighten the mood. Still, it was a solid and well written mystery.
James' books seem to be pretty dark; in fact, I actually abandoned another one of her books for that very reason. For the most part, the novel moves at a somber pace without a hint of levity to lighten the mood. Still, it was a solid and well written mystery.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
for those who love mysteries but not the girlish cutsie kind - spent the last couple of months going through all her books except didn't finish Children of Men - (she wrote the book which became a movie this past year) sci-fi not my style
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
A fun and quick read. The most annoying part was how the author kept on tying the narrative back to her more famous creation, Inspector Dalgliesh. But it got me interested in reading more PJ James mysteries.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in June, 2007
Not bad, but it felt very dated. Not surprising as it was first published in 1972. The thing I liked best was the way she kept killing off anyone who knew or discovered the truth about the murder.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2008
This is the first real crime novel I've read, and I loved it. It was a little slow in the beginning, but once it picked up I couldn't put it down. I want to read the rest of James' books now (or someday).
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in August, 2008
A very solid mystery that relies mostly on characterization. Cordelia Gray is a very different protagonist than most when it comes to mysteries. It's worth reading the book just for her.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
this was the first book I read by PD James and it made me seek out others. I have never been disappointed, not only by the plots but also by her writing style and choice of words
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
The first of James' two Cordelia Gray mysteries. Personally, I prefer the lady sleuth to the poet Dalgleish. Such a shame that she appears so infrequently in James' detective series.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
A standard mystery, though the brainy investigator is a young woman, which adds a little feminism to a genre that tends to be without it.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in May, 2007
Starts off in a very sad tone(I almost gave up), but the mystery and story picks up and then you want to read it till the end in one go!
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2008
I like her style of writing and Cordelia Gray is an interesting character. It wasn't much of a mystery though. I said it.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2008
wonderfully suitable for my distracted mind. Kind of makes me imagine Cassandra of I capture the castle-- solving crime.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Excellent mystery, excellently written. P.D James has an elegant and sophisticated prose style that was a pleasure to read.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
to-read
(on 21 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 17 people's shelves)
mystery (on 14 people's shelves)
mysteries (on 12 people's shelves)
english-lit (on 1 person's shelf)
detective-mystery (on 1 person's shelf)
books-i-own (on 1 person's shelf)
british-mysteries-and-crime-novels (on 1 person's shelf)
readauthorsh-n (on 1 person's shelf)
xmas-vacation-reading-list (on 1 person's shelf)
More shelves...
currently-reading (on 17 people's shelves)
mystery (on 14 people's shelves)
mysteries (on 12 people's shelves)
english-lit (on 1 person's shelf)
detective-mystery (on 1 person's shelf)
books-i-own (on 1 person's shelf)
british-mysteries-and-crime-novels (on 1 person's shelf)
readauthorsh-n (on 1 person's shelf)
xmas-vacation-reading-list (on 1 person's shelf)
More shelves...
