The Barnes & Noble Review
A number of traditions come seamlessly together in P. D. James's Death in Holy Orders, another of her ac... read full description
A number of traditions come seamlessly together in P. D. James's Death in Holy Orders, another of her ac... read full description
reviews
Sep 05, 2011
mark
rated it: 
here's a little story for you...
so a famous San Francisco lobbyist - a lively raconteur, a darling of the media, and an infamously debauched homosexual - was unfortunately on his deathbed. because this was a man who helped build the careers of many politicians, his hospital room was often inundanted by various famous local personages. one afternoon, as his final hours drew near, a respected and well-known priest came to see him. the lobbyist looked up, seemed rather surprised, and be More...
so a famous San Francisco lobbyist - a lively raconteur, a darling of the media, and an infamously debauched homosexual - was unfortunately on his deathbed. because this was a man who helped build the careers of many politicians, his hospital room was often inundanted by various famous local personages. one afternoon, as his final hours drew near, a respected and well-known priest came to see him. the lobbyist looked up, seemed rather surprised, and be More...
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Nov 10, 2011
Hannah
rated it: 
Commander Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard has been asked by Sir Alred Treeves to take a closer look into the suspicious death of his adopted son Ronald, who suffocated under the cliffs near St. Anselms by an avalanche of sand. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? Dalgliesh, the son of a rector, has former ties to the school - as a young teen, he spent several happy summer holidays there among the priests and ordinands.
There is no shortage of possible suspects, or motives, fo More...
There is no shortage of possible suspects, or motives, fo More...
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Dec 17, 2009
Fr.Bill
rated it: 
Fans of crime/mystery fiction already know how/why P. D. James' work is worthy of reading and rereading. This novel confers additional blessing in its portrain of Anglo-Catholic Anglicanism in Britain. If that scene holds any interest for you (ahem ... it does for me), then this book delivers a double payload of entertainment.
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Feb 08, 2009
Chana
rated it:
I enjoyed the setting and I do like Commander Dalgliesh. The story was reasonably good. What I didn't understand was the author's sympathy for her priest character who has spent time in jail for molesting, although not raping, young boys. The author makes the rest of the characters, except one, sympathetic to this character with the idea that pursuing a conviction and jail time were betrayals, not Christian charity, too harsh. I didn't understand if this was just supposed to be part of the s
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Oct 22, 2010
Velma
rated it:
I can't help it: mystery novels are captivating. No overwrought love stories, no "my parents put my through a horrible childhood, & all I got was this lousy t-shirt" memoir flashbacks, and no excruciating historical minutiae chronicling forgotten events. The best ones are just a rollicking good story. And P.D. James' Death in Holy Orders is just that, and it features an erudite cast of characters in a setting of isolated and breathtaking scenery to boot. James' literary talents sometim
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Nov 29, 2008
Eric_W
rated it:
P. D. James continues to write very literate and interesting mysteries featuring her well-read inspector Adam Dalgliesh. This recent edition has a great story, although the motivations of the murderer left me disbelieving. His rationale just did not seem especially valid, but the scenarios and characters are complex and interesting. The setting for this novel is St. Anselm's, a small theological college on a lonely stretch of the Anglian coast, so isolated that a fallen tree on the o
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Jun 16, 2011
Kirsty
rated it:
I get annoyed with PD James because of the feeling that surrounds her that says that she's head and shoulders better than every other crime writer around. That and the fact that she only writes about terribly posh people as if that's all there is in the world. This is a version of the very traditional English detective story - deaths in a small community where only an insider can be guilty. The story is nothing terribly inventive and there are a hundred crime writers out there writing tales set
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Apr 24, 2011
Aileen
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 07, 2010
Amy
rated it:
Very satisfying mystery in the old-school style (which is why I love P.D. James). Adam Dagleish goes to an Anglican theological college/seminary to investigate a suspicious death and stumbles upon two more, including one brutal and obvious murder. James is an excellent writer, creating a whole rich world that anyone can pick up and enjoy without needing the entire back story. Although, if you're like me, the back story that you do manage to pick up will make you want to read more.
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Aug 02, 2010
Rowland
rated it:
In Death in Holy Orders P.D.James writes with remarkable assurance: she knows what she is doing, and she knows how to go about it. One encounters this less often nowadays than one might expect, and it is mightily refreshing. (Many authors certainly write with confidence, but it is generally misplaced confidence; not so with James.)
Death in Holy Orders is told in four parts, though the mystery is, in fact, resolved in three-act fashion, the fourth part being merely a very brief postsc More...
Death in Holy Orders is told in four parts, though the mystery is, in fact, resolved in three-act fashion, the fourth part being merely a very brief postsc More...
Aug 06, 2009
Starling
rated it:
This is the third P.D. James book I've read in the last couple of weeks. No question but that I prefer the newer books to the older ones from this small sample.
Adam Dalgliesh goes up to visit a small religious college where he spent several summers as a teenager. He is making a trip north for his own reasons, but he is visiting the college because a student has died there under strange circumstances and the student's father has pulled strings to have the case looked over by Dalgliesh More...
Adam Dalgliesh goes up to visit a small religious college where he spent several summers as a teenager. He is making a trip north for his own reasons, but he is visiting the college because a student has died there under strange circumstances and the student's father has pulled strings to have the case looked over by Dalgliesh More...
Aug 15, 2010
stargazerpuj
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 01, 2009
Gary
rated it:
Typical mediocre mystery fiction.
This book was as predictable as it was long. From the first scene portrayed in the book, the conclusion is obvious. It seems as if James is trying to sneak little clues in so when the reader finishes (shocked, of course, at the outcome "I NEVER saw that one coming!") he can return to the beginning and discover the subtle clues that in fact verify the conclusion. The problem is, her subtle clues are a few shades less than subtle.
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This book was as predictable as it was long. From the first scene portrayed in the book, the conclusion is obvious. It seems as if James is trying to sneak little clues in so when the reader finishes (shocked, of course, at the outcome "I NEVER saw that one coming!") he can return to the beginning and discover the subtle clues that in fact verify the conclusion. The problem is, her subtle clues are a few shades less than subtle.
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Aug 10, 2009
Laura
rated it:
I'd give this another half star if I could.
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 More...
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 More...
Sep 12, 2009
Lory
rated it:
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 (d
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Feb 03, 2012
Mara
rated it:
This book was my gateway to mysteries and PD James. I like that it's not written in first person, and that we get the story and perspective of most of the characters (oh how I love third person). I like that the characters think about life and its meaning. I like that the book also captures the complexity of the heart and difficult issues. I like that it is a mystery. I like that love and romance are a part of the characters lives, in bits and pieces, but that it's obvious that there are ot
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Jun 21, 2009
Robin
rated it:
Goodreads needs another rating between "I hated it" and "It was ok". I can't at all recommend this book, but I don't wish it destroyed either. (And yes, there are some books I wish destroyed!)
I would like to be able to say I liked Death in Holy Orders because I've seen Masterpiece Theatre productions of PD James' work on PBS and thought them really good. I really like her Dalgliesh character, and I love a convoluted mystery.
**spoiler alert**
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I would like to be able to say I liked Death in Holy Orders because I've seen Masterpiece Theatre productions of PD James' work on PBS and thought them really good. I really like her Dalgliesh character, and I love a convoluted mystery.
**spoiler alert**
More...
Dec 17, 2009
Beth
rated it:
P.D. James is a woman in her 80's I believe, who has been writing just about forever. Her British crime mysteries are intricately woven, and never cease to amaze me with their complexity. Fascinating reading that always makes me wonder how she wrote it. Also available on video, also fascinating to watch! Darn close to 5 stars, maybe should be.
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Jan 05, 2010
Yngvild
rated it:
Death in Holy Orders touches upon some classic P D James themes: the North Sea coast; that peculiarly secular organisation known as the Church of England; the dour Scotland Yard senior detective, Adam Dalgliesh; and that even odder mixture of sublimated sexuality and restrained erudition that comprises (or comprised) the English middle-class.
Maybe living for a while on the bleak stretch of the Suffolk coast where Death in Holy Orders takes place made the book more real to me. I hav More...
Maybe living for a while on the bleak stretch of the Suffolk coast where Death in Holy Orders takes place made the book more real to me. I hav More...
Jun 20, 2009
Al
rated it:
Another Adam Dalgleish mystery. You have to love Ms. James. And, you have to have time for her. She is a craftswoman, and obviously spends a great deal of time on loving detail, beautifully written, but not necessary to advancing the plot. This elevates her books above the typical quick-read detective stories which crowd the best seller lists. One habit I could do without, though: It gets a little boring to read about the same events twice or even three times, as viewed by different cha
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Aug 01, 2011
Radha
rated it:
Quite an interesting book, but did not really sustain interest till the end.
If your interest in crime fiction drops once you find out who the murderer is, and you don't care much for the chase for proof which could serve the prosecution's case, then the last 50 odd pages in this book are superfluous. However, I haven't read the earlier Dalgleish novels and I suppose the prolonged ending was included to finally show how Dalgleish found peace in the restoration of justice.
As a More...
If your interest in crime fiction drops once you find out who the murderer is, and you don't care much for the chase for proof which could serve the prosecution's case, then the last 50 odd pages in this book are superfluous. However, I haven't read the earlier Dalgleish novels and I suppose the prolonged ending was included to finally show how Dalgleish found peace in the restoration of justice.
As a More...
Apr 14, 2009
Reid
rated it:
It has been quite some time since I have read any detective fiction and even longer since my last P.D. James. Whereas I still think she can write the pants off just about anyone else, I must say that this book was rather more formulaic than any I have ever read by her. The laughable premise that so many interrelated people could come to one obscure place at a particular time so as to make up the perfect plot for a mystery, not to mention the odd concatenation of events, including more deaths in
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Aug 02, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
"Death in Holy Orders" was my first encounter with P.D. James. I am glad I dicovered her and her poetry reading detective, Adam Dalgliesh. I read this book on my Kindle and that added a fun element to the experience. James has an exquisite and challenging vocabulary. Because I have the Kindle allows me to click on any word I don't know and instantly receive the definition I was able to explore the language of this book with greater ease...what would have been a pain...dragging out the
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Mar 08, 2011
I hadn't read P.D. James recently until my Mom urged her latest on me. An ordinand at a small religous college is found dead of an apparent suicide but his father is dissatified with the verdict and asks Adam Dalgliesh to quietly investigate. The college was a refuge for the teen Dalgliesh and brings back many memories. But the story becomes far more complicated with a murder and other deaths in quick succession. The setting is naturally full of mystery and the characters are well developed but
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Jan 17, 2012
Heather
rated it:
I'd give this two & a half stars...admittedly, I am not a fan of the murder mystery genre but I was curious about P.D. James because lots of the ladies in my book club love her, particularly the Adam Dalgliesh books, and so borrowed one from a friend to give it the old college try. Ms. James certainly has a crisp writing style & wonderful use of language, which I appreciated, and the plot was definitely involved & engrossing but I found the volume of ancillary characters & the degree of descrip
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Jul 03, 2011
Katie
rated it:
I have read so many of her books, but this one holds a special place in my heart - the first PD James novel I ever picked up. She is my idol. All I want in life is to be PD James when I grow up - adorable old English grandma with a wildly successful writing career.
As much I do love her - and recurring hero Commander Dalgliesh - some parts of any of her books do feel a tad out-dated. She's been writing these books since, what, the 60s? It's understandable. A bit off-putting, until More...
As much I do love her - and recurring hero Commander Dalgliesh - some parts of any of her books do feel a tad out-dated. She's been writing these books since, what, the 60s? It's understandable. A bit off-putting, until More...
Jun 19, 2011
Tim
rated it:
Listened to PD James' Death in Holy Orders over the last week or so, mostly while working in the kitchen. Probably have eaten, cooked and cleaned a lot more than normal over the time period trying to squeeze in a couple more minutes of the text. James creates the necessary contained community, here an isolated Anglo-Catholic seminary, and Dagliesh's squad finds all the important and unimportant secrets. It was a comfortable place with comfortable characters and the mystery was reasonable, if
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Jun 08, 2009
Jjanovyak
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 27, 2009
Troy
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Aug 03, 2010
Katie
rated it:
This is my first PD James mystery, and I enjoyed it. Adam Dalgliesh is an interesting detective. He's certainly the man I would want investigating my murder.
Sadly, the ending was a bit cheap (a letter that explains everything), and well, I still didn't quite see the murderer's motive for killing several innocent people.
Perhaps I've revealed too much. Anyway, I'm reading another PD James book now. Hopefully, the ending is not cheap and the motive makes sense. Well, as much More...
Sadly, the ending was a bit cheap (a letter that explains everything), and well, I still didn't quite see the murderer's motive for killing several innocent people.
Perhaps I've revealed too much. Anyway, I'm reading another PD James book now. Hopefully, the ending is not cheap and the motive makes sense. Well, as much More...
