From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (Cordelia Gray, #1)

P.D. James

Start date: April 12, 2019

Finish date: May 6, 2019

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: We are considering reading P.D. James books for a challenge next year - so this is a taster.
[close] We are considering reading P.D. James books for a challenge next year - so this is a taster.

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What Members Thought

Jul 10, 2018 John rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: p-d-james

I enjoyed the novel even with the supercilious detailed descriptions of rooms, houses and gardens. Cordelia Gray the recent owner of a private detective agency she inherits after her partner Bernie kills himself is hired to investigate the suicide of Mark Callender.

It is set in and around Cambridge. There are Mark’s not so nice friends, the father who has hired her to find out why his son killed himself, a nanny and the fathers unlikeable companion. The suicide turns out to be not a suicide. Th ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 29, 2015 AngryGreyCat rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book. The main character Cordelia Gray is intelligent, brave, and resourceful without seeming over the top superpowerish. The mystery was well plotted and the clues were very subtlely placed. I am sad to discover that there are only two of these Cordelia Gray books but I will definitely read the second one as I liked this one so much. The scene in which Corelia meets Dagliesh is superb, it highlights the difference in their character and yet the mutual respect for their sk ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2023 Gary Vassallo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-and-ebook, paperback, read-2023

I was a little disappointed with this novel. I found it rather slow moving with a lot of detailed descriptions that I didn’t feel were necessary. Also I found a few plot points a bit unbelievable which definitely detracted from my enjoyment of this mystery.

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Apr 15, 2019 Sandy rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery, rread-2019, mystery-detective-grp

For me this book lost steam in the second half and I found I didn't really care much about the mystery. I enjoyed meeting Dalglish (from James' major series) and am looking forward to reading those books. ...more

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