From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Cover Her Face (Adam Dalgliesh, #1)

P.D. James

Start date: January 1, 2020

Finish date: January 31, 2020

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The first in our 2020 Inspector Dalgliesh challenge - please join us!
[close] The first in our 2020 Inspector Dalgliesh challenge - please join us!

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Group Challenges

* 2026 Challenge
By Susan · 24 posts · 27 views

last updated Oct 17, 2025 02:23AM

* Oct 25: A Murder Is Announced (1950) by Agatha Christie
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last updated Oct 16, 2025 07:31AM

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What Members Thought

Feb 12, 2008 Nancy Oakes rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-series-first-novel, crime-fiction-uk, crime-fiction

I read this book EONS ago but had totally forgotten the plot, the mystery and the killer, so it was truly like reading it for the first time. Now I'm interested enough to reread more of my books by this author. If you haven't read it, go get a copy. It's a great book, a great mystery, filled with enough suspects and red herrings to keep the most avid mystery fan interested through the entire book. I thought I had it figured out but I was so off the mark it wasn't funny.

brief summary, no spoilers ...more

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Nov 14, 2021 Louise Culmer rated it liked it

My first Adam Dalgleish novel. It was fairly interesting, some good characters, and I didn’t guess the murderer until very near the end. However, I found the behaviour of the murder victim unconvincing - she seemed to be doing things for no better reason really than to get herself murdered. And Adam Dalgleish himself I didn’t find particularly interesting, though perhaps he improves as the series goes on. I like his sergeant though.

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Mar 23, 2010 Jan C rated it liked it

This is early P.D. James. We learned a few things about Dalgliesh - he lost his wife and child and he sails. I am not sure I ever knew those things about Dalgliesh before. And I have read several of the Dalgleish books.

It held my interest. We learned that Dalgleish’s sergeant respected Dalgliesh and his ability to be a closer.

I don’t think I liked any of the people in this house where the maid was murdered. Dr. Maxie came across as pretty selfish. He acted pretty much like the lord of the mano ...more

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Mar 14, 2020 Nanosynergy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british, mysteries-thrillers-espionage, series, fiction-1960s, fiction, 2020read

Have had P.D. James on my mystery TBR list for a long time. This is her first book in the Adam Dalgliesh series. Enjoyable first installment. Reads like an older mystery. Slow to setup and unfold. The murder victim, the pretty new parlor maid (Sally Jupp) drops into the ordered, family manor house like an incendiary. Could see the ending coming early on, but still enjoyed it. In light of changes over time regarding the roles of women, marriage, sexual harassment and social class, this book is al ...more

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