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Death of an Expert Witness (Adam Dalgliesh, #6)

P.D. James

Start date: June 1, 2020

Finish date: June 30, 2020

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: Next in our P.D. James/ Adam Dalgliesh challenge.
[close] Next in our P.D. James/ Adam Dalgliesh challenge.

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Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 14 posts · 18 views

last updated Sep 02, 2025 12:08AM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 4 posts · 14 views

last updated Sep 01, 2025 04:16PM

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What Members Thought

Jun 04, 2020 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is the sixth Adam Dalgliesh mystery, originally published in 1977. I have been enjoying reading this series and enjoyed this novel very much.

Like many of P.D. James books, this is set in a closed community, with a good cast of suspects and motives. This book is set within Hoggat's Laboratory, in the Fenland of East Anglia. The victim is the disliked, bullying, Dr Edwin Lorrimor. Although Lorrimor is not a likeable man, as the novel continues, you do begin to feel some sympathy for him - not ...more

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Mar 16, 2022 Christine PNW rated it really liked it

One of the most unlikable victims evah. No surprise that someone bashed his head in with a mallet.

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Apr 20, 2017 dmayr rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-liked, crime-detective-series, murder-in-a-wellness-setting, murder-in-the-workplace, watched-the-adaptation, rereads

Senior forensic biologist Edwin Lorrimer had been passed over for promotion at Hoggatt's Laboratory. He had also recently broken up with his lover, and now he was found dead in the lab from a blunt instrument. And there's no lack of suspects in this case. I think it's more of a 3.5 in this reread than my initial 4-star rating, as I felt it was too long and there are some facts that don't really get revealed until the very end. I'm still going to keep my initial rating though, as it's a masterful ...more

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Nov 14, 2013 Booklover rated it did not like it

I did not like this as the author sprung something up at the end which was not revealed to the reader. Dissatisfying feeling after reading the book.

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May 25, 2020 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: p-d-james

A good third of the book at the beginning introduces the characters, which I did feel was a bit overdone, but I suppose it does help identify them better as the story goes on. The characters are either policemen or the scientists at the forensic lab , which is where most of the happenings occur. After the first murder Dalgliesh is called in to investigate, and so the overview of the book comes together. I did feel that some of the twists were brought in as after thoughts to thwart the reader, ra ...more

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