From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

A Certain Justice (Adam Dalgliesh, #10)

P.D. James

Start date: October 1, 2020

Finish date: October 31, 2020

Discussion: Group Challenges

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

Sep 24, 2020 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Published in 1994, this is the tenth crime novel featuring Commander Adam Dalgliesh. I am working my way through the Dalgliesh novels and, in my opinion, James could have done with tightening up her work. Her books tend to be over-long and full of detail. That said, this starts really well and, even though it dragged a little, by the end, it was interesting, overall.

Venetia Aldridge is a criminal barrister, who is set to take over as Head of Chambers. Venetia is driven and intelligent; divorced ...more

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Jul 22, 2016 AngryGreyCat rated it it was amazing

This is the 10th book in the Adam Dagliesh series. This was masterfully written. The development of the character of Venetia Aldridge allows the reader to feel as though they “know” her, as much as you could anyone. Dagliesh himself is not really the focus of this particular book. Venetia and her unfortunate situation with her daughter and the daughter’s fiance, other members of the Middle Temple, and D.I. Kate Miskin, who struggles with demons from her own past, are more front and center in thi ...more

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Oct 08, 2020 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: p-d-james

Although this is quite a long book, I did not find that it dragged as much as some of her others have done. The opening of it is a very compulsive read covering the early days of a would be barrister, and a trial scene. The victim being someone who was not at all likable, but interesting. However few of the characters who could have been suspected, proved to be on the dull side. There were a lot of them, and we were given their backstory, but then James seemed to just drop them. It was easy to s ...more

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