From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Death in Holy Orders (Adam Dalgliesh, #11)

P.D. James

Start date: November 1, 2020

Finish date: November 30, 2020

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The last but one in our 2020 PD James challenge.
[close] The last but one in our 2020 PD James challenge.

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Group Discussions About This Book

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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 · 6 posts · 17 views

last updated Sep 11, 2025 09:26AM

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What Members Thought

Jun 04, 2021 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: p-d-james

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

16 likes · Like · see review

Feb 19, 2016 Gillian Kevern rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, police-procedural, 2000s

I enjoyed this more than the only other Dalgliesh murder I've read. I'm sure it's because I was prepared for P.D. James's style, the personal, private tragedies that all her characters are invested with, the slow peeling away of the many layers, the precise detail, the surprising observations on humans, all sad. I don't think I'll ever enjoy her as much as I like the pure escapism of the Golden Age writers (and she name checked Marsh, Sayers, Allingham and Christie in this book), but I admire he ...more

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Jan 21, 2017 AngryGreyCat rated it really liked it

In this mystery, Dalgliesh is called to reopen a case that concerns a small religious college that is known to him from his youth. He is surprised to find the warden of the school still on the premises and he even gets his old room back for the duration of his stay. The case involves the death of a student that originally had been thought to have been an accident, but was it suicide or murder? and why? Someone thinks so. Enough so they sent a letter to the young man’s family telling them to inv ...more

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Apr 08, 2017 Jessica rated it liked it

I enjoyed it but thought it was too long...something I find typical of James' books. ...more

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Nov 04, 2020 Sandy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-classic, mystery-detective-grp, zjames-challenge-2020, rread-2020

Once again I enjoyed the journey more than the arrival. Good plot, atmospheric setting (nearly identical to one her earlier books) and Dalglish was present from the start. Weak ending in my opinion.

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