August 2017 group read: An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, by P.D. James

[Craig]

Laura wrote: "Rian wrote: "I thought it was well written but I agree that the overall feel was ..."

The whole encounter between Cordelia and Dalgliesh struck me as false. That he had figured out absolutely ever..."

Yes, when the phone rang and it was Scotland Yard, setting up an appointment with Chief Superintendant Dalgliesh, I went, "Huh? What's HE doing here?" Almost as odd as when, in A Taste for Death, from 25 years later, a character comments to Dalgliesh, "I'm thinking of including you in our new column, 'What They Find to Talk About.' Incongruous people seen dining together. Adam Dalgliesh, poet-detective, with Cordelia Gray at Mon Plaisir, for example." That comes from way beyond left field: the only Cordelia reference in the first 200 pages. I'm 100 pages past that, with 150 more to go, and there's been no further mention of P.D. James's lady detective.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Craig wrote: "Reading through the discussion compelled me to dig out a copy at the library, which I'm just getting into.

In 2017, it DOES read like something from another era. If folks don't think it sounds lik..."

Re the title:

[Laura]

Craig wrote: "when the phone rang and it was Scotland Yard, setting up an appointment with Chief Superintendant Dalgliesh, I went, "Huh? What's HE doing here?"

Dalgliesh was there so Cordelia could have a go at him about mistreating Bernie, which she was rather infantile about. I presume James still had an intervening editor in 1972 - too bad they didn't do something about this segment.

[Jan C]

I just got the audio from the library and Dalgleish is mentioned when she talks to the cop investigating Bernie's death. This opens the door for James to insert him at any place.

[Stuart]

Has anyone read in a cottage, in a wood?
Looks pretty good.
Thanks in advance.

[MissLemon]

I've just finished The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

My spoiler below refers to both this and An Unsuitable Job for a Woman so please don't read it unless you have read both books

(view spoiler)[ Cuckoo also involves the PI being hired by the murderer to investigate a death that the police have declared a suicide. For slightly more believable reasons in Cuckoo, but I still think P.D. James plot was better. And as only the 'side kick' is female, J.K. Rowling ( Galbraith ) must think being a PI is unsuitable for a woman! (hide spoiler)]

[Michelle]

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
I am relatively new to the discussion group, and although I joined with the Black Water Lilies and The Devotion of Suspect X, I do believe that I'm hooked. I have read some mysteries in the past, but I wouldn't say that is my favorite genre...so I joined the group mainly for the "crime" and "thriller" part of things...and have found that I do love a good mystery. Thank you to whoever recommended this book, because it introduced me to a new author that I wouldn't have normally picked up. I can't wait to read another one by Phyllis Dorothy.
Similar to the experience of others, having not paid attention to the dates, I thought that this was set somewhere in the 30s as well. I think someone pointed out that this was 1970's Britain, not the US, so that makes sense. Looking forward to September's choices...I guess I'll have to start voting on the choices now that I'm hooked on the group! =)

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Michelle wrote: "An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
I am relatively new to the discussion group, and although I joined with the Black Water Lilies and The Devotion of Suspect X, I do believe that I'm hooke..."

I'm happy you enjoyed it!!

I read across time spans (not just historical fiction but fiction of the period ), so I felt the early 70s vibe in the book. That being said, if the series had continued, would she have made the detective agency work better than her dead partner ever did? What does everyone think??

[N.E.C.C.]

I did not like this one. Started good and i liked Cordelia Gray but after a while the story started to get boring and a couple of things felt like convenient.
I really wanted to like it because it's P.D. James and i heard good things about it. better luck next time.

[Donna]

Carolyn wrote: "I've just finished The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

My spoiler below refers to both this and An Unsuitable Job for a Woman so please don't rea..."

I thought about the similarities in The Cuckoo's Calling, too.

[Gisela]

Finally finished. Have to say, when I read it in my 20s I liked it a lot better than I did this time. Not unsurprisingly I found the story very much of it's time (70ish) with regard to it's attitude to society, women etc. Also found the end very confusing. What really annoyed me was the superhero image of Dagliesh, who didn't even until the end played a role in this story. I liked James' Dagliesh novels when I read them fist again years ago and have always thought I should revisit them. Not so sure now!

[Zoe]

I don't think a novel should turn people off due to the period and attitudes of the period it's set in, for me I find it fascinating rather than annoying. Also to me I find it rather fun that she inserts two characters together both in unsuitable job for a woman as well as in other Adam dalgliesh's books. I would suggest to re read the dalgliesh novels again because you might be surprised at how well you remember you liked them. I just don't agree that one book should so put you off reading ones that you enjoyed before. I think the reason she only wrote two Cordelia grey novels is that she may have found that Cordelia herself was a writers block as in she too may have struggled with her.

[Linda]

I'm just starting an unsuitable job for a woman. I find that I have mixed feelings about this as I tried to read The lighthouse and found I couldn't finish it. Here's hoping I like this one better.

[Gisela]

Zoe wrote: "I don't think a novel should turn people off due to the period and attitudes of the period it's set in, for me I find it fascinating rather than annoying. Also to me I find it rather fun that she i..."

Fair enough. I'm sure I read her Dagliesh novels again, just don't like male hero worship. I also think that Cordelia was a very limited character and probably a writer's education. I did think that the characters in the Dagliesh novels were better drawn and not so stereotypes.

[Zoe]

Yeah true I agree with you there. But I kinda like it when characters from the authors other novels turn up because I guess to me it makes that world feel real as they exist in a sense in the same time frame so it would make sense for them to turn up and meet each other. But I do agree that it wasn't as good as her dalgliesh books

[Alan]

I love anything written by P. D. James!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MissLemon]

Nancy wrote :"... If the series had continued, would she have made the detective agency work better than her dead partner ever did? ..."

I think she probably would, there being certain types of cases that clients may have felt, in those days, were more 'suitable' for a woman. She also seems to have had the support/admiration of Dalgleish which perhaps could have helped. I'm hoping to find the time to read The Skull Beneath the Skin soon, which hopefully develops her character in an interesting way. At the moment I feel it's a shame there were only two books, but perhaps the second book rounds her story of nicely, I'm looking forward to finding out.

I enjoyed the 1970's UK setting - I was 8 in 1972 and living in a small village in the south of the UK so it's nostalgic to me. It is authentic, but it's also quite a 'cosy' version of that time, which is perhaps why it seems like the 1930's to some.

[Linda]

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this book was. I'm not a huge fan of P. D. James so this was nice.

[MissLemon]

I've just read the second (and last) Cordelia Gray book The Skull Beneath the Skin. I think it is a little more interesting as a plot than Unsuitable Job, but (view spoiler)[I still found the 'reveal' quite unsatisfactory - we don't know if the case will even be brought to court. (hide spoiler)].
Im going to try Innocent Blood quite soon as that's the third book in the 'Trilogy of Death' collected volume I have. I believe it's a stand alone. And then of course I will have to try the first Dalgleish book one day, but I may stop there, we shall see!