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• Not only does James create intriguing scenarios, detailed characters and clever twists, but she writes so well! This mystery is no different, in fact it is astonishing by its psychological development and careful attention to the character's emotions and motives. The theme of justice and reputation does seem a little passé and naive by today's standards, but in a sense they are very refreshing.

  4.00 out of 5

  Cecilturtle

• The puzzle is a bit contrived and it's hard to buy into the murderer's motivation at the end, but the writing and characterizations are up to James's usual high standards. It's a bit disturbing how all of her main characters go around talking about how dreadful the architecture, or the decorating, or the oil paintings, or something, are. One gets the impression that everyone in England is simultaneously unable to create good art and a born critic of everyone else's.

  4.00 out of 5

  benfulton

• After Corcdelia Gray's senior partner commits suicide rather than face a slow painful death by cancer, she inherits the struggling Pryde's Detective Agency.In her first solo case, she is hired by Sir Ronald Callender, a prominent scientist and businessman, who hires her to find out why his son abruptly dropped out of Cambridge and hanged himnself just a few weeks later.As she investigates, she begins to suspect that that Mark Callender may have been murdered. As she follows a labrynthine trail of clues, she uncovers secret after secret. Exposing one or more of these secrets could quite possibly threaten someone, including Mark's possible murderer, and might, in turn, endanger Cordelia.I liked this a lot. It was a real page-turner, and was brilliantly written. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, though.

  3.00 out of 5

  bookwoman247

• My first PD James book - sometimes descriptions or details appear to be too long winded and then... just when I'm beginning to get bored or annoyed something totally unexpected happens. I wonder if all PD's books are like this? Guess I'll have to read a few more to find out. The story itself was pretty okay

  3.00 out of 5

  nikon

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