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Title: Devices & Desires by P.D. James ISBN: 0-446-35975-0 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 1991 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (23 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: P.D. James always comes through: Fascinating Mystery!
Comment: * * * * * P.D James does it again! Elaborate plot, subtle clues, rich fascinating characters make this a great mystery.
You don't have to be a P.D. James fan; all mystery lovers will enjoy this book!
~ -~
The book starts out with a nicely chilling episode: - a murder about to happen. James manages to sustain the mysterious and tense atmosphere throughout the book. Investigator Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh (a poet with a tragic past) is wonderful as always.
~ -~
James' strength is creating complex and believable characters that fill the book. We are given glimpses into the life of the suspects and their motives throughout the book. As always James manages to surprise us all with the solution. I've never been able to outguess Dalgliesh- her plots are too imaginative and subtly hidden in the story. This book is a little longer than most, but it is worth the time to read and delve deeper into the characters minds and motives. . This book is definitely addictive.
* * * * *
~ This isn't my favorite PD James- I prefer "A Taste for Death"
But even second best for P D James is far above the usual mystery. I definitely recommend this book with 5 stars * * * * * for an absorbing read
Rating: 4
Summary: Sub-plots a little distracting, but more Jamesian excellence
Comment: A different sort of mystery (and how often one can write that for a James!) in that the murderer one thinks is going to be the main problem suddenly isn't, and the real solution to the major crime is hidden in layers that are opened only by the omniscient author to the reader; none of her characters, not even Dalgliesh, knows all that we do by the end of the book. Dalgliesh is not actually the investigating officer in any of the mysteries here; truth be told he's more of a suspect ~ certainly a witness ~ in the major crime. Visiting his aunt's cottage, his since her death, in Norfolk, he becomes imbroiled in a mystery that could be part of the repetoire of a serial killer he has a slight interest in. The characters range around the headland which contains his cottage and mill, a nuclear power station, and several other habitations. Everyone has something to hide, including Dalgliesh and the investigating officer Rickards; some are more successful at concealment. The only thing i disliked about the plot was the sudden intrusion of MI5 in the last pages. Its appearance has something of the nature of a deus ex machina, and i am not too sure that the precense of the two men adds anything other than a mild explanation; nothing necessary, in other words. It reminds me of another James where the end comes only in the written confession of the murderer; there, as i recall, i did not object so strongly. The flurry of "fake" endings leads one to wonder if perhaps James doesn't write herself into a corner, concetrating so hard on the characters and their actions, that she loses track of the plot and cannot find a way out? The blessing is that those characters really do carry her books; i am not overly upset over a minor plot flaw.
Rating: 4
Summary: Good but the pace seems slow
Comment: I read "Devices and Desires" based on the recommendation of a friend. My friend said that the writing of P.D. James reminded her of my book ("The Other Part Of Me"). At first, I thought my friend was nuts - I didn't see any similarity at all. However, after getting further into the book I did begin to notice at times a certain rhythm to the narrative and dialog that did in fact remind me of my book.
While I did enjoy "Devices and Desires" and it did hold my interest throughout, the pace of the plot was much too slow for my tastes.
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Title: A Taste for Death by P.D. James ISBN: 0345430581 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 28 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Cover Her Face by P.D. James ISBN: 0743219570 Publisher: Scribner Paperback Fiction Pub. Date: 01 May, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: A Certain Justice by P.D. James ISBN: 0345430573 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 31 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Original Sin an Adam Dalgliesh Mystery by P.D. James ISBN: 0446679224 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James ISBN: 0743219600 Publisher: Scribner Paperback Fiction Pub. Date: 04 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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