YES! This is more like it!, 01 Dec 2008
"Scarpetta" is the return to form we have all been waiting for! I started the book yesterday, and I'm now halfway through, but I wanted to share my first impressions. I think this is Ms. Cornwell's best Scarpetta novel since "The Last Precinct". Her writing seems tight and focused again; from the outset, the characters and the reader plunge into the investigation, and there's none of those awful (in my opinion) 'inside the killer's mind in real-time' sequences that ruined books like "Predator" for me. Here, the reader discovers things with the characters. I'll post again when I've finished the book, but the first-half is very promising. Thank you, Ms. Cornwell!!

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 27 Nov 2008
For those readers as yet uninitiated with Patricia Cornwell's writings, it is probably worth pointing out that Kay Scarpetta is the author's main protagonist in her series of crime novels, of which this is the latest, the 16th, in fact, as far as this reviewer is aware. Cornwell's 'Scarpetta' series of novels are noteworthy for her employment of 'up to the minute' forensic technology. The novels constitutes also, to some extent, a genuine, progressive series being interlinked with 'peripheral' characters (and not so peripheral ones, such as Pete Marino, Lucy Farinelli, and Benton Wesley et al) occasionally reappearing or being revisited.

Briefly, the fictional Dr. Kay Scarpetta was born in Miami, Florida and is of Italian parentage; she witnessed the death of her father from leukemia, and this has haunted her ever since and, as a pathologist, this spectre is imported into her professional life. This is a key element in Cornwell's Scarpetta novels and a key to understanding what appears to be a predominance of forensic and 'scene of crime' detail.

It is impossible to predict accurately whether or not the new reader, unacquainted with Cornwell's works, will be smitten by her hallmark features and style. Much emphasis rests upon forensic and pathological matters - with which the authoress is thoroughly at home in a professional manner. The books indulge in detail of the particular crime scene, victim etc. and Cornwell's characterization is usually detailed and often quite intricate. The reader is rarely, if indeed ever, allowed to stray far from the proximity and vulnerability of human mortality. Readers and fans, already familiar with Cornwell's works, will certainly be delighted with this one!

In this plot, as the eponymous title suggests, it is Scarpetta herself who becomes the focus of a killer's - and of a stalker's - unwelcome and unworthy attentions. She has left her forensic pathology practice in South Carolina, and accepted an assignment in New York City. Therein she is asked to assess an injured house patient - the forcibly restrained and cuffed Oscar Bane - in a psychiatric clinic. Bane has specifically requested to be treated by Scarpetta. Suffice it to say, without giving anything away, that the good Dr Scarpetta gets slightly more than she'd bargained for!

This was a rivetting read with many interesting social an phsychological themes thrown in for good measure. This reviewer is happy to commend this book to all who are not overtly phased by the peculiarities of the darker, human psyche.

Michael Calum Jacques (author of '1st Century Radical: the shadowy origins of the man who became known as Jesus Christ')

Given the astonishing length of the writing career of PD James (her first novel was published in 1962), it is perhaps not surprising that her work often consciously refers back to an earlier era of British crime writing -- but it's none-the worse for that. In fact, James' clever and affectionate reinventions of the devices and conventions of that era afford a particular pleasure -- as is the case with her latest, The Private Patient.

Uncompromising investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn has booked herself into the Chandler Powell private clinic in Dorset. She has decided to remove a disfiguring facial scar, and is looking forward to what she hopes will be a new life after the surgery. But Rhoda will not leave the clinical alive - she is killed. After her murder, Commander Adam Dalgliesh is summoned to investigate. As he begins to examine suspects, scene and motives, a second death occurs, and Dalgliesh finds himself faced with one of the most complex and challenging mysteries of his career.

In many ways, The Private Patient has the structure of a novel from the golden age of crime fiction, and James is well aware of the very best writing from that era (including Cyril Hare, who James succeeded as premier crime writer for her publisher, Faber). Needless to say, she freights in a very modern level of psychological investigation, more penetrating than that of her great predecessors. If the novel seems less initially engaging than other recent work by the author, there is perhaps a subtle agenda here: James is avoiding the more obvious reader-grabbing tactics to present a low-key investigation of character than she has chosen to deal with in recent books. If a little more patience is required than usual, the result of this understated approach pays dividends. And admirers of James (and her doughty detective Dalgliesh) will be prepared to be flexible for the pleasures of the cogently handled narrative here. --Barry Forshaw

YES! This is more like it!, 01 Dec 2008
"Scarpetta" is the return to form we have all been waiting for! I started the book yesterday, and I'm now halfway through, but I wanted to share my first impressions. I think this is Ms. Cornwell's best Scarpetta novel since "The Last Precinct". Her writing seems tight and focused again; from the outset, the characters and the reader plunge into the investigation, and there's none of those awful (in my opinion) 'inside the killer's mind in real-time' sequences that ruined books like "Predator" for me. Here, the reader discovers things with the characters. I'll post again when I've finished the book, but the first-half is very promising. Thank you, Ms. Cornwell!!

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 27 Nov 2008
For those readers as yet uninitiated with Patricia Cornwell's writings, it is probably worth pointing out that Kay Scarpetta is the author's main protagonist in her series of crime novels, of which this is the latest, the 16th, in fact, as far as this reviewer is aware. Cornwell's 'Scarpetta' series of novels are noteworthy for her employment of 'up to the minute' forensic technology. The novels constitutes also, to some extent, a genuine, progressive series being interlinked with 'peripheral' characters (and not so peripheral ones, such as Pete Marino, Lucy Farinelli, and Benton Wesley et al) occasionally reappearing or being revisited.

Briefly, the fictional Dr. Kay Scarpetta was born in Miami, Florida and is of Italian parentage; she witnessed the death of her father from leukemia, and this has haunted her ever since and, as a pathologist, this spectre is imported into her professional life. This is a key element in Cornwell's Scarpetta novels and a key to understanding what appears to be a predominance of forensic and 'scene of crime' detail.

It is impossible to predict accurately whether or not the new reader, unacquainted with Cornwell's works, will be smitten by her hallmark features and style. Much emphasis rests upon forensic and pathological matters - with which the authoress is thoroughly at home in a professional manner. The books indulge in detail of the particular crime scene, victim etc. and Cornwell's characterization is usually detailed and often quite intricate. The reader is rarely, if indeed ever, allowed to stray far from the proximity and vulnerability of human mortality. Readers and fans, already familiar with Cornwell's works, will certainly be delighted with this one!

In this plot, as the eponymous title suggests, it is Scarpetta herself who becomes the focus of a killer's - and of a stalker's - unwelcome and unworthy attentions. She has left her forensic pathology practice in South Carolina, and accepted an assignment in New York City. Therein she is asked to assess an injured house patient - the forcibly restrained and cuffed Oscar Bane - in a psychiatric clinic. Bane has specifically requested to be treated by Scarpetta. Suffice it to say, without giving anything away, that the good Dr Scarpetta gets slightly more than she'd bargained for!

This was a rivetting read with many interesting social an phsychological themes thrown in for good measure. This reviewer is happy to commend this book to all who are not overtly phased by the peculiarities of the darker, human psyche.

Michael Calum Jacques (author of '1st Century Radical: the shadowy origins of the man who became known as Jesus Christ')






Good plot, shame about the characters, 01 Dec 2008
I always read each of P D James's books as it is published and quickly come to the same conclusion each time: although her books are well-plotted, she has a rare talent for populating them with characters that it is very difficult to relate to, whom we never really get inside the skin of, and who are universally dislikeable.

Dalgliesh, Miskin and Benton are far too cold and clinical - they either spend time focussed 100% on the case or else they ruminate on their personal lives in isolation. We never see them let their hair down, enjoy themselves or exchange the odd irreverent or humourous comment that is the difference between a robot and a human being.

Maybe the only poignant moment is when the potential suspect whose car was seen near the standing stones is recounting events that happened many years ago, concerning a modern-day character and her sister. I'm being a bit vague here to avoid spoiling the plot, but anyone who's read the book will know what I mean.

At least the last few Dalgliesh books have had the added dimension of the relationship between Dalgliesh and Emma Lavenham, but as with so much of James's writing, it comes across as relationship-by-numbers.

And P D James leaves one crucial question unanswered: why does the victim say that she "no longer has need for" the scar that is removed by the surgeon at the clinic? If James had no intention of answering the question, why did she make her character utter this irrelevant throwaway line in the first place?

Give me Frost, Morse, Wexford, Banks or Diamond any day: they are interesting characters whom I could happily spend an evening chatting to over a glass of wine or a pint of beer. I fear that an hour in Dalgliesh's company would pass very slowly and be exceptionally tedious.

The Consequences of Love and Its Lack in a Novel Where Crime Outpaces the Investigation, 26 Nov 2008

Adam Dalgliesh fans will feel wonderfully rewarded by a deep and long look at his work in diligently investigating this case while attempting to balance his life to leave room for his love of Emma Lavenham. You'll end the book wondering about how that balance might change in future books. These thoughts in many ways make for a better mystery than solving the murder.

The Private Patient is more about love, its effects, and the harm it costs to not receive and give it . . . than about crime, detection, or justice. As with The Lighthouse, Baroness James has created deeply etched new characters while turning her on-going characters into ever-more real seeming personalities.

While many novelists are only too quick to paint a victim as harmless or harmful and bump them off, Baroness James gives us a complex portrait of a woman, investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn, whose youth scarred both her face and her psyche. As a result, she uses her slashed face as a mask to hide behind . . . and to keep people away on her own terms. She becomes good at ferreting out the secrets of others and displaying those hidden scars for a large pay day.

With the death of her abusive father and her mother's plan to remarry, Gradwyn realizes she doesn't need the scar any more and seeks one of the most expensive and highly regarded plastic surgeons, George Chandler-Powell, to repair her face. But she decides that there might be stories involved, and her meddling brings forth counter forces that lead to her death.

Strangled in her patient suite, steps from the nurse's bedroom, it begins to appear that an insider is involved. But no one remembers meeting Gradwyn before. What's the motive?

AD is dispatched to work on the case shortly after a call comes from number ten. Why is this case so important?

The murderer wore gloves so forensic clues aren't going to solve this case. Carefully examining opportunity and motive should narrow down the list of suspects. But more events occur faster than AD can untangle the clues he uncovers. As a result, the book is more of a crime story accompanied by a police procedural where the detective trails the killer too slowly rather than a classic mystery in which the brilliant detective solves everything by pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

The story is a gripping one involving lots of memorable characters, sympathetic and unsympathetic motives, and damaged personalities ill equipped to deal with human stress and conflict. To me, the best crime and mystery books are as well developed and interesting as a well-written novel . . . independent of the mystery. By that standard, this is an excellent book.

I found it annoying to have the police investigation be so ineffectual. It made the book seem a bit pointless in a way. I graded the book down one star to express by disappointment in this regard.

You, however, may not mind . . . in which case this will be a clear winner for you.

Lost in the Dorset countryside..., 25 Nov 2008
I was really looking forward to reading the latest offering from P.D.James and settled down to enjoy her latest mystery. The plot surrounds the death of journalist, Rhoda Gradwyn, who is booked into Mr Chandler-Powell's private clinic to remove a disfiguring scar. Commander Adam Dagleish and his team arrive at the clinic to investigate the murder. All the ingredients are there for an enjoyablable read - the familiar characters, atmospheric setting, characters who have secrets to hide and a murderer to be exposed.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed as I found the story very slow moving. it didn't help that I worked out the name of the murderer about half way through the book. I think the problem was that the character of Adam Dagleish has become very robotic. Suspects and his team make comments and he listens but he seems so passive that I felt his presence was very weak. In the novel 'To The Lighthouse' he was portrayed as a human being, especially when he became ill but in this novel he seemed to be fading out of the action leaving a lot of questioning to his team.
He does have a girlfriend but even in the scenes with her, he reacts in a wooden manner. When she arrived with a tale of woe, he speaks to her in a cold manner as though they were strangers.
In fact many of the characters are discreet, quiet individuals and I must confess I did keep getting the female occupants at the Manor confused with one another. Even the murder victim is a very private person.
The story did leave me with lots of questions and P.D. James uses the end of the novel to try and tie up lots of loose ends which led to a boring end to the story. In the end I did not care who had committed the murder and I only partly understood the fire incdent at the standing stones.
Having said all that, I have enjoyed all the previous P.D. James's books and there is a lot in this story for people to enjoy so I've given it three stars. I hope you will follow the plot a little better than I did.



Loss of Momentum, 25 Nov 2008
I wish I could give 5 stars to this, probably the last PD James mystery featuring the stalwart yet sensitive Commander Adam Dalgleish. Most of the book was 5 star material, with the winning PD James formula of isolated setting, cast of improbably named suspects, a gruesome murder or two, and meandering setting description with words like "minatory", "gule" and "subvention" cropping up early and often to establish once again the author's literary bona fides. (Emma wears not a jacket, but a jerkin, as we are reminded three times in three pages.) The final 80 pages were however a disappointment, a rushed flurry of events, interviews with newly found characters appended in too-neat resolution. The ending seemed hardly connected to the build-up that preceded it. If a mystery lacks a satisfying conclusion, all the previous story-telling seems futile. Sorry to say, I have seen a loss of momentum in PD James's last several mysteries. She takes pains to keep up with the times, but her unnecessary subplot about lesbians is so painstakingly tolerant, so jarring, so entirely lacking in narrative reality. The effort to be open-minded is always just that - an effort, and the display of faux acceptance self-consciously calls attention to itself because it rings false and extraneous to the story. Poor Dalgleish, as I remember from earlier novels, was always more interesting as a solitary poet/police officer. Since he acquired a continuing romantic interest, the incongruously young Emma Lavenham, he has become too comfortably uxorious. His depth has dissipated. The detective sidekicks, Miskin and Benton, while again politically correct, are never as interesting as was Dalgleish at his philosophical best. Dare I add that the dialogue is simply not believable? Only in a PD James novel do characters speak in such perfectly shaped paragraphs.

Not her best, 24 Nov 2008
Beautifully written, but as far as the story goes I couldn't have cared who did it as the plot was so unreal and in one glaring obvious way the culprit gave themselves away. Too many unanswered questions - why did she want the scar removed, why did she refuse to see anyone when there was the suggestion of a prearranged meeting?

YES! This is more like it!, 01 Dec 2008
"Scarpetta" is the return to form we have all been waiting for! I started the book yesterday, and I'm now halfway through, but I wanted to share my first impressions. I think this is Ms. Cornwell's best Scarpetta novel since "The Last Precinct". Her writing seems tight and focused again; from the outset, the characters and the reader plunge into the investigation, and there's none of those awful (in my opinion) 'inside the killer's mind in real-time' sequences that ruined books like "Predator" for me. Here, the reader discovers things with the characters. I'll post again when I've finished the book, but the first-half is very promising. Thank you, Ms. Cornwell!!

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 27 Nov 2008
For those readers as yet uninitiated with Patricia Cornwell's writings, it is probably worth pointing out that Kay Scarpetta is the author's main protagonist in her series of crime novels, of which this is the latest, the 16th, in fact, as far as this reviewer is aware. Cornwell's 'Scarpetta' series of novels are noteworthy for her employment of 'up to the minute' forensic technology. The novels constitutes also, to some extent, a genuine, progressive series being interlinked with 'peripheral' characters (and not so peripheral ones, such as Pete Marino, Lucy Farinelli, and Benton Wesley et al) occasionally reappearing or being revisited.

Briefly, the fictional Dr. Kay Scarpetta was born in Miami, Florida and is of Italian parentage; she witnessed the death of her father from leukemia, and this has haunted her ever since and, as a pathologist, this spectre is imported into her professional life. This is a key element in Cornwell's Scarpetta novels and a key to understanding what appears to be a predominance of forensic and 'scene of crime' detail.

It is impossible to predict accurately whether or not the new reader, unacquainted with Cornwell's works, will be smitten by her hallmark features and style. Much emphasis rests upon forensic and pathological matters - with which the authoress is thoroughly at home in a professional manner. The books indulge in detail of the particular crime scene, victim etc. and Cornwell's characterization is usually detailed and often quite intricate. The reader is rarely, if indeed ever, allowed to stray far from the proximity and vulnerability of human mortality. Readers and fans, already familiar with Cornwell's works, will certainly be delighted with this one!

In this plot, as the eponymous title suggests, it is Scarpetta herself who becomes the focus of a killer's - and of a stalker's - unwelcome and unworthy attentions. She has left her forensic pathology practice in South Carolina, and accepted an assignment in New York City. Therein she is asked to assess an injured house patient - the forcibly restrained and cuffed Oscar Bane - in a psychiatric clinic. Bane has specifically requested to be treated by Scarpetta. Suffice it to say, without giving anything away, that the good Dr Scarpetta gets slightly more than she'd bargained for!

This was a rivetting read with many interesting social an phsychological themes thrown in for good measure. This reviewer is happy to commend this book to all who are not overtly phased by the peculiarities of the darker, human psyche.

Michael Calum Jacques (author of '1st Century Radical: the shadowy origins of the man who became known as Jesus Christ')






Good plot, shame about the characters, 01 Dec 2008
I always read each of P D James's books as it is published and quickly come to the same conclusion each time: although her books are well-plotted, she has a rare talent for populating them with characters that it is very difficult to relate to, whom we never really get inside the skin of, and who are universally dislikeable.

Dalgliesh, Miskin and Benton are far too cold and clinical - they either spend time focussed 100% on the case or else they ruminate on their personal lives in isolation. We never see them let their hair down, enjoy themselves or exchange the odd irreverent or humourous comment that is the difference between a robot and a human being.

Maybe the only poignant moment is when the potential suspect whose car was seen near the standing stones is recounting events that happened many years ago, concerning a modern-day character and her sister. I'm being a bit vague here to avoid spoiling the plot, but anyone who's read the book will know what I mean.

At least the last few Dalgliesh books have had the added dimension of the relationship between Dalgliesh and Emma Lavenham, but as with so much of James's writing, it comes across as relationship-by-numbers.

And P D James leaves one crucial question unanswered: why does the victim say that she "no longer has need for" the scar that is removed by the surgeon at the clinic? If James had no intention of answering the question, why did she make her character utter this irrelevant throwaway line in the first place?

Give me Frost, Morse, Wexford, Banks or Diamond any day: they are interesting characters whom I could happily spend an evening chatting to over a glass of wine or a pint of beer. I fear that an hour in Dalgliesh's company would pass very slowly and be exceptionally tedious.

The Consequences of Love and Its Lack in a Novel Where Crime Outpaces the Investigation, 26 Nov 2008

Adam Dalgliesh fans will feel wonderfully rewarded by a deep and long look at his work in diligently investigating this case while attempting to balance his life to leave room for his love of Emma Lavenham. You'll end the book wondering about how that balance might change in future books. These thoughts in many ways make for a better mystery than solving the murder.

The Private Patient is more about love, its effects, and the harm it costs to not receive and give it . . . than about crime, detection, or justice. As with The Lighthouse, Baroness James has created deeply etched new characters while turning her on-going characters into ever-more real seeming personalities.

While many novelists are only too quick to paint a victim as harmless or harmful and bump them off, Baroness James gives us a complex portrait of a woman, investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn, whose youth scarred both her face and her psyche. As a result, she uses her slashed face as a mask to hide behind . . . and to keep people away on her own terms. She becomes good at ferreting out the secrets of others and displaying those hidden scars for a large pay day.

With the death of her abusive father and her mother's plan to remarry, Gradwyn realizes she doesn't need the scar any more and seeks one of the most expensive and highly regarded plastic surgeons, George Chandler-Powell, to repair her face. But she decides that there might be stories involved, and her meddling brings forth counter forces that lead to her death.

Strangled in her patient suite, steps from the nurse's bedroom, it begins to appear that an insider is involved. But no one remembers meeting Gradwyn before. What's the motive?

AD is dispatched to work on the case shortly after a call comes from number ten. Why is this case so important?

The murderer wore gloves so forensic clues aren't going to solve this case. Carefully examining opportunity and motive should narrow down the list of suspects. But more events occur faster than AD can untangle the clues he uncovers. As a result, the book is more of a crime story accompanied by a police procedural where the detective trails the killer too slowly rather than a classic mystery in which the brilliant detective solves everything by pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

The story is a gripping one involving lots of memorable characters, sympathetic and unsympathetic motives, and damaged personalities ill equipped to deal with human stress and conflict. To me, the best crime and mystery books are as well developed and interesting as a well-written novel . . . independent of the mystery. By that standard, this is an excellent book.

I found it annoying to have the police investigation be so ineffectual. It made the book seem a bit pointless in a way. I graded the book down one star to express by disappointment in this regard.

You, however, may not mind . . . in which case this will be a clear winner for you.

Lost in the Dorset countryside..., 25 Nov 2008
I was really looking forward to reading the latest offering from P.D.James and settled down to enjoy her latest mystery. The plot surrounds the death of journalist, Rhoda Gradwyn, who is booked into Mr Chandler-Powell's private clinic to remove a disfiguring scar. Commander Adam Dagleish and his team arrive at the clinic to investigate the murder. All the ingredients are there for an enjoyablable read - the familiar characters, atmospheric setting, characters who have secrets to hide and a murderer to be exposed.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed as I found the story very slow moving. it didn't help that I worked out the name of the murderer about half way through the book. I think the problem was that the character of Adam Dagleish has become very robotic. Suspects and his team make comments and he listens but he seems so passive that I felt his presence was very weak. In the novel 'To The Lighthouse' he was portrayed as a human being, especially when he became ill but in this novel he seemed to be fading out of the action leaving a lot of questioning to his team.
He does have a girlfriend but even in the scenes with her, he reacts in a wooden manner. When she arrived with a tale of woe, he speaks to her in a cold manner as though they were strangers.
In fact many of the characters are discreet, quiet individuals and I must confess I did keep getting the female occupants at the Manor confused with one another. Even the murder victim is a very private person.
The story did leave me with lots of questions and P.D. James uses the end of the novel to try and tie up lots of loose ends which led to a boring end to the story. In the end I did not care who had committed the murder and I only partly understood the fire incdent at the standing stones.
Having said all that, I have enjoyed all the previous P.D. James's books and there is a lot in this story for people to enjoy so I've given it three stars. I hope you will follow the plot a little better than I did.



Loss of Momentum, 25 Nov 2008
I wish I could give 5 stars to this, probably the last PD James mystery featuring the stalwart yet sensitive Commander Adam Dalgleish. Most of the book was 5 star material, with the winning PD James formula of isolated setting, cast of improbably named suspects, a gruesome murder or two, and meandering setting description with words like "minatory", "gule" and "subvention" cropping up early and often to establish once again the author's literary bona fides. (Emma wears not a jacket, but a jerkin, as we are reminded three times in three pages.) The final 80 pages were however a disappointment, a rushed flurry of events, interviews with newly found characters appended in too-neat resolution. The ending seemed hardly connected to the build-up that preceded it. If a mystery lacks a satisfying conclusion, all the previous story-telling seems futile. Sorry to say, I have seen a loss of momentum in PD James's last several mysteries. She takes pains to keep up with the times, but her unnecessary subplot about lesbians is so painstakingly tolerant, so jarring, so entirely lacking in narrative reality. The effort to be open-minded is always just that - an effort, and the display of faux acceptance self-consciously calls attention to itself because it rings false and extraneous to the story. Poor Dalgleish, as I remember from earlier novels, was always more interesting as a solitary poet/police officer. Since he acquired a continuing romantic interest, the incongruously young Emma Lavenham, he has become too comfortably uxorious. His depth has dissipated. The detective sidekicks, Miskin and Benton, while again politically correct, are never as interesting as was Dalgleish at his philosophical best. Dare I add that the dialogue is simply not believable? Only in a PD James novel do characters speak in such perfectly shaped paragraphs.

Not her best, 24 Nov 2008
Beautifully written, but as far as the story goes I couldn't have cared who did it as the plot was so unreal and in one glaring obvious way the culprit gave themselves away. Too many unanswered questions - why did she want the scar removed, why did she refuse to see anyone when there was the suggestion of a prearranged meeting?

Another Follett masterpiece, 20 Nov 2008
Having read my copy of "Pillars of The Earth" at least 4 times, I just had to get the follow-up.
Stainding over 1000 pages, its not a tome to pick on a whim, but its another superb travel through historical England. (Don't panick if you still haven't experienced the magnificent "Pillars", as the characters are a few generations on).
Any fans of historical fiction will love this tale of love, deceit and heart-ache. Throw in some meaty action, add some pestilence and suffering, and you're left with a book that will keep you enthralled and captivated.
I loved it. 5 stars once again for Follett!!

Excellent Novel, 09 Nov 2008
A book of this size can appear daunting at the start. However from the opening pages it gets you hooked and takes you on a fantastic journey with well crafted plot and great characterisation. It has left me with a thirst to read Ken Follet's first book "The Pillars of the Earth" and I would recommend "World Without End" to any reader.

Rather good, 27 Oct 2008
I saw this book in hardback and thought it sounded interesting but hardbacks are not good for the daily commute! The paperback is still hefty and I've never read a book this length before but I really enjoyed it. I hadn't read the first book - and for anyone swithering I would say you don't have to, to enjoy this one. Yes it is long but I don't feel it ever dragged. A couple of times he would reiterate points from earlier in the book which was annoying but also occasionally useful. The descriptions were great, conjuring up vivid pictures of life in that period of time and I felt the characters were well drawn. As it came to an end I was very satisfied. It's a good old yarn and I would recommend it. Am very tempted to read the first book now - once I have the strength back in my arms!

Marmite Book: you'll love it or hate it, 22 Oct 2008
I tried to get into this as I love historical murder mysteries and it sounded as if it was well written.

I wouldn't actually criticise the writing (as Ken Follett is a very good writer) but I suspect this particular work of his is a bit like marmite: you'll either love it or hate it. Personally I couldn't get into it enough though I tried a couple of times and I know one of my friends couldn't either. It may well be very enjoyable for those who enjoy the protracted sweep down generations style story (possibly Catherine Cookson fans might appreciate this more than I did?). Or at least the bit I did read before I gave up due to lack of interest generated - sorry Follett fans, I know he's a good writer but this tome is for a distinctive market. Those who enjoy such sweeping stories may well love it though.

It's a hefty size book and the only writer I enjoy, who also does such a large size novel, is C.J. Sansom (as I find his/her books tightly paced and well plotted but they doesn't generally go across time periods as wide as a generation in each book).

If anyone is interested in Sansom, I would warn that his/her books are mainly based in Tudor times. From my own experience, people enjoy different time periods and those who like the medieval period (to have shown an interest in this) may well not like the tudor period. Forewarned is forearmed.

Very good read, though not as good as Pillars, 16 Oct 2008
A page turning saga like its predecessor, though this is not really a sequel to Pillars of the Earth and one could read it as a standalone novel. Indeed, many of the characters and situations echo those in that book, so in some ways it's like a 14th C reimagining of Pillars. It is probably too long, but Follett's writing here is almost as gripping as in Pillars. However, unlike its predecessor, I did get rather tired of the never ending soap opera of gloom and doom, a bit like a Medieval Eastenders. The level of violence and body horror seemed a bit gratuitous in places as well. Some of the characters (e.g. Merthin) have unusual Christian names and I wondered what the research evidence for this was. There were also some simple mistakes (a reference to Florence having a doge - that was Venice). All in all, a good read, though not up to the standards of its predecessor.

John Grisham is now an institution -- a writer whose bestselling status is assured, So assured, in fact, that expectations for each new book are as high as can be imagined. Does The Appeal make the grade? And will it appeal to Grisham admirers -- or disappoint them?

The stakes in the novel's plot are high: corporate crime on the largest scale. The duo of lawyers at the centre of the narrative are Mary and Wes Grace, who succeed in a multimillion dollar case against a chemical company, who have polluted a town with dumped toxic waste. A slew of agonising deaths have followed this, but lawyers for the chemical company appeal, and a variety of legal shenanigans are employed -- and it is certainly not clear which way the scales of justice will be finally balanced.

As ever with Grisham, the mechanics of plotting are key, and the characterisation is functional rather than detailed. But it is (as always) more than capable of keeping the reader totally engaged. Given John Grisham's much-publicised conversion to born-again Christianity, it's intriguing to note here the implicit criticism of the moral majority's religious values, but that is hardly central to the enterprise. What counts is the storytelling, and while the writing is as straightforward and uncomplicated as ever, few readers will put down The Appeal once they have allowed it to exert its grip on upon them. --Barry Forshaw

YES! This is more like it!, 01 Dec 2008
"Scarpetta" is the return to form we have all been waiting for! I started the book yesterday, and I'm now halfway through, but I wanted to share my first impressions. I think this is Ms. Cornwell's best Scarpetta novel since "The Last Precinct". Her writing seems tight and focused again; from the outset, the characters and the reader plunge into the investigation, and there's none of those awful (in my opinion) 'inside the killer's mind in real-time' sequences that ruined books like "Predator" for me. Here, the reader discovers things with the characters. I'll post again when I've finished the book, but the first-half is very promising. Thank you, Ms. Cornwell!!

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 27 Nov 2008
For those readers as yet uninitiated with Patricia Cornwell's writings, it is probably worth pointing out that Kay Scarpetta is the author's main protagonist in her series of crime novels, of which this is the latest, the 16th, in fact, as far as this reviewer is aware. Cornwell's 'Scarpetta' series of novels are noteworthy for her employment of 'up to the minute' forensic technology. The novels constitutes also, to some extent, a genuine, progressive series being interlinked with 'peripheral' characters (and not so peripheral ones, such as Pete Marino, Lucy Farinelli, and Benton Wesley et al) occasionally reappearing or being revisited.

Briefly, the fictional Dr. Kay Scarpetta was born in Miami, Florida and is of Italian parentage; she witnessed the death of her father from leukemia, and this has haunted her ever since and, as a pathologist, this spectre is imported into her professional life. This is a key element in Cornwell's Scarpetta novels and a key to understanding what appears to be a predominance of forensic and 'scene of crime' detail.

It is impossible to predict accurately whether or not the new reader, unacquainted with Cornwell's works, will be smitten by her hallmark features and style. Much emphasis rests upon forensic and pathological matters - with which the authoress is thoroughly at home in a professional manner. The books indulge in detail of the particular crime scene, victim etc. and Cornwell's characterization is usually detailed and often quite intricate. The reader is rarely, if indeed ever, allowed to stray far from the proximity and vulnerability of human mortality. Readers and fans, already familiar with Cornwell's works, will certainly be delighted with this one!

In this plot, as the eponymous title suggests, it is Scarpetta herself who becomes the focus of a killer's - and of a stalker's - unwelcome and unworthy attentions. She has left her forensic pathology practice in South Carolina, and accepted an assignment in New York City. Therein she is asked to assess an injured house patient - the forcibly restrained and cuffed Oscar Bane - in a psychiatric clinic. Bane has specifically requested to be treated by Scarpetta. Suffice it to say, without giving anything away, that the good Dr Scarpetta gets slightly more than she'd bargained for!

This was a rivetting read with many interesting social an phsychological themes thrown in for good measure. This reviewer is happy to commend this book to all who are not overtly phased by the peculiarities of the darker, human psyche.

Michael Calum Jacques (author of '1st Century Radical: the shadowy origins of the man who became known as Jesus Christ')






Good plot, shame about the characters, 01 Dec 2008
I always read each of P D James's books as it is published and quickly come to the same conclusion each time: although her books are well-plotted, she has a rare talent for populating them with characters that it is very difficult to relate to, whom we never really get inside the skin of, and who are universally dislikeable.

Dalgliesh, Miskin and Benton are far too cold and clinical - they either spend time focussed 100% on the case or else they ruminate on their personal lives in isolation. We never see them let their hair down, enjoy themselves or exchange the odd irreverent or humourous comment that is the difference between a robot and a human being.

Maybe the only poignant moment is when the potential suspect whose car was seen near the standing stones is recounting events that happened many years ago, concerning a modern-day character and her sister. I'm being a bit vague here to avoid spoiling the plot, but anyone who's read the book will know what I mean.

At least the last few Dalgliesh books have had the added dimension of the relationship between Dalgliesh and Emma Lavenham, but as with so much of James's writing, it comes across as relationship-by-numbers.

And P D James leaves one crucial question unanswered: why does the victim say that she "no longer has need for" the scar that is removed by the surgeon at the clinic? If James had no intention of answering the question, why did she make her character utter this irrelevant throwaway line in the first place?

Give me Frost, Morse, Wexford, Banks or Diamond any day: they are interesting characters whom I could happily spend an evening chatting to over a glass of wine or a pint of beer. I fear that an hour in Dalgliesh's company would pass very slowly and be exceptionally tedious.

The Consequences of Love and Its Lack in a Novel Where Crime Outpaces the Investigation, 26 Nov 2008

Adam Dalgliesh fans will feel wonderfully rewarded by a deep and long look at his work in diligently investigating this case while attempting to balance his life to leave room for his love of Emma Lavenham. You'll end the book wondering about how that balance might change in future books. These thoughts in many ways make for a better mystery than solving the murder.

The Private Patient is more about love, its effects, and the harm it costs to not receive and give it . . . than about crime, detection, or justice. As with The Lighthouse, Baroness James has created deeply etched new characters while turning her on-going characters into ever-more real seeming personalities.

While many novelists are only too quick to paint a victim as harmless or harmful and bump them off, Baroness James gives us a complex portrait of a woman, investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn, whose youth scarred both her face and her psyche. As a result, she uses her slashed face as a mask to hide behind . . . and to keep people away on her own terms. She becomes good at ferreting out the secrets of others and displaying those hidden scars for a large pay day.

With the death of her abusive father and her mother's plan to remarry, Gradwyn realizes she doesn't need the scar any more and seeks one of the most expensive and highly regarded plastic surgeons, George Chandler-Powell, to repair her face. But she decides that there might be stories involved, and her meddling brings forth counter forces that lead to her death.

Strangled in her patient suite, steps from the nurse's bedroom, it begins to appear that an insider is involved. But no one remembers meeting Gradwyn before. What's the motive?

AD is dispatched to work on the case shortly after a call comes from number ten. Why is this case so important?

The murderer wore gloves so forensic clues aren't going to solve this case. Carefully examining opportunity and motive should narrow down the list of suspects. But more events occur faster than AD can untangle the clues he uncovers. As a result, the book is more of a crime story accompanied by a police procedural where the detective trails the killer too slowly rather than a classic mystery in which the brilliant detective solves everything by pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

The story is a gripping one involving lots of memorable characters, sympathetic and unsympathetic motives, and damaged personalities ill equipped to deal with human stress and conflict. To me, the best crime and mystery books are as well developed and interesting as a well-written novel . . . independent of the mystery. By that standard, this is an excellent book.

I found it annoying to have the police investigation be so ineffectual. It made the book seem a bit pointless in a way. I graded the book down one star to express by disappointment in this regard.

You, however, may not mind . . . in which case this will be a clear winner for you.

Lost in the Dorset countryside..., 25 Nov 2008
I was really looking forward to reading the latest offering from P.D.James and settled down to enjoy her latest mystery. The plot surrounds the death of journalist, Rhoda Gradwyn, who is booked into Mr Chandler-Powell's private clinic to remove a disfiguring scar. Commander Adam Dagleish and his team arrive at the clinic to investigate the murder. All the ingredients are there for an enjoyablable read - the familiar characters, atmospheric setting, characters who have secrets to hide and a murderer to be exposed.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed as I found the story very slow moving. it didn't help that I worked out the name of the murderer about half way through the book. I think the problem was that the character of Adam Dagleish has become very robotic. Suspects and his team make comments and he listens but he seems so passive that I felt his presence was very weak. In the novel 'To The Lighthouse' he was portrayed as a human being, especially when he became ill but in this novel he seemed to be fading out of the action leaving a lot of questioning to his team.
He does have a girlfriend but even in the scenes with her, he reacts in a wooden manner. When she arrived with a tale of woe, he speaks to her in a cold manner as though they were strangers.
In fact many of the characters are discreet, quiet individuals and I must confess I did keep getting the female occupants at the Manor confused with one another. Even the murder victim is a very private person.
The story did leave me with lots of questions and P.D. James uses the end of the novel to try and tie up lots of loose ends which led to a boring end to the story. In the end I did not care who had committed the murder and I only partly understood the fire incdent at the standing stones.
Having said all that, I have enjoyed all the previous P.D. James's books and there is a lot in this story for people to enjoy so I've given it three stars. I hope you will follow the plot a little better than I did.



Loss of Momentum, 25 Nov 2008
I wish I could give 5 stars to this, probably the last PD James mystery featuring the stalwart yet sensitive Commander Adam Dalgleish. Most of the book was 5 star material, with the winning PD James formula of isolated setting, cast of improbably named suspects, a gruesome murder or two, and meandering setting description with words like "minatory", "gule" and "subvention" cropping up early and often to establish once again the author's literary bona fides. (Emma wears not a jacket, but a jerkin, as we are reminded three times in three pages.) The final 80 pages were however a disappointment, a rushed flurry of events, interviews with newly found characters appended in too-neat resolution. The ending seemed hardly connected to the build-up that preceded it. If a mystery lacks a satisfying conclusion, all the previous story-telling seems futile. Sorry to say, I have seen a loss of momentum in PD James's last several mysteries. She takes pains to keep up with the times, but her unnecessary subplot about lesbians is so painstakingly tolerant, so jarring, so entirely lacking in narrative reality. The effort to be open-minded is always just that - an effort, and the display of faux acceptance self-consciously calls attention to itself because it rings false and extraneous to the story. Poor Dalgleish, as I remember from earlier novels, was always more interesting as a solitary poet/police officer. Since he acquired a continuing romantic interest, the incongruously young Emma Lavenham, he has become too comfortably uxorious. His depth has dissipated. The detective sidekicks, Miskin and Benton, while again politically correct, are never as interesting as was Dalgleish at his philosophical best. Dare I add that the dialogue is simply not believable? Only in a PD James novel do characters speak in such perfectly shaped paragraphs.

Not her best, 24 Nov 2008
Beautifully written, but as far as the story goes I couldn't have cared who did it as the plot was so unreal and in one glaring obvious way the culprit gave themselves away. Too many unanswered questions - why did she want the scar removed, why did she refuse to see anyone when there was the suggestion of a prearranged meeting?

Another Follett masterpiece, 20 Nov 2008
Having read my copy of "Pillars of The Earth" at least 4 times, I just had to get the follow-up.
Stainding over 1000 pages, its not a tome to pick on a whim, but its another superb travel through historical England. (Don't panick if you still haven't experienced the magnificent "Pillars", as the characters are a few generations on).
Any fans of historical fiction will love this tale of love, deceit and heart-ache. Throw in some meaty action, add some pestilence and suffering, and you're left with a book that will keep you enthralled and captivated.
I loved it. 5 stars once again for Follett!!

Excellent Novel, 09 Nov 2008
A book of this size can appear daunting at the start. However from the opening pages it gets you hooked and takes you on a fantastic journey with well crafted plot and great characterisation. It has left me with a thirst to read Ken Follet's first book "The Pillars of the Earth" and I would recommend "World Without End" to any reader.

Rather good, 27 Oct 2008
I saw this book in hardback and thought it sounded interesting but hardbacks are not good for the daily commute! The paperback is still hefty and I've never read a book this length before but I really enjoyed it. I hadn't read the first book - and for anyone swithering I would say you don't have to, to enjoy this one. Yes it is long but I don't feel it ever dragged. A couple of times he would reiterate points from earlier in the book which was annoying but also occasionally useful. The descriptions were great, conjuring up vivid pictures of life in that period of time and I felt the characters were well drawn. As it came to an end I was very satisfied. It's a good old yarn and I would recommend it. Am very tempted to read the first book now - once I have the strength back in my arms!

Marmite Book: you'll love it or hate it, 22 Oct 2008
I tried to get into this as I love historical murder mysteries and it sounded as if it was well written.

I wouldn't actually criticise the writing (as Ken Follett is a very good writer) but I suspect this particular work of his is a bit like marmite: you'll either love it or hate it. Personally I couldn't get into it enough though I tried a couple of times and I know one of my friends couldn't either. It may well be very enjoyable for those who enjoy the protracted sweep down generations style story (possibly Catherine Cookson fans might appreciate this more than I did?). Or at least the bit I did read before I gave up due to lack of interest generated - sorry Follett fans, I know he's a good writer but this tome is for a distinctive market. Those who enjoy such sweeping stories may well love it though.

It's a hefty size book and the only writer I enjoy, who also does such a large size novel, is C.J. Sansom (as I find his/her books tightly paced and well plotted but they doesn't generally go across time periods as wide as a generation in each book).

If anyone is interested in Sansom, I would warn that his/her books are mainly based in Tudor times. From my own experience, people enjoy different time periods and those who like the medieval period (to have shown an interest in this) may well not like the tudor period. Forewarned is forearmed.

Very good read, though not as good as Pillars, 16 Oct 2008
A page turning saga like its predecessor, though this is not really a sequel to Pillars of the Earth and one could read it as a standalone novel. Indeed, many of the characters and situations echo those in that book, so in some ways it's like a 14th C reimagining of Pillars. It is probably too long, but Follett's writing here is almost as gripping as in Pillars. However, unlike its predecessor, I did get rather tired of the never ending soap opera of gloom and doom, a bit like a Medieval Eastenders. The level of violence and body horror seemed a bit gratuitous in places as well. Some of the characters (e.g. Merthin) have unusual Christian names and I wondered what the research evidence for this was. There were also some simple mistakes (a reference to Florence having a doge - that was Venice). All in all, a good read, though not up to the standards of its predecessor.

More narrative than story, 08 Sep 2008
This book really gets into the workings of the appeals process and the politics involved in elections within the Supreme Court in the USA. A page turner? Only if you are looking for the story to spark into life and grab you by the collar and shake you senseless and it's when you hit the author's note that you realise that will not happen in this book. Maybe I have come to expect too much from the auhtor but I felt this book lacked a cutting edge that in parts made it tedious and quite boring.

Bad bad bad corporate America!, 02 Sep 2008
This is a classic novel. On the one side we have the baddies: an over-ambitious corporate raider surfing the murky waters of New York high finance world, a bunch of ultra-religious far right activists whose interests coincide with those of Corporate America and a ruthless campaign manager. On the other front the goodies are VERY good: a couple of selfless trial lawyers...a lovely liberal judge and so on...
The rythm of the book is good - although it slows down a bit in the central part. Good book for those who like semplifications...

Pretty Pathetic, 05 Aug 2008
What a disappointing Grisham novel. They are slowly getting worse. Of course the legal side is interesting but the story - boring and tedious - too many uninteresting characters about whom I couldn't care less. The book dragged on to a poor ending. I thought the new yacht, together with all the useless people on board, was going to sink - pity it didn't. I think this novel may have been written by a 'ghost writer'. I shall not bother to purchase any more of Grisham's novels.

Lost the Plot!!!!, 18 Jun 2008
Has a great and one of my favourite authors, simply lost the plot?!!!!
This book and his last 'Playing for Pizza' have been the two worst Grisham books that I have read. How can a man who has written some of the best books I have ever read write two books on the spin which, in being kind, I would say were a complete waste of money?!!!!!!!
In all sincerity, I would have to think twice before buying another Grisham new release!

Appealingly Dull, 11 Jun 2008
`The Appeal' opens at the point when most courtroom drama books end - with a verdict. Small town lawyers Mary and Wes Grace have just won a verdict of 10s of millions for their client whose husband and son both died due to contaminated drinking water. However, with their stock falling the big wigs at the chemical plant blamed for this are not planning to take the result on the chin. Instead they go about using underhand methods to try and influence an appeal that will take over a year to come about. Can Mary and Wes make the Supreme Court keep the ruling or will big business prove once more than money talks?

This is by far the most damning and depressing novel to date from Grisham. Over the years he has often tackled the shortfalls in the US judicial system, but here he attacks them head on. By the end of the book you are left battered and bruised in the ways that big business will try to manipulate and buy power. This should have been a great read, unfortunately in trying to educate the reader about the law Grisham has gone into too much detail and grows boring. In fact, the book almost feels like dry non-fiction about running a dodgy political campaign. The story seemed to get lost amongst pages and pages of political and law theory. If Grisham had managed to balance the story alongside his message the book would have proved a powerful message. Instead he is too heavy handed and even the most liberal of reader will get glassy eyed. Nice idea, poorly done.

There are few thriller writers who have had such long and distinguished careers as Dick Francis, and his lengthy series of books (with their zesty recreations of the racing world) are among many readers' favourite novels in the genre. Recently, ill-health seemed to threaten the author's reliable productivity, and the death of his wife (who had long been a behind-the-scenes collaborator on his books) made it appear that the golden days of the Dick Francis racing thriller were firmly in the past. However, here is Silks, the result of a collaboration between Dick Francis and his son Felix -- and it will be a welcome arrival for the legions of Francis admirers.

Julian Trent is found guilty of a violent unprovoked attack on an innocent family and a charge of attempted murder. He is accused by the judge of showing no remorse for his actions, but receives a remarkably light sentence. Surprisingly, this news is not welcome to his defence barrister, Geoffrey Mason, who was secretly hoping for a more severe judgement against his client, whom he does not like. Mason is a part-time jockey (this is a novel with Dick Francis's name on the jacket, after all), and when Mason dons his racing silks and travels to Sandown to follow his real passion -- riding a thoroughbred in a heated steeplechase -- he finds that he cannot leave the violence that is often the bread and butter of his profession behind him A fellow rider is savagely killed by a pitchfork driven through the chest, and there is a persuasive amount of evidence against champion jockey Steve Mitchell as the killer, but Mason becomes involved -- and finds all the various aspects of his life coalescing in a lethal fashion.

Dick Francis has 41 novels under his belt, and remains the consummate thriller practitioner. Felix, his son, had helped with the research on his father's novels over the last 40 years (notably Twice Shy, Shattered and Under Orders). Silks is their second full collaboration after Dead Heat, and should provides Francis aficionados with all the elements they've grown accustomed to. --Barry Forshaw

YES! This is more like it!, 01 Dec 2008
"Scarpetta" is the return to form we have all been waiting for! I started the book yesterday, and I'm now halfway through, but I wanted to share my first impressions. I think this is Ms. Cornwell's best Scarpetta novel since "The Last Precinct". Her writing seems tight and focused again; from the outset, the characters and the reader plunge into the investigation, and there's none of those awful (in my opinion) 'inside the killer's mind in real-time' sequences that ruined books like "Predator" for me. Here, the reader discovers things with the characters. I'll post again when I've finished the book, but the first-half is very promising. Thank you, Ms. Cornwell!!

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 27 Nov 2008
For those readers as yet uninitiated with Patricia Cornwell's writings, it is probably worth pointing out that Kay Scarpetta is the author's main protagonist in her series of crime novels, of which this is the latest, the 16th, in fact, as far as this reviewer is aware. Cornwell's 'Scarpetta' series of novels are noteworthy for her employment of 'up to the minute' forensic technology. The novels constitutes also, to some extent, a genuine, progressive series being interlinked with 'peripheral' characters (and not so peripheral ones, such as Pete Marino, Lucy Farinelli, and Benton Wesley et al) occasionally reappearing or being revisited.

Briefly, the fictional Dr. Kay Scarpetta was born in Miami, Florida and is of Italian parentage; she witnessed the death of her father from leukemia, and this has haunted her ever since and, as a pathologist, this spectre is imported into her professional life. This is a key element in Cornwell's Scarpetta novels and a key to understanding what appears to be a predominance of forensic and 'scene of crime' detail.

It is impossible to predict accurately whether or not the new reader, unacquainted with Cornwell's works, will be smitten by her hallmark features and style. Much emphasis rests upon forensic and pathological matters - with which the authoress is thoroughly at home in a professional manner. The books indulge in detail of the particular crime scene, victim etc. and Cornwell's characterization is usually detailed and often quite intricate. The reader is rarely, if indeed ever, allowed to stray far from the proximity and vulnerability of human mortality. Readers and fans, already familiar with Cornwell's works, will certainly be delighted with this one!

In this plot, as the eponymous title suggests, it is Scarpetta herself who becomes the focus of a killer's - and of a stalker's - unwelcome and unworthy attentions. She has left her forensic pathology practice in South Carolina, and accepted an assignment in New York City. Therein she is asked to assess an injured house patient - the forcibly restrained and cuffed Oscar Bane - in a psychiatric clinic. Bane has specifically requested to be treated by Scarpetta. Suffice it to say, without giving anything away, that the good Dr Scarpetta gets slightly more than she'd bargained for!

This was a rivetting read with many interesting social an phsychological themes thrown in for good measure. This reviewer is happy to commend this book to all who are not overtly phased by the peculiarities of the darker, human psyche.

Michael Calum Jacques (author of '1st Century Radical: the shadowy origins of the man who became known as Jesus Christ')






Good plot, shame about the characters, 01 Dec 2008
I always read each of P D James's books as it is published and quickly come to the same conclusion each time: although her books are well-plotted, she has a rare talent for populating them with characters that it is very difficult to relate to, whom we never really get inside the skin of, and who are universally dislikeable.

Dalgliesh, Miskin and Benton are far too cold and clinical - they either spend time focussed 100% on the case or else they ruminate on their personal lives in isolation. We never see them let their hair down, enjoy themselves or exchange the odd irreverent or humourous comment that is the difference between a robot and a human being.

Maybe the only poignant moment is when the potential suspect whose car was seen near the standing stones is recounting events that happened many years ago, concerning a modern-day character and her sister. I'm being a bit vague here to avoid spoiling the plot, but anyone who's read the book will know what I mean.

At least the last few Dalgliesh books have had the added dimension of the relationship between Dalgliesh and Emma Lavenham, but as with so much of James's writing, it comes across as relationship-by-numbers.

And P D James leaves one crucial question unanswered: why does the victim say that she "no longer has need for" the scar that is removed by the surgeon at the clinic? If James had no intention of answering the question, why did she make her character utter this irrelevant throwaway line in the first place?

Give me Frost, Morse, Wexford, Banks or Diamond any day: they are interesting characters whom I could happily spend an evening chatting to over a glass of wine or a pint of beer. I fear that an hour in Dalgliesh's company would pass very slowly and be exceptionally tedious.

The Consequences of Love and Its Lack in a Novel Where Crime Outpaces the Investigation, 26 Nov 2008

Adam Dalgliesh fans will feel wonderfully rewarded by a deep and long look at his work in diligently investigating this case while attempting to balance his life to leave room for his love of Emma Lavenham. You'll end the book wondering about how that balance might change in future books. These thoughts in many ways make for a better mystery than solving the murder.

The Private Patient is more about love, its effects, and the harm it costs to not receive and give it . . . than about crime, detection, or justice. As with The Lighthouse, Baroness James has created deeply etched new characters while turning her on-going characters into ever-more real seeming personalities.

While many novelists are only too quick to paint a victim as harmless or harmful and bump them off, Baroness James gives us a complex portrait of a woman, investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn, whose youth scarred both her face and her psyche. As a result, she uses her slashed face as a mask to hide behind . . . and to keep people away on her own terms. She becomes good at ferreting out the secrets of others and displaying those hidden scars for a large pay day.

With the death of her abusive father and her mother's plan to remarry, Gradwyn realizes she doesn't need the scar any more and seeks one of the most expensive and highly regarded plastic surgeons, George Chandler-Powell, to repair her face. But she decides that there might be stories involved, and her meddling brings forth counter forces that lead to her death.

Strangled in her patient suite, steps from the nurse's bedroom, it begins to appear that an insider is involved. But no one remembers meeting Gradwyn before. What's the motive?

AD is dispatched to work on the case shortly after a call comes from number ten. Why is this case so important?

The murderer wore gloves so forensic clues aren't going to solve this case. Carefully examining opportunity and motive should narrow down the list of suspects. But more events occur faster than AD can untangle the clues he uncovers. As a result, the book is more of a crime story accompanied by a police procedural where the detective trails the killer too slowly rather than a classic mystery in which the brilliant detective solves everything by pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

The story is a gripping one involving lots of memorable characters, sympathetic and unsympathetic motives, and damaged personalities ill equipped to deal with human stress and conflict. To me, the best crime and mystery books are as well developed and interesting as a well-written novel . . . independent of the mystery. By that standard, this is an excellent book.

I found it annoying to have the police investigation be so ineffectual. It made the book seem a bit pointless in a way. I graded the book down one star to express by disappointment in this regard.

You, however, may not mind . . . in which case this will be a clear winner for you.

Lost in the Dorset countryside..., 25 Nov 2008
I was really looking forward to reading the latest offering from P.D.James and settled down to enjoy her latest mystery. The plot surrounds the death of journalist, Rhoda Gradwyn, who is booked into Mr Chandler-Powell's private clinic to remove a disfiguring scar. Commander Adam Dagleish and his team arrive at the clinic to investigate the murder. All the ingredients are there for an enjoyablable read - the familiar characters, atmospheric setting, characters who have secrets to hide and a murderer to be exposed.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed as I found the story very slow moving. it didn't help that I worked out the name of the murderer about half way through the book. I think the problem was that the character of Adam Dagleish has become very robotic. Suspects and his team make comments and he listens but he seems so passive that I felt his presence was very weak. In the novel 'To The Lighthouse' he was portrayed as a human being, especially when he became ill but in this novel he seemed to be fading out of the action leaving a lot of questioning to his team.
He does have a girlfriend but even in the scenes with her, he reacts in a wooden manner. When she arrived with a tale of woe, he speaks to her in a cold manner as though they were strangers.
In fact many of the characters are discreet, quiet individuals and I must confess I did keep getting the female occupants at the Manor confused with one another. Even the murder victim is a very private person.
The story did leave me with lots of questions and P.D. James uses the end of the novel to try and tie up lots of loose ends which led to a boring end to the story. In the end I did not care who had committed the murder and I only partly understood the fire incdent at the standing stones.
Having said all that, I have enjoyed all the previous P.D. James's books and there is a lot in this story for people to enjoy so I've given it three stars. I hope you will follow the plot a little better than I did.



Loss of Momentum, 25 Nov 2008
I wish I could give 5 stars to this, probably the last PD James mystery featuring the stalwart yet sensitive Commander Adam Dalgleish. Most of the book was 5 star material, with the winning PD James formula of isolated setting, cast of improbably named suspects, a gruesome murder or two, and meandering setting description with words like "minatory", "gule" and "subvention" cropping up early and often to establish once again the author's literary bona fides. (Emma wears not a jacket, but a jerkin, as we are reminded three times in three pages.) The final 80 pages were however a disappointment, a rushed flurry of events, interviews with newly found characters appended in too-neat resolution. The ending seemed hardly connected to the build-up that preceded it. If a mystery lacks a satisfying conclusion, all the previous story-telling seems futile. Sorry to say, I have seen a loss of momentum in PD James's last several mysteries. She takes pains to keep up with the times, but her unnecessary subplot about lesbians is so painstakingly tolerant, so jarring, so entirely lacking in narrative reality. The effort to be open-minded is always just that - an effort, and the display of faux acceptance self-consciously calls attention to itself because it rings false and extraneous to the story. Poor Dalgleish, as I remember from earlier novels, was always more interesting as a solitary poet/police officer. Since he acquired a continuing romantic interest, the incongruously young Emma Lavenham, he has become too comfortably uxorious. His depth has dissipated. The detective sidekicks, Miskin and Benton, while again politically correct, are never as interesting as was Dalgleish at his philosophical best. Dare I add that the dialogue is simply not believable? Only in a PD James novel do characters speak in such perfectly shaped paragraphs.

Not her best, 24 Nov 2008
Beautifully written, but as far as the story goes I couldn't have cared who did it as the plot was so unreal and in one glaring obvious way the culprit gave themselves away. Too many unanswered questions - why did she want the scar removed, why did she refuse to see anyone when there was the suggestion of a prearranged meeting?

Another Follett masterpiece, 20 Nov 2008
Having read my copy of "Pillars of The Earth" at least 4 times, I just had to get the follow-up.
Stainding over 1000 pages, its not a tome to pick on a whim, but its another superb travel through historical England. (Don't panick if you still haven't experienced the magnificent "Pillars", as the characters are a few generations on).
Any fans of historical fiction will love this tale of love, deceit and heart-ache. Throw in some meaty action, add some pestilence and suffering, and you're left with a book that will keep you enthralled and captivated.
I loved it. 5 stars once again for Follett!!

Excellent Novel, 09 Nov 2008
A book of this size can appear daunting at the start. However from the opening pages it gets you hooked and takes you on a fantastic journey with well crafted plot and great characterisation. It has left me with a thirst to read Ken Follet's first book "The Pillars of the Earth" and I would recommend "World Without End" to any reader.

Rather good, 27 Oct 2008
I saw this book in hardback and thought it sounded interesting but hardbacks are not good for the daily commute! The paperback is still hefty and I've never read a book this length before but I really enjoyed it. I hadn't read the first book - and for anyone swithering I would say you don't have to, to enjoy this one. Yes it is long but I don't feel it ever dragged. A couple of times he would reiterate points from earlier in the book which was annoying but also occasionally useful. The descriptions were great, conjuring up vivid pictures of life in that period of time and I felt the characters were well drawn. As it came to an end I was very satisfied. It's a good old yarn and I would recommend it. Am very tempted to read the first book now - once I have the strength back in my arms!

Marmite Book: you'll love it or hate it, 22 Oct 2008
I tried to get into this as I love historical murder mysteries and it sounded as if it was well written.

I wouldn't actually criticise the writing (as Ken Follett is a very good writer) but I suspect this particular work of his is a bit like marmite: you'll either love it or hate it. Personally I couldn't get into it enough though I tried a couple of times and I know one of my friends couldn't either. It may well be very enjoyable for those who enjoy the protracted sweep down generations style story (possibly Catherine Cookson fans might appreciate this more than I did?). Or at least the bit I did read before I gave up due to lack of interest generated - sorry Follett fans, I know he's a good writer but this tome is for a distinctive market. Those who enjoy such sweeping stories may well love it though.

It's a hefty size book and the only writer I enjoy, who also does such a large size novel, is C.J. Sansom (as I find his/her books tightly paced and well plotted but they doesn't generally go across time periods as wide as a generation in each book).

If anyone is interested in Sansom, I would warn that his/her books are mainly based in Tudor times. From my own experience, people enjoy different time periods and those who like the medieval period (to have shown an interest in this) may well not like the tudor period. Forewarned is forearmed.

Very good read, though not as good as Pillars, 16 Oct 2008
A page turning saga like its predecessor, though this is not really a sequel to Pillars of the Earth and one could read it as a standalone novel. Indeed, many of the characters and situations echo those in that book, so in some ways it's like a 14th C reimagining of Pillars. It is probably too long, but Follett's writing here is almost as gripping as in Pillars. However, unlike its predecessor, I did get rather tired of the never ending soap opera of gloom and doom, a bit like a Medieval Eastenders. The level of violence and body horror seemed a bit gratuitous in places as well. Some of the characters (e.g. Merthin) have unusual Christian names and I wondered what the research evidence for this was. There were also some simple mistakes (a reference to Florence having a doge - that was Venice). All in all, a good read, though not up to the standards of its predecessor.

More narrative than story, 08 Sep 2008
This book really gets into the workings of the appeals process and the politics involved in elections within the Supreme Court in the USA. A page turner? Only if you are looking for the story to spark into life and grab you by the collar and shake you senseless and it's when you hit the author's note that you realise that will not happen in this book. Maybe I have come to expect too much from the auhtor but I felt this book lacked a cutting edge that in parts made it tedious and quite boring.

Bad bad bad corporate America!, 02 Sep 2008
This is a classic novel. On the one side we have the baddies: an over-ambitious corporate raider surfing the murky waters of New York high finance world, a bunch of ultra-religious far right activists whose interests coincide with those of Corporate America and a ruthless campaign manager. On the other front the goodies are VERY good: a couple of selfless trial lawyers...a lovely liberal judge and so on...
The rythm of the book is good - although it slows down a bit in the central part. Good book for those who like semplifications...

Pretty Pathetic, 05 Aug 2008
What a disappointing Grisham novel. They are slowly getting worse. Of course the legal side is interesting but the story - boring and tedious - too many uninteresting characters about whom I couldn't care less. The book dragged on to a poor ending. I thought the new yacht, together with all the useless people on board, was going to sink - pity it didn't. I think this novel may have been written by a 'ghost writer'. I shall not bother to purchase any more of Grisham's novels.

Lost the Plot!!!!, 18 Jun 2008
Has a great and one of my favourite authors, simply lost the plot?!!!!
This book and his last 'Playing for Pizza' have been the two worst Grisham books that I have read. How can a man who has written some of the best books I have ever read write two books on the spin which, in being kind, I would say were a complete waste of money?!!!!!!!
In all sincerity, I would have to think twice before buying another Grisham new release!

Appealingly Dull, 11 Jun 2008
`The Appeal' opens at the point when most courtroom drama books end - with a verdict. Small town lawyers Mary and Wes Grace have just won a verdict of 10s of millions for their client whose husband and son both died due to contaminated drinking water. However, with their stock falling the big wigs at the chemical plant blamed for this are not planning to take the result on the chin. Instead they go about using underhand methods to try and influence an appeal that will take over a year to come about. Can Mary and Wes make the Supreme Court keep the ruling or will big business prove once more than money talks?

This is by far the most damning and depressing novel to date from Grisham. Over the years he has often tackled the shortfalls in the US judicial system, but here he attacks them head on. By the end of the book you are left battered and bruised in the ways that big business will try to manipulate and buy power. This should have been a great read, unfortunately in trying to educate the reader about the law Grisham has gone into too much detail and grows boring. In fact, the book almost feels like dry non-fiction about running a dodgy political campaign. The story seemed to get lost amongst pages and pages of political and law theory. If Grisham had managed to balance the story alongside his message the book would have proved a powerful message. Instead he is too heavy handed and even the most liberal of reader will get glassy eyed. Nice idea, poorly done.


Best from Francis in a long time, 06 Nov 2008
First sentence: "Guilty."

Barrister and amateur jockey Geoffrey Mason, known as `Perry Mason' by his racing friends. He had once successfully defended a violent young man, Julian Trent. Trent, found guilty nonetheless and swearing revenge against Mason, is now being released on appeal.

Mason receives a call from fellow jockey, Steve Mitchell. Steve has been arrested for the murder of another jockey, the hatred between the two of known was well known. Mason first receives a warning and then a beating, instructing him to lose the trial and ensure Mitchell is convicted. Mason realizes his only option is to stand up to Trent, but a at the risk of his life and those he loves.

Even though this was written by Dick and Felix Francis, I'm going to refer to them as singular. Francis has such a wonderful voice. He has a way of drawing you into the story, a way of explaining things that make the information fascinating and an excellent ear for dialogue. I appreciated his including information on English law.

Francis creates great characters. His protagonist isn't particularly brave and strong, but he is stubborn and determined, and his villains are about as villainous as they come. I liked that he made the point about not understanding how hard it is to stand up against violence and intimidation. It was nice to see the hero actually get the girl in this story.

The story was similar to a horse race in that it milled out a bit in the beginning giving you background information, took off with sudden action and built in pace and suspense up to the end. Even the courtroom scenes, which were so well done, had an element of suspense.

Portents are something I normally hate and the one early in the book wasn't necessary. I also don't usually like when authors hold information back from the reader, but here it worked. Thinking back, I probably could have anticipated many of the turns in the plot, but I was so engrossed in the story, I didn't take the time to analyze as I read. And that's what makes Francis, Francis; you jump on and go to the end. The ending is violent and bothers some people; however, I felt he addressed the age-old question of legality versus justice.

This was definitely the best Francis book I've read in a long time.


rehash??, 16 Oct 2008
I enjoyed this book (as with almost all Dick Francis books) but this is a rehashed plot --- as a 'horsey' person I recognised what was going on immediately --- just as I did the first time ( TV film about 1978? -- am I the only person to remember this ????) (won't say any more, mustn't spoil it for others) --- come on Felix you 'must try harder' (though I would forgive your lovely Dad anything) I'm very much looking forward to the next book.(and I agree with another reviewer, I would prefer more horses --- though I don't mind the violence --- except to the horses -- I couldn't bear 'Come to Grief' !)


Legal Thriller Amid a Racing Background, 15 Oct 2008
The classic Dick Francis books are filled with heart-pounding steeplechase action, deadly criminals, and arcane insights into horse racing from a jockey's perspective. The least appealing books in the series are those where the interaction with steeplechases is minimal. Silks is somewhere between the two extremes. The steeplechase setting is present for bits and pieces of the story, but courtroom drama substitutes for much of the potential on-course action. Fortunately, the legal thriller aspects of the story are pretty well done and bring new perspective for American readers into the English legal system.

Geoffrey ("Perry" to his fellow jockeys) Mason is a barrister (a lawyer who tries cases in England) whose hobby is riding his horse, Sandeman, in mostly amateur steeplechases. As the book opens, he is defending an unsavory sort, Julian Trent, who seems to be a psychopath. Losing the case turns out to be a bad turn for Mason when Trent decides he wants revenge against his barrister.

A little time later, Trent has gotten out of jail through an appeal where the witnesses refuse to testify against him, apparently having been intimidated. Rather than immediately kill Mason, Trent instead seems more interested in controlling Mason's legal work for fellow jockey, Steve Mitchell, who is accused of murdering another jockey. Mason is thoroughly intimidated and unsure what he will do. The stakes are raised when the threats start to include those close to Mason.

The reference to silks is a very clever choice for a title, referring to racing silks as well as the term for Queen's Counsel, the cream of the litigating attorneys. Mason as an owner has racing silks, represents his own racing silks when he rides, and hopes to earn the position of a silk within the legal profession.

To me, the book's main drawback is an exceptional amount of violence. I normally find it hard to deal with the most intense scene in most Dick Francis books. Where that violence permeates a book like this one, it definitely takes some of the shine off my ability to enjoy the story.

There are definitely two writers for this story, as evidenced by many classic Dick Francis sections and many new story-telling sections that must be from his son, Felix. As they write more books together, I'm sure the two styles will blend together more smoothly than they do here. I hope that will involve a lighter hand on the whip.

Legal Thriller Amid a Racing Background, 15 Oct 2008
The classic Dick Francis books are filled with heart-pounding steeplechase action, deadly criminals, and arcane insights into horse racing from a jockey's perspective. The least appealing books in the series are those where the interaction with steeplechases is minimal. Silks is somewhere between the two extremes. The steeplechase setting is present for bits and pieces of the story, but courtroom drama substitutes for much of the potential on-course action. Fortunately, the legal thriller aspects of the story are pretty well done and bring new perspective for American readers into the English legal system.

Geoffrey ("Perry" to his fellow jockeys) Mason is a barrister (a lawyer who tries cases in England) whose hobby is riding his horse, Sandeman, in mostly amateur steeplechases. As the book opens, he is defending an unsavory sort, Julian Trent, who seems to be a psychopath. Losing the case turns out to be a bad turn for Mason when Trent decides he wants revenge against his barrister.

A little time later, Trent has gotten out of jail through an appeal where the witnesses refuse to testify against him, apparently having been intimidated. Rather than immediately kill Mason, Trent instead seems more interested in controlling Mason's legal work for fellow jockey, Steve Mitchell, who is accused of murdering another jockey. Mason is thoroughly intimidated and unsure what he will do. The stakes are raised when the threats start to include those close to Mason.

The reference to silks is a very clever choice for a title, referring to racing silks as well as the term for Queen's Counsel, the cream of the litigating attorneys. Mason as an owner has racing silks, represents his own racing silks when he rides, and hopes to earn the position of a silk within the legal profession.

To me, the book's main drawback is an exceptional amount of violence. I normally find it hard to deal with the most intense scene in most Dick Francis books. Where that violence permeates a book like this one, it definitely takes some of the shine off my ability to enjoy the story.

There are definitely two writers for this story, as evidenced by many classic Dick Francis sections and many new story-telling sections that must be from his son, Felix. As they write more books together, I'm sure the two styles will blend together more smoothly than they do here. I hope that will involve a lighter hand on the whip.

Silks is well up to the Francis standard, 09 Oct 2008
Silks did not disapoint, well up to the standard of thriller we have come to expect from firstly Dick and now with his son Felix, lets hope there is another in the pipeline.

YES! This is more like it!, 01 Dec 2008
"Scarpetta" is the return to form we have all been waiting for! I started the book yesterday, and I'm now halfway through, but I wanted to share my first impressions. I think this is Ms. Cornwell's best Scarpetta novel since "The Last Precinct". Her writing seems tight and focused again; from the outset, the characters and the reader plunge into the investigation, and there's none of those awful (in my opinion) 'inside the killer's mind in real-time' sequences that ruined books like "Predator" for me. Here, the reader discovers things with the characters. I'll post again when I've finished the book, but the first-half is very promising. Thank you, Ms. Cornwell!!

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 27 Nov 2008
For those readers as yet uninitiated with Patricia Cornwell's writings, it is probably worth pointing out that Kay Scarpetta is the author's main protagonist in her series of crime novels, of which this is the latest, the 16th, in fact, as far as this reviewer is aware. Cornwell's 'Scarpetta' series of novels are noteworthy for her employment of 'up to the minute' forensic technology. The novels constitutes also, to some extent, a genuine, progressive series being interlinked with 'peripheral' characters (and not so peripheral ones, such as Pete Marino, Lucy Farinelli, and Benton Wesley et al) occasionally reappearing or being revisited.

Briefly, the fictional Dr. Kay Scarpetta was born in Miami, Florida and is of Italian parentage; she witnessed the death of her father from leukemia, and this has haunted her ever since and, as a pathologist, this spectre is imported into her professional life. This is a key element in Cornwell's Scarpetta novels and a key to understanding what appears to be a predominance of forensic and 'scene of crime' detail.

It is impossible to predict accurately whether or not the new reader, unacquainted with Cornwell's works, will be smitten by her hallmark features and style. Much emphasis rests upon forensic and pathological matters - with which the authoress is thoroughly at home in a professional manner. The books indulge in detail of the particular crime scene, victim etc. and Cornwell's characterization is usually detailed and often quite intricate. The reader is rarely, if indeed ever, allowed to stray far from the proximity and vulnerability of human mortality. Readers and fans, already familiar with Cornwell's works, will certainly be delighted with this one!

In this plot, as the eponymous title suggests, it is Scarpetta herself who becomes the focus of a killer's - and of a stalker's - unwelcome and unworthy attentions. She has left her forensic pathology practice in South Carolina, and accepted an assignment in New York City. Therein she is asked to assess an injured house patient - the forcibly restrained and cuffed Oscar Bane - in a psychiatric clinic. Bane has specifically requested to be treated by Scarpetta. Suffice it to say, without giving anything away, that the good Dr Scarpetta gets slightly more than she'd bargained for!

This was a rivetting read with many interesting social an phsychological themes thrown in for good measure. This reviewer is happy to commend this book to all who are not overtly phased by the peculiarities of the darker, human psyche.

Michael Calum Jacques (author of '1st Century Radical: the shadowy origins of the man who became known as Jesus Christ')






Good plot, shame about the characters, 01 Dec 2008
I always read each of P D James's books as it is published and quickly come to the same conclusion each time: although her books are well-plotted, she has a rare talent for populating them with characters that it is very difficult to relate to, whom we never really get inside the skin of, and who are universally dislikeable.

Dalgliesh, Miskin and Benton are far too cold and clinical - they either spend time focussed 100% on the case or else they ruminate on their personal lives in isolation. We never see them let their hair down, enjoy themselves or exchange the odd irreverent or humourous comment that is the difference between a robot and a human being.

Maybe the only poignant moment is when the potential suspect whose car was seen near the standing stones is recounting events that happened many years ago, concerning a modern-day character and her sister. I'm being a bit vague here to avoid spoiling the plot, but anyone who's read the book will know what I mean.

At least the last few Dalgliesh books have had the added dimension of the relationship between Dalgliesh and Emma Lavenham, but as with so much of James's writing, it comes across as relationship-by-numbers.

And P D James leaves one crucial question unanswered: why does the victim say that she "no longer has need for" the scar that is removed by the surgeon at the clinic? If James had no intention of answering the question, why did she make her character utter this irrelevant throwaway line in the first place?

Give me Frost, Morse, Wexford, Banks or Diamond any day: they are interesting characters whom I could happily spend an evening chatting to over a glass of wine or a pint of beer. I fear that an hour in Dalgliesh's company would pass very slowly and be exceptionally tedious.

The Consequences of Love and Its Lack in a Novel Where Crime Outpaces the Investigation, 26 Nov 2008

Adam Dalgliesh fans will feel wonderfully rewarded by a deep and long look at his work in diligently investigating this case while attempting to balance his life to leave room for his love of Emma Lavenham. You'll end the book wondering about how that balance might change in future books. These thoughts in many ways make for a better mystery than solving the murder.

The Private Patient is more about love, its effects, and the harm it costs to not receive and give it . . . than about crime, detection, or justice. As with The Lighthouse, Baroness James has created deeply etched new characters while turning her on-going characters into ever-more real seeming personalities.

While many novelists are only too quick to paint a victim as harmless or harmful and bump them off, Baroness James gives us a complex portrait of a woman, investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn, whose youth scarred both her face and her psyche. As a result, she uses her slashed face as a mask to hide behind . . . and to keep people away on her own terms. She becomes good at ferreting out the secrets of others and displaying those hidden scars for a large pay day.

With the death of her abusive father and her mother's plan to remarry, Gradwyn realizes she doesn't need the scar any more and seeks one of the most expensive and highly regarded plastic surgeons, George Chandler-Powell, to repair her face. But she decides that there might be stories involved, and her meddling brings forth counter forces that lead to her death.

Strangled in her patient suite, steps from the nurse's bedroom, it begins to appear that an insider is involved. But no one remembers meeting Gradwyn before. What's the motive?

AD is dispatched to work on the case shortly after a call comes from number ten. Why is this case so important?

The murderer wore gloves so forensic clues aren't going to solve this case. Carefully examining opportunity and motive should narrow down the list of suspects. But more events occur faster than AD can untangle the clues he uncovers. As a result, the book is more of a crime story accompanied by a police procedural where the detective trails the killer too slowly rather than a classic mystery in which the brilliant detective solves everything by pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

The story is a gripping one involving lots of memorable characters, sympathetic and unsympathetic motives, and damaged personalities ill equipped to deal with human stress and conflict. To me, the best crime and mystery books are as well developed and interesting as a well-written novel . . . independent of the mystery. By that standard, this is an excellent book.

I found it annoying to have the police investigation be so ineffectual. It made the book seem a bit pointless in a way. I graded the book down one star to express by disappointment in this regard.

You, however, may not mind . . . in which case this will be a clear winner for you.

Lost in the Dorset countryside..., 25 Nov 2008
I was really looking forward to reading the latest offering from P.D.James and settled down to enjoy her latest mystery. The plot surrounds the death of journalist, Rhoda Gradwyn, who is booked into Mr Chandler-Powell's private clinic to remove a disfiguring scar. Commander Adam Dagleish and his team arrive at the clinic to investigate the murder. All the ingredients are there for an enjoyablable read - the familiar characters, atmospheric setting, characters who have secrets to hide and a murderer to be exposed.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed as I found the story very slow moving. it didn't help that I worked out the name of the murderer about half way through the book. I think the problem was that the character of Adam Dagleish has become very robotic. Suspects and his team make comments and he listens but he seems so passive that I felt his presence was very weak. In the novel 'To The Lighthouse'