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Title: A Certain Justice by P. D. James ISBN: 0-345-43057-3 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: January, 1999 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (57 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: One of P.D. James' Most Engaging Works
Comment: 'A Certain Justice' is a crisp, fast-paced read. It begins inside a courtroom, with Venetia Aldridge defending young Gary Ashe for the murder of his aunt. The scene is swift and captivating, and begins to raise the first questions about Ashe's innocence. After the verdict, we are ushered into the life of Ms. Aldridge. Introduced to us are her nefarious legal colleagues in the Middle Temple, all of whom seem to have a problem with her. After an interesting time which peels back the layers of Venetia's life, she is found murdered, and the mystery begins.
Commander Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard, the poetic protagonist of many of P.D. James' novels, is soon on the case. There are more suspects than you can shake a stick at, and the book never ceases to be of interest as the plot progresses. Ms. James has succeeded in bringing to us a very modern, very moving piece of mystery fiction, and it is quite a satisfying read.
The intricate inner-workings of London's court system is the fascinating setting for 'A Certain Justice', and it sets just the right mood for this sober mystery. The characters, even the minor ones, are well-drawn, and the killer's identity is kept under careful wraps until *very late* in the game, adding even more suspense.
The experience of 'A Certain Justice' will most likely go by quickly, as you will have no problem becoming involved in this great police thriller, turning page after page. There is mood, there is action, and there is depth. What else would you expect from P.D. James?
Also recommended: 'Death In Holy Orders' - the 2001 novel by P.D. James - very good!
Rating: 3
Summary: Suspects, Suspects, Suspects.
Comment: I must admit, this was a different type of Mystery for me. Just an average person, I can normally figure out the "who and why" well before the end of the book. Ms. James did an excellent job of not giving away to many clues so it was impossible until near the end of the book to start piecing things together. I really liked the character of Inspector Delglish. My original thought as I listened to this book was that it would be 2 stars max. The ending of this book caught me by surprise and so I decided to give it 3. If it weren't for Ms. James great detail, I would have probably given it 4 stars.
For some reason, Ms. James felt the need to describe every character and place to the most minute detail. This description lent to the length of the book which was extremely long. More then once I thought of not finishing this book. If this hadn't been the audio version I probably wouldn't have finished. I felt the book would have been just as good if not better if some of this description had been left out. About the first 20 chapters (6 tapes) was nothing but a description of the suspects who worked in Chambers. Really, not necessary.
I havn't read any other books by Ms. James and am currently undecided about trying another.
The only other author I can think of to compare Ms. James with would be Agatha Christie. Both have that passion for describing things in their books to the most minute detail.
Rating: 3
Summary: No There There
Comment: My first PD James, I realized with about 40 pages to go that I had seen this one on the tele, and it was just as boring there. I like character studies. This is a story of characters, with long descriptions of places and people that have little or no bearing on the story's development or understanding how the characters act. As she nears page 300, the author decides it's time to wrap up, and thus uses the gimmick of a long letter to do what she should have been doing all along -- develop the plot. I do see a searing social criticism of English lawyers running through this, but big deal: going after lawyers, especially English ones, is pretty difficult. Overall, the writing is self-indulgent, sort of talented fluff for those carried away by that sort of thing (of which these reviews reveal quite a few). There is lacking what another reviewer here aptly referred to as "soul."
I would love to find a female mystery writer that stands up to the best of the male lot. Unfortunately, if A Certain Justice is typical of James, she's doesn't make the grade.
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Title: A Taste for Death (Adam Dalgliesh Series) by P. D. James ISBN: 0345430581 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: January, 1999 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Death in Holy Orders by P. D. James ISBN: 0345446666 Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 26 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Devices & Desires by P.D. James ISBN: 0446359750 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: September, 1992 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Cover Her Face by P.D. James ISBN: 0743219570 Publisher: Scribner Paperback Fiction Pub. Date: 01 May, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Death of an Expert Witness by P. D. James ISBN: 0743219627 Publisher: Scribner Paperback Fiction Pub. Date: 30 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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