I hadn't read a P.D. James in a while. This is one of her earlier ones, and you have to pay attention! I love her no nonsense way of writing.
Patricia A D. (trishad37) reviewed A Mind to Murder (Adam Dalgliesh, Bk 2) on + 88 more book reviews
A cruel murder sets all the psychiatrists in the fashionable Steen Psychiatric Clinic to playing detective, but Adam Dalgliesh, of Scotland Yard, keeps his own counsel and reluctantly but inexorably tracks down the killer...This is a good one.
A CRUEL MURDER SETS ALL THE PSYCHIATRISTS IN THE FASHIONABLE STEEN pSYCHIATRIC CLINIC TO PLAYING DETECTIVE, BUT ADAM DALGLIESH, OF SCOTLAND YARD, KEEPS HIS OUN COUNSEL AND RELUCTANTLY BUT INEXORABLY TRACKS DOWN THE KILLER....THIS IS A GOOD ONE!!!!
Part of the JD James Series with Adam Dalgliesh. Dalgliesh has to track down a killer while a bunch of psychiatrists at a "fashionable" Psychiatric Clinc play detective.
Murder in a psychiatric clinic has Dalgleish tangling with suspects who use mind games as tools every day.
This book started out slower than other PD James' books I've read, which may be a reflection of the fact that it is a much earlier work. By the middle, though, I was hooked. I continue to enjoy PDJ's stories, & recommend this one.
Thomas F. (hardtack) -
I was pretty smug, as I thought I figured out who the killer was about half-way through the book. Then P.D. James threw me for a loop. Which is when I learned the simplest motive is often the correct solution.
P.D. James is one of my favorite British mystery writers. Talk about literate! She has been praised as "A craftsman with a poet's vision....she not only detects evil but attempts to uncover the more elusive - and enduring - enigmas of the human psyche that lead to it. Adam Dalgliesh is the detective called upon to unravel the mystery where the administrative head of a psychiatric hospital is found near her office with a chisel in her heart and a weird phallic symbol in her arms. Dagliesh peels away the motives - and the elusive psyches - of all the characters associated with the murdered woman which makes this book so much more interesting than your ordinary police procedural. The surprising ending encompasses a heady mixture of psychiatry, sex and drugs.
A prestigious psychiatric clinic and it's administrative head who is found with a chisel in her heart lead to an explosive story of psychiatry, sex, and drugs. The case falls to Adam Dalgliesh to solve. P. D. James remains the Queen of Crime.
there's nobody like p.d.james!!!
My first P.D. James. Enjoyed it!
James has extended crime writing into a larger realm:she not only detects evil but attempts to uncover the more elusive-and enduring-enigmas of the human psyche that lead to it.
This was my first P.D. James mystery. I lost interest in the book -- guess it wasn't what I expected.
At this stage in her writing careeer, P.D. James's were a bit more cut and dry. As time went by, they took on more psychological depth, and became increasingly noir-ish. This is an excellent read for those looking for a provocative murder mystery.
good mystery with a touch of psychiatry, sex & drugs.
Not bad for a first in a book series. I found the second book even better. I think the third one that I am reading is going to hook me. This is a series I would recommend.
