The Murder Room

This book has been feted as the pinnacle of James' writing. If that is true, I would not read another novel by her. For me, it just lakcs something as a crime novel, there is nothing to mark it out as a particularly rivetting read.
It lacks Rankins gritty realism, and exposes on the seedy life of Edinburgh, it lacks Christies awesome ability to tease the reader with clues. Dalgiesh is nothing special as a protagonist, but I felt the suspects were in fact well fleshed out, and there was a good sinister atmosphere pervading proceedings.
You will, as usual, alter your opinion as to the culprit, but the revelation at the end felt somewhat sloppy and rushed, and I almost did not care who the villain was. There was a little too much backstory, included for the development of the main characters, which detracted from the murder plot, which itself was dragged out a bit too much.

A gripping and atmospheric murder mystery (5/6 people found this helpful)

As a confirmed P D James fan I enjoyed this book for its strongly-drawn characters, taut plot and the tension that James maintains in the early part of the book. The people and places come to life very vividly and the blending of historical fact with fiction is skilfully done. Having said that, I didn't think this was one of James' strongest novels. The denouement felt perfunctory and the themes and plot are similar to the ones in her earlier novel 'Original Sin' which I found a more exciting book overall. I also felt that the killer's motives when revealed at the end were somewhat weak and unconvincing.

Still, it's an enjoyable read and Adam Dagliesh and his colleagues remain engaging characters.

Dame James continues to thrill! (4/4 people found this helpful)

Any P.D. James is preferable to no P.D. James and while some readers may have found "The Murder Room" faint in some areas, Dame James' latest Adam Dalgleish is, well, Adam Dalgleish. How can a reader go wrong?

Granted, James has given us a new twist (Adam is in love and her traditional police procedural takes a different turn. But before one cries "soap opera," "The Murder Room" is not about Adam Dalgliesh's personal life. It is about a series of murder, a plot outline with which James is quite comfortable and her legions of fans come to expect.

Circumstances surround the undertakings (forgive the pun) of the Dupayne Museum,, a small, rather esoteric, museum devoted to the "interwar years," the period in England from 1919 to 1939. However, the rub is that the lease on the museum is about to expire and the three trustees (siblings) must agree totally on its extension or else the museum cannot continue. One brother, Dr. Neville Dupayne, is dead set (forgive the pun again) against signing; thus the demise of the museum is at hand, it appears. Quickly into the book, the good doctor is found burned alive in very suspicious circumstances and just about everyone has a motive for seeing him dead. Commander Dalgleish and his team from New Scotland Yard are called in and before this death can be solved, two others follow, all with connections to the museum.

James clearly is in charge of this narrative and, as always, controls the pace and the revelations of the investigation. Dalgleish is, as always, superb. The resolution comes not through histrionics or melodrama, but the James/Dalgleish penchant for brilliance.

Is this James' best? Hmmmm. "The best" is probably the individual reader's personal choice, as I've yet to read a "bad" James, or even a "poor" one. "The Murder Room" joins the other dozen or so Dalglieshes comfortably. It is an excellent read.

Hmm... (8/10 people found this helpful)

I'm not sure if books full of minute description of everything are my cup of tea. However, that's just me, and if you are that sort, then James has done a good job in that department.

The story, on the other hand, isn't the most exciting or mysterious I have ever read. Although my opinion changed on who the murderer could be a couple of times, the person it was was the first person I suspected, so I can't say I was overly shocked with the outcome.

On the whole, it was entertaining enough, but James' writing style isn't my reading style.

one of PD James' most enjoyable books (8/8 people found this helpful)

Adam Dalgliesh is called in to investigate the murder of one of the trustees of the Dupayne Museum.
This is one of PD James' most enjoyable books, because the characterisation is so good. Time (and pages!) are taken to set the scene and introduce the characters. It is time well spent as the characters are easily distinguishable, believable and sympathetically written. The plot is that of a typical British who dunnit. It is easy to read, but what sets this book apart from the standard crime novel is the quality of the writing, which was superb. A book not to be missed by anyone enjoying good British crime fiction.

P.D. James

Reader Reviews:

Just Doesn't Cut The Mustard (0/3 people found this helpful)

A gripping and atmospheric murder mystery (5/6 people found this helpful)

Dame James continues to thrill! (4/4 people found this helpful)

Hmm... (8/10 people found this helpful)

one of PD James' most enjoyable books (8/8 people found this helpful)

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