A Mind to Murder

This is my second James novel. I read The Murder Room which was written by James a few years ago and I thought that it was dreadful. It is a 500 page bore or snore. The present work was written over 40 years ago by a James in her prime. It is short and compact; and, it has a nicely balanced structure with good characters. It is written with straightforward and simple prose and it is a compelling read that is hard to put down... Read Full Review

Having recently read "A Certain Justice" I have set myself to reading all of P.D. James' works. "A Mind to Murder" firmly validated my decision to do so. In only her second mystery, Ms. James has the strength to pull a whopper of a twist. In so doing she provides some very strong character development for her Inspector Dalgliesh. He learns something very valuable in this work and will become a stronger detective for it... Read Full Review

This is the second of James' books that I've read, and she didn't disappoint! A murder takes place in an out-patient psychiatric clinic, and there are no shortages of suspects. Enter Adam Dalgliesh, James' crackerjack detective, to sift through the evidence and eventually unearth the murderer - surprising even himself! An interesting novel with a satisfying ending!

not a word is wasted as P.D. James unfolded a marvelous whodunit. A real test of ones volcabulary though, so have a dictionary on hand.Very intelligent and freshing. Not only have I experienced a satisfying read but I've also added to my growing word power. I plan on reading all her novels.

A great introduction for readers to the world of P.D. James, this is a serious, literate mystery, though it's still considerably lightweight fare. Not at the same level as her later books, but not as mind-boggling, either. The story features Adam Dalgliesh, who is investigating the stabbing murder of one of the staff at a London psychiatric clinic. Fairly well-developed characters, intelligent use of medical and clinical... Read Full Review