PD James, Baronesa de Holland Park, es uno de los grandes nombres vivientes de la novela detectivesca junto con Ruth Rendell, Baronesa de Babergh. Con una multifacética carrera que incluyó participaciones en el ministerio del interior británico y en la mesa directiva de la BBC, James encarna a la vez la tradición de Agatha Christie y una nueva voz en la novela clásica de misterio.‘Cubran su rostro’ es su primera novela, y por ratos se siente así. Especialmente si se le compara con The Mysterious Affair at Styles de la Christie: en ambas novelas existe cierta aspereza e incluso algo de vacilación que desaparecerían (en el caso de la matrona del género, en el caso de James no he leído ninguna otra novela para afirmarlo) a medida que progresaban sus habilidades literarias. La ambientación de las dos novelas es muy parecida: una casa solariega en Essex, uno de los ‘Home Counties’, una familia ricachona, un asesinato en medio de la noche, una serie de sospechosos, la fenomenal deducción del detective para embonar las piezas y hallar al culpable. Como es obvio, una diferencia es el tiempo, pues el caso de Styles se escribió en 1916 y ‘Cubran su rostro’ en 1962. Pese a esto, la sociedad británica sigue siendo la misma que conocemos: un clasismo rampante, un terror malsano al ‘qué dirán’, una obsesión permanente sobre mantener las formas, la flema sarcástica.Esta novela de James presenta un rompecabezas convincente, como es la regla entre las grandes damas del misterio (sí, hablo de Christie, Highsmith, Rendell, James y George). Sin embargo, hay varias notas que la hacen distinta, algo a lo que no estoy acostumbrado en una novela detectivesca. James escribe con largos pasajes de sucesos explicados sin diálogo, resultando en páginas y páginas seguidas de un solo párrafo. Esto la vuelve cansada por ratos e impide que se lea de un solo tirón. Otro punto es que James cuenta la historia con un método POV desde cada uno de los sospechosos: la matriarca de los Maxie, Doña Eleanor; sus desenfadados y aburridos hijos Stephen y Deborah, la pretendiente de aquél, Catherine; el pretendiente de aquella, Felix.El detective, Adam Dagliesh, tampoco es el típico detective genio, torpe y excéntrico. Es más bien un personaje indescifrable y metódico, no muy simpático (y en esta primera novela, creo que no muy bien esbozado). Es incontrovertible e incólume, pero su cabeza funciona igual que la de cualquiera de sus pares literarios.Conclusión: léase como un buen misterio con una buena taza de café en la sala. Emociónese cuando se revela el usualmente inesperado culpable y se descarta la pista falsa. ¿Leería otro libro de PD James? Sí… cuando salga en oferta, como cuando compré éste.
"Death Comes to Pemberley" so says P.D. James, but before risking any sensibilities, I thought it wise to dip a tentative toe into her first novel, in order to judge whether she may do Austin justice. Many will agree that "Pride&Prejudice" is such Perfection that I'm loathe to destroy it with inferior associations, which is why I have yet to embrace the blood-thirsty "Pride&Prejudice&Zombies" (despite my hearty appetite for the Walking Dead), and why it took me 7 years to watch the Knightley movie adaptation.I wish I discovered P.D. James earlier. There was a time when I was Agatha Christie's biggest fan, devouring every one of her novels, and yes, even the Tommy&Tuppence ones, so now you understand. There was then the despondent period after, when I mourned her limited oeuvre of 66 murder mysteries. P.D. James may have plugged that listless hole then, for both Christie and James employ the same deliberate slow prose and aura of regal British upper-class assurance. "Cover Her Face" also marks the debut of detective Adam Dagliesh, the Poirot/Marple equivalent. He too waits till the final chapter to gather all involved (in the study, preferably with a log fire), dissect every clue, reveal a couple of scandals and denounce the guilty, always to gasps of disbelief. Thus, you can understand my profound hurt and disappointment when I actually correctly guessed the murderer in this novel.None of the characters are particularly compelling. I have a soft spot for red-heads (Anne Shirley, Nancy Drew, Pippi Longstocking, the Weasleys...) but the death of Sally Jupp ("...her flaming gold-red hair turned in a flash of sunlight") failed to incite any indignance whatsoever. Mrs Maxie was too remote in her grief to be personable, while Stephen skulked like an overgrown child. Deborah was quite the charmer, as was the dapper Felix, but unfortunately only in the most 2-dimensional way. Catherine would be a solid bore in real life, but really the only character fleshed out properly through her wistful, thwarted crush for Stephen.So yes, I wish I discovered P.D. James earlier, but that golden time has passed. An unappreciative 2 stars, because "Cover Her Face" did save me from intractable boredom during a recent trans-Tasman flight.PS: Pemberley, I am unlikely to come!
What do You think about Cover Her Face (2001)?
For the life of me, I don't know why I love PD James so much! The truth is, you can't begin to fathom the solution to the mystery that seems to unfold all at once, in the very last few pages, providing very little satisfying closure (no "afterward!" no big meeting with all the suspects, gathered around the fireplace while the sleuth deduces the killer!). And... I will be honest: there is very little to like about ANYONE in any of her books. I don't know why I care. I guess that's a testimony to James' intelligent writing and talent... somehow I DO care, and I DO enjoy the books, every single one of them. The fact that she makes me want to know more, leaves me wanting more, and keeps me coming back for more, is no small feat. It is true that over the course of the entire series, we do gain a little more insight into Inspector Dalgliesh, and he does finally make some friends, sheesh. He even falls in love. Wow. So that's good news, if you're still trying to hang in there with him. The murders are usually pretty gruesome, and seldom happen to likeable people. Like I said, I don't know why I keep reading... but having said that, I give this series FIVE stars because I do truly LOVE the books. Go figure. These books are great beach reads! And yet they are also very intelligently written. James writes with the shrewdness of Shakespeare when it comes to the inner lives of human beings... She is obviously familiar with the C of E, but her characters are mostly non-religious in nature (although Dalgliesh himself is the son of a vicar, I believe, so he is quite familiar with and comfortable in a church setting and this seems to color his worldview, although he does not usually agree with its drawn conclusions. I find this intriguing, why she chooses to represent her characters as overwhelmingly non-religious... but that is another topic!). I enjoy the quietness of the novels, the strong sense of place and atmosphere, the broodiness of the detective that makes all the hints and glimpses of his inner life so much more interesting. It was fun getting to know him over the course of the series, and I'm very sad that I have now finished them all!
—Jennifer
This is the 1962 debut from the now-legendary crime writer, the book that slowly, laconically introduces her signature character, Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh. The plot is extremely well constructed (so much so the lattices nearly vanish behind the roses) and nearly all of the cast of suspects who stereotypically come together in the penultimate scene for the drawing-room revelations are people complex enough to simultaneously like and despise. I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoys locked-room mysteries delivered via unsentimental, muscular writing.
—Zakariah Johnson
BOTTOM LINE: An auspicious debut novel from a writer who has become one of the very best of the "traditional" style popular mystery authors in the world. This 1962 "big house" story has all the trappings, beautifully twisted, and fairly smoothly presented. Recommended. Death of a maid, who is rather more than just a servant, in a lovely old manor house that’s seen better days, with an odd family who ought not to have let her get under their skin. Smooth and involved plotting, lots of secrets, in a classic format with interesting characters and some really fine psychologizing. The plot is beautifully twisted and although I knew who the murderer was due to previous rereads, her fine writing still managed to enage me in a lovely police procedural. A nicely plotted little gem, if a bit slow-paced for current trends - it's not for those who get bored easily. There is an excellently wrought, although totally unbelievable, “gather all the suspects in the library” scene at the end, so it would benefit you to make it through the slower bits all the way to the denouement. Filled with beautifully complex plotting and containing most of the classic trappings, this is a wonderful treat for those of us who love “murder at the manor”-type stories. This latest reread was via my library's Overdrive audio, and had Dalgleish himself, Roy Marsden, as narrator; he does an excellent job.
—Abbey
