A reasonable enough mystery, but not top-notch, and with a very contrived feel. What are the chances that an innocent motorist leaving the scene of a copy-cat crime would just happen to say the exact same words that the murderer in the original crime did? The whole book has a similar air of unreality.I have written in previous reviews of PD James’ books that she has a tendency to go on about particular social issues in an annoying way, in book after book. To this list I will now add drinks. What people are drinking occupies a lot of the book. We have to know all about why the team is drinking decaff. We are taken to a world where people refer to instant coffee almost exclusively as “Nescafé”. Similarly, no one talks about benefit as such, only specifically Jobseeker’s Allowance. But James clearly doesn’t know as much about how things work as she thinks she does. No museum allows free entry to people on JSA but not to people on Income Support.Anyway, back to the social issues. Some examples:Hobby horse #1: HousingIn every one of the Dalgleish series I have read, we hear all about Kate Miskin’s previous housing.“Wasn’t it ambition that had lifted her from that barricaded seventh-floor flat in an inner-city block to a flat which had once seemed the height of achievement?”Loyal readers of the series will be astonished to read this quote. It does not mention the name of the building! That must surely be a first. But don’t worry. It gets mentioned several times in the rest of the book.We also get a lot (and I mean a lot) of time spent describing the posh houses vs. the hovel that the people on benefit live in. A lot. Guess what? The people on benefits are slobby and dirty. The others are neat and fastidious. And they don't drink Nescafe.Hobby horse #2: University admissionsThis is banged on about time and time again. I will give two examples:Kate: “What about that Oxford degree in theology?”Piers: “I’ve explained that. It was the easiest way to get into Oxbridge. Now, of course, I would just transfer to a deprived inner-city state school and with luck, the government would make Oxbridge take me.”Mrs Faraday: “University was obviously out of the question, even one at the bottom of the league tables where they’re so desperate to keep up the numbers that I’m told they’ll take people who are barely literate.” (OK, so this is true.)Other silliness:Kate Miskin sees a baby, described as “wearing a short frilled dress in pink cotton with an embroidered bib of daisies and a white knitted cardigan.” Using her incredible deductive powers, “Kate thought that it must be a girl."In summary, the idea behind the book was alright. It just wasn't implemented very well. It strained the possibilities of coincidence and lacked any sense of credibility. And also, PD James can be quite annoying. I'm sure she has, bottled up in her somewhere, a book along the lines of Eats Shoots and Leaves that allows her to drone on about housing and coffee and benefits and university and schools and god knows what else, at great length. It's in there somewhere, but it's just escaping bit by bit into every book she writes.
תמיד היתי מכורה לסדרות מתח אנגליות, במיוחד אם הדמות המרכזית שכיכבה היתה אדם דלגליש.רבים הספרים מהסדרה שעובדו לסדרות טלווזיוניות משובחות: המגדל האפל, כסו את פניה, מותו של עד מומחה, מות הזמיר (תכריכים לזמיר - לא זוכרת איך תרגמו) ועוד טובים ומשובחים כך ששמחתי למצוא שספריה (חלקם הזעום והלא מייצג) תורגמו לעברית.לרוב לא יוצא לי לקרוא ספר אחרי שראיתי את הסדרה או הסרט, ואין ספק שהשפעת הליהוק של השחקנים משפיעה על היכולת לדמיין את הדמויות המובילות של העלילה.כפי שציפיתי, הספר לא אכזב.מוות של חניך בקולג´ לכמרים מחזיר את אדם דלגליש למחוזות נערותו בסנט אנסלם. אולם, בעודו חוקר את תעלומת המוות של הנער, מוצאות את מותן עוד דמויות. האם המוות של הדמויות השונות קשור?התפתחות העלילה נעשית בקצב איטי כיאה לאנגלים שמדקדקים בפרטים. אבל בשלב מסויים כאילו המחברת מעבירה את הקורא פאזה וקצב העניינים מתגבר ואי אפשר לעזוב את הספר עד שהתעלומה באה על פתרונה.הספר בנוי בשיטה של נדבכים המוסיפים מידע לקורא. בניגוד לאגתה כריסטי, שם הקורא המתוחכם יכול למצוא רמזים מפוזרים, אצל פי די ג´יימס בשלב מסוים בערך בשני שליש הספר ברור לקורא מי הרוצח ויתר הספר מתאר את העבודה מסביב להוכחת האשמה ואיסוף ראיות. דווקא בחלק זה, שנראה זניח וניתן לוויתור, מגלה הקורא יותר מכל פרטים מסקרנים על הדמויות שעד עכשיו היו שטוחות ונעלמות.אהבתי. מומלץ בחום לאוהבי הז´אנר.
What do You think about The Murder Room (2004)?
I struggled to finish this book. It wasn't just that it was not to my taste (and I read a lot of crime novels). It certainly is not, as it says on the tin, 'Classic, guaranteed to delight all crime addicts.'We're introduced to commander Dalgliesh in chap 1-2. There then follows 8 or 9 chapters devoted to the background of all the potential culprits – straightforward info-dumping on a mighty scale. The narrative ground to a halt while we get background background background. Then the murder occurs and the detective trudges us round to each character again asking questions – as formulaic and enlightening as a game of Cluedo.The story repeatedly introduced characters or storylines and then dropped them. The detective hopes a relationship with a woman will prosper – then we don't hear of the woman again for 300 pages, and then only briefly.Next, a couple of detectives snipe at each, and then we learn nothing more of their rivalry. A character is introduced in chap 1-2 and then only appears fleetingly several hundred pages later. None of these characters/storylines impinge on the plot. Disappointing.
—Robin
As always, James crafted a rich mystery. She took time to develop her characters so that no one felt "stock." Her detective, Adam Dalgleish, is a fully-fleshed person - a widower, a Detective Inspector, and a published poet. this books deals with the violent death of one member of the surviving Dupayne family. Years before the father of this family spent much time and money devoted to creating a museum on the interwar years (1918 - 1939) - literature, science, music, visual arts, even murders (hence the title). The 3 adult children of this man know have to decide to extend the life of the museum by renewing the terms of the lease, but all three must agree and one has announced he does not agree. Soon he ends up burned to death in his car. who killed Dr. Nigel Dupayne and why? I love her mysteries because they feel neither sensationalized or predictable.
—Nancy
Love this book. Absolutely love it. Author's writing style not only entertaining but humorous even in light of the Dante-esque evils chronicled within. Richard Walter and Frank Bender are amazing. Diametrically opposed in many ways but respected and passionate colleagues to the end. Vidocq Society. Really? What rock have I been living under to have never heard even the is name until reading this book (much less their incredible selfless labors on behalf of victims of these cold-case crimes)?? Well, I know their names now. And I have found new heroes herein. There are still good people doing selfless work on the behalf all the many victims whose souls still cry out for justice from beyond the grave. God Bless Vidocq. God Bless Richard Walter.
—Sarah
