Rating: 
Summary: --A Classic Adam Dalgliesh Mystery--
Review: Commander Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard is called upon to investigate the murder of a student at St. Anselm's theological college on the East Anglican coast. Dalgliesh is ambivalent about working the case because he is quite familiar with the school. As a young man he had spent several summers at St. Anselm's and going there after so many years would bring back memories. P. D James is alone in her field as the author of superb mystery stories where the plot is intricate and the language is equal to her sophisticated and brilliant characters. I think that her books will be read for a long, time. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: As Novel Great, As Mystery Leaves More Desired (3.5 stars)
Review: P.D. James evidently put a lot of love into writing "Death In Holy Orders". However, although her style is impeccable, on the 'mystery level' it lags rather far behind her earlier story set in a similar setting, the frightfully good "A Shroud for a Nightingale". Looking forward very much to reading the book, it left me satisfied as a reader, but not that much as a mystery lover. The suspense, in fact, reaches its climax rather early. I was waiting for a hard-to-put-down ending which would glue my eyes to the pages and was a bit disappointed. On the other hand, it is rewarding to see the author incorporating up-to-date things and topics like mobile phones and church abuse in the plot. With the spiritual side of life getting lesser share in the lives of many people nowadays, the ending of the theological college is symbolically inevitable. Yet there is a surprise at the end of the story. Ms James finally lets her detective Adam Dalgliesh find more lasting solace (at least so it seems) in the arms of a woman. Characters are colourful, mostly believable -- but there is of course a bit of bookishness in most of them. No surprise here; in the end, the detective story is limited to black-or-white perception of characters... usually only one is really the bad guy, the other suspects apparently were able to contain their evil and not let it out... This is my first ever book review and I hope someone will find it helpful. My final word here: if you want a good read with mystery inside, get this. But apart from four deaths, the plot lacks flashy, surprising twists. And I would even welcome more deceits for a reader...
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Summary: Unholy Doings
Review: Baroness James was 81 years old when she wrote this book. Maybe it takes that long in the course of human events to learn about the small and large vicissitudes of life, to notice the world around you, to fathom the human soul. That is what the author presents to us in such superb form. There are lines that are pure poetry and paragraphs that fully explain a human being. Commander Dalgliesh investigates at St. Anselm, a college affiliated with the Church of England. Donald Treeves, one of the ordinands, is dead on the beach. In quick sequence follow the sister of Father John Betterton and Archdeacon Crampton. And St. Anselm is about to be closed down. Who will benefit from it? Will the many red herrings lead to a feast of perceived truth? This is a wonderful novel. But it is not a great mystery. There are many occurrences that are left hanging. And the final denouement does not make that much sense , either.
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Summary: Hey, we all wish we could write like this at 80!
Review: It's been a while since I picked up one of P.D. James' books. Too long obviously. Another one of the premiere British mystery authors, who writes with class and good grammar. Dagliesh is one of my all time favorite protagonists in any book. He's smart and has interests outside of his job at Scotland Yard. He's respected by his colleagues and subordinates, who look to him for guidance and approval. In this particular story, Dagliesh returns to a theological college he is familiar with from his childhood, and which holds fond memories for him. Unfortunately, his return is because of a suspicious death, and while he is there, a murder happens in the church with him sleeping nearby. He is compelled to find the tie between the two deaths and the people who are live on the grounds of the theological college are all suspects. James' writing, her intelligence, the placement of the stories...all contribute to a great story. Once again she proves that our capacities to contribute do not have to decline with age. I can only hope that I will be doing half as well as she when I am that age. Readers who enjoy well-written British mysteries that show intelligence for their audience, will most assuredly enjoy this book. Karen Sadler
Rating: 
Summary: Death in Holy Orders
Review: P D James can still write an engaging tale, ample to engage the mind on a transatlantic flight. But this mystery is a failure. Indispensible for the genre is a plot that "works"; that remains credible after the denoument. "Death in Holy Orders" visits all the possible villains and properly acquits them, but the chosen bad-guy is simply not credible as such; he has no motivation for a brutal murder. This story does not hang together. I was unable at Stockholm Airport to buy this from Amazon, alas; so I paid more than needed. And when I wrote Ms James c/o her publisher to request a refund, you'll be shocked to learn that she has in five weeks made me no reply whatever. It's no shame on any author, to be unable to produce consistent work at age 80. But for the sake of the reputation P D James has already established, she ought now to call it a day.
Rating:
Summary: even at 80, P D James is superb
Review: P.D. James can spin a fine tale, and she has elevated the British mystery novel into a literary form. Even though the Grande Dame is now over 80, years have not diminuished her narrative skills and her ability to formulate a story line that will grip you into the wee hours.
"Death in Holy Orders" is set at a Church of England theological college on the East Anglia coast. Having spent some time at the East Anglia seaside several years ago, I am familiar with this setting, which James describes in her usual succinct yet colorful style. Once again, Adam Dalgliesh appears to investigate the death of a young student which appears to be a accident or possibly a suicide. Is it? Read the book for James' usual complex plot and satisfying finish. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: O.K. Continues to be stodgy...
Review: I love Roy Marsden as Dagliesh in the PBS series, but
the books are dull, even though the writing, yes, is very
"good." Maybe it's because I rarely, if ever, care "whodunnit."
I find these mysteries rigged...it's not a matter of "clues"
but of the author's whim. Ho-hum. British ecclesiastical 'melodrama' - precious, tepid, somewhat depressing.
Rating:
Summary: PD James At Her Best
Review: I had given up on P.D. James and the Dalgleish series a few years ago. A month ago I picked up A CERTAIN JUSTICE and was reminded that even if the story was unsatisfying compared to earlier volumes in the series, the quality of writing was head and heels over most anything else in the contemporary mystery market. Then, along comes DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS in which P.D. puts back together everything that was right about the series in the first place and pulls off her best performance. In DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS, James retrieves the original character of Commander Adam Dalgleish of New Scotland Yard, who skulked about like a ghost in recent books, and returned him front and center to the story. She creates an extraordinary setting--an elite Anglican seminary created in Victorian times that is having trouble surviving the church's 21st century needs with a 19th century vision. The setting is all important--it holds childhood connections for Dalgleish, and significance for other characters as well. It is at once a sanctuary and an imperiled place, not just politically but geologically as well, situated as it is on the eroding eastern coast of England. Adding to the peril--it really does seem like a comfortable, lovely place--is a typically grizzly James murder and worse, the usual suspects are the mostly, though not entirely all, sympathetic residents and visitors. If you've read James and this series before, then you know about the red herrings she bowls at readers and the way the murder will be solved. But DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS has much more than that going for it. The author successfully spins out some major, rather literary themes through her use of character, events and setting. Among other topics, she addresses the role of belief and redemption. She is not without a sly sense of fun: she parodies her own conventions in having a character refer to a dead-end lead as a "kipper" since that's what a red herring is anyway, he argues. I have to wonder if this book is a sweetheart's farewell to a mostly fine series, an attention to last things. James puts all her powers to work for the reader and in the end, she gives back to deserving characters some things that had gone wanting in their lives. She does it carefully, so it is not overly sentimental, but it seems like an oblique good-bye.
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Summary: At the peak of her powers
Review: Her latest three Dalgliesh novels have been the best of the entire series! "Original Sin" "A Certain Justice" and now this, have all three been fantastic and incredibly enjoyable. In fact, Original Sin is one of my favourite mystery novels of all time. This one is a very very strong book....her writing is first class, and she is probably the best lady writer working within the genre today, in any country, not just the UK. Dalgliesh is a likeable, well drawn character, and on this book we see some enticing personal glimpses into his past, and we are even shown a hint of romance in the air. I am eagerly awaiting the next book to find out where she goes with this aspect. The plot is great. A classic mystery and hauntingly realistic. She writes subtly, especially about her setting. She doe snot force the landscape down the readers throat as some writers do, instead she lets it linger in the background, weaving its way into your imagination, so that whenever you picture anything from the book, the setting is right there. Its omnipresent, but not right at the forefront. (As is right and proper.) Great characters and a great mystery, this is P.D. James writing at the top of her form, where almost nothing is beyond her.
Rating:
Summary: A ripping good mystery
Review: Being an avid mystery reader, and favoring the American female authors Paretsky, Grafton, and Dams, I was prepared to be less than enthusiastic with "Holy Orders". What a pleasant surprise to find a good old fashioned English mystery with lots of different characters, plot twists, and suspects. P.D. James develops her plot and her characters in an organized manner and gives nothing away in advance. The detailed descriptions of scenes and settings are well crafted and enhance the flow of the action. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and James now makes my "short list" of favorite mystery writers.
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