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I enjoy PD James and her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, but this one was tiresome. The characters are a bit flat and there are too many of them. I finished, but didn't care when I got to the end. Even a tiresome PD James is better than most authors great books. The first part was acceptably interesting, but then it seemed to rush towards an end that was of little impact. It's an early book, maybe that's why.
PD James once again makes you think you know whodunnit, changes your mind several times, and then tidies it all up with the answer in the last few pages.This murder takes place in a psychiatric clinic when the "Administrative Officer" (Administrative Assistant in the US) is murdered. That's great, but sometimes I wanted a glossary. This is a worthy entry in the series, though.
Some of them have alibis, many of them do not. ("A.O." means administrative officer, for example). Adam Dalgliesh from Scotland Yard is called in to solve the case, which you know he is going to do, though even he has worries about whether or not he can.Almost the entire staff is suspect, and many of them have obvious reasons for wanting the victim dead.
My one real complaint is that there are so many acronyms used that the story comes to a screeching halt whenever I read one as I try to remember what it stands for. Several of them seem to be hiding something. (Of course - this is a murder mystery - everyone is hiding something).This is the 3rd Adam Dalgliesh myster I've read, and the only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I liked "Cover Her Face" and "Original Sin" a lot more.
The characters speak to each other like they would normally without all that unecessary explaining that some authors put in when they use jargon unfamiliar to some people. :)I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
A Mind To Murder is a typical who-dunnit murder mystery with unusal suspects. It was much more fun to read. When the administrative head of a psychiatric clinic is found dead, Inspector Dalgliesh focuses on the staff members of the clinic rather than the patients. I believe that this novel is a great improvement over the author's first, Cover Her Face. Dalgliesh has moved more into the foreground and we get to know him better as a person. Overall, the story is a little dated, especially in regards to the uses of LSD.
I read The Murder Room which was written by James a few years ago and I thought that it was dreadful. The mystery unfolds slowly, and the reader is given a few clues just ahead of the Dalgliesh.Readers will not be disappointed, and the book demonstrates the fame and ability of James as a crime writer. It is written with straightforward and simple prose and it is a compelling read that is hard to put down. In the elaborate 550 page slow moving story told in The Murder Room, the author has a 95 page introduction and no crime until around page 130. 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. This is my second James novel. Also, the book demonstrates again that more is not always better than less.
In a Mind to Murder, the story is well underway and the reader is fully engaged by page 10. Most will want to keep the book and set it aside to read again in the future. James tells a well balanced and a compelling tale in half the space.Since the book came out in 1963, it has had approximately seven printings by three different publishers including Faber and Faber, and Penguin. On discovery of the murder, the doors of the clinic are sealed, Dalgliesh is called in, and we are off on the hunt for the killer, or killers.The novel has an interesting set of characters, but not too many characters. It is a 500 page bore or snore. We wait as Dalgliesh does not enter the investigation until almost page 200.
In short, it is what one can describe as a masterpiece.The book opens with the literary hook: a murder in a clinic basement of the Steen Psychiatric Clinic during a busy Friday afternoon in London. It appears that there are just a half dozen suspects with a motivation to be involved with the killing. Thankfully, all of that type of writing is missing here. It is easy to understand why.
Having recently read "A Certain Justice" I have set myself to reading all of P.D. The characters come to life and the story has something meaningful to say. In so doing she provides some very strong character development for her Inspector Dalgliesh.
"A Mind to Murder" firmly validated my decision to do so. In reviewing mysteries, one must be cautious not to throw out any spoilers--but what the reviewer can and did note was that Ms. James' works.
He learns something very valuable in this work and will become a stronger detective for it.A murder mystery set in a mental health facility provides a wealth of opportunities, none of which are wasted in this volume. In only her second mystery, Ms. James has the strength to pull a whopper of a twist.
James' writing is exceptional. In a day and age where entertainment is its own reward, it is nice to find an author who is willing to allow the benefits and burdens of moral choice to take center stage.
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