Description
THE SEVENTH NOVEL IN THE MULTIMILLION-COPY BESTSELLING ADAM DALGLIESH SERIES FROM THE 'QUEEN OF ENGLISH CRIME' (Guardian)
WINNER OF THE CWA SILVER DAGGER
'Splendidly suspenseful . . . A triumph and a treat.' Guardian
'P. D. James's best novel . . . The plot is detailed and satisfying and the characters are well drawn. I loved it.' 5* reader review
'One of the best mysteries I have had the pleasure to read.' 5* reader review
PERFECT FOR FANS OF VAL MCDERMID, RUTH RENDELL AND ELLY GRIFFITHS
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Trust me, this murder is perfectly simple . . .
Two men lie in a welter of blood in the vestry of St Matthew's Church, Paddington. Their throats have been brutally slashed. One is Sir Paul Berowne, a recently-resigned government minister; the other is a homeless man known only as a local alcoholic.
Their deaths will be the first case for Commander Dalgliesh's new team, who have been tasked with investigating crimes of particular sensitivity. But as the Berowne family's veneer of prosperous gentility begins to crack and Dalgliesh uncovers more about the dead men, he struggles to keep his customary objectivity.
Can he get to the bottom of the ugly and dangerous secrets swirling this case in time to prevent yet another death?
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'Compulsive . . . heart-pounding suspense.' Sunday Times
'The story is gripping, the characters beautifully drawn, the atmosphere powerful and the whole makes for a wonderful read.' 5* reader review
'It is a masterpiece of the genre of mystery novel . . . Cuts through the decayed class system of the British society via the study of murder.' 5* reader review
**Now a major Channel 5 series**
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READERS LOVE THE ADAM DALGLEISH SERIES:
'If you are not already an Adam Dalgliesh fan, I urge you to become one . . . James can describe a scene or delineate a character with precision and depth, like no other writer I have read.' 5* reader review
'This series is now as thrilling and gripping as Agatha Christie's great mysteries . . . A wonderful treat I must savour.' 5* reader review
'P. D. James is guaranteed to be worth reading.' 5* reader review
'I would never give less than 5 stars to any P. D. James book. She is one of a kind, always constant, always wonderful writing, always great characters, and always a good mystery that you cannot put down.' 5* reader review
'P. D. James writes mysteries for ordinary people. Her characters are relatable and her hero is dynamic. But don't expect cell phones or computers. Her stories are strictly old school, which is what I love about them.' 5* reader review
'Crime writing at its very best!' 5* reader review
PRAISE FOR P. D. JAMES:
'A legend.' VAL MCDERMID
'Masterful.' MICK HERRON
'The greatest contemporary writer of classic crime.' SUNDAY TIMES
'Nobody can put the reader in the eye of the storm quite like P. D. James.' SUNDAY EXPRESS
'One of the literary greats. Her sense of place was exquisite, characterisation and plotting unrivalled.' MARI HANNAH
'There are very few thriller writers who can compete with P. D. James at her best.' SPECTATOR
'Simply a wonderful writer.' NEW YORK TIMES
'The queen of English crime.' GUARDIAN
