A CERTAIN JUSTICE

A Certain Justice (1997) by PD James is unfortunately another one of the ‘broken’ books. A wildly imaginative and yet faintly ridiculous plot decorated with a few passages of interest. Unlike all those that come before this novel actually feels like some of the previous early books but in reverse. Normally the earlier books break down as they go along. I didn’t believe a word of this from the first page. Oddly, and counter to all the evidence of the earlier works, this one reads better towards the end which in itself is quite satisfying, as if making up for the nonsense that precedes it. I can’t quite put my finger on why but I was having trouble placing the action squarely in the late nineties – I would’ve happily believed that it was an earlier book set in the sixties or seventies. There was definitely a sense of ‘old-fashioned-ness’ about the whole thing, even with the social services angle that presumably was thrown in to bring it up-to-date. I’m also reminded of Kubrick’s use of the caretaker in his film version of ‘The Shining’. We have a non-character here who turns up very late in the book to serve no other purpose than to be promptly slaughtered. All round a very odd addition to the series and not one I’ll likely come back to.

The last hundred pages or so read as well as anything I’ve read before from the Baroness, but partly that is because those pages are separated from the actual murder-mystery plot! We return to the solution of that all too solid construction, heavy with contrivance and co-incidence, only in the last few pages, to be reminded that the first four hundred pages were never that good. If this is the kind of plot you have to hang a novel on I’d rather just read straight conversations and abandon plot altogether.

Of course an aspect of the serial nature of the books is the space between them, which I have conveniently ignored by reading them one after another from the start. The rhythm is disturbed, the anticipation lost and the delicate clear droplets of background information on Dalgliesh and here Kate in particular fall more like great dirty acid raindrops. Perhaps the subtlety was never there, but my method of reading doesn’t help them. Ellison Fairweather Buildings, I’m talking about you!

If you’re getting sick of PD James, my next book review will be something a little different!

ORIGINAL SIN

Original Sin (1994) by PD James is another cracking who-done-it. A meaty entertainment, with plenty of what I like about a good read, but here we have a confident writer freewheeling on ground that is maybe a little to flat. There’s no doubting the enjoyment I get from this safe pair of hands, but previous books (at least the previous two) aspired to something more. They allowed a meditation on both subject and character which is absent here. The prose and the wit remain, but it is slung over a story we have read before. I don’t mean that it is not a good plot, it is, but that it is entirely within our expectations. The resolution is similar to that of A Shroud for a Nightingale but lacks the subtlety.

Not that the story didn’t provide opportunity for thought, but it was in the end wrestled to the ground by plot as in the earlier books.  I enjoyed the character of Dalgliesh once more – that central figure is never a failure – but once more there are more than a few characters who don’t ring entirely true and these characters are the ones critical to the plot. Specifically the character of Inspector Aaron whose actions and motives I didn’t believe for a minute. Up until the final murder the language and rhythm of the writing was doing a good job disguising what was to turn out to be a pretty predictable if fantastic plot. Not even the lorry load of irony that arrived at the end could save this one.

What strikes me now flicking through it to refresh my mind is that the beginning seems to bear no relation to the end. That’s a flaw I see in many films. I’m sure there’s some law about bringing the reader back to beginning, even if not in an entirely literal sense. Again great prose but not enough connection between the various elements for me.

After this there are still five more Dalgleish novels to come, but as entertaining as they may be, and they are to me, I do not expect any of them to regain the high ground of A Taste for Death and Devices and Desires. I say that but I live in hope

DEVICES AND DESIRES

Devices and Desires (1989) by PD James betrays perhaps more casual pops at my left-wing sensibilities than I am completely comfortable with, yet her prose allows a good measure of forgiveness. The nuclear power station that looms large in the background becomes a fairly potent symbol of the moral arrogance displayed by the more than one of the characters within. Set that against the uncontrollable and unknowable motivations of the serial killer known as the Whistler and you have set the stage for something a little special.

Dalgliesh is on holiday and the case of the Whistler belongs to another detective, so that puts him firmly on the sidelines and we get to experience the plot from many more angles. Perhaps because of that the plot itself becomes more organic and natural than previously and we get episodic little chapter updates on what all the interested parties are up to. Dalgliesh’s absence means all the other characters get more page time and as some of them share his best/worst traits I think we find out possibly more about him than when he is directly in our line of sight.

The thing that really draws me again to this novel is both the first chapter and the last few paragraphs. I keep coming back to those last few words to relive the sadness and sacrifice of the very ordinary, and I come back to the opening chapter for the thrill and terror of a particularly well written murder. A death and a life treated with cool detachment and a wonderful pace and rhythm (as far as this idiot can detect it).

When Dalgliesh does come once more into view towards the end we see really for the first time the depth of involvement he has with those higher up.  It’s almost the first time we him in a subordinate position which is perhaps echoing the theme of power out out of control. Though I can tell you that the nuclear power itself is never in danger – this is all about personal power.

Having read this twice now – it certainly doesn’t stand up as well on the second reading. I still like the bits I like, but the flaws show up even more clearly. The author’s criticism of the militant Amy is perhaps too glaring, but as I’ve said all along, the author is unsure about those outside the reach of her own experience. And I feel sure people like Amy are quite a long way outside that. The real terrorists amount only to dark shadows., and Caroline’s role seems only to serve the exploration of Johnathan’s character. Perhaps Amy is there only to give purpose to Neil Pascoe’s character also. Certainly makes me think that the less the characters actually do the more depth they are given. Perhaps that’s why Dalgliesh himself only seems real when removed from the physical ‘doings’ of the plot.

While writing this review another of the TV adaptations is being shown and frankly they haven’t aged well. I hardly think these books are unfilmable but what a flat mess these versions are. Roy Marsden looks the part but the script is all wrong and he’s got waay too much acting going on. I can’t imagine Dalgliesh so animated! The writing is the thing and that’s only something you can appreciate from the book.

Book, eh? Small, portable, cheap, hours of entertainment, no instructions necessary, no updates or software required. I think they may be the future

A TASTE FOR DEATH

A Taste for Death (1986) by PD James is the first of the Dalgliesh books to attain the status of being truly a novel. What’s the difference between a good book and a novel? Well, it might take someone smarter than me to explain that well, but here’s my opinion. It’s when the story and character allows for a meditation on wider perhaps more esoteric ideas related to the simple events detailed. OK, it’s not the deepest of philosophic essays, but within the genre structure, the beginning, middle and end, the characters are explored and their motivations dissected in a much more probing and heartfelt way than what might normally be expected. The stuff that gets left out of the film as I like to call it! The why rather than the what. There is a deeper connection here between what happens and what it means. Previously we have been offered some ‘meaning’ alongside a story, and often times that’s enough for me if the balance isn’t too weighted in favour of the story. The early books are only story, rich in language, but only story bones. With A Taste for Death we finally get a feast of meat.

Simple politeness prevents the Baroness from going too far or becoming too crude but even for her the bloodthirsty denouement is somewhat unexpected and brutal. Despite the fact that it starts and finishes in a welter of blood and gore – it is one of the more believable plots and, as I say, it remains focused on subjects which may be more familiar to the author, resulting in a satisfying read while remaining on relatively safe ground.

It is the case that with PD James and these detective novels that you’re never likely to confront too many surprises, but some books go further than others. This novel goes that extra stretch. So much so that by the end I’m not entirely sure what it was all about. Familiar themes circulate: familial loyalty; loss of faith; acceptance or rejection of duty; moral uncertainty, etc. Not entirely unexpected in a murder mystery perhaps, but all the same, combined with the rich descriptive language, it all adds up to a wonderfully engaging read with not a little class (in every sense of the word). The plot is a little thick for my taste, but then most plots are!

Previously a secondary character well behind Dalgliesh, Inspector Kate Miskin comes to the fore and proves to be every bit as complicated as Dalgliesh himself. Massingham also proves interesting, though this teaming is never seen again. In fact all the characters seem well rounded, though, as is always the case, some of them, those that might be less well known in ‘real life’ to PD James might seem a trifle out-of-touch. But even that criticism is successfully countered by the piercing and cold eye for the personal and very real horrors of pathetic lives in detail. Massingham’s anger and revulsion at the state of Darren’s home life. The boy’s own attitude towards the tragic Miss Wharton. Kate’s denial and rejection of her grandmother.

A Taste for Death looks to be the high point of the series, a place I had reserved for Devices and Desires the next book in the series, but that comes next…

DEATH OF AN EXPERT WITNESS

It’s been a while but yeah, I’m still reading through the PD James Adam Dalgliesh books. Death of an Expert Witness is the last book that falls firmly into the who-done-it category. By that I mean that the writing is in the main about developing plot and character. All the books are who-done-it’s, but some are more, and we’ll come to them later. This one however is relatively short, straightforward and a little unforgivably old-fashioned. Rather like Cover Her Face you can’t quite disguise the period in your mind. This is story definitely takes place an impossible 30 years ago. Rather like James Bond our hero cannot have been there if the later stories have any ‘truth’, which of course they don’t. Having said that I devoured it pretty quickly as it is one of the better character studies and the race to the end was quite satisfying. The story concerns the murder of a biologist at a forensic lab, which is the main reason it seems rather out of date. All we can think of now is the easy answers DNA will bring, but things were a little more convoluted in 1977.

There are two un-associated novels that are published before the next in the Adam Dalgliesh series which gives the author ten years to consider her poet-detective. It shows and PD James moves to become a novelist rather than just a writer of detective fiction. I might have to read those two books as well just to find the moment of transition, but later.

THE BLACK TOWER

The Black Tower is the fifth book in the Adam Dalgliesh series from PD James and it falls somewhere in the middle in terms of the qualities I look for in a good episode. The build-up is as good as any of the others if not better but once again the denouement seems a little strained. As ever I’m not looking for a particularly convoluted or credible plot. I’m not looking for quantity of incident, but quality of character and conversation. It’s where the incidents speed together that I lose interest and that is usually forced upon us to create an unnaturally exciting ending. Sometimes, most times I’d rather Dalgleish just arrest the culprit and explain the plot – I’m nearly always at a loss when the author feels it necessary to describe any sort of chase or fight. Those are not the strengths of the Baroness’s writing. The resolution here is not as awful as Unnatural Causes by any stretch of the imagination but it involves rather more threats and violence than I’m comfortable with. I was also slightly concerned about the killer who spends so much time explaining how clever his plot was while the forces of authority creep up behind him. It’s not entirely that simple or gross, just a little bit of a let down after all that goes before.

That’s what’s bad about this book. This is what’s good. The situation and observations of the various characters are biting. The story is set in  little coastal dip that comprises a home and some cottages for the staff and residents of a retreat for people with various illnesses that are unlikely to be cured and that have sufficient money to pay for such a refuge. This situation naturally brings together people who are not well disposed towards either their own or indeed anyone else’s condition. Self pity and disgust of old-age and illness are to the fore and the author is merciless. Oh dear me, quite wonderfully merciless and that’s why it survives on my bookshelf, despite my doubts over the racy conclusion.

I still haven’t finished reworking the cover to Unnatural Causes and I’ve yet to read the next two books in the series so this feature will be taking a break for a short time while I catch up.

SHROUD FOR A NIGHTINGALE

As regular readers will know I’ve been ploughing through the Adam Dalgleish series of murder mysteries from the pen of PD James. I’ve also been trying to do new designs for the books as I go along. Unfortunately I made a pig’s ear of the last one hoist by my own petard in that I used imagery which was inaccurate to the story. Doh! I’ll be reworking that and providing a new version to the cover of this one shortly.

In the meantime, having ordered the remaining missing books from my collection of this series let’s take a look under the Shroud for a Nightingale (1971). This is the first great novel in the series in that it works on the genre level of being an accomplished piece of detective fiction while at the same managing to explore the themes and characters within with a degree of depth, intelligence and wit that goes beyond the call of duty. The basic requirements of engaging the reader’s interest with an unusual location and a bizarre death are fulfilled easily in the first few pages. The inevitability and voyeuristic nature of the first murder are as unforgettable as they are hideous. After that a further, more prosaic murder takes place and Adam is called in to determine whether the two deaths are co-incidental accidents or deliberate cold-bloodied murder. Fortunately for us it’s quite obviously the latter. With that out of the way we move onto the history and nature of the vast array of suspects – all of whom ring true to my ear. The author is on safe ground here having worked alongside medics of one sort or another most of her working life. All that knowledge is brought to bear here. It might or might not be obvious who done it by the end, but oh the wonderful why! What I particularly enjoy is that when the stinky stuff hits the fan at the end – everyone gets marked by it. Even Dalgleish leaves with an unpleasant smell in his nostrils and in Shroud for a Nightingale he really meets his match in an adversary as cold and intelligent as himself. There is even a wonderfully orchestrated turnabout which ramps the climax up a notch and makes a reader really feel like they’ve got their money’s worth.

This is the first time in the series where all the elements fit smoothly together to create something more than just a simple entertainment. Shroud for a Nightingale lives on in the memory provoking difficult questions and ‘what if’ scenarios in your head. If only? Who was blameless? The motivation of the murderer is the key to appreciating all these novels and here is as good a motivation as I can think of.

It’s still not quite the perfect novel like the later Devices and Desires because it’s still too much of a murder mystery before being a novel and it doesn’t quite attain the poetry in the prose the other novel does, but it’s still a cracking read and I can’t wait to be able read it again.

Newcomers to the books should be aware that while the TV series follows the plot of some of the novels the real pleasure of these books exists in the words chosen by the author, not in the plain events or incidents therein.

UNNATURAL CAUSES

Unnatural Causes (1967) is the third book in the Dalgleish series by PD James. It’s also the clunkiest I’ve read so far. In fact I’ve read it twice but it took me a little to remember the set-up – too late I was wasting my time again! A writer of crime fiction is murdered with his hands cut off, his body washed ashore in a small dinghy. This time the who-done-it, how and why totally overwhelms the characters who are not fleshed out very well at all. The only saving grace in the whole book is that we meet Dalgliesh’s Aunt Jane. That’s about it. Apart from being part of a series I normally enjoy there is very little to recommend this outing. The plot is unfathomably silly, the action-packed denouement ridiculous and the final confession bizarre and unconvincing.

I have to say here, just in case you’ve not stopped reading already, that the next book in the series is a return to form and at least the first outstanding novel in this particular series. That’ll be next, but really — cheated out of a book review, on this site! Oh well, you’ll have to make do with my third attempt at a revised cover for this series. I have to admit though that for once the cover on the edition I own is pretty damn good and I wouldn’t for a minute claim that mine is better. But here it is anyway:

DESIGNFLASH: If you’re after some freebie fonts (and judging by some of the typography on the Zuda entries you are) here’s a resource I stumbled across just the other day – FREE fonts anyone? Of course you could still raid the freebies on Blambot, but Jeesh, you should have all those already. If not go there now with your head hung in shame. And this article on the grammar of lettering by Nate Piekos is critical. You can’t go wrong with that advice. PS: Sean Kleefeld linked to this already yesterday, but I write these in advance you know. Great minds and all that. Next week we’ll be turning up wearing the same dress!

A MIND TO DESIGN

My latest attempt at re-interpreting the book jacket design so that it reflects accurately (or more accurately at least) the story inside. These images will link to much larger versions on my portfolio site shortly – I’ve only one pair of hands! In making this one though  I had a look back at the last one and gave it a tweak as that wrap-around wasn’t quite strong enough and didn’t do the job.

I don’t always know how many of you need this explaining but just in case. I’m not playing illustrator here, these images have been shamelessly googled to demonstrate that I know how to put images and ideas together to achieve a meaningful and finished piece of commercial work. I’m still working on the portfolio site and trying to beat up my inner critic … die you bastard, die!

A MIND TO MURDER

A Mind to Murder (1963) is the second in PD James series of mysteries featuring Adam Dalgleish. Although reading them as a series is interesting it is by no means required as each of the books contains all the information you need to know in order to appreciate it as a stand alone piece. In fact the thread that carries them one to the next is minimal. I am one of those peculiar types that comes back for that minimal thread.

This episode is perhaps an even easier read than the first as the distractions of the period setting are not quite so acute. A lot has changed in forty-five years but most of the anachronisms can be skipped over or forgiven. I tend to read the books as if they are happening now and update the bits that don’t fit ‘in my head’, but you could equally read them as period pieces. Here we have a murder in a psychiatric clinic in the middle of London. Once again a real sense of location is established and a set of suspects in any one of whom we might possibly find a motive for the brutal stabbing of Nurse Bolam. Once again the rules of the genre are adhered to although the ending breaks down in a more modern manner. A real sense of tension and claustrophobia is achieved by the small tightly packed rooms and stairwells, the white narrow corridors and equally narrow margin of opportunity for the murderer. Less successful than previously are the characters – all of whom fail to stay successfully in the memory this time around. The character of the handyman/porter cum struggling artist is particularly unpersuasive against the other professional medical types. PD James usually has more success with characters that spring from her own first hand experience of hospital administration, the police force or home office civil servants. That’s not to say her characters outside that experience are bad – just not quite as convincing. Fortunately she gets better with time on that score.

This is a short book like the first which is a good thing. When they’re really good I don’t want them to end, but this one and Cover Her Face both seem to be quite long enough. The area on which this improves on the previous effort is in the ending. Even though the who and why turn out to be blindingly obvious, in terms of what actually happens I found it very exciting and plausible. The switcheroo in the end was quite modern really I suppose – well the kind of thing you’d expect watching episodes of Inspector Morse thirty years later. Although the characterisations are relatively dull this time it is one of the better plots and that’s quite a switcheroo in itself.

Once again I’m searching for the callous eye that shines on her inglorious cast picking trivial fault and noting minor vanities and stupidities that might just lead to a brutal death. The ending is particularly and marvelously cruel. One thing about these books is that there are usually only ever two murders at most – it’s never really a catalogue of horror and gore like some of today’s books and movies – so when I say cruel I mean unkind words rather than any variation on the torture porn theme! And instead of Dalgleish being a full-on ‘personality’ with quirks and traits popping all over the place he remains the stone cold centre of the book. All the other characters bounce off him. The teasing quality of the series is that we only ever get a very few pages of the character the fans want to know about.  We want Dalgliesh to give himself up to the possibilities of happiness. We want him to warm up and take a chance on love. That’s all.

I suppose that might sound a bit drippy to some, but all I want is a character, an emotion and a bit of dry wit. I do like a good plot but it’s not the most necessary thing!