Saturday, September 27, 2008

Satisfying crime read - P.D. James

There is nothing as satisfying as a well written crime novel.

The new P.D. James novel The Private Patient certainly hits the mark.

I love returning to the sharp and intelligent mind of police commander and poet Adam Dalgliesh, or AD as he is known by his team.

Jame's novels are particularly satisfying because of their psychological depth - she probes with a scapel like incisiveness into the British psyche.

Her books are a fascinating study of the complexity and ambiguity of human emotions, such as anger, greed and jealousy.

In this particular book, there is also a focus on the love and compassion.

I was pleasantly surprised by the end of the novel. It is really one of the most beautifully written endings, with an elegantly done reference to Jane Austen.

James suggest that despite all the murder and mayhem, humans can, and will, continue to find the love in each other.

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