Devices and Desires: The classic murder mystery from the 'Queen of English crime' (Guardian)
About this ebook
'A legend.' VAL MCDERMID
'P. D. James took the classic crime novel and turned up the dial.' MICK HERRON
'Perhaps her greatest novel.' Guardian
PERFECT FOR FANS OF VAL MCDERMID, RUTH RENDELL AND ELLY GRIFFITHS
__________________________________________________________________________________
Dalgliesh thought he was inured to horror - but this was the first time he'd stumbled upon a murdered body.
When Commander Adam Dalgliesh visits Larksoken, a remote headland community on the Norfolk coast in the shadow of a nuclear power station, he expects to be engaged only in the sad business of tying up his late aunt's estate. A serial killer known as 'the Whistler' has been terrorising the area - but it isn't his case. He isn't going to get involved.
Then, not far from his aunt's home, he stumbles on a body. Unable now to keep his distance, he must navigate not only the looming weight of the power station's influential leaders but his aunt's friends and neighbours - all of whom could be suspects - if he wants to help the local police understand this latest crime.
But could there really be more than one murderer here?
__________________________________________________________________________________
'Magnificent . . . a compelling human drama.' Evening Standard
'A masterpiece.' 5* reader review
'Unsettling and memorable.' 5* reader review
'Please read it.' 5* reader review
**Now a major Channel 5 series**
__________________________________________________________________________________
READERS LOVE THE ADAM DALGLEISH SERIES:
'Adam Dalgleish is one of the best characters in modern detective fiction.' 5* reader review
'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 . . . I usually stay up all night to read a P. D. James novel once I start one.' 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:
'P. D. James is the crème de la crème of crime writers. Her books are shrewd puzzles, full of wit and depth.' IAN RANKIN
'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
'James manages a depth and intelligence that few in her trade can match.' THE TIMES
'There are very few thriller writers who can compete with P. D. James at her best.' SPECTATOR
'The queen of English crime.' GUARDIAN
Ratings and reviews
- Flag inappropriate
About the author
P. D. James (1920-2014) was a bestselling and internationally acclaimed crime writer best known for her books starring poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh. She wrote nineteen novels as well as several short story collections and works of non-fiction. Her work has been translated into thirty-six languages, and has sold millions of copies worldwide. Among many international prizes, awards and honours, she received the highest honours in both British and American crime writing: the CWA Diamond Dagger for a lifetime contribution to the genre, and the Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Award. She was inducted into the Crime Writing Hall of Fame in 2008.
Beyond her writing, she worked in the National Health Service and then in the Home Office for over thirty years, first in the Police Department and later in the Criminal Policy Department, and made use of all this experience in her novels. She served as president of the Society of Authors for sixteen years, and was a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Literature and of the Royal Society of Arts. In 1983 she was awarded an OBE, and she was made a life peer in 1991. She died in 2014.
