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Adam Dalgliesh #11
Death in Holy Orders
From the award-winning master of literary crime fiction, a classic work rich in tense drama and psychological insight.
On the East Anglian seacoast, a small theological college hangs precariously on an eroding shoreline and an equally precarious future. When the body of a student is found buried in the sand, the boy’s influential father demands that Scotland Yard investigate. Enter Adam Dalgliesh, a detective who loves poetry, a man who has known loss and discovery. The son of a parson, and having spent many happy boyhood summers at the school, Dalgliesh is the perfect candidate to look for the truth in this remote, rarified community of the faithful–and the frightened. And when one death leads to another, Dalgliesh finds himself steeped in a world of good and evil, of stifled passions and hidden pasts, where someone has cause not just to commit one crime but to begin an unholy order of murder. . . .
“Gracefully sculpted prose and [a] superbly executed mystery . . . Death in Holy Orders is among [James’s] most remarkable and accomplished Dalgliesh novels.”
–The Philadelphia Inquirer
“An elegant work about hope, death, and the alternately redemptive and destructive nature of love.”
–The Miami Herald
“Absorbing . . . [James’s] plotting and characterization [are] impeccable.”
–Orlando Sentinel
“P. D. James is in top form.”
–The Boston Globe
Open the exclusive dossier at the back of this book, featuring P. D. James’ essay on penning the perfect detective novel.
On the East Anglian seacoast, a small theological college hangs precariously on an eroding shoreline and an equally precarious future. When the body of a student is found buried in the sand, the boy’s influential father demands that Scotland Yard investigate. Enter Adam Dalgliesh, a detective who loves poetry, a man who has known loss and discovery. The son of a parson, and having spent many happy boyhood summers at the school, Dalgliesh is the perfect candidate to look for the truth in this remote, rarified community of the faithful–and the frightened. And when one death leads to another, Dalgliesh finds himself steeped in a world of good and evil, of stifled passions and hidden pasts, where someone has cause not just to commit one crime but to begin an unholy order of murder. . . .
“Gracefully sculpted prose and [a] superbly executed mystery . . . Death in Holy Orders is among [James’s] most remarkable and accomplished Dalgliesh novels.”
–The Philadelphia Inquirer
“An elegant work about hope, death, and the alternately redemptive and destructive nature of love.”
–The Miami Herald
“Absorbing . . . [James’s] plotting and characterization [are] impeccable.”
–Orlando Sentinel
“P. D. James is in top form.”
–The Boston Globe
Open the exclusive dossier at the back of this book, featuring P. D. James’ essay on penning the perfect detective novel.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
1146 people are currently reading
4131 people want to read
About the author
P.D. James
318 books3,241 followersP. D. James, byname of Phyllis Dorothy James White, Baroness James of Holland Park, (born August 3, 1920, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England—died November 27, 2014, Oxford), British mystery novelist best known for her fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard.
The daughter of a middle-grade civil servant, James grew up in the university town of Cambridge. Her formal education, however, ended at age 16 because of lack of funds, and she was thereafter self-educated. In 1941 she married Ernest C.B. White, a medical student and future physician, who returned home from wartime service mentally deranged and spent much of the rest of his life in psychiatric hospitals. To support her family (which included two children), she took work in hospital administration and, after her husband’s death in 1964, became a civil servant in the criminal section of the Department of Home Affairs. Her first mystery novel, Cover Her Face (1962), introduced Dalgliesh and was followed by six more mysteries before she retired from government service in 1979 to devote full time to writing.
Dalgliesh, James’s master detective who rises from chief inspector in the first novel to chief superintendent and then to commander, is a serious, introspective person, moralistic yet realistic. The novels in which he appears are peopled by fully rounded characters, who are civilized, genteel, and motivated. The public resonance created by James’s singular characterization and deployment of classic mystery devices led to most of the novels featuring Dalgliesh being filmed for television. James, who earned the sobriquet “Queen of Crime,” penned 14 Dalgliesh novels, with the last, The Private Patient, appearing in 2008.
James also wrote An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1972) and The Skull Beneath the Skin (1982), which centre on Cordelia Gray, a young private detective. The first of these novels was the basis for both a television movie and a short-lived series. James expanded beyond the mystery genre in The Children of Men (1992; film 2006), which explores a dystopian world in which the human race has become infertile. Her final work, Death Comes to Pemberley (2011)—a sequel to Pride and Prejudice (1813)—amplifies the class and relationship tensions between Jane Austen’s characters by situating them in the midst of a murder investigation. James’s nonfiction works include The Maul and the Pear Tree (1971), a telling of the Ratcliffe Highway murders of 1811 written with historian T.A. Critchley, and the insightful Talking About Detective Fiction (2009). Her memoir, Time to Be in Earnest, was published in 2000. She was made OBE in 1983 and was named a life peer in 1991.
The daughter of a middle-grade civil servant, James grew up in the university town of Cambridge. Her formal education, however, ended at age 16 because of lack of funds, and she was thereafter self-educated. In 1941 she married Ernest C.B. White, a medical student and future physician, who returned home from wartime service mentally deranged and spent much of the rest of his life in psychiatric hospitals. To support her family (which included two children), she took work in hospital administration and, after her husband’s death in 1964, became a civil servant in the criminal section of the Department of Home Affairs. Her first mystery novel, Cover Her Face (1962), introduced Dalgliesh and was followed by six more mysteries before she retired from government service in 1979 to devote full time to writing.
Dalgliesh, James’s master detective who rises from chief inspector in the first novel to chief superintendent and then to commander, is a serious, introspective person, moralistic yet realistic. The novels in which he appears are peopled by fully rounded characters, who are civilized, genteel, and motivated. The public resonance created by James’s singular characterization and deployment of classic mystery devices led to most of the novels featuring Dalgliesh being filmed for television. James, who earned the sobriquet “Queen of Crime,” penned 14 Dalgliesh novels, with the last, The Private Patient, appearing in 2008.
James also wrote An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1972) and The Skull Beneath the Skin (1982), which centre on Cordelia Gray, a young private detective. The first of these novels was the basis for both a television movie and a short-lived series. James expanded beyond the mystery genre in The Children of Men (1992; film 2006), which explores a dystopian world in which the human race has become infertile. Her final work, Death Comes to Pemberley (2011)—a sequel to Pride and Prejudice (1813)—amplifies the class and relationship tensions between Jane Austen’s characters by situating them in the midst of a murder investigation. James’s nonfiction works include The Maul and the Pear Tree (1971), a telling of the Ratcliffe Highway murders of 1811 written with historian T.A. Critchley, and the insightful Talking About Detective Fiction (2009). Her memoir, Time to Be in Earnest, was published in 2000. She was made OBE in 1983 and was named a life peer in 1991.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 995 reviews
January 29, 2022
I have just had a lot of fun reading all the reviews of this book. There are hundreds of them ranging from one to five stars. The overall figure comes out at 3.9 which I would agree with, though I am limited to giving it the closest I can.
To tell the truth just having Adam Dalgleish as the main character makes it a good read for me. I love the fact that he is intelligent, calm, organised, kind and that he thinks before he acts. He is the English version of Armand Gamache. You can always tell the characters you can trust in the story because they are the ones who like him the most.
Death in Holy Orders is quite a convoluted mystery with a string of murders, a huge number of red herrings and a religious setting. As usual with a P.D. James book there was a lot about the beautiful English countryside and much detailed description of people and places. I do not mind that - she does it so well.
There was a satisfying twist at the end and everything was rounded off nicely. I am grateful that I still have a number of this author's books yet to read.
To tell the truth just having Adam Dalgleish as the main character makes it a good read for me. I love the fact that he is intelligent, calm, organised, kind and that he thinks before he acts. He is the English version of Armand Gamache. You can always tell the characters you can trust in the story because they are the ones who like him the most.
Death in Holy Orders is quite a convoluted mystery with a string of murders, a huge number of red herrings and a religious setting. As usual with a P.D. James book there was a lot about the beautiful English countryside and much detailed description of people and places. I do not mind that - she does it so well.
There was a satisfying twist at the end and everything was rounded off nicely. I am grateful that I still have a number of this author's books yet to read.
April 18, 2024
Only my second P D James after ‘Children of Men,’ and my first Commander Adam Dalgliesh. Murder(s) set in a theological college in Suffolk. Great story, plot and characters. I look forward to digging out many more in the series.
October 24, 2020
Anyone following my reviews will know that I have serious misgivings about the later James: the first handful of her Dalgleish mysteries were a brisk and enjoyable updating of the GA crime novel, but the later books are bloated and sluggish with a snobby, superior tone and very questionable values: we have insidious anti-Semitism in Original Sin, misogyny and classist attitudes everywhere, and now here she defends the indefensible with her kind old priest who is also a convicted paedophile.
Despite that, everyone except the 'baddie' who is murdered loves him, including Dalgleish himself and his new love interest so James makes it very clear that we as readers are supposed to side with them: as one character says 'He pleaded guilty to misbehaviour with two young boys. He didn't rape them, he didn't seduce them, he didn't physically hurt them' - so in James' world and that of the book, a bit of covert fondling and illegal touching of young boys is perfectly fine - he might not have 'physically' hurt them, but any psychological trauma from being assaulted by their priest is airily waved away.
To add to the message, the fellow priest who pushed for exposure and prosecution is demonised: 'a priest hounding a fellow-priest into prison? It would be disgraceful if anyone did it. Coming from him it's abominable. And Father John [the paedophile] - the gentlest, the kindest of men.' Er, no, Ms James, this isn't 'hounding' but reporting a crime that the church would rather have covered up. What is 'disgraceful' and 'abominable' are the ideas that the paedophile should be left to continue his predations among children.
Another quotation: 'Father John confessed to abusing some young boys in his choir. That's the word they used, but I doubt there was much real abuse.' And James clinches her support for her 'gentlest... kindest' of sexual offenders by offering up that old chestnut that while he may have illicitly fondled the first two boys, the others who came forward with evidence were just lying.
And just to make sure we know where we're supposed to stand, Dalgleish, a Commander at Scotland Yard, has more sympathy for the paedophile who served a three-year prison term than for the fellow-priest who exposed him: 'He [the whistle-blower] did what he saw as his duty and it caused him a lot of pain. Dalgleish privately thought that the greater pain had been suffered by Father John [the convicted paedophile].' I should add that this book was published in 2001.
Ms James has always made it clear that she has no time for all this namby-pamby PC rubbish and her high Tory sensibilities have in the past taken swipes at the disabled, the working class especially women, Jews, any woman less than 'ravishingly beautiful', but her skewed view of sexual assault on children is breathtaking.
Add to that a completely in-credible mode of committing suicide ; a motive for murder that makes no sense at all , and the hilarious awkwardness of Dalgleish falling in love with the equally wooden and humourless (but ravishingly beautiful, natch) Emma who, would you credit it, teaches poetry at Cambridge - a match made in some kind of chilly, inhumane, fastidious, paedophile-loving heaven.
I wouldn't even mind (well, yeah, actually I would...) if this allegedly super-smart police team actually did some detecting but, as usual, there's not much activity on that front. And don't even get me started on the fact that a top Commander from Scotland Yard goes off at the bequest of a multi-millionaire arms dealer to check out his cremated son's suspicious death... and that once there, despite being personally close to some of the suspects, he's allowed to take over the investigation of the murders that then occur.
I just don't understand how these books have come to be so highly rated when their values are so reactionary, even offensive.
Despite that, everyone except the 'baddie' who is murdered loves him, including Dalgleish himself and his new love interest so James makes it very clear that we as readers are supposed to side with them: as one character says 'He pleaded guilty to misbehaviour with two young boys. He didn't rape them, he didn't seduce them, he didn't physically hurt them' - so in James' world and that of the book, a bit of covert fondling and illegal touching of young boys is perfectly fine - he might not have 'physically' hurt them, but any psychological trauma from being assaulted by their priest is airily waved away.
To add to the message, the fellow priest who pushed for exposure and prosecution is demonised: 'a priest hounding a fellow-priest into prison? It would be disgraceful if anyone did it. Coming from him it's abominable. And Father John [the paedophile] - the gentlest, the kindest of men.' Er, no, Ms James, this isn't 'hounding' but reporting a crime that the church would rather have covered up. What is 'disgraceful' and 'abominable' are the ideas that the paedophile should be left to continue his predations among children.
Another quotation: 'Father John confessed to abusing some young boys in his choir. That's the word they used, but I doubt there was much real abuse.' And James clinches her support for her 'gentlest... kindest' of sexual offenders by offering up that old chestnut that while he may have illicitly fondled the first two boys, the others who came forward with evidence were just lying.
And just to make sure we know where we're supposed to stand, Dalgleish, a Commander at Scotland Yard, has more sympathy for the paedophile who served a three-year prison term than for the fellow-priest who exposed him: 'He [the whistle-blower] did what he saw as his duty and it caused him a lot of pain. Dalgleish privately thought that the greater pain had been suffered by Father John [the convicted paedophile].' I should add that this book was published in 2001.
Ms James has always made it clear that she has no time for all this namby-pamby PC rubbish and her high Tory sensibilities have in the past taken swipes at the disabled, the working class especially women, Jews, any woman less than 'ravishingly beautiful', but her skewed view of sexual assault on children is breathtaking.
Add to that a completely in-credible mode of committing suicide ; a motive for murder that makes no sense at all , and the hilarious awkwardness of Dalgleish falling in love with the equally wooden and humourless (but ravishingly beautiful, natch) Emma who, would you credit it, teaches poetry at Cambridge - a match made in some kind of chilly, inhumane, fastidious, paedophile-loving heaven.
I wouldn't even mind (well, yeah, actually I would...) if this allegedly super-smart police team actually did some detecting but, as usual, there's not much activity on that front. And don't even get me started on the fact that a top Commander from Scotland Yard goes off at the bequest of a multi-millionaire arms dealer to check out his cremated son's suspicious death... and that once there, despite being personally close to some of the suspects, he's allowed to take over the investigation of the murders that then occur.
I just don't understand how these books have come to be so highly rated when their values are so reactionary, even offensive.
March 31, 2013
here's a little story for you...
so a famous San Francisco lobbyist - a lively raconteur, a darling of the media, and an infamously debauched homosexual - was unfortunately on his deathbed. because this was a man who helped build the careers of many politicians, his hospital room was often inundanted by various famous local personages. one afternoon, as his final hours drew near, a respected and well-known priest came to see him. the lobbyist looked up, seemed rather surprised, and beckoned the good Father to come closer. grasping his hand, the lobbyist pulled him down towards his head, and whispered loudly for the priest and all the room to hear:
"Well thank you for coming to see me, Father. I always appreciate your visits. But, sadly, sex is the last the thing on my mind right now."
the true story above is also a completely spoiler-free clue to solving the mystery of Death in Holy Orders - delivered to you free of charge!
as far as the novel itself goes, this is yet another well-done James slow-burner featuring the inimitable Adam Dalgliesh - detective and poet extraordinaire. as this is one of the author's later entries in the series, the mystery itself is impressively dark, gothic in atmosphere, and rich in meaning. several of the characters and situations are quite haunting, in particular the central murder victim and the unnerving opening scene. PD James is one of the best!
so a famous San Francisco lobbyist - a lively raconteur, a darling of the media, and an infamously debauched homosexual - was unfortunately on his deathbed. because this was a man who helped build the careers of many politicians, his hospital room was often inundanted by various famous local personages. one afternoon, as his final hours drew near, a respected and well-known priest came to see him. the lobbyist looked up, seemed rather surprised, and beckoned the good Father to come closer. grasping his hand, the lobbyist pulled him down towards his head, and whispered loudly for the priest and all the room to hear:
"Well thank you for coming to see me, Father. I always appreciate your visits. But, sadly, sex is the last the thing on my mind right now."
the true story above is also a completely spoiler-free clue to solving the mystery of Death in Holy Orders - delivered to you free of charge!
as far as the novel itself goes, this is yet another well-done James slow-burner featuring the inimitable Adam Dalgliesh - detective and poet extraordinaire. as this is one of the author's later entries in the series, the mystery itself is impressively dark, gothic in atmosphere, and rich in meaning. several of the characters and situations are quite haunting, in particular the central murder victim and the unnerving opening scene. PD James is one of the best!
December 11, 2024
Catching up…
“Something tells me that Ronald Treeve’s death wasn’t an end but a beginning.”
I love when an old classic mystery finds its way to my Little Free Library Shed. It reminds me of some of the stories I enjoyed discussing with friends. And, this was one of them.
“Henry James’s definition of the purpose of a novel: “To help the human heart to know itself.”
Oh, how our heart loves what novels do for us, right?
This story begins with a suspicious death in a location in which Commander Dalgliesh is supposed to be heading off to holiday. And, just as an aside, this is the 11th in the Dalgliesh series, so you can read this as a stand-alone, but you might miss out on all the nuances of fully understanding his character and history.
Anyway, back to the story. Well, we know that this holiday for him is going to be derailed. Especially when the murder takes place at a location familiar to Dalgliesh…he spent a summer at St. Anselm College, thus giving us more background on his own knowledge of theology and church history. (It appears that each story provides more background on Dalgliesh, that is why I said, you could probably read this as a stand-alone.)
The characters are beautifully constructed. The murdered son was unpopular. So, in many respects it is a victim others are not mourning. Which means his murderer could be anybody.
Although James stories are typically slow burns, they move thoughtfully and satisfactorily with a nice tidy ending reveal.
“Something tells me that Ronald Treeve’s death wasn’t an end but a beginning.”
I love when an old classic mystery finds its way to my Little Free Library Shed. It reminds me of some of the stories I enjoyed discussing with friends. And, this was one of them.
“Henry James’s definition of the purpose of a novel: “To help the human heart to know itself.”
Oh, how our heart loves what novels do for us, right?
This story begins with a suspicious death in a location in which Commander Dalgliesh is supposed to be heading off to holiday. And, just as an aside, this is the 11th in the Dalgliesh series, so you can read this as a stand-alone, but you might miss out on all the nuances of fully understanding his character and history.
Anyway, back to the story. Well, we know that this holiday for him is going to be derailed. Especially when the murder takes place at a location familiar to Dalgliesh…he spent a summer at St. Anselm College, thus giving us more background on his own knowledge of theology and church history. (It appears that each story provides more background on Dalgliesh, that is why I said, you could probably read this as a stand-alone.)
The characters are beautifully constructed. The murdered son was unpopular. So, in many respects it is a victim others are not mourning. Which means his murderer could be anybody.
Although James stories are typically slow burns, they move thoughtfully and satisfactorily with a nice tidy ending reveal.
April 24, 2011
I read P D James avidly for many years, until one day I just could not stomach her extreme right-wing contempt for every non-Dalgleish character. However, I've have always acknowledged her great skill as a writer, which finally brought me back to this book recently.
Yes, the woman can write. The setting is fascinating, the characters are pretty good. She really conveys the beauty of the landscape, and the tragic destruction of a way of life dedicated to knowledge, peace and clarity of purpose.
Dalgleish is as constipated and tight-jawed as ever. If not for the adulation given him by the other characters, I might mistake him for a man who is so tied up in his own dignity that he is a walking corpse. Honestly, track any conversation he has in the novel. He barely speaks, and what he does say is as boring as batshit.
However, my main grievance here is that the murderer's motivations make NO SENSE! Okay, I get that the motivation is to get the seminary shut down so his son will inherit a metric fuckton of money. So why viciously murder the guy who is doing everything he can to shut down the seminary? WHY the secrecy about the marriage? Why kill the first victim to keep her quiet about the marriage?? Surely it will have to come out if the son is to inherit. What difference does it make to keep it secret? I just can't make sense of it at all, and it's really bugging me.
Oh, and the staunch sympathy for the plight of the poor pedophile priest? Yes, he was such a victim! Wait, WHAT?!?! Seriously, WTF?
Yes, the woman can write. The setting is fascinating, the characters are pretty good. She really conveys the beauty of the landscape, and the tragic destruction of a way of life dedicated to knowledge, peace and clarity of purpose.
Dalgleish is as constipated and tight-jawed as ever. If not for the adulation given him by the other characters, I might mistake him for a man who is so tied up in his own dignity that he is a walking corpse. Honestly, track any conversation he has in the novel. He barely speaks, and what he does say is as boring as batshit.
However, my main grievance here is that the murderer's motivations make NO SENSE! Okay, I get that the motivation is to get the seminary shut down so his son will inherit a metric fuckton of money. So why viciously murder the guy who is doing everything he can to shut down the seminary? WHY the secrecy about the marriage? Why kill the first victim to keep her quiet about the marriage?? Surely it will have to come out if the son is to inherit. What difference does it make to keep it secret? I just can't make sense of it at all, and it's really bugging me.
Oh, and the staunch sympathy for the plight of the poor pedophile priest? Yes, he was such a victim! Wait, WHAT?!?! Seriously, WTF?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2020
After the enjoyment of the preceding few books, I was yet again in for another disappointment with Death in the Holy Orders. I'm writing this review immediately after finishing the reading so that I can quickly shove off the disappointment from my system.
The most regrettable part is that the story began so well. It was unfolded in a setting I liked and Dalgliesh was present from an early stage. The plot was complicated and well structured. All was good. But as the story progressed, the well-built structure slowly collapsed and both the murder-mystery and the story overall took a huge leap back. There was nothing I could do but watch helplessly as it fell apart. I was dismayed beyond words!
The mystery started with a lot of promise. And as I've already said it was complex and well structured. There were a few suspicious deaths and one positive murder, so it wasn't easy to guess the criminal, nor it was any easier to fathom a connection between the deaths. My suspicions, even though I felt illogical at the time, proved to be true in the end. Now I used the word "illogical", and that is how I still feel, for there is no other word to describe the absurdity of it all. The motive behind the crimes was simply ridiculous! It was a heavy blow to the carefully constructed structure of the murder-mystery which at the weight of it staggered and collapsed.
As those who've read the Dalgliesh series know, James winds her characters, their personal thoughts, and their psychologies with the plot of the murder-mystery to create a complete story. It is her style and there is no exception here. Unfortunately, except for a few of the clergy, I felt absolutely nothing for the others; no interest at all. They all felt wooden to me. And it was the same for Dalgliesh's team. I found both inspectors Kate Miskin and Piers Tarrant tiresome. Even Dalgliesh himself wasn't in his best element, although he was comparatively the most humane.
This book was a huge disappointment for me. But I just can't give up now. I've journeyed too far with the series to turn back. There is also some positive development in the personal life of Adam Dalgliesh that I'm curious to know more about. But even without that I know I would continue, for as I've said, I've gone too far to turn back. I know my review sounds like a tirade and I apologize to those who read it. My only excuse is that I was passionately disappointed and needed to vent it out.
The most regrettable part is that the story began so well. It was unfolded in a setting I liked and Dalgliesh was present from an early stage. The plot was complicated and well structured. All was good. But as the story progressed, the well-built structure slowly collapsed and both the murder-mystery and the story overall took a huge leap back. There was nothing I could do but watch helplessly as it fell apart. I was dismayed beyond words!
The mystery started with a lot of promise. And as I've already said it was complex and well structured. There were a few suspicious deaths and one positive murder, so it wasn't easy to guess the criminal, nor it was any easier to fathom a connection between the deaths. My suspicions, even though I felt illogical at the time, proved to be true in the end. Now I used the word "illogical", and that is how I still feel, for there is no other word to describe the absurdity of it all. The motive behind the crimes was simply ridiculous! It was a heavy blow to the carefully constructed structure of the murder-mystery which at the weight of it staggered and collapsed.
As those who've read the Dalgliesh series know, James winds her characters, their personal thoughts, and their psychologies with the plot of the murder-mystery to create a complete story. It is her style and there is no exception here. Unfortunately, except for a few of the clergy, I felt absolutely nothing for the others; no interest at all. They all felt wooden to me. And it was the same for Dalgliesh's team. I found both inspectors Kate Miskin and Piers Tarrant tiresome. Even Dalgliesh himself wasn't in his best element, although he was comparatively the most humane.
This book was a huge disappointment for me. But I just can't give up now. I've journeyed too far with the series to turn back. There is also some positive development in the personal life of Adam Dalgliesh that I'm curious to know more about. But even without that I know I would continue, for as I've said, I've gone too far to turn back. I know my review sounds like a tirade and I apologize to those who read it. My only excuse is that I was passionately disappointed and needed to vent it out.
June 4, 2021
An atmospheric read with the setting of St Anselm college on a rugged coast. There are some odd assumptions or characterization about the priests. The weirdest one is the sympathy has to the pedophile priest is bizarre. Dalgleish is called into investigate the death of a boy after a collapse of sand kills him. Was it accidental, suicide or murder.
Interweaved with this is an Archdeacon who wants to close the college. Coupled with valuable artwork and an ancient papyrus perpetuated to be the death warrant for Jesus there are a lot of threads. Another murder takes place and Dalgleish takes over the investigation. In the end its following the money and a weird motive of a father to make good his absence during the life of his son. The ending is exciting and now I plan to watch the tv adaptation.
Interweaved with this is an Archdeacon who wants to close the college. Coupled with valuable artwork and an ancient papyrus perpetuated to be the death warrant for Jesus there are a lot of threads. Another murder takes place and Dalgleish takes over the investigation. In the end its following the money and a weird motive of a father to make good his absence during the life of his son. The ending is exciting and now I plan to watch the tv adaptation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2021
Entretenido. Lectura fluida.
October 23, 2019
On the plus side, the story was complex and quite well constructed. I didn't guess who 'dunnit' until it came out about two thirds of the way through that someone had a huge motive for commiting a string of murders, the rest of the book being about how Commander Dalgleish goes about proving it.
However I had two major issues with the book. Firstly there is a indefensible defence of a paedophile whose life has been ruined by the vendetta a certain character had against him, with the intention of getting him convicted - which apparently involved finding dubious characters willing to perjure themselves in court and lie that he had seriously assaulted them. However, the fact that he had in reality "only" fondled choirboys is presented as relatively minor and something that should not have counted against him.
Secondly the entire motive for the murderer doesn't make a grain of sense. This person had no regard for the person he was benefiting by committing the murders as he made perfectly clear on a number of occasions. That being so, why murder anyone?
Other than that, the characters are mostly cardboard cutouts. I liked the old priest, Father Martin, but Dalgleish himself is a nothing really, which is a problem given his importance as the protagonist investigating the crimes. And his team are poorly sketched. So all in all, I can only give this a 2 star rating.
However I had two major issues with the book. Firstly there is a indefensible defence of a paedophile whose life has been ruined by the vendetta a certain character had against him, with the intention of getting him convicted - which apparently involved finding dubious characters willing to perjure themselves in court and lie that he had seriously assaulted them. However, the fact that he had in reality "only" fondled choirboys is presented as relatively minor and something that should not have counted against him.
Secondly the entire motive for the murderer doesn't make a grain of sense. This person had no regard for the person he was benefiting by committing the murders as he made perfectly clear on a number of occasions. That being so, why murder anyone?
Other than that, the characters are mostly cardboard cutouts. I liked the old priest, Father Martin, but Dalgleish himself is a nothing really, which is a problem given his importance as the protagonist investigating the crimes. And his team are poorly sketched. So all in all, I can only give this a 2 star rating.
June 23, 2022
A young, unpopular ordinand at St. Anselm's Theological College on the Suffolk coast dies under a collapsed mound of sand. The elderly woman who finds his body is suffocated by a killer. The pensive Dalgliesh is summoned to investigate the ordinand's death by the ordinand's ruthless, alpha-male father. An archdeacon is bludgeoned, an altar painting desecrated. Dalgliesh, so long alone, feels stirring in his loins for the beautiful Cambridge poetess Emma Lavenham. (Is that even accurate - does Dalgliesh have loins? Isn't he one of literature's loinless?) The unravelling of the mystery is perhaps a teeny bit disappointing, as the murderer hadn't really been on my radar screen until near the end of the book. But who cares? People read mysteries for the buildup. I thought this was one of James's better ones.
Fawn count: 5
November 12, 2025
Fratres in Unum*
A review of the Vintage Canada Kindle eBook edition (June 20, 2010) of the Faber & Faber hardcover original (2001).
I was pleased when my current Long Books Challenge with several GR friends gave me the opportunity to re-engage with my P.D. James / Adam Dalgliesh binge from 2023 which went into hiatus after I read A Certain Justice (Adam Dalgliesh #10 - 1997). The increasing lengths of the novels probably caused me to lose heart at the time, but now I was happy to tackle 545 pages in this Vintage Canada edition.
Death in Holy Orders finds Scotland Yard's Detective Commander Adam Dalgliesh sent to the St. Anselm's Theological College to investigate the apparent suicide of one of the students. While onsite, further deaths occur which are definitely murders. Was the suicide a murder as well? There are suspects and motives aplenty as the college is in danger of being closed down with the resulting resentments by the faculty and staff.
The front cover of the original Faber & Faber hardcover (2001). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
One of the guest lecturers in attendance at the college is Emma Lavenham from Cambridge University. Dalgliesh and Lavenham are drawn to each other, although the seriousness of the case means that their relationship does not develop further until the later novels.
I enjoyed Death in Holy Orders immensely, especially as the previous entry A Certain Justice had a whiff of an Unsatisfactory Ending to it (Dalgliesh also found it unsatisfactory and even mentions it a few times in this novel). Such was not the case with this outing. I have moved on immediately to The Murder Room (Adam Dalgliesh #12 -2003).
Footnote
* Fratres in Unum Latin: Brothers in Unity, from the 1st line in the Latin version of Psalm 133.
Trivia and Links
Death in Holy Orders has had two TV series adaptations.
The first was the BBC's adaptation in 2003 with Martin Shaw in the role of Adam Dalgliesh (the role had previously been played for 10 seasons by Roy Marsden on ITV). There is a fan made trailer which you can see on YouTube here.
The second adaptation was as part of AcornTV's reboot series Dalgleish (2021-ongoing?) with Bertie Carvel as Adam Dalgleish as Season 3's Episodes 1 and 2. See the Season 3 trailer here. There are also two excerpt clips available on YouTube as Quite A Place To Meet Your maker and Dalgliesh Investigates A Shifty Priest.
A review of the Vintage Canada Kindle eBook edition (June 20, 2010) of the Faber & Faber hardcover original (2001).
I suppose even Dalgliesh doesn’t seriously suspect any of our fathers-in-God, although he’s probably keeping them in mind, particularly if he remembers his Pascal. ‘Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.’
I was pleased when my current Long Books Challenge with several GR friends gave me the opportunity to re-engage with my P.D. James / Adam Dalgliesh binge from 2023 which went into hiatus after I read A Certain Justice (Adam Dalgliesh #10 - 1997). The increasing lengths of the novels probably caused me to lose heart at the time, but now I was happy to tackle 545 pages in this Vintage Canada edition.
Death in Holy Orders finds Scotland Yard's Detective Commander Adam Dalgliesh sent to the St. Anselm's Theological College to investigate the apparent suicide of one of the students. While onsite, further deaths occur which are definitely murders. Was the suicide a murder as well? There are suspects and motives aplenty as the college is in danger of being closed down with the resulting resentments by the faculty and staff.
The front cover of the original Faber & Faber hardcover (2001). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
One of the guest lecturers in attendance at the college is Emma Lavenham from Cambridge University. Dalgliesh and Lavenham are drawn to each other, although the seriousness of the case means that their relationship does not develop further until the later novels.
I enjoyed Death in Holy Orders immensely, especially as the previous entry A Certain Justice had a whiff of an Unsatisfactory Ending to it (Dalgliesh also found it unsatisfactory and even mentions it a few times in this novel). Such was not the case with this outing. I have moved on immediately to The Murder Room (Adam Dalgliesh #12 -2003).
Footnote
* Fratres in Unum Latin: Brothers in Unity, from the 1st line in the Latin version of Psalm 133.
Trivia and Links
Death in Holy Orders has had two TV series adaptations.
The first was the BBC's adaptation in 2003 with Martin Shaw in the role of Adam Dalgliesh (the role had previously been played for 10 seasons by Roy Marsden on ITV). There is a fan made trailer which you can see on YouTube here.
The second adaptation was as part of AcornTV's reboot series Dalgleish (2021-ongoing?) with Bertie Carvel as Adam Dalgleish as Season 3's Episodes 1 and 2. See the Season 3 trailer here. There are also two excerpt clips available on YouTube as Quite A Place To Meet Your maker and Dalgliesh Investigates A Shifty Priest.
December 2, 2022
It's taken me a good half of the series to really start to enjoy the Dalgliesh books, and this one was very good. So many red herrings and rabbit trails-I was stumped to figure out the culprit and even when it was revealed I was thinking it was actually going to turn out to be someone else! It will be interesting to see if love has found Dalgliesh after all.
July 23, 2019
This was another good chapter in the Dalgliesh series.
Yes, I did see the film but it didn’t play through my head as I was reading it. The film must not have been very memorable to me.
What was most enjoyable about this one, was Dalgliesh had to draw upon things that happened in his youth to unravel the series of crimes in this book.
To say anymore will spoil it.
Onto the next one in my year of P.D. James.
Yes, I did see the film but it didn’t play through my head as I was reading it. The film must not have been very memorable to me.
What was most enjoyable about this one, was Dalgliesh had to draw upon things that happened in his youth to unravel the series of crimes in this book.
To say anymore will spoil it.
Onto the next one in my year of P.D. James.
October 11, 2022
Death in Holy Orders
اثر جنائی نویس شهیر انگلیسی پی. دی. جیمز
ظاهرنسخه ترجمه شده به چاپ نرسیده و من نسخه صوتی آن را شنیدم که با نام "پاپیروس پونتئوس پلاتوس"منتشر شده
کتاب برغم پیچیدگی، کشش و جذابیت اثر جنائی از یک نویسنده شهیر را ندارد و احتمال آن است که در ترجمه یا تنظیم برای نمایشنامه رادیوئی این بلا برسرش آمده باشد همانطور که بر سر نامش آمده
اثر جنائی نویس شهیر انگلیسی پی. دی. جیمز
ظاهرنسخه ترجمه شده به چاپ نرسیده و من نسخه صوتی آن را شنیدم که با نام "پاپیروس پونتئوس پلاتوس"منتشر شده
کتاب برغم پیچیدگی، کشش و جذابیت اثر جنائی از یک نویسنده شهیر را ندارد و احتمال آن است که در ترجمه یا تنظیم برای نمایشنامه رادیوئی این بلا برسرش آمده باشد همانطور که بر سر نامش آمده
December 16, 2014
I think I must be the only person in the western world who hadn't read the work of PD James. What a fantastic writer and she's written so many books. I look forward to working my way through her stories.
February 9, 2009
I enjoyed the setting and I do like Commander Dalgliesh. The story was reasonably good. What I didn't understand was the author's sympathy for her priest character who has spent time in jail for molesting, although not raping, young boys. The author makes the rest of the characters, except one, sympathetic to this character with the idea that pursuing a conviction and jail time were betrayals, not Christian charity, too harsh. I didn't understand if this was just supposed to be part of the story or if this was the author's viewpoint. She seemed to be saying that a little fondling was not a crime. Excuse me? It certainly is. It was odd to read. The author worked in criminal justice. In fact there were some other disturbing sexual relations going on in this book at the theological college that everyone just kind of looked the other way. I don't remember this from other P.D. James books.
November 12, 2020
Published in 2001, this is the eleventh Adam Dalgliesh novel, and a slightly odd addition to the series. Like many in the series, this is set in an isolated, rural community - in this case, Saint Anselm's - an Anglo-Catholic theological college. When an unpopular student is found dead on the beach, his wealthy father asks for an investigation. Dalgliesh had visited the college as a boy and so heads off to see whether the death was an accident, or something more suspicious.
There are some bizarre storylines in this novel, including a priest who went to prison for crimes against young boys, who P.D. James seems to defend, through her characters and another side story of incest. We have a good number of suspects and motives, but it was difficult not to feel that this included too many of the author's own personal views, and excuses, for both the characters and the Church. Overall, I am enjoying this series, but this is certainly not a favourite and - at times - something of an uncomfortable read.
There are some bizarre storylines in this novel, including a priest who went to prison for crimes against young boys, who P.D. James seems to defend, through her characters and another side story of incest. We have a good number of suspects and motives, but it was difficult not to feel that this included too many of the author's own personal views, and excuses, for both the characters and the Church. Overall, I am enjoying this series, but this is certainly not a favourite and - at times - something of an uncomfortable read.
September 5, 2013
I'm realizing I just don't enjoy P.D. James's mysteries. Although I love a good murder mystery, I find her tone a little snobbish and superior, as though she references things in the hope you won't get the joke and therefore will feel a need to be more literate. One paragraph I read here (wish I could find it!) made me feel she was equating pedophile with homosexuality or least suggesting one leads to another and that upset me for its sheer ignorance, or at least ambiguity.
I'm going to give the the Dalgliesh books I have away...
I'm going to give the the Dalgliesh books I have away...
July 26, 2007
Fans of crime/mystery fiction already know how/why P. D. James' work is worthy of reading and rereading. This novel confers additional blessing in its portrain of Anglo-Catholic Anglicanism in Britain. If that scene holds any interest for you (ahem ... it does for me), then this book delivers a double payload of entertainment.
November 15, 2021
Un classico giallo che piu' classico non si puo'. Un ambiente circoscritto, un seminario religioso, una cerchia ristretta di persone, un misterioso avvenimento del passato e un volitivo investigatore. La trama non poteva essere di conseguenza particolarmente originale, tuttavia, tra qualche affanno di troppo, si fa apprezzare. Nota negativa, il finale piatto in una maniera sconcertante.
August 21, 2012
Very atmospheric, gripping crime story. My first PD James so some of the references to Dalglish's private life were lost on me but the story itself is well-written and a real page turner. I wasn't so convinced by the ending but enjoyed getting there.
March 18, 2019
Death In Holy Orders is the 11th book in the Inspector Dalgliesh mystery series by P.D. James. It's the 4th I've read. The books are a joy to read, intelligent, thoughtful and excellent mysteries. Commander Adam Dalgliesh works for Scotland Yard, in charge of a prestigious murder team.
In this story, Dalgliesh is asked to go to a seminary near Norfolk to look into a previously closed death. A young ordinand had been found dead at the base of a cliff. The death is deemed to be death by accident. The young man's father wants Scotland Yard to investigate. Since Dalgliesh is about to go to the area on vacation so he agrees to look into the case. It also turns out that as a child, his father being a parson, that Dalgliesh spent time at St Anselms and it becomes somewhat a visit into his past.
The story starts in the past with the original discovery of the boy's body by Margaret Munroe, an elderly woman who works at St Anselms. This part of the story is told through the means of Margaret's diary. She ends it with a statement that the death concerns her and that it reminds her of something that occurred in her past. Margaret is discovered dead the day after this last entry.
So there are two deaths that Dalgliesh looks into, wondering if they are related? At the same time the Arch Bishop responsible for St Anselms is coming for a visit. He is most unlikeable and wants nothing more than to close the seminary. There are also other visitors to St Anselms and there are links between them all. Another death, this time a murder, brings all of Dalgliesh's team into the case; DI Piers Tarrant, DI Kate Miskin and DS Robbins.
Thus begins an interesting investigation as the team try to find clues to the murder and to see if the other deaths are in any way related. I love the way James presents the story, delving into the personalities, in a way that you feel you know them and presenting the investigation methodically and neatly. James has such a clear manner of presenting the story. I thought it would be too long but the pages turn quickly and the story holds your attention and keeps you moving along nicely. Don't expect much action, just a well-crafted, excellent mystery and just an excellent piece of fiction. (4 stars)
In this story, Dalgliesh is asked to go to a seminary near Norfolk to look into a previously closed death. A young ordinand had been found dead at the base of a cliff. The death is deemed to be death by accident. The young man's father wants Scotland Yard to investigate. Since Dalgliesh is about to go to the area on vacation so he agrees to look into the case. It also turns out that as a child, his father being a parson, that Dalgliesh spent time at St Anselms and it becomes somewhat a visit into his past.
The story starts in the past with the original discovery of the boy's body by Margaret Munroe, an elderly woman who works at St Anselms. This part of the story is told through the means of Margaret's diary. She ends it with a statement that the death concerns her and that it reminds her of something that occurred in her past. Margaret is discovered dead the day after this last entry.
So there are two deaths that Dalgliesh looks into, wondering if they are related? At the same time the Arch Bishop responsible for St Anselms is coming for a visit. He is most unlikeable and wants nothing more than to close the seminary. There are also other visitors to St Anselms and there are links between them all. Another death, this time a murder, brings all of Dalgliesh's team into the case; DI Piers Tarrant, DI Kate Miskin and DS Robbins.
Thus begins an interesting investigation as the team try to find clues to the murder and to see if the other deaths are in any way related. I love the way James presents the story, delving into the personalities, in a way that you feel you know them and presenting the investigation methodically and neatly. James has such a clear manner of presenting the story. I thought it would be too long but the pages turn quickly and the story holds your attention and keeps you moving along nicely. Don't expect much action, just a well-crafted, excellent mystery and just an excellent piece of fiction. (4 stars)
November 27, 2014
Another well crafted mystery with a series of murders and intrigues set at a private school run by the Anglican church near London. Again the protagonist detectives wend their ways through the hints and clues and ultimately the crimes are solved. It was a good book to read. Not too easy to solve and the characters ran true. Adam Daglgleish may have discovered new love, which I guess will be good altho I have only read two books so I am not sure his personality needs it. We'll see.
November 11, 2020
For me, this is altogether the best Dalgliesh book in the series so far.
November 11, 2011
Commander Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard has been asked by Sir Alred Treeves to take a closer look into the suspicious death of his adopted son Ronald, who suffocated under the cliffs near St. Anselms by an avalanche of sand. Was it an accident, suicide, or murder? Dalgliesh, the son of a rector, has former ties to the school - as a young teen, he spent several happy summer holidays there among the priests and ordinands.
There is no shortage of possible suspects, or motives, for Ronald's death. But before Dalgliesh even arrives on the scene, another death occurs - a death everyone else considers natural and expected. Dalgliesh wonders otherwise. As the body count continues to rise, so too the means, motive and opportunity of almost the entire community of St. Anselms. Dalgliesh and his team steadily work to reveal the killer or killers before someone else falls victim. Long-time widower Dalgliesh is furthered hampered in the investigation by his unexpected feelings for a visiting guest lecturer, Emma Lavenham. Will the possibility of love turn out to be a blessing or curse for Dalgliesh?
Death in Holy Orders is another extremely entertaining whodunnit by P.D. James, and without a doubt my favorite (so far) of the three I've read (in backwards order). Very possibly, this has everything to do with the excellent TV adaptation starring Martin Shaw as Dalgliesh, Robert Hardy as Father Martin and Jesse Spencer as Raphael Arbuthnot. The movie stayed fundamentally true to the events from the book, but also added another layer of texture to the story and characters IMO.
The thing I liked most about the story was the backdrop; St. Anselms, the fictional elitist theological college on a remote Suffolk coast, which is known for turning out the best and brightest Anglican priests, but is now in danger of being decommissioned by the CoE powers that be (not to mention the very real threat of the college tumbling into the North Sea by an eroding cliffline). The solitude found in and around the setting, along with the contemplative (almost monastic) aspect of the story definitely appealed to my personal taste. The characters carried around their own brand of P.D. James' favorite pet vices; petty power struggles, greed, various sexual insecurities/proclivities, religious apathy and a pervading sense of depression.
Good, if predictable, fare. I'll have more, please.
There is no shortage of possible suspects, or motives, for Ronald's death. But before Dalgliesh even arrives on the scene, another death occurs - a death everyone else considers natural and expected. Dalgliesh wonders otherwise. As the body count continues to rise, so too the means, motive and opportunity of almost the entire community of St. Anselms. Dalgliesh and his team steadily work to reveal the killer or killers before someone else falls victim. Long-time widower Dalgliesh is furthered hampered in the investigation by his unexpected feelings for a visiting guest lecturer, Emma Lavenham. Will the possibility of love turn out to be a blessing or curse for Dalgliesh?
Death in Holy Orders is another extremely entertaining whodunnit by P.D. James, and without a doubt my favorite (so far) of the three I've read (in backwards order). Very possibly, this has everything to do with the excellent TV adaptation starring Martin Shaw as Dalgliesh, Robert Hardy as Father Martin and Jesse Spencer as Raphael Arbuthnot. The movie stayed fundamentally true to the events from the book, but also added another layer of texture to the story and characters IMO.
The thing I liked most about the story was the backdrop; St. Anselms, the fictional elitist theological college on a remote Suffolk coast, which is known for turning out the best and brightest Anglican priests, but is now in danger of being decommissioned by the CoE powers that be (not to mention the very real threat of the college tumbling into the North Sea by an eroding cliffline). The solitude found in and around the setting, along with the contemplative (almost monastic) aspect of the story definitely appealed to my personal taste. The characters carried around their own brand of P.D. James' favorite pet vices; petty power struggles, greed, various sexual insecurities/proclivities, religious apathy and a pervading sense of depression.
Good, if predictable, fare. I'll have more, please.
May 1, 2009
Typical mediocre mystery fiction.
This book was as predictable as it was long. From the first scene portrayed in the book, the conclusion is obvious. It seems as if James is trying to sneak little clues in so when the reader finishes (shocked, of course, at the outcome "I NEVER saw that one coming!") he can return to the beginning and discover the subtle clues that in fact verify the conclusion. The problem is, her subtle clues are a few shades less than subtle.
James seems intent on playing mind games with the reader, as if we would second guess our hypothesis every other page: "Uh oh, HE can't have done it, he doesn't even HAVE a brown cloak! Wait a minute!"
The only main theme one can pull from this rather pretentious little novel is that pigs do not stink. It seems as though the author is a pig enthusiast and can't bear the thought that so many people think they have an unpleasant odor.
Character development suffers, particularly on the part of the hero, commander Adam Dalgliesh. The reader comes to be more enamored with the (rather perverse) sub-characters than with the protagonist.
James' feeble attempt at inserting a romantic element is sickening. Dalgliesh is first drawn to a "ravishingly beautiful" murder suspect, feeling a strange attraction that, we are told, he has not felt since the death of his wife.
Poorly done. Long. Dragging. Lame climax.
This book was as predictable as it was long. From the first scene portrayed in the book, the conclusion is obvious. It seems as if James is trying to sneak little clues in so when the reader finishes (shocked, of course, at the outcome "I NEVER saw that one coming!") he can return to the beginning and discover the subtle clues that in fact verify the conclusion. The problem is, her subtle clues are a few shades less than subtle.
James seems intent on playing mind games with the reader, as if we would second guess our hypothesis every other page: "Uh oh, HE can't have done it, he doesn't even HAVE a brown cloak! Wait a minute!"
The only main theme one can pull from this rather pretentious little novel is that pigs do not stink. It seems as though the author is a pig enthusiast and can't bear the thought that so many people think they have an unpleasant odor.
Character development suffers, particularly on the part of the hero, commander Adam Dalgliesh. The reader comes to be more enamored with the (rather perverse) sub-characters than with the protagonist.
James' feeble attempt at inserting a romantic element is sickening. Dalgliesh is first drawn to a "ravishingly beautiful" murder suspect, feeling a strange attraction that, we are told, he has not felt since the death of his wife.
Poorly done. Long. Dragging. Lame climax.
February 7, 2017
I've read this before, seen it on tv, and it held up to yet another reading. I've always been interested in the way James teases out the effects of nasty things people do or say to each other as well as of death in suspicious circumstances.
Here she takes time to create her characters and to lead us into understanding the tensions within this small, isolated community, disrupted from its usual quiet routines by external pressures from the church hierarchy and a group of weekend visitors.
And Dalgleish is always Dalgleish, overlaid forever for me by the actor, Roy Strong.
Here she takes time to create her characters and to lead us into understanding the tensions within this small, isolated community, disrupted from its usual quiet routines by external pressures from the church hierarchy and a group of weekend visitors.
And Dalgleish is always Dalgleish, overlaid forever for me by the actor, Roy Strong.
December 1, 2020
PD James is clearly skilled at building characters, and creating a world for those characters to live in. But its a dark, depressing world, where everyone has pain and secrets, and there is no real joy to speak of. Its a wonder there aren't more deaths (from either suicide or murder), since there really seems to be no point in going on living.
Aside from these depressing aspects, the murder mystery fell a bit flat for me as well. A weak motive, an even weaker police investigation, and an ending which attempted to tie up all of the loose ends, all contribution to a ho-hum effort.
Aside from these depressing aspects, the murder mystery fell a bit flat for me as well. A weak motive, an even weaker police investigation, and an ending which attempted to tie up all of the loose ends, all contribution to a ho-hum effort.
Read
April 19, 2024No rating. Much soap opera, some ugly stuff, and certainly some baffling stretches of religious credibility. Well, I gave James a decent try, but I much prefer any mystery by Ellis Peters, or even a Nero Wolfe.
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