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Adam Dalgliesh #12
The Murder Room
Commander Adam Dalgliesh, P. D. James’s formidable and fascinating detective, returns to find himself enmeshed in a terrifying story of passion and mystery -- and in love.
The Dupayne, a small private museum in London devoted to the interwar years 1919 -- 1939, is in turmoil. As its trustees argue over whether it should be closed, one of them is brutally and mysteriously murdered. Yet even as Commander Dalgliesh and his team proceed with their investigation, a second corpse is discovered. Someone in the Dupayne is prepared to kill and kill again. Still more sinister, the murders appear to echo the notorious crimes of the past featured in one of the museum’s galleries: the Murder Room.
The case is fraught with danger and complications from the outset, but for Dalgliesh the complications are unexpectedly profound. His new relationship with Emma Lavenham -- introduced in the last Dalgliesh novel, Death in Holy Orders -- is at a critical stage. Now, as he moves closer and closer to a solution to the puzzle, he finds himself driven further and further from commitment to the woman he loves.
The Murder Room is a powerful work of mystery and psychological intricacy from a master of the modern novel.
The Dupayne, a small private museum in London devoted to the interwar years 1919 -- 1939, is in turmoil. As its trustees argue over whether it should be closed, one of them is brutally and mysteriously murdered. Yet even as Commander Dalgliesh and his team proceed with their investigation, a second corpse is discovered. Someone in the Dupayne is prepared to kill and kill again. Still more sinister, the murders appear to echo the notorious crimes of the past featured in one of the museum’s galleries: the Murder Room.
The case is fraught with danger and complications from the outset, but for Dalgliesh the complications are unexpectedly profound. His new relationship with Emma Lavenham -- introduced in the last Dalgliesh novel, Death in Holy Orders -- is at a critical stage. Now, as he moves closer and closer to a solution to the puzzle, he finds himself driven further and further from commitment to the woman he loves.
The Murder Room is a powerful work of mystery and psychological intricacy from a master of the modern novel.
Author Biography: P. D. James is the author of 17 previous books, most of which have been filmed for television. Before her retirement in 1979, she served in the forensics and criminal justice departments of Great Britain’s Home Office, and she has been a magistrate and a governor of the BBC. The recipient of many prizes and honours, she was created Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991. In 2000 she celebrated her 80th birthday and published her autobiography, Time to Be in Earnest.
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First published January 1, 2003
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About the author
P.D. James
322 books3,255 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 939 reviews
April 19, 2024
Cartea face parte din seria 'Adam Dalgliesh' de la New Scotland Yard. In primele 150 de pagini cunoastem pe indelete personajele care se invart in jurul muzeului Dupayne, ce contine Sala Crimelor. Toti acestia vor fi si suspectii crimelor ce au loc acolo, iar prima crima va fi infaptuita abia dupa 150 de pagini. Este nevoie asadar de rabdare, aceasta parte putand sa vi se para putin plictisitoare si sa nu mai ajungeti pana la crima, cel putin daca sunteti ca mine si doriti un 'first-blood' rapid. Mereu am considerat ca o crima buna plasata la inceputul cartii incita cititorul si ii mentine interesul pentru restul povestii. Acelasi lucru este valabil evident si in cazul filmelor.
Romanul incepe cu Adam Dalgliesh in prim plan, insa nu se spune in ce calitate se afla el la Politie, daca este detectiv, inspector, portar sau femeia de serviciu, cititorul inchipuindu-si ca omul este freelancer acolo. :) Probabil ca ar trebui sa stim din celelalte carti ale seriei, insa este foarte curios ca in 500 de pagini nu aflam nici incidental ce calitate are. Momentan citesc romanul "Farul" de aceeasi autoare si acolo am aflat ca de fapt este comandant de politie la Scotland Yard. Iata asadar si elucidarea acestui mister.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea, Adam se intalneste cu un prieten jurnalist care il duce sa viziteze muzeul Dupayne ce are o sala dedicata celor mai celebre crime din anii 1920-1930. Aceasta adaposteste articole din ziare, fotografii si obiecte autentice de la la fata locului. Aflam despre cazuri celebre precum:
~ Edith Thompson, care si-a convins amantul sa-i ucida sotul in 1922.
~ cazul W. Herbert Wallace din 1931, ce si-a gasit sotia moarta si desi a fost arestat a scapat de condamnare.
~ cazul Marie-Marguerite Fahrny care si-a impuscat sotul adulterin si care a scapat cu ajutorul avocatului, ce a indreptat un pistol spre juriu la pledoaria finala.
~ cazul "Cadavrului din cufar" din 1934.
~ cazul "Masinii in flacari" din 1930.
La scurt timp Adam este chemat sa investigheze moartea lui Neville Dupayne, unul dintre administratorii muzeului, pe care toata lumea avea motive sa-l ucida. Cercetarile scot la iveala ca asasinul s-a inspirat din crimele expuse in muzeu si e cat se poate de evident ca vor mai urma si altele. Asta daca eficientul si inteligentul Adam si echipa sa de politisti nu le vor impiedica.
In incheiere, va recomand acest roman politist bun, cu o ancheta criminalistica interesanta, cu un detectiv placut, desi nu chiar genul meu, mai ales daca reusiti sa treceti de primele 150 de pagini, dupa care actiunea va prinde putina viteza. Atasez si cateva citate care mi s-au parut interesante:
"Am observat din experienta ca oamenii sunt fie cinstiti, fie necinstiti si, oricum ar fi, nu ai cum sa-i schimbi."
"Nu i-am considerat niciodata curajosi pe criminali, Ryan. Sunt mai degraba lasi. Cateodata, ai nevoie de mai mult curaj ca sa nu ucizi."
"Doar pentru ca-l iubesc, nu am dreptul sa-i intorc mintea pe fata si pe dos, de parca ar fi camera mea de facultate."
Romanul incepe cu Adam Dalgliesh in prim plan, insa nu se spune in ce calitate se afla el la Politie, daca este detectiv, inspector, portar sau femeia de serviciu, cititorul inchipuindu-si ca omul este freelancer acolo. :) Probabil ca ar trebui sa stim din celelalte carti ale seriei, insa este foarte curios ca in 500 de pagini nu aflam nici incidental ce calitate are. Momentan citesc romanul "Farul" de aceeasi autoare si acolo am aflat ca de fapt este comandant de politie la Scotland Yard. Iata asadar si elucidarea acestui mister.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea, Adam se intalneste cu un prieten jurnalist care il duce sa viziteze muzeul Dupayne ce are o sala dedicata celor mai celebre crime din anii 1920-1930. Aceasta adaposteste articole din ziare, fotografii si obiecte autentice de la la fata locului. Aflam despre cazuri celebre precum:
~ Edith Thompson, care si-a convins amantul sa-i ucida sotul in 1922.
~ cazul W. Herbert Wallace din 1931, ce si-a gasit sotia moarta si desi a fost arestat a scapat de condamnare.
~ cazul Marie-Marguerite Fahrny care si-a impuscat sotul adulterin si care a scapat cu ajutorul avocatului, ce a indreptat un pistol spre juriu la pledoaria finala.
~ cazul "Cadavrului din cufar" din 1934.
~ cazul "Masinii in flacari" din 1930.
La scurt timp Adam este chemat sa investigheze moartea lui Neville Dupayne, unul dintre administratorii muzeului, pe care toata lumea avea motive sa-l ucida. Cercetarile scot la iveala ca asasinul s-a inspirat din crimele expuse in muzeu si e cat se poate de evident ca vor mai urma si altele. Asta daca eficientul si inteligentul Adam si echipa sa de politisti nu le vor impiedica.
In incheiere, va recomand acest roman politist bun, cu o ancheta criminalistica interesanta, cu un detectiv placut, desi nu chiar genul meu, mai ales daca reusiti sa treceti de primele 150 de pagini, dupa care actiunea va prinde putina viteza. Atasez si cateva citate care mi s-au parut interesante:
"Am observat din experienta ca oamenii sunt fie cinstiti, fie necinstiti si, oricum ar fi, nu ai cum sa-i schimbi."
"Nu i-am considerat niciodata curajosi pe criminali, Ryan. Sunt mai degraba lasi. Cateodata, ai nevoie de mai mult curaj ca sa nu ucizi."
"Doar pentru ca-l iubesc, nu am dreptul sa-i intorc mintea pe fata si pe dos, de parca ar fi camera mea de facultate."
May 23, 2022
My favourite P.D. James book to date!
The Murder Room begins and ends with a little bit of romance for Adam and the other 400 pages are all about murder and police investigation. Adam Dalgliesh is his normal, urbane, charming self, Kate Miskin works well as his offsider, Piers Tarrant has his nose put out of joint by a new member of the team, and all is good with my world.
The murder room of the title is an actual room in a museum where the exhibits all pertain to real life murders. A series of new and attempted murders occur in and around the museum. Are they copy cat murders or do they relate more closely to the family and employees at the museum? The investigation is complex and detailed and the eventual culprit was a surprise to me!
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book and I was very pleased to see that Adam may be allowed to enjoy a little personal happiness at last.
The Murder Room begins and ends with a little bit of romance for Adam and the other 400 pages are all about murder and police investigation. Adam Dalgliesh is his normal, urbane, charming self, Kate Miskin works well as his offsider, Piers Tarrant has his nose put out of joint by a new member of the team, and all is good with my world.
The murder room of the title is an actual room in a museum where the exhibits all pertain to real life murders. A series of new and attempted murders occur in and around the museum. Are they copy cat murders or do they relate more closely to the family and employees at the museum? The investigation is complex and detailed and the eventual culprit was a surprise to me!
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book and I was very pleased to see that Adam may be allowed to enjoy a little personal happiness at last.
May 26, 2019
An undercurrent in PD James Adam Dalgleish novels is that most people are lonely, living their life in neat, compartmentalised boxes & only occasionally coming out to interact with their fellow man.
This was a wonderful mystery about murders at a fictitious London museum, The DuPayne. A lot of clever twists & turns (including a red herring that had me convinced I had guessed the murderer!)Maybe a little too much about the minutiae in the (mostly lonely and/or solitary) characters' lives & I could have done without James getting on her soapbox about education, healthcare for the mentally ill & British social services, but future generations may be fascinated the way I am by the background information in Golden Age mysteries. I thought there were a few rough edges, but everything was explained most satisfactorially &
This was a wonderful mystery about murders at a fictitious London museum, The DuPayne. A lot of clever twists & turns (including a red herring that had me convinced I had guessed the murderer!)Maybe a little too much about the minutiae in the (mostly lonely and/or solitary) characters' lives & I could have done without James getting on her soapbox about education, healthcare for the mentally ill & British social services, but future generations may be fascinated the way I am by the background information in Golden Age mysteries. I thought there were a few rough edges, but everything was explained most satisfactorially &
September 10, 2025
The Murder Room is all that a murder-mystery should be. Intriguing and clever mystery plot, an exciting story, an interesting set of characters, including the suspects, and well-balanced writing. After my previous disappointment, I approached this novel with caution and without expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised and am happy to find that, at last, this is one book in the series that I could claim to have truly enjoyed. In all the eleven preceding books of the series, I found some complaint or other which stopped me from fully enjoying their stories. This was true even for A Certain Justice which for me had the cleverest plot in the Dalgliesh series so far. But now with The Murder Room, I can say that series gave me at least one book to enjoy without a grumble.
The murder-mystery was cleverly written, setting the story at a reasonably quick pace. The story was truly intriguing, burning the readers with impatience to know how things will turn out, who the criminal is and what was the driving motive. The criminal and motive were easy to guess, but James threw in some complications by introducing a few conflicting motives. Knowing James's style by now, I didn't waver in my conviction, but I admit that she certainly threw in some pretty intelligent twists and turns, and almost deceived us.
A word must be said about the characters. It was a diverse set chosen from very different backgrounds. Their separate lives interested me. I was able to connect with many of them comfortably. Like in some of her other novels, James had not taken upon her to deliberately make her characters antagonistic or evil. She has balanced them well and has let her readers decide on who is who. That was something I found relieving.
The writing was smooth and balanced, not too wordy, and not too much probing into the psychologies of the characters. James can be really tiresome with her detailed descriptions of places and characters and too much exposure to their inner minds. I've experienced that time and again, but mercifully, here we see somewhat more "tamed" writing without too much enthusiasm showed for details. I also found the writing to be quite sensitive which I truly appreciated.
Now we come to our most important character - Commander Adam Dalgliesh. Personally, I think this novel is where Dalgliesh was portrayed in his best element. He showed a lot of his humane side here. His authority never slackens, but his tact and sensitivity to the suspects show a very patient and compassionate man. And the exposure into his personal life interested me nearly as much as the murder-mystery. After knowing him for months, I'm truly happy that he finally found love! :)
The Murder Room is the best murder-mystery of the Dalgliesh series so far, and I sincerely hope that James will keep this form and that the rest of the books in the series will be equally enjoyable.
The murder-mystery was cleverly written, setting the story at a reasonably quick pace. The story was truly intriguing, burning the readers with impatience to know how things will turn out, who the criminal is and what was the driving motive. The criminal and motive were easy to guess, but James threw in some complications by introducing a few conflicting motives. Knowing James's style by now, I didn't waver in my conviction, but I admit that she certainly threw in some pretty intelligent twists and turns, and almost deceived us.
A word must be said about the characters. It was a diverse set chosen from very different backgrounds. Their separate lives interested me. I was able to connect with many of them comfortably. Like in some of her other novels, James had not taken upon her to deliberately make her characters antagonistic or evil. She has balanced them well and has let her readers decide on who is who. That was something I found relieving.
The writing was smooth and balanced, not too wordy, and not too much probing into the psychologies of the characters. James can be really tiresome with her detailed descriptions of places and characters and too much exposure to their inner minds. I've experienced that time and again, but mercifully, here we see somewhat more "tamed" writing without too much enthusiasm showed for details. I also found the writing to be quite sensitive which I truly appreciated.
Now we come to our most important character - Commander Adam Dalgliesh. Personally, I think this novel is where Dalgliesh was portrayed in his best element. He showed a lot of his humane side here. His authority never slackens, but his tact and sensitivity to the suspects show a very patient and compassionate man. And the exposure into his personal life interested me nearly as much as the murder-mystery. After knowing him for months, I'm truly happy that he finally found love! :)
The Murder Room is the best murder-mystery of the Dalgliesh series so far, and I sincerely hope that James will keep this form and that the rest of the books in the series will be equally enjoyable.
February 16, 2012
I struggled to finish this book. It wasn't just that it was not to my taste (and I read a lot of crime novels).
It certainly is not, as it says on the tin, 'Classic, guaranteed to delight all crime addicts.'
We're introduced to commander Dalgliesh in chap 1-2. There then follows 8 or 9 chapters devoted to the background of all the potential culprits – straightforward info-dumping on a mighty scale. The narrative ground to a halt while we get background background background. Then the murder occurs and the detective trudges us round to each character again asking questions – as formulaic and enlightening as a game of Cluedo.
The story repeatedly introduced characters or storylines and then dropped them. The detective hopes a relationship with a woman will prosper – then we don't hear of the woman again for 300 pages, and then only briefly.
Next, a couple of detectives snipe at each, and then we learn nothing more of their rivalry. A character is introduced in chap 1-2 and then only appears fleetingly several hundred pages later. None of these characters/storylines impinge on the plot. Disappointing.
It certainly is not, as it says on the tin, 'Classic, guaranteed to delight all crime addicts.'
We're introduced to commander Dalgliesh in chap 1-2. There then follows 8 or 9 chapters devoted to the background of all the potential culprits – straightforward info-dumping on a mighty scale. The narrative ground to a halt while we get background background background. Then the murder occurs and the detective trudges us round to each character again asking questions – as formulaic and enlightening as a game of Cluedo.
The story repeatedly introduced characters or storylines and then dropped them. The detective hopes a relationship with a woman will prosper – then we don't hear of the woman again for 300 pages, and then only briefly.
Next, a couple of detectives snipe at each, and then we learn nothing more of their rivalry. A character is introduced in chap 1-2 and then only appears fleetingly several hundred pages later. None of these characters/storylines impinge on the plot. Disappointing.
June 23, 2024
Catching up…
This was another 4th Wednesdays Mystery Readers Group at the Library Book discussion selection that we enjoyed several years ago. And, it had a lot to do with Inspector Adam Dalgliesh and his way of being so deeply engrossed in solving murders, to the point of sometimes not paying enough attention to his own personal life.
And as another donation to my Little Free Library Shed, this is another catch up review for Goodreads.
James has a way of setting the perfect murder scene. Typically, a remote setting. Somewhat spooky. Especially at night.
Readers will find themselves at the Dupayne Museum which is housed in an old mansion. And, as we are soon to discover, one of the museums displays is devoted to a room. Specifically called “The Murder Room.” Of course it is!
And, yes there are a few of them – murders. It wouldn’t be a James novel, without them, right?! So, this will keep the Inspector and his team rather busy.
And, what makes these particular “modern” murders most interesting, is that the current murders are being re-enacted similarly to the murders that are already a part of the display in “The Murder Room.”
Unusual? What message is the murderer conveying here? And, why?
On top of all these murders, and the Inspector attempting to solve them, he is also wanting to conduct his own romance with Emma Lavenham, a lecturer in English literature at Cambridge. Will they have a chance with his distractions to this case?
In typical James fashion, the book moves slowly, but steadily, and answers will come. Which makes this a perfect story for conversation with others.
This was another 4th Wednesdays Mystery Readers Group at the Library Book discussion selection that we enjoyed several years ago. And, it had a lot to do with Inspector Adam Dalgliesh and his way of being so deeply engrossed in solving murders, to the point of sometimes not paying enough attention to his own personal life.
And as another donation to my Little Free Library Shed, this is another catch up review for Goodreads.
James has a way of setting the perfect murder scene. Typically, a remote setting. Somewhat spooky. Especially at night.
Readers will find themselves at the Dupayne Museum which is housed in an old mansion. And, as we are soon to discover, one of the museums displays is devoted to a room. Specifically called “The Murder Room.” Of course it is!
And, yes there are a few of them – murders. It wouldn’t be a James novel, without them, right?! So, this will keep the Inspector and his team rather busy.
And, what makes these particular “modern” murders most interesting, is that the current murders are being re-enacted similarly to the murders that are already a part of the display in “The Murder Room.”
Unusual? What message is the murderer conveying here? And, why?
On top of all these murders, and the Inspector attempting to solve them, he is also wanting to conduct his own romance with Emma Lavenham, a lecturer in English literature at Cambridge. Will they have a chance with his distractions to this case?
In typical James fashion, the book moves slowly, but steadily, and answers will come. Which makes this a perfect story for conversation with others.
August 16, 2020
I read this almost cover to cover. An intriguing mystery with lots of red herrings and suspects. There. Are also clues in the text which I complete missed. The Dupayne museum on Hampstead Heath with its murder room of murders past.
The dysfunctional Dupayne family. Marcus, Caroline and Neville. Odd staff. A gruesome murder and Adam Dalgliesh on the case. The build up to the murder is well done and everyone appears to have a motive for murder. Ryan, the Dupayne’s, the curator, Tally, Muriel, a mystery man and a few odd visitors to the museum. In the end if is all neatly wrapped up.
I also liked the four motives for murder are loathing, lucre, lust and love. The sub plot love story was unnecessary.
The dysfunctional Dupayne family. Marcus, Caroline and Neville. Odd staff. A gruesome murder and Adam Dalgliesh on the case. The build up to the murder is well done and everyone appears to have a motive for murder. Ryan, the Dupayne’s, the curator, Tally, Muriel, a mystery man and a few odd visitors to the museum. In the end if is all neatly wrapped up.
I also liked the four motives for murder are loathing, lucre, lust and love. The sub plot love story was unnecessary.
November 15, 2025
Murders in the Museum
A review of the Vintage Canada Kindle eBook edition (June 28, 2011) of the Faber & Faber hardcover original (2003).
I am continuing my current Long Books Challenge with several GR friends and using it to complete 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 later novels caused me to lose heart at the time, but now I was happy to tackle 416 pages in this Vintage Canada edition.
The Murder Room finds Adam Dalgliesh and his team investigating a brutal murder by fire at the Dupayne Museum near Hampstead Heath in London. The victim had been intending to close the Museum and the death meant that the jobs of the trustees & staff were saved. The museum contains a so-called "Murder Room" with historical crime exhibits. The newly discovered murder appears to be a copycat of one of the historical crimes. Then yet another body is found in the museum itself. Can Dalgliesh and company solve the crimes before there are further fatalities?
The front cover of the original Faber & Faber hardcover (2003). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The Murder Room was another satisfactory read in this series. It concluded with a major event in Dalgliesh's relationship with Cambridge professor Emma Lavenham which made me happy for both of them. I have moved on immediately to The Lighthouse (Adam Dalgliesh #13 -2005).
The book had a short bonus essay Why Detection? as an Afterword. P.D. James discusses her decision to write literary novels in the form of detective fiction and makes some interesting comments and observations:
Trivia and Links
The Murder Room has had two TV series adaptations.
The first was the BBC's adaptation in 2004 with Martin Shaw in his 2nd and final appearance in the role of Adam Dalgliesh (the role had previously been played for 10 seasons by Roy Marsden on ITV). You can watch the entire episode on YouTube here (the link may not be permanent, but was active as of November 2025).
The second adaptation was as part of Acorn TV's reboot series Dalgleish (2021-ongoing?) with Bertie Carvel as Adam Dalgleish as Season 2's Episodes 5 and 6. See the opening clip from Episode 5 on YouTube here.
A review of the Vintage Canada Kindle eBook edition (June 28, 2011) of the Faber & Faber hardcover original (2003).
Dalgliesh thought, Hasn’t it always been like this? People tell me things. I don’t need to probe or question, they tell. It had begun when he was a young detective sergeant and then it had surprised and intrigued him, feeding his poetry, bringing the half-shameful realization that for a detective it would be a useful gift.
I am continuing my current Long Books Challenge with several GR friends and using it to complete 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 later novels caused me to lose heart at the time, but now I was happy to tackle 416 pages in this Vintage Canada edition.
The Murder Room finds Adam Dalgliesh and his team investigating a brutal murder by fire at the Dupayne Museum near Hampstead Heath in London. The victim had been intending to close the Museum and the death meant that the jobs of the trustees & staff were saved. The museum contains a so-called "Murder Room" with historical crime exhibits. The newly discovered murder appears to be a copycat of one of the historical crimes. Then yet another body is found in the museum itself. Can Dalgliesh and company solve the crimes before there are further fatalities?
The front cover of the original Faber & Faber hardcover (2003). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The Murder Room was another satisfactory read in this series. It concluded with a major event in Dalgliesh's relationship with Cambridge professor Emma Lavenham which made me happy for both of them. I have moved on immediately to The Lighthouse (Adam Dalgliesh #13 -2005).
The book had a short bonus essay Why Detection? as an Afterword. P.D. James discusses her decision to write literary novels in the form of detective fiction and makes some interesting comments and observations:
But perhaps the greatest problem, and one which Dorothy L. Sayers thought prevented the detective story from being regarded as literature, is to explore the compulsions and complexities of the murderer’s mind without revealing until the final chapter that he or she is indeed the murderer.
E. M. Forster has written: ‘The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died and the queen died of grief is a plot. The queen died and no one knew why until they discovered it was of grief is a mystery, a form capable of high development.’ To that I would add: the queen died and everyone thought it was of grief until they discovered the puncture wound in her throat. That is a murder mystery and, in my view, it too is capable of high development.
Trivia and Links
The Murder Room has had two TV series adaptations.
The first was the BBC's adaptation in 2004 with Martin Shaw in his 2nd and final appearance in the role of Adam Dalgliesh (the role had previously been played for 10 seasons by Roy Marsden on ITV). You can watch the entire episode on YouTube here (the link may not be permanent, but was active as of November 2025).
The second adaptation was as part of Acorn TV's reboot series Dalgleish (2021-ongoing?) with Bertie Carvel as Adam Dalgleish as Season 2's Episodes 5 and 6. See the opening clip from Episode 5 on YouTube here.
December 3, 2020
The twelfth Adam Dalgliesh novel revolves around a small, private museum, in Hampstead – the Dupayne Museum. The museum houses a collection of items from between the wars, as well as the ‘Murder Room,’ which has a collection from historical crimes. The Dupayne is owned by three siblings – Caroline, Neville and Marcus. All three have to sign the new lease, but, when one of the siblings refuse to sign and wants the museum closed, the scene is set for murder…
I am, to be honest, finding P D James more hard going than I had anticipated although, to be fair, it may be reading the series one after the other, which is highlighting some of the more annoying aspects of her writing – including a wealth of detail about everything. James sets the scene minutely; from musing on what even minor characters feel, to the objects on a mantelpiece, it can, frankly, become a little too much irrelevant information. That said, I do like her writing and this was an interesting setting, with a good cast of characters.
Unusually, this novel also shows a little more of Dalgliesh personally, as he years romantically for Emma Lavenham, who he met in the previous book. I look forward to reading the whole of the series, but I do feel that these mysteries could be shorter and have gained, rather than lost.
I am, to be honest, finding P D James more hard going than I had anticipated although, to be fair, it may be reading the series one after the other, which is highlighting some of the more annoying aspects of her writing – including a wealth of detail about everything. James sets the scene minutely; from musing on what even minor characters feel, to the objects on a mantelpiece, it can, frankly, become a little too much irrelevant information. That said, I do like her writing and this was an interesting setting, with a good cast of characters.
Unusually, this novel also shows a little more of Dalgliesh personally, as he years romantically for Emma Lavenham, who he met in the previous book. I look forward to reading the whole of the series, but I do feel that these mysteries could be shorter and have gained, rather than lost.
August 24, 2019
Yet another impressive chapter in the Dalgliesh series by P.D. James.
I did see the film years ago but only brief snatches of it played in my head while reading the book. So you know it must not have been memorable to me.
This one was full of impressive twists and turns. Only two more full Dalgliesh novels for me after this one and the short story collections.
I did see the film years ago but only brief snatches of it played in my head while reading the book. So you know it must not have been memorable to me.
This one was full of impressive twists and turns. Only two more full Dalgliesh novels for me after this one and the short story collections.
October 24, 2020
** Spoilers **
Pretty yawny and dull with the usual pompous writing I now associate with PDJ from her middle books onwards. Not even the sudden uncovering of a posh people's swingers club can liven things up!
Kate continues to feel awkward about her working class background; PDJ is on a soapbox about how state school students get into Oxbridge no matter how illiterate they are; and quite why a supposedly ace police team of a commander, two detective inspectors and a sergeant are needed for a murder in a small museum, is never made clear. We have the usual churn of hundreds of pages of backstory as well as minute descriptions of every piece of furniture in every room we enter - and the murderer confesses again at the end, a theme through many of PDJ's mysteries. And just in case the motive for a murder seems unbelievable even with a pull-it-out-of-the-bag revelation, James adds a second motive on top, equally unsubstantiated by everything we've already read.
And has there ever been a more stilted and repressed love affair than the absurdities of Dalgleish and Emma? He has to cancel a date at the last minute and rather than call her to apologise he writes her a note and posts it from London to Cambridge. And without them ever having kissed or slept together, he proposes marriage in another ridiculously self-conscious letter... and waits at the end of the train platform while Emma reads it - talk about arms-length love!
Slow, plodding, and about four times the length that the story requires (I skipped all the minutiae of described wallpaper and artworks - originals, natch! Oh, and no-one has bookshelves of paperbacks only leather-bound, gold-toolled tomes - urgh), as usual Dalgleish and team just miraculously know who the murderer is but have no evidence - lucky so many of them confess, then, in this series.
Pretty yawny and dull with the usual pompous writing I now associate with PDJ from her middle books onwards. Not even the sudden uncovering of a posh people's swingers club can liven things up!
Kate continues to feel awkward about her working class background; PDJ is on a soapbox about how state school students get into Oxbridge no matter how illiterate they are; and quite why a supposedly ace police team of a commander, two detective inspectors and a sergeant are needed for a murder in a small museum, is never made clear. We have the usual churn of hundreds of pages of backstory as well as minute descriptions of every piece of furniture in every room we enter - and the murderer confesses again at the end, a theme through many of PDJ's mysteries. And just in case the motive for a murder seems unbelievable even with a pull-it-out-of-the-bag revelation, James adds a second motive on top, equally unsubstantiated by everything we've already read.
And has there ever been a more stilted and repressed love affair than the absurdities of Dalgleish and Emma? He has to cancel a date at the last minute and rather than call her to apologise he writes her a note and posts it from London to Cambridge. And without them ever having kissed or slept together, he proposes marriage in another ridiculously self-conscious letter... and waits at the end of the train platform while Emma reads it - talk about arms-length love!
Slow, plodding, and about four times the length that the story requires (I skipped all the minutiae of described wallpaper and artworks - originals, natch! Oh, and no-one has bookshelves of paperbacks only leather-bound, gold-toolled tomes - urgh), as usual Dalgleish and team just miraculously know who the murderer is but have no evidence - lucky so many of them confess, then, in this series.
Read
December 1, 2010A reasonable enough mystery, but not top-notch, and with a very contrived feel. What are the chances that an innocent motorist leaving the scene of a copy-cat crime would just happen to say the exact same words that the murderer in the original crime did? The whole book has a similar air of unreality.
I have written in previous reviews of PD James’ books that she has a tendency to go on about particular social issues in an annoying way, in book after book. To this list I will now add drinks. What people are drinking occupies a lot of the book. We have to know all about why the team is drinking decaff. We are taken to a world where people refer to instant coffee almost exclusively as “Nescafé”. Similarly, no one talks about benefit as such, only specifically Jobseeker’s Allowance. But James clearly doesn’t know as much about how things work as she thinks she does. No museum allows free entry to people on JSA but not to people on Income Support.
Anyway, back to the social issues. Some examples:
Hobby horse #1: Housing
In every one of the Dalgleish series I have read, we hear all about Kate Miskin’s previous housing.
“Wasn’t it ambition that had lifted her from that barricaded seventh-floor flat in an inner-city block to a flat which had once seemed the height of achievement?”
Loyal readers of the series will be astonished to read this quote. It does not mention the name of the building! That must surely be a first. But don’t worry. It gets mentioned several times in the rest of the book.
We also get a lot (and I mean a lot) of time spent describing the posh houses vs. the hovel that the people on benefit live in. A lot. Guess what? The people on benefits are slobby and dirty. The others are neat and fastidious. And they don't drink Nescafe.
Hobby horse #2: University admissions
This is banged on about time and time again. I will give two examples:
Kate: “What about that Oxford degree in theology?”
Piers: “I’ve explained that. It was the easiest way to get into Oxbridge. Now, of course, I would just transfer to a deprived inner-city state school and with luck, the government would make Oxbridge take me.”
Mrs Faraday: “University was obviously out of the question, even one at the bottom of the league tables where they’re so desperate to keep up the numbers that I’m told they’ll take people who are barely literate.” (OK, so this is true.)
Other silliness:
Kate Miskin sees a baby, described as “wearing a short frilled dress in pink cotton with an embroidered bib of daisies and a white knitted cardigan.” Using her incredible deductive powers, “Kate thought that it must be a girl."
In summary, the idea behind the book was alright. It just wasn't implemented very well. It strained the possibilities of coincidence and lacked any sense of credibility. And also, PD James can be quite annoying. I'm sure she has, bottled up in her somewhere, a book along the lines of Eats Shoots and Leaves that allows her to drone on about housing and coffee and benefits and university and schools and god knows what else, at great length. It's in there somewhere, but it's just escaping bit by bit into every book she writes.
I have written in previous reviews of PD James’ books that she has a tendency to go on about particular social issues in an annoying way, in book after book. To this list I will now add drinks. What people are drinking occupies a lot of the book. We have to know all about why the team is drinking decaff. We are taken to a world where people refer to instant coffee almost exclusively as “Nescafé”. Similarly, no one talks about benefit as such, only specifically Jobseeker’s Allowance. But James clearly doesn’t know as much about how things work as she thinks she does. No museum allows free entry to people on JSA but not to people on Income Support.
Anyway, back to the social issues. Some examples:
Hobby horse #1: Housing
In every one of the Dalgleish series I have read, we hear all about Kate Miskin’s previous housing.
“Wasn’t it ambition that had lifted her from that barricaded seventh-floor flat in an inner-city block to a flat which had once seemed the height of achievement?”
Loyal readers of the series will be astonished to read this quote. It does not mention the name of the building! That must surely be a first. But don’t worry. It gets mentioned several times in the rest of the book.
We also get a lot (and I mean a lot) of time spent describing the posh houses vs. the hovel that the people on benefit live in. A lot. Guess what? The people on benefits are slobby and dirty. The others are neat and fastidious. And they don't drink Nescafe.
Hobby horse #2: University admissions
This is banged on about time and time again. I will give two examples:
Kate: “What about that Oxford degree in theology?”
Piers: “I’ve explained that. It was the easiest way to get into Oxbridge. Now, of course, I would just transfer to a deprived inner-city state school and with luck, the government would make Oxbridge take me.”
Mrs Faraday: “University was obviously out of the question, even one at the bottom of the league tables where they’re so desperate to keep up the numbers that I’m told they’ll take people who are barely literate.” (OK, so this is true.)
Other silliness:
Kate Miskin sees a baby, described as “wearing a short frilled dress in pink cotton with an embroidered bib of daisies and a white knitted cardigan.” Using her incredible deductive powers, “Kate thought that it must be a girl."
In summary, the idea behind the book was alright. It just wasn't implemented very well. It strained the possibilities of coincidence and lacked any sense of credibility. And also, PD James can be quite annoying. I'm sure she has, bottled up in her somewhere, a book along the lines of Eats Shoots and Leaves that allows her to drone on about housing and coffee and benefits and university and schools and god knows what else, at great length. It's in there somewhere, but it's just escaping bit by bit into every book she writes.
April 2, 2020
My first P. D. James book. The detective and main character of this murder mystery, Commander Adam Dalgleish, has appeared in many of P. D. James' other books and though this story is bookended by his continued desire for a romance with a woman named Emma who also appeared in a previous story, being unfamiliar with Dalgleish's other cases does not distract or detract from the enjoyment of this one.
James' writing style is of literary caliber and her plotting superb. I was completely unable to figure out who the murderer was because several characters seemed to have motives and a couple just looked like they could have done it. The characters are described in a 112-page exposition (BOOK ONE: The People and the Place) before anyone gets killed. The place is the fictitious Depayne Museum on the fringes of Hampstead Heath in London, an institution devoted to British history between the two World Wars. The Murder Room, which is within the museum, is devoted to exhibits about and artifacts from notorious murders that took place during those years.
The stage is set, and the three heirs of the Depayne family are due to sign a new lease on the museum their father began. According to the terms of his will, his two sons and his daughter must all agree to sign or the museum will be forced to close its doors. Two of the heirs are closely involved with the work of the museum and are passionate about keeping it open. The third is adamant about its being closed. The people who work inside the museum and on the grounds outside also have their thoughts and feelings. One of the siblings has just been made the new museum director by the trustees, and he wants to cut the staff. In a few days the decision about that must be made. You may well imagine that something's got to give.
The plot becomes intricate and we find that most of the characters have a secret of one kind or another, mostly unrelated to the case, that they don't wish to come out. Who's really telling the whole truth here? Which things would push someone to murder? More tricky to work out here than in many cases.
James' writing style is of literary caliber and her plotting superb. I was completely unable to figure out who the murderer was because several characters seemed to have motives and a couple just looked like they could have done it. The characters are described in a 112-page exposition (BOOK ONE: The People and the Place) before anyone gets killed. The place is the fictitious Depayne Museum on the fringes of Hampstead Heath in London, an institution devoted to British history between the two World Wars. The Murder Room, which is within the museum, is devoted to exhibits about and artifacts from notorious murders that took place during those years.
The stage is set, and the three heirs of the Depayne family are due to sign a new lease on the museum their father began. According to the terms of his will, his two sons and his daughter must all agree to sign or the museum will be forced to close its doors. Two of the heirs are closely involved with the work of the museum and are passionate about keeping it open. The third is adamant about its being closed. The people who work inside the museum and on the grounds outside also have their thoughts and feelings. One of the siblings has just been made the new museum director by the trustees, and he wants to cut the staff. In a few days the decision about that must be made. You may well imagine that something's got to give.
The plot becomes intricate and we find that most of the characters have a secret of one kind or another, mostly unrelated to the case, that they don't wish to come out. Who's really telling the whole truth here? Which things would push someone to murder? More tricky to work out here than in many cases.
July 27, 2012
Good lord, this was excruciating. I picked a murder mystery by a well loved author to chase my previous read, which had been the opposite of a page turner. What a disappointment. I realize this is only one of many PD James novels, but it gave me no incentive to try the others. Super slow build, an author who tells you instead of showing you, with interminable descriptions of interiors, faces, gardens, and clothing, none of which are anywhere near relevant to the plot. At some point, I had to start skipping over the details of each newly introduced character's facial features, hair and eye color, eyebrow shape, and cheekbones. And what a surprise: doing so didn't cost me points in seeing the killer's identity from a mile away. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that PD James dictates her stories; she appears to love the sound of her own voice. If you love formulaic murder mysteries with an upper class British accent, and you need a book that doesn't tug at you when you set it aside, this might be for you.
February 3, 2016
Love James's detective fiction which is more literary than some of the "literary fiction" I find on book store shelves today. Her prose has that reliability that I crave in a novel. Similar to Dickens, really, I can just sit back, read, enjoy, and trust that at no point will she affront me with bad sentence structure, awkward dialogue-jargon attempting to sound "realistic," or even the occasional punctuation malfunction. Flawless. And completely enjoyable. That her subject matter happens to be murder doesn't tarnish this experience for me at all.
This particular novel comes immediately after Death in Holy Orders in which Adam Dalgliesh met and fell for Professor Emma Lavenham. This novel presents a continuation of their story, but their romance is marginal subplot at best. No one could justly accuse James, or her detective hero, of mixing personal and professional lives. He compartmentalizes well, perhaps, too well. Still their reunion (or union, dare I hint) at the end is nicely written. I particularly liked the reference to Captain Wentworth.
James has claimed Austen as a literary influence, so this is a lovely homage. Fits James's character, too. Commander Dalgliesh doesn't pen his missive on the sly while eaves-dropping on his beloved's whispered confessions to someone else; he composes his carefully a week earlier against the possibility of the worst (which he thinks may have happened at this novel's closing). Almost like the careful, conscientious murderer, thinking ahead of the possible contingencies. Perhaps a danger of his professional expertise? Personal and professional lives may blend more than one supposes...
This particular novel comes immediately after Death in Holy Orders in which Adam Dalgliesh met and fell for Professor Emma Lavenham. This novel presents a continuation of their story, but their romance is marginal subplot at best. No one could justly accuse James, or her detective hero, of mixing personal and professional lives. He compartmentalizes well, perhaps, too well. Still their reunion (or union, dare I hint) at the end is nicely written. I particularly liked the reference to Captain Wentworth.
James has claimed Austen as a literary influence, so this is a lovely homage. Fits James's character, too. Commander Dalgliesh doesn't pen his missive on the sly while eaves-dropping on his beloved's whispered confessions to someone else; he composes his carefully a week earlier against the possibility of the worst (which he thinks may have happened at this novel's closing). Almost like the careful, conscientious murderer, thinking ahead of the possible contingencies. Perhaps a danger of his professional expertise? Personal and professional lives may blend more than one supposes...
December 12, 2011
Formulaic, but still entertaining as all get out.
Dalgliesh and Co. are called upon to figure out who's using some famous murders from the 1920's and 30's as templates for a series of murders in and around a small niche museum near Hampstead Heath.
As is usual with a whodunnit from James, there is no shortage of acerbic, depressive and agnostic/atheistic suspects to choose from. Nor is there any doubt that each of these suspects (and for that matter, the detectives) will have their homes (both exterior and interior) described in minute detail -- leading this reader to suspect that James is a thwarted home decorator...
Regardless, James once again gives good value to readers who enjoy police procedurals in merrie old England.
***
Added brownie points go to Dalgliesh for channelling his inner Captain Wentworth of Persuasion fame as his stilted love affair with Emma Lavenham marches on.
Dalgliesh and Co. are called upon to figure out who's using some famous murders from the 1920's and 30's as templates for a series of murders in and around a small niche museum near Hampstead Heath.
As is usual with a whodunnit from James, there is no shortage of acerbic, depressive and agnostic/atheistic suspects to choose from. Nor is there any doubt that each of these suspects (and for that matter, the detectives) will have their homes (both exterior and interior) described in minute detail -- leading this reader to suspect that James is a thwarted home decorator...
Regardless, James once again gives good value to readers who enjoy police procedurals in merrie old England.
***
Added brownie points go to Dalgliesh for channelling his inner Captain Wentworth of Persuasion fame as his stilted love affair with Emma Lavenham marches on.
December 3, 2020
The twelfth Adam Dalgliesh novel revolves around a small, private museum, in Hampstead – the Dupayne Museum. The museum houses a collection of items from between the wars, as well as the ‘Murder Room,’ which has a collection from historical crimes. The Dupayne is owned by three siblings – Caroline, Neville and Marcus. All three have to sign the new lease, but, when one of the siblings refuse to sign and wants the museum closed, the scene is set for murder…
I am, to be honest, finding P D James more hard going than I had anticipated although, to be fair, it may be reading the series one after the other, which is highlighting some of the more annoying aspects of her writing – including a wealth of detail about everything. James sets the scene minutely; from musing on what even minor characters feel, to the objects on a mantelpiece, it can, frankly, become a little too much irrelevant information. That said, I do like her writing and this was an interesting setting, with a good cast of characters.
Unusually, this novel also shows a little more of Dalgliesh personally, as he years romantically for Emma Lavenham, who he met in the previous book. I look forward to reading the whole of the series, but I do feel that these mysteries could be shorter and have gained, rather than lost.
I am, to be honest, finding P D James more hard going than I had anticipated although, to be fair, it may be reading the series one after the other, which is highlighting some of the more annoying aspects of her writing – including a wealth of detail about everything. James sets the scene minutely; from musing on what even minor characters feel, to the objects on a mantelpiece, it can, frankly, become a little too much irrelevant information. That said, I do like her writing and this was an interesting setting, with a good cast of characters.
Unusually, this novel also shows a little more of Dalgliesh personally, as he years romantically for Emma Lavenham, who he met in the previous book. I look forward to reading the whole of the series, but I do feel that these mysteries could be shorter and have gained, rather than lost.
July 15, 2025
The Murder Room is a classic English murder mystery book. This is my first PD James book even though this is the 12th book in the Adam Dalgliesh series. This book can absolutely be read as a stand alone and I don’t think I missed out on anything significant by not reading the first eleven books. The story was slow to get moving but once the action began it was difficult to put down. Some of the passages of writing were overly descriptive without adding anything to the story and I found myself skimming over these bits. As expected from an English murder mystery there were lots of twists and turns and red herrings. All the characters seemed to have a possible motive. Right up to when the guilty party was eventually revealed I really had no idea at all. But in hindsight there were clues early on for the astute reader. Recommended for those who enjoy this genre.
June 9, 2009
This is the second P. D. James book that I read and the book that turned me into a fan. While it is true that James spends a large amount of time setting up her characters, I like that. I enjoy it because when a death occurs, it feels like a death and not a plot point. Too often in murder mysteries the death is forgotten. The victim is simply an agent to get the plot moving. James' never forgets, or lets the reader forget, that someone who had a life died.
May 22, 2016
You have to be patient for the murders to come on
This is my first PD James and it is very English. It did seem like we had to go through all the characters slowly until the first murder. I guess this is part of the series and the lead detective has a history of prior stories. I do not know if it would've been more enjoyable if I would have been dollar jumble of that prior history. The investigative unit is a special one dealing with sensitive information although the details of that information were not clear to me for most of the book Intel one of the individuals involved in the mystery turned out to be a member of the House of Lords. There was a somewhat subtle aspect of the story suggesting that a positive character was not necessarily connected with the social status of an individual. A common or could be more commendable then aristocrat. There were plenty of highfalutin characters in the book with questionable aspects.
This is my first PD James and it is very English. It did seem like we had to go through all the characters slowly until the first murder. I guess this is part of the series and the lead detective has a history of prior stories. I do not know if it would've been more enjoyable if I would have been dollar jumble of that prior history. The investigative unit is a special one dealing with sensitive information although the details of that information were not clear to me for most of the book Intel one of the individuals involved in the mystery turned out to be a member of the House of Lords. There was a somewhat subtle aspect of the story suggesting that a positive character was not necessarily connected with the social status of an individual. A common or could be more commendable then aristocrat. There were plenty of highfalutin characters in the book with questionable aspects.
January 9, 2016
Commander Adam Dalgliesh is already acquainted with the Dupayne Museum in Hampstead, and with its sinister murder room celebrating notorious crimes committed in the interwar years, when he is called to investigate the killing of one of the trustees. He soon discovers that the victim was seeking to close the museum against the wishes of both staff and fellow trustees.
4* An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (Cordelia Gray, #1)
4* The Skull Beneath The Skin (Cordelia Gray, #2)
4* Innocent Blood
3* The Children of Men
Adam Dalgliesh series:
4* Cover Her Face (Adam Dalgliesh, #1)
4* A Mind to Murder (Adam Dalgliesh, #2)
4* Unnatural Causes (Adam Dalgliesh, #3)
5* Shroud for a Nightingale (Adam Dalgliesh, #4)
5* The Black Tower (Adam Dalgliesh, #5)
5* Death of an Expert Witness (Adam Dalgliesh, #6)
5* A Taste for Death (Adam Dalgliesh, #7)
3* Devices and Desires (Adam Dalgliesh, #8)
5* A Certain Justice (Adam Dalgliesh, #10)
4* Death in Holy Orders (Adam Dalgliesh, #11)
4* The Murder Room (Adam Dalgliesh, #12)
3* The Private Patient (Adam Dalgliesh, #14)
TR Original Sin (Adam Dalgliesh, #9)
TR The Lighthouse (Adam Dalgliesh, #13)
4* An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (Cordelia Gray, #1)
4* The Skull Beneath The Skin (Cordelia Gray, #2)
4* Innocent Blood
3* The Children of Men
Adam Dalgliesh series:
4* Cover Her Face (Adam Dalgliesh, #1)
4* A Mind to Murder (Adam Dalgliesh, #2)
4* Unnatural Causes (Adam Dalgliesh, #3)
5* Shroud for a Nightingale (Adam Dalgliesh, #4)
5* The Black Tower (Adam Dalgliesh, #5)
5* Death of an Expert Witness (Adam Dalgliesh, #6)
5* A Taste for Death (Adam Dalgliesh, #7)
3* Devices and Desires (Adam Dalgliesh, #8)
5* A Certain Justice (Adam Dalgliesh, #10)
4* Death in Holy Orders (Adam Dalgliesh, #11)
4* The Murder Room (Adam Dalgliesh, #12)
3* The Private Patient (Adam Dalgliesh, #14)
TR Original Sin (Adam Dalgliesh, #9)
TR The Lighthouse (Adam Dalgliesh, #13)
July 9, 2017
I think that, though it isn't absolutely necessary, it would have helped were I more familiar with Dalgliesh and some of the other characters, for this one. The lack of proper context made some aspects of the novel (which I would have otherwise enjoyed) slightly difficult to follow/sympathise with. Other than that, P.D. James has her style of writing - it's a beautiful style, she's a very good writer, but it's detailed to the point of pedantism, and features a lot of perspectives, which might not appeal to everyone. It's therefore a little self-indulgent. My own tastes run rather in the opposite direction: When a writer takes me on little side-tracks and puts me in heads of people I don't care to know that well, I feel sort of like when I'm waiting for someone to arrive for an appointment and they are terribly late. My patience is short, and I feel like someone is playing fast and loose with my time, which I don't appreciate.
It's otherwise a competently put together story, with enough of a body count to satisfy the most blood-thirsty of crime readers.
It's otherwise a competently put together story, with enough of a body count to satisfy the most blood-thirsty of crime readers.
October 8, 2013
I think I'm too much of a snob for good old mystery novels, but nope, I become intrigued and immerse myself in them. After reading The Murder Room for a literature discussion group I found myself checking out five other mysteries by P.D. James. Whodunits are fun!
10-07-2013. I'm glad it's been seven years since I read Murder Room. I don't feel quite so embarrassed to say that I didn't remember anything about it until the scene of the first murder ... and even that reminisence doesn't bring the rest of the plot to mind. I'm as much in the dark as if I'd picked it up for the first time! That's okay - I'll just enjoy it again, this time with a better feeling for who exactly Commander Adam Dalgliesh is.
10-07-2013. I'm glad it's been seven years since I read Murder Room. I don't feel quite so embarrassed to say that I didn't remember anything about it until the scene of the first murder ... and even that reminisence doesn't bring the rest of the plot to mind. I'm as much in the dark as if I'd picked it up for the first time! That's okay - I'll just enjoy it again, this time with a better feeling for who exactly Commander Adam Dalgliesh is.
February 16, 2015
If you're looking for a murder-y type crime book, you can do no better than PD James. This was my second PD James read; I now proclaim myself a fan. The Murder Room is crime fiction that I would put beside any piece of literary fiction out on bookshelves. The writing is complex and nuanced; characters are fully and beautifully realized, and James portrays them all with the utmost sensitivity and respect. The London setting made the book a wonderfully fun read for me, as did Adam Dalgliesh's burgeoning romance. I left feeling totally satisfied.
September 6, 2013
Fun police procedural, marred only by the author’s insistence on describing every room everyone walks into in excruciating detail. I think she wants to make sure, if any of her books are made into TV movies (have they been? I don’t know), the set designer will know exactly what kind of throw cushions to buy.
Also, it was kind of a Scooby Doo ending, and I’m still not sure I totally understand the murderer’s motive.
Also, it was kind of a Scooby Doo ending, and I’m still not sure I totally understand the murderer’s motive.
December 13, 2018
Le daría 3 puntos por el desarrollo y 1 extra porque no adiviné el nombre del asesino hasta que lo revelaron. A diferencia de otros policiales casi todos tienen motivos bastante banales para matar a una de las víctimas y ninguno para matar a la otra, así que hacer conjeturas me resultó imposible. Además hay un museo y un gato mala onda. No se diga más.
June 24, 2017
It's a mark of the high quality of P D James' writing that I was prepared to wait until p130 (of the French translation in hardback) for the first body. Although this is a twenty-first century murder mystery, there is such a wonderfully old world quality about the writing, it could almost be a Christie.
That's due in no part to the strong characterisation of lead policeman Commander Adam Dalgliesh, the impeccably polite and restrained policeman-poet. It's easy to imagine him working alongside Miss Marple. His stiff formality could make him a bit of a cold fish but in this volume, we see a somewhat unexpected romantic side to him which is rather endearing.
The plot revolves around a private museum which contains a murder room, with exhibits from historical crimes. The three siblings who run it need to sign to renew a lease on the property to keep it open for future posterity. Only one of the three is no longer interested and feels it should be shut. Unsurprisingly, this leads to a modern crime, mimicking one of the older ones in the exhibition.
Other deaths follow, not always the ones the reader might be expecting. There's rather a clever twist involving the title of the third section of the book.
For those who like graphic and frequent violence and a classic police procedural, this may not fit the bill. It's more quietly cerebral, though all the cleverer for it.
Four stars from me, without hesitation.
That's due in no part to the strong characterisation of lead policeman Commander Adam Dalgliesh, the impeccably polite and restrained policeman-poet. It's easy to imagine him working alongside Miss Marple. His stiff formality could make him a bit of a cold fish but in this volume, we see a somewhat unexpected romantic side to him which is rather endearing.
The plot revolves around a private museum which contains a murder room, with exhibits from historical crimes. The three siblings who run it need to sign to renew a lease on the property to keep it open for future posterity. Only one of the three is no longer interested and feels it should be shut. Unsurprisingly, this leads to a modern crime, mimicking one of the older ones in the exhibition.
Other deaths follow, not always the ones the reader might be expecting. There's rather a clever twist involving the title of the third section of the book.
For those who like graphic and frequent violence and a classic police procedural, this may not fit the bill. It's more quietly cerebral, though all the cleverer for it.
Four stars from me, without hesitation.
February 12, 2017
Listened to in audio format.
The Murder Room is the fourth book I have listened to in the Commander Dalgleish (AD) series. When I first started listening to these books I thought the descriptions of places and people were too long and tedious.
Now I am on my fourth book in the series and I have totally changed my mind. This series is so much more than a police procedural, the language is beautiful and the characters so very English.
There is always a build up to the murder so you get to know the victim and possible suspects first. I am glad that AD has found a love interest in Emma Lavenham. She does not appear in the book much but it appears that the course love is not running smoothly.
I look forward to listening to The Private Patient which is the last I own in the series.
The Murder Room is the fourth book I have listened to in the Commander Dalgleish (AD) series. When I first started listening to these books I thought the descriptions of places and people were too long and tedious.
Now I am on my fourth book in the series and I have totally changed my mind. This series is so much more than a police procedural, the language is beautiful and the characters so very English.
There is always a build up to the murder so you get to know the victim and possible suspects first. I am glad that AD has found a love interest in Emma Lavenham. She does not appear in the book much but it appears that the course love is not running smoothly.
I look forward to listening to The Private Patient which is the last I own in the series.
February 12, 2009
This book took me some time to get into as James is heavy on description and detail and I just wanted her to get on with the story. She won me over though somewhere around two-thirds of the way through. I began to appreciate what at the beginning I found annoying. She definitely has her own style of writing and I can see why she has such a large fan base. My husband likes all of her books that feature Inspector Adam Dalgleisch, the Scotland Yard detective who solves the crimes.
July 23, 2016
I really liked this at the beginning, the character development especially, but once the murder investigation kicked off I lost some interest. I think Dalgliesh was so seldom in this book I didn't know who he was as a person. I wasn't impressed with some of the techniques James used to unfold the mystery. I wasn't a fan of this but I didn't hate it either.
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