It begins, dramatically enough, with a trial for murder. The distinguished criminal lawyer Venetia Aldridge is defending Garry Ashe on charges of having brutally killed his aunt. For Aldridge the trial is mainly a test of her courtroom skills, one more opportunity to succeed — and she does. But now murder is in the air. The next victim will be Aldridge herself, stabbed to death at her desk in her … her Chambers in the Middle Temple, a bloodstained wig on her head. Enter Commander Adam Dalgliesh and his team, whose struggle to investigate and understand the shocking events cannot halt the spiral into more horrors, more murders…
A Certain Justice is P.D. James at her strongest. In her first foray into the strange closed world of the Law Courts and the London legal community, she has created a fascinating tale of interwoven passion and terror. As each character leaps into unforgettable life, as each scene draws us forward into new complexities of plot, she proves yet again that no other writer can match her skill in combining the excitement of the classic detective story with the richness of a fine novel. In its subtle portrayal of morality and human behavior, A Certain Justice will stand alongside Devices and Desires and A Taste for Death as one of P.D. James’s most important, accomplished and entertaining works.
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Really good page-turning who-donit, but not as good the The Murder Room. Love the background she builds for all of her characters, and how she presents so many alternative perps.
This writer always has complex and therefore,real characters. This is a page turner.
Excellent!
Never disappointing
I enjoy all of PD James’ books and recommend them to anyone interested in derective novels
Interesting view of the British court system & trial attorneys. Twisted defendant vs ambitious attorney vs jealous, greedy & decitiful group of fellow attorneys & staff of this practice. Secret affairs, aging senior partners, rebellious teenage daughters, murder, whores & more! Love Author, PD James, always gives you a different slice of British …
P. D. James has a way of painting pictures with her words building complete storyboard as the novel progresses. This book is a perfect example of that talent. As I read I can “see” the rooms, the people, the courtroom, and the emotions. This is not a quick beach read. Every page should be savored.
Fun mystery with great characters.
P.D. James never disappoints. Her mystery novels were always first-rate, well written and intelligent. I shall miss her so much but am grateful to have a large collection of her works on my bookshelf.
I love how PD James writes about people, and, secondarily (for me) destinations. I want to know even more about the people in her books, and I would jump at the chance to visit the places in her books. The writing is intelligent and suspenseful, and I want to keep reading more and more of her books.
Wish this author were still alive and producing books. A very literate series.
Have enjoyed P D James’ richly detailed novels for years. Re-reading some now and find they still hold up well although a bit dated.
P D James is a great novelist who writes well plotted and character-driven mysteries. Layers of meaning and thematic integrity characterize her work and keep me re-reading them since her demise. Highly recommend all her oeuvre.
I’m a big PD James fan, & this one is James having successfully brought her characters into the modern world but not yet developing the problems of her last books. The setting is London’s Courts of Law, and they provide the kind of traditional background that James does so evocatively.
P.D.James at her best.
P D James never disappoints. Her books are always action packed and interesting.
It’s hard to get any better than a P.D. James novel. The writing alone is worth the reading if the book. Her writing is beautiful and literary. Her mysteries are interesting, intriguing and oh-so-human.
I always enjoy P.D. Jame’s writing. Gives a sense of satisfaction after reading and I enjoy the characters.
A superb mystery from a Mistress of the game! Layered characters, well-developed plot, and beautifully written.
Typical PD James. Good plotting, but her use of overblown vocabulary can become annoying.