A secure and secluded retreat for the rich and powerful becomes the setting for an unsettling series of murders. Combe Island off the Cornish coast is a restful haven for the elite. But when one of its distinguished visitors is found hanging from the island’s famous lighthouse in what appears to have been a murder, the peace is shattered. Commander Adam Dalgliesh is called in to handle the … handle the sensitive case, but at a difficult time for him and his depleted team. He is uncertain about his future with his girlfriend Emma Lavenham; his principle detective Kate Miskin is going through an emotional crisis; and the ambitious Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith is not happy about having a female boss. After a second brutal killing, the whole investigation is jeopardized, and Dalgliesh is faced with a danger even more insidious than murder.
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More than a masterful, complex mystery, the Lighthouse by P.D. James is a look into the dark places of the human heart. Her recurring characters, Commander Adam Dalgliesh and DI Kate Miskin, are finely drawn with all the pathos of flawed and conflicted people trying to understand themselves and the motivation of a killer at large on a remote island off the coast of England. An enthralling read that kept me turning the pages until 4 a.m.
P D James is always good.
Excellent writing
You can count on PD James
Great characters and story set in a historical context. I always love P.D. James.
umm I did not READ it yet
P.D. James is a remarkable writer of mystery fiction. I have enjoyed many of her Dalgliesh Books. The Lighthouse just isn’t one of them. For me, the character of AD as he is referred to in the novel is the draw. In The Lighthouse he is missing in action for far too much of the story. The residents of Combe are focused on for what I think is an inordinate amount of the time.
Also, the solving of the mystery relies on information the reader would have no idea about until it is presented late in the novel. I would like the ability to at least guess who done it with information presented throughout the book.
I couldn’t wait for this book to end – but not for a good reason.
Excellent writing.
Compelling story. Great characters
Too slow to start
Never fails me …
I usually like mysteries by PD James but this one was not one of her best. Too wordy and I felt there was more time spent on getting to know some of the secondary characters than on the actual plot itself. I realize you need to give some background to understand characters and their actions but not as much as in this book. I think I was almost one third of the way through before we actually got to the real plot.
Love anything by PD James.
Good read. Didn’t figure it out at all. Good mystery
I really enjoyed the first three quarters of this book. The way they figured out who done it happened so quickly and out of the blue. I would’ve enjoyed more build up to how they came to their correct conclusion.
Somewhat disappointing–not up to James’ past works–lots of extraneous info. red herrings–all those cottages–yikes……
I loved this book. The characters were well developed and I liked and cared about all of them. The story was interesting and compelling without bad language and risqué scenes. It was one of those books that I didn’t want to put down but also didn’t want to end.
PD James is a brilliant writer who captures characters to embed in complex plots.
I have read all of James’s books with Dalgliesh. They are well written and factual. Character development outstanding. It’s very interesting trying to figure out who the killer is! Loved it!
The writing is exceptional and characters are interesting and well developed. The story is filled with descriptions of the island and its buildings and though it meanders at times, it’s never dull.