- Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Seal Books (Nov 12 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0770429149
- ISBN-13: 978-0770429140
- Product Dimensions: 17.3 x 10.4 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 181 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #127,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
“She is an addictive writer. P.D. James takes her place in the long line of those moralists who tell a story as satisfying as it is complete.” -- Anita Brookner
“P.D. James is one of the national treasures of British fiction. As James takes us from one life to another, her near-Dickensian scale becomes apparent.” -- Malcolm Bradbury, Mail on Sunday
“Great and powerful writing.” -- The Globe and Mail
“P.D. James is one of the national treasures of British fiction. As James takes us from one life to another, her near-Dickensian scale becomes apparent.” -- Malcolm Bradbury, Mail on Sunday
“Great and powerful writing.” -- The Globe and Mail
Book Description
On the surface, the Steen Psychiatric Clinic has always been one of the most eminent institutions in London. But when its administrative head is found with a chisel in her heart, and a weird wooden phallic symbol in her arms, the terrifying truth begins to emerge.
In the midst of an explosive mixture of psychiatry, sex, and drugs, the unenviable task of analyzing the clues falls to Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh -- clues that lead him to a diabolically cunning killer bent on proving that the first slaying was no Freudian slip.
In the midst of an explosive mixture of psychiatry, sex, and drugs, the unenviable task of analyzing the clues falls to Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh -- clues that lead him to a diabolically cunning killer bent on proving that the first slaying was no Freudian slip.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Neat and tidy,
By "justplainnancy" (Minnetonka, MN United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Mind to Murder (Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries No. 2) (Paperback)
I'm always on the lookout for books for my 92-year-old mother -- still a sharp woman, but less able to handle complexity than she once was -- and very much a lady, who objects to an excess of blood and/or vulgarity. The early P.D. James mysteries are perfect! They're very well-crafted, nicely written, but lacking the sprawl and complexity of her later works. This one, set in a psychiatric clinic, is a classic in the sense that a murder was done by one of a limited number of characters, whose movements and motives are key. There are a satisfying number of clues, including some red herrings, dispensed at regular intervals. The characters are nicely sketched. The routines -- and the politics -- of the psychiatric clinic make for an especially strong setting. The whole thing unfolds in just over 200 pages and reaches a satisfying, sufficiently logical conclusion. Originally written in the early 1960s, "A Mind for Murder" has a decidedly old-fasioned feel, but is fun to read nonetheless. And for those who love the later P.D. James books, taking another look at her early work makes it doubly fun. My mother liked the book; so do I.
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Little Too Plodding,
By
This review is from: A Mind to Murder (Mass Market Paperback)
The murder of administrative officer, Enid Bolam, at the Steen Psychiatric Clinic, has staff on edge and, once again, Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh has to sort truth from lies and rumors. It's no easy task as there are plenty of suspects to go around, and good reasons to want Enid dead.This is the fourth P.D. James mystery I've read this year. Things started off rocky with Cover Her Face, however, I really enjoyed The Black Tower and Shroud for a Nightingale. I was disappointed, though, with this book. As usual, James' narrative descriptions were deliciously vivid, but the 221 page book seemed to go on too long. The first ninety pages show Dalgleish interviewing suspect after suspect, few of whom were memorable enough to keep straight. The next twenty or thirty pages, show several of the prime suspects arriving home later that night and pondering what had happened. The different points of view and inner monologue provided background, red herrings and clues, but again it became tedious. Quiet clue planting, shifts in POVs, detailed descriptions, and institutional settings, are certainly P.D. James trademarks. Unfortunately, they also highlight a distinct lack of action in this book. Even the capture of the killer was anti-climatic. It's kind of strange, P.D. James writes well, and, although I hate to say it (this is the great P.D. James, after all) A Mind to Murder just wasn't that interesting.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Better than average, but just a bit.,
By "tmershats" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Mind to Murder (Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries No. 2) (Paperback)
The administrative head of a psychiatric clinic is found murdered, with a chisel through her heart. The clues and suspects are all piled neatly together by the end of the second chapter, and Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh has to ferret out the true story. This appears to be one of James's earliest mysteries, and as such, the "twist" ending doesn't fit as cleanly and seamlessly as possible. The ultimate identity of the culprit (and said his/her motive) seems tacked on and far less likely than almost all of the red herrings brought forth over the course of the story. Most of James's later mysteries are far more interesting. "A Mind to Murder" starts in the standard genre format, and doesn't stray from it once, unlike "Innocent Blood," for example--a far less conventional but more satisfying James outing. As a historical curiosity, this novel features the use of "lysergic acid therapy", the use of LSD in psychiatric counseling, popular in the early 60s, but out of fashion as the drug became part of the counterculture later that decade. And no, Dalgliesh doesn't go on an acid trip.
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