- Paperback: 346 pages
- Publisher: Touchstone (2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0743219619
- ISBN-13: 978-0743219617
- Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 13.7 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 295 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #853,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic James, and a Joy to Read,
By
This review is from: The Black Tower (Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series #5) (Paperback)
While Commander Adam Dalgleish is recuperating from health issues and questioning his future as a police officer, he receives a letter from Father Michael Baddeley, a priest he hasn't seen in twenty years. The priest requests that Dalgleish come see him at Toynton Grange, a private home for young, severely disabled people, which is a fair distance away. The only reason Father Baddeley gives for his request is that it's in a professional capacity. By the time Dalgleish arrives several days later, the elderly priest has died from heart failure. Dalgleish stays on at Father Baddeley's cottage to sort through the books bequeathed to him; however, during his stay two more deaths occur. Neither appears to be homicide and, given Dalgleish's physical health--not to mention state of mind--he's not all that interested in learning more. But things are said, inconsistencies noted, and Dalgleish is slowly drawn into solving a devious puzzle.The Black Tower is a great example of James's trademark talent for detailed narrative, carefully revealed plots, and isolated settings that provide as much of an ominous tone as the unhappy suspects. What appealed most to me were the changes in Dalgleish as he questions his career. Reminisces about his past with Father Baddeley also provide a glimpse of the boy he once was. Great stuff!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (30 customer reviews) 35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Murder In An Unrelentingly Dark Mood,
By Gary F. Taylor "GFT" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Black Tower (Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series #5) (Paperback)
P.D. James is reknowned for her ability to combine the psychological novel with the classic murder mystery--but now and then her emphasis on psychology so overshadows her plot that it becomes hard to describe the work as a murder mystery per se. Such is the case with THE BLACK TOWER, a profoundly bleak novel set in an isolated home for "the young disabled," a euphemistic term for victims of slowly progressing but ultimately fatal muscular disease.The story begins when Inspector Dalgliesh, himself recovering from both a serious illness and a crisis of confidence, is invited to Toynton Grange by the home's elderly chaplin; something is amiss, and the chaplin would welcome Dalgliesh's advice. But when Dalgliesh arrives, he finds his old friend has died a few days earlier. With little to go on except his own suspicion, Dalgliesh slowly, grudingly begins to investigate... and finds one suspicious death after another. The premise is a classic set up, but in this novel James places Dalgliesh more as an observer of the inevitable than as a detective, and when the solution arrives it does so more by intuition and assumption than by logical deduction. But if this element is weak, the overall novel is very strong: moody to the point of despair, and peopled with painfully pitiful characters, THE DARK TOWER is perhaps one of James' more memorable novels in terms of style alone. Flawed, yes; recommended nonetheless. But be forewarned: you may need prescription medication to escape the sense of depression the novel creates. 14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
James delves into the creepy--and succeeds,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Black Tower (Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series #5) (Paperback)
"The Black Tower" is arguably the creepiest of P. D. James's works! In addition to having the highest number of murder victims, the novel has a claustrophobic setting--an isolated nursing home on the Dorset coast--that lends itself well to a level of suspense bordering on terror.H. R. F. Keating has cited "The Black Tower" as one of the 100 greatest mystery novels of all time. (James's "A Taste for Death" is also on the list.) Interestingly enough, although the element of mystery builds throughout "The Black Tower," its resolution is not as satisfying as in some other works by P. D. James. The reason may be that the motive for the multiple murders does not seem to be as well integrated into the heart of the novel when compared to "Shroud for a Nightingale" and "Original Sin," to name novels that both preceded and followed "The Black Tower." Still, the remarkable characters and, yes, the element of creepiness make "The Black Tower" a terrific read. The setting is atmospheric and plays a large role in generating the tension that pervades the novel. Bonus: Fans of both detective series in the P. D. James canon will be gratified by the teasing references to Cordelia Gray in this Dalgliesh novel. 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Solid Mystery,
By Michael Dea - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Black Tower (Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series #5) (Paperback)
Commander Adam Dalgliesh is recovering from a severe illness when he receives an invitation to visit his old friend and mentor Father Baddely. Deciding that a visit to the countryside might give him time to relax and give thought to perhaps giving up his career at Scotland Yard. But there is no rest, as there are a series of deaths at Troynton Grange, and with each death Dalgliesh is drawn inexorably back into his old life, solving murders.'The Black Tower' is a little less in classical Agatha Christie style as 'The Skull Beneath The Skin', the other PD James novel I have read. The setting for 'The Black Tower' is in a local sanitorium for patients with long-term illness, which provides a suitable sense of dread and decay. James peoples it with several interesting characters. A fine effort. |
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