- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: Knopf Canada; First Edition edition (Oct 25 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0676977790
- ISBN-13: 978-0676977790
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 16 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 590 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #292,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
If—as some reviewers have speculated—The Lighthouse marks the end of James's 13-book mystery series about policeman/poet Adam Dalgliesh, at least in this artful and gripping audio version the commander is going out in style. Gifted veteran actor Keating rises above some familiar plot elements and obvious padding to create a convincing atmosphere set on an isolated private island where burnt-out leaders in the fields of business, politics and art go to rest and recuperate. Keating delineates James's many characters sharply and smoothly—from the top men in the police and foreign office who initiate the investigation through the three very different detectives who show up to probe the mysterious death of a noted and much-disliked novelist and find themselves in the middle of another murder. Dalgliesh is even calmer than usual, much of his mind still back in London with his new love interest. Insp. Kate Miskin is also preoccupied by the attentions of a former colleague, and Sgt. Francis Benton-Smith—his eye on the prize of promotion—sees Miskin as a hurdle in the road to success. Dedicated James fans should find this pleasant listening. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 17). (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* At 85, the remarkable P. D. James has written one of her most moving novels. As she has done throughout her career, she sticks closely to formula in the shape of her mystery story but injects her characters with a range of emotions and subtlety of motive that lifts the proceedings well beyond the level of a puzzle and its solution. In the past, she has often isolated her group of victims and suspects by homing in on a particular profession, but this time she uses an even more classic mystery device: an isolated location. Combe Island, off the Cornish coast of England, was once a pirates' enclave but is now used as a retreat for powerful people who need time to recharge their batteries, making it all the more shocking when one of the guests is found murdered. Commander Adam Dalgleish is called to the politically sensitive scene to investigate. The action plays out pretty much as it has in 19 previous James' novels: Dalgleish and his team--Inspector Kate Miskin and Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith--interview the finite group of suspects, making deductions along the way until the commander puts all the pieces together. But it's what happens between the lines that gives James' stories their punch: the tension between Miskin and the ambitious sergeant; the added frisson that comes from Dalgleish finally having a personal life but being unable to move forward with his lover, Emma; and, of course, the personal lives of the various suspects, all of whom James treats with unmatched depth and care. Each new Dalgleish novel should be treated as a gift by mystery fans everywhere. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
very good,
By
This review is from: The Lighthouse (Paperback)
This novel is a very satisfying read, it has a wonderful build-up to the story, maybe too much history in presenting the different characters but the plot is well structured and very captivating.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Lighthouse (Hardcover)
I could not put this book down, an absolutely engaging read. Full of twists turns and surprises. The suspense and thrills were nonstop. If you're looking for a good book then look no further, this is the one. I also suggest recommend David Demello's The Killing Game, another excellent suspense.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Character Counts,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: The Lighthouse (Paperback)
Like many readers, I found The Murder Room to be a disappointing book. Had the inimitable P.D. James lost it?That concern is happily banished by reading the latest Adam Dalgliesh novel, The Lighthouse. On an isolated island in the Channel, retainers and a few guests enjoy tranquility and seclusion. A mysterious death occurs, and A.D. is called in to check things out. It seems that "higher persons" are about to retreat to Combe Island, and the unpleasantness needs to be sorted out before that can happen. A.D. is jolted out his is plans to spend a rare weekend with Emma Lavenham, the woman he has proposed to. Detective Inspector Kate Miskin finds herself faced with the prospect of having a new relationship interrupted. Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith is nervous about working under DI Miskin. Next, we zoom to the island to meet the staff, permanent residents and visitors. They are an eclectic lot as such lands' end locations tend to attract. Miss Emily Holcombe is the last member of the family that deeded the island for its unique purpose. One visitor has come to take refuge from weighty family and public pressures. Another visitor has a hidden agenda. Some of the staff are like flotsam and jetsam, having washed up on Combe's shore when the mainland no longer seemed right for them. Two would like to escape as quickly as possible. At the center of these diverse persons is a world-famous novelist, Nathan Oliver, who was born on the island. Oliver is unable to experience emotions himself and prefers to stage crises so he can observe how those who do have strong emotions behave and speak. With Oliver are his daughter, who keeps house for him, and his own editor, who's on hand to help finish a new novel. Against this backdrop, the death occurs. A.D. and his team arrive and the book takes on the air of a police procedural as interviews and investigations proceed. But then two unexpected events occur that shift everyone's circumstances. The story quickly shifts off into an unexpected direction. Like a deus ex machina, the solution emerges from almost nowhere. That break in the case quickly sets in motion startling new challenges that bring the book to an interesting and rewarding conclusion. Although this story at first seems about the puzzle, P.D. James deftly enlarges her tale to help us think about the nature of parenthood and childhood. She also uses brief histories, vignettes and carefully defined action to illuminate and grow her characters in your mind. It's so subtle that it happens almost without her writing hand being seen. By isolating her characters on the island, she highlights them in the way a spotlight causes us to focus on the actors on a stage. In places, you'll feel And Then There Were None being evoked. Yet the story is fresh, unexpected and intriguing. In the end, I'm sure you'll agree with me that this book could easily have been called Character Counts. Bravo, Baroness!
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