Devices & Desires: Amazon.ca: P. D. James: Books

Descriptions du produit

From Publishers Weekly

James ( A Taste for Death ) sets her 11th novel on Larksoken, a remote windswept headland in Norfolk, where the presence of a huge nuclear energy plant serves as a metaphor for the power of the past to rule over her characters. Commander Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard, in Larsoken to settle an estate left him at the death of a relative, is drawn into the investigation of a serial killer, the Whistler. Dalgliesh's neighbors include the power station's director, Alex Mair; his elegant sister Alice, a cookbook author; acting administrator--and Alex's former lover--Hilary Robarts; and anti-nuclear activist Neil Pascoe. The next signature killing , of the widely disliked Robarts, turns out to have occurred hours after a young man who firmly establishes his identity as the Whistler commits suicide. The question of who murdered Robarts, then, centers around motive. This intricate, layered mystery may be read as parable: we can escape the consequences of our choices, political and personal, no more than we can shed our private histories. This is dark James, plotted with a slight unevenness but utterly faithful to her deeply and sympathetically plumbed characters. 175,000 first printing; BOMC and QPB main selections.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

While the serial killer known as the Whistler goes about his grisly business in the area around the Larksoken Nuclear Power Station, Commander Adam Dalgliesh comes to Norfolk to settle his aunt's estate. Slowly, through masses of dialog and ruminations by most of the characters, the complex plot unfolds into the usual Jamesian tangle of human relationships and subplots. The story takes shape as James unwraps each nuance of personality, each intricate piece of the puzzle. Though not as fast paced as Shroud for a Nightingale (LJ 1/1/72) nor as finely plotted as A Taste for Death ( LJ 10/1/86), this latest novel demonstrates just how well James commands the English language and illustrates her considerable ability to craft and write a novel. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/89; BOMC and Quality Paperback Book Club main selections.
- Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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L'avis des consommateurs

19 �valuations

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3.8�toiles sur 5 (19 �valuations de client)

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Commentaires client les plus utiles

2.0�toiles sur 5 Overwrought and tiring novel, Oct. 18 2001

Par Un client

This review is from: Devices and Desires (Paperback)

Let me preface this review by saying that I have never read any of P.D. James' work, other than this novel. The novel starts off well with the introduction of the Whistler, as he kills another victim. However, as the novel progresses on, the emphasis shifts away from the Whistler himself and onto the other characters of the novel--that is one of the main weaknesses of the novel. There are too many characters in this novel! James takes time introducing these characters, slowing down the pace of the novel and, ultimately, draining it of any energy at all. It is hard to figure out where the novel is actually headed. She would have been better served cutting out a few of the characters and streamlining the plot. I had a hard time figuring out who the protagonist in this novel was--Adam or Inspector Ricketts? I suppose that Adam was supposed to be it, but at times in the novel, he disappears for long periods of time. The ending is confusing and disappointing; one major scene in the novel seems to come out of left field and without provocation (it was mentioned in one of the previous reviews).
Too bad, I found the premise of the novel interesting.

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4.0�toiles sur 5 One of her best, Ao� 6 2001

Par	R.J. (Toronto, Canada) - Voir tous mes commentaires

This review is from: Devices and Desires (Paperback)

P.D. James is not simply a "whodunit?" type of writer, she adds so much cynicism and insight that her books have so much depth as a result. Adam Dalgleish is visiting his late aunt's windmill and cottage and is drawn into a murder spree revolving around the East Anglian seaside. The nuclear power plant dominates the scene, and casts a gloomy shadow over the setting of the novel. James is as incisive as ever, studying the motivations of all the suspects involved, but also peering disturbingly into their personal lives and all the inner demons which haunt many of them. Certainly there are many red herrings in this book, it adds to the enjoyment, and the ending was unexpected (which is something I always expect from P.D. James!) James is unsentimental in her portrayals; the misguided Hilary Robarts, the secret between the Mair siblings, Meg's escaping from the political correctness of her previous life, Blaney's wretched existence with four children, the somewhat pathetic anti-nuclear pamphleteer, and so on. The minor characters, from some of the early victims of the Whistler, to the Sgt. Oliphant of the local police who would be a scary fellow to be interrogated by, come to life in these pages and again add much depth to this novel. If one is starting out with P.D. James, this book is a great place to start. It's where I did, and I've read them all since I was captivated this first time.

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4.0�toiles sur 5 Sub-plots a little distracting, but more Jamesian excellence, Mars 2 2001

Par	Elsie Wilson (Aberystwyth, Cymru) - Voir tous mes commentaires

This review is from: Devices and Desires (Paperback)

A different sort of mystery (and how often one can write that for a James!) in that the murderer one thinks is going to be the main problem suddenly isn't, and the real solution to the major crime is hidden in layers that are opened only by the omniscient author to the reader; none of her characters, not even Dalgliesh, knows all that we do by the end of the book. Dalgliesh is not actually the investigating officer in any of the mysteries here; truth be told he's more of a suspect ~ certainly a witness ~ in the major crime. Visiting his aunt's cottage, his since her death, in Norfolk, he becomes imbroiled in a mystery that could be part of the repetoire of a serial killer he has a slight interest in. The characters range around the headland which contains his cottage and mill, a nuclear power station, and several other habitations. Everyone has something to hide, including Dalgliesh and the investigating officer Rickards; some are more successful at concealment. The only thing i disliked about the plot was the sudden intrusion of MI5 in the last pages. Its appearance has something of the nature of a deus ex machina, and i am not too sure that the precense of the two men adds anything other than a mild explanation; nothing necessary, in other words. It reminds me of another James where the end comes only in the written confession of the murderer; there, as i recall, i did not object so strongly. The flurry of "fake" endings leads one to wonder if perhaps James doesn't write herself into a corner, concetrating so hard on the characters and their actions, that she loses track of the plot and cannot find a way out? The blessing is that those characters really do carry her books; i am not overly upset over a minor plot flaw.

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Commentaires client les plus r�cents

2.0�toiles sur 5 Won't read another one...
I really didn't enjoy this novel. I have loved writers like Christie, MacInnes, Marsh, Doyle, and I was looking for a new author. Read more

Publi� le F�v 25 2001

5.0�toiles sur 5 James Is At Her Best!
There's no one quite like P.D. James writing police procedurals today. With her Superintendent Adam Dalgleish, the poetry-writing, very sensitive, and brilliant policeman, James... Read more

Publi� le Janv. 14 2001 par Donald Barber

4.0�toiles sur 5 THE SERIAL kILLER DIED TOO SOON
Frequently, I wait a few weeks after reading a book before I decide whether or not to review it. in the case of DEVICES & DESIRES, that delay was fortuitous as I read another... Read more

Publi� le Oct. 19 2000 par Loren D. Morrison

4.0�toiles sur 5 James does it again
I've been attempting to find another mystery writer who engages me like PD James -- I've been unsuccessful. Read more

Publi� le Ao� 28 2000