Probably the most dry and clinical of all the great modern crime authors, James' books read rather like the workings of the mind of her detective, Commander Adam Dalgleish. The are cool and complex with an arty side that Dalgleish brings out by being a poet on the side. Even though many of her characters, particularly the less educated, are difficult to identify with because they have this slightly stilted, artificial nature, her books are fascinating page turners.

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Cover her Face.
One of James' earliest Dalgliesh books, originally published in 1962, it's a fascinating transition piece between the cosy country house crime of Agatha Christie and the modern day psychological crime thriller. The young, red-haired maid Sally Jupp doesn't stand a chance as practically everyone in the house seems to have it in for her ... New 26 May 1998

Original Sin.
A wonderful book if you are interested in writing or publishing, featuring as it does some dark doings in a publishing house on the brink of moving from the 19th Century to the 20th. Wonderful descriptions of their out-of-place Venetian palace and its Thames-side location and a plot that keeps you guessing all the way. New 25 April 1998

Original Sin. New 25 April 1998

The Black Tower.   New 15 January 2000

A Certain Justice   New 15 January 2000
Published 1999

A Certain Justice   New 15 January 2000
Published 1997

A Certain Justice [UNABRIDGED]
Published 1997

A Mind to Murder   New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

A Shroud for a Nightingale   New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

A Taste for Death   New 15 January 2000
Published 1999

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman   New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman    New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

Cover Her Face   New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

Cover Her Face    New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

Death of an Expert Witness   New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

Devices and Desires   New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

Devices and Desires    New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

Innocent Blood   New 15 January 2000
Published 1992

The Skull Beneath the Skin   New 15 January 2000
Published 1994

The Skull Beneath the Skin    New 15 January 2000
Published 1994

Unnatural Causes   New 15 January 2000
Published 1996

Unnatural Causes    New 15 January 2000
Published 1996

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