A Mind to Murder (Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries, No. 2) Paperback – June 5, 2001

Having recently read "A Certain Justice" I have set myself to reading all of P.D. James' works. "A Mind to Murder" firmly validated my decision to do so. In only her second mystery, Ms. James has the strength to pull a whopper of a twist. In so doing she provides some very strong character development for her Inspector Dalgliesh. He learns something very valuable in this work and will become a stronger detective for it.A murder mystery set in a mental health facility provides a wealth of opportunities, none of which are wasted in this volume. In reviewing mysteries, one must be cautious not to throw out any spoilers--but what the reviewer can and did note was that Ms. James' writing is exceptional. The characters come to life and the story has something meaningful to say. In a day and age where entertainment is its own reward, it is nice to find an author who is willing to allow the benefits and burdens of moral choice to take center stage.

I have read a few of the Adam Dalgliesh mystery series and I always find them enjoyable. I love PD James's signature style and I always learn a few new words when reading her novels. Her characters are always well-drawn and interesting. They also seem I recently decided to slowly make my way through all the PD James canon, including all the A.D. mysteries in order. If you like PD James, you will like this book. It is a good mystery written in her typical style. I didn't give it 5 stars because it is not totally perfect and I don't often give 5 stars to books. Baroness James has her weaknesses that I have found sort of stick out more when you read a lot of her books in a row. Every character has such a great vocabulary that it sort of defies belief. There are, as usual, quite a few characters to remember but they are introduced and explained very well in this book and I did not have much trouble remembering who was who. As usual with her books, I would have liked a little more epilogue on what happened to a few of the characters. Also, I always sort of raise an eyebrow regarding how people's memories often seem too good (or at least, much better than mine at remembering trivial details such as whether or not doors were open or lights were on!). However, it is a good and enjoyable read. Has a sort of ironical ending that I liked. I am looking forward to continuing reading through the rest of the books.

I enjoy PD James and her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, but this one was tiresome. I finished, but didn't care when I got to the end. Even a tiresome PD James is better than most authors great books. The characters are a bit flat and there are too many of them. The first part was acceptably interesting, but then it seemed to rush towards an end that was of little impact. It's an early book, maybe that's why.

This early work by P.D. James is a bright star which indicated the splendid future of this British author who has noew joined the rankslofty status of Sayers, Marsh, Allingham Tey and Christi as the greatest writers of British detective stories. The murder takes place in a psychiatric hospital. The suspects are many. The twists and turns through which detective Adam Dalgliesh has to find his way are mant, but in the end, he prevails and the surprises revealed. P.D. James is recommended reading for all those who love a good mystery impeccably written.

PD James once again makes you think you know whodunnit, changes your mind several times, and then tidies it all up with the answer in the last few pages.This murder takes place in a psychiatric clinic when the "Administrative Officer" (Administrative Assistant in the US) is murdered. Adam Dalgliesh from Scotland Yard is called in to solve the case, which you know he is going to do, though even he has worries about whether or not he can.Almost the entire staff is suspect, and many of them have obvious reasons for wanting the victim dead. Some of them have alibis, many of them do not. Several of them seem to be hiding something. (Of course - this is a murder mystery - everyone is hiding something!)This is the 3rd Adam Dalgliesh myster I've read, and the only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I liked "Cover Her Face" and "Original Sin" a lot more. This is a worthy entry in the series, though. My one real complaint is that there are so many acronyms used that the story comes to a screeching halt whenever I read one as I try to remember what it stands for. ("A.O." means administrative officer, for example.) The characters speak to each other like they would normally without all that unecessary explaining that some authors put in when they use jargon unfamiliar to some people. That's great, but sometimes I wanted a glossary. :)I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Detective carried no gun, only asks questions, always is on track and is enjoyable to read, Slow paced this is no Robert Ludlum, in the Bourne series, but 1920 sit by the fire story you can sleep well after reading. P.D. James has written a dozen of these truly enjoyable stories, best read after you hear about a downsize at the office of your wife calls and will be stuck out of town a few more days...you did not even know she was gone...sit back ant listen to or read a perfect cure.SUmner

This was a good old fashioned mystery, absolutely loved it

Lovely, as are all the Dalgliesh series.

Better than book one. The characters are more interesting and the story line better. There was more to keep me reading without struggling to get to the end.

Well crafted crime thriller with great command over atmospherics and detailing of characters. Vividly descriptive and psychologically convincing. Early signs of more good storytelling

I feel somewhat guilty at awarding PD James just 4 stars; after all, her writing is a class, if somewhat pedantic, act and she has provided another well-plotted novel here. I think my problem is that I find her narrative quite dense with insufficient balancing dialogue, making the novel a less than easy read. On balance though, I found the read well worth the effort.