• Death in Holy Orders

  • An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery
  • By: P. D. James
  • Narrated by: Charles Keating
  • Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,019 ratings)

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Death in Holy Orders  By  cover art

Death in Holy Orders

By: P. D. James
Narrated by: Charles Keating
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Publisher's summary

The setting itself is elemental P. D. James: the bleak coast of East Anglia, where atop a sweep of low cliffs stands the small theological college of St. Anselm’s. On the shore not far away, smothered beneath a fall of sand, lies the body of one of the school’s young ordinands. He is the son of Sir Alred Treves, a hugely successful and flamboyant businessman who is accustomed to getting what he wants—and in this case what he wants is Commander Adam Dalgliesh to investigate his son’s death.

Although there seems to be little to investigate, Dalgliesh agrees, largely out of nostalgia for several happy summers he spent at St. Anselm’s as a boy. No sooner does he arrive, however, than the college is torn apart by a sacrilegious and horrifying murder, and Dalgliesh finds himself ineluctably drawn into the labyrinth of an intricate and violent mystery.

Here P. D. James once more demonstrates her unrivalled skill in building a classic detective story into a fully realized novel, gripping as much for its psychological and emotional richness as for the originality and complexity of its plotting—and, of course, for the horror and suspense at its heart.

Filled with unforgettable characters, brilliant in its evocation of the East Anglian scene and the religious background against which the action takes place, Death in Holy Orders again offers proof, if proof were needed, that P. D. James is not only the reigning master of the crime novel but also, simply, one of the finest novelists writing today.

©2001 by P.D. James (P)2001 Random House, Inc., Random House AudioBooks, a Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"There are very few thriller writers who can compete with P. D. James at her best ... One of the things that sets P. D. James apart from other writers in this genre is the intellectual assurance of her work. This is manifest in her use of language - she writes beautifully - but also in the light touch with which she displays her learning ... DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS is pure pleasure." --Charlotte Joll, The Spectator

"DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS is a page-turner ... but it is also so well-written that you linger over James's beautifully-observed descriptions of characters or scenes ... More, please, P. D. James." --Rosita Boland, The Irish Times

"Adam Dalgliesh's latest outing possesses the confident interplay of classical discipline, contemporary morality and strong evocation of place that had hitherto distinguished James's novels. Writing for the most part within the conventions of the detective story, she has again proved its constraints to be a liberating force for the creative imagination, drawing on accepted generic elements to produce a thoughtful, beautifully-written book which is far more complex than the sum of its parts." --Nicola Upson, The Observer

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What listeners say about Death in Holy Orders

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Poor production

The production is very poor. Chapters and sequences are not manageable and out of water. It appears that this is a haphazard audio production.

Naturally come on Charles Keating is a new voice as of this particular sequel, and it will take some getting used to. Nevertheless, he is not as apt to distinguish voices and characters as effectively as previous narrators.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a joy to be read to!

pd James is smart, unexpectedly funny and worth ever minute of listening time. order and enjoy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • MM
  • 08-11-19

My favorite!

Charles Keating's narration is mesmerizing, a perfect match for PD James' characters, setting, and plot.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

superb

The narration, although one I had to slow down, made me feel the chill of the air, the beauty of the rough seas, and even the smell of damp wool.

The writing is, to me, undeniably descriptive and drew me to believe that somehow I was one of the participants.

The character portrayals are well developed and show many instances of human frailties and goodness.

Worth the listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing and engaging.

Enjoyed every moment, and as usual with P. D. James, I couldn't figure it out.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A different English Countryside Mystery

#whodunit. It was a glorious trying to untangle the threads of this wonderful story. Liked the atmosphere and the cast of characters. Probably helps if you know about about British clergy and East Anglis.n##tagsgiving #Sweepstakes

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    1 out of 5 stars
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BORING... REALLY, REALLY BORING. ZZZZZZZZZZ

BORING... REALLY, REALLY BORING. ZZZZZZZZZZ
THE PBS TV SERIES WAS GOOD BUT THIS IS NOT SO GOOD !!!!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Story!

Loved the story! Kept me guessing till the end!

Looking forward to my next PD James read!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Satisfying read

I like reading anything by PDJames. This takes place in a religious order where a death may have been a murder. A well known detective just happens to be there on a personal retreat. This was another entertaining story and I recommend it. #mystery#priests#suspenseful#detective#murders#catholicchurch#tagsgiving#sweepstakes

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An excellent book.

Of all the Adam Dalgliesh audio books those read by Charles Keating are my favorite.

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