Devices and Desires

An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery, Book 8

By: P. D. James

Narrated by: Penelope Dellaporta

Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Featuring the famous Commander Adam Dalgliesh, Devices and Desires is a thrilling and insightfully crafted novel of fallible people caught in a net of secrets, ambitions, and schemes on a lonely stretch of Norfolk coastline.

Commander Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard has just published a new book of poems and has taken a brief respite from publicity on the remote Larksoken headland on the Norfolk coast in a converted windmill left to him by his aunt. But he cannot so easily escape murder.

A psychotic strangler of young women is at large in Norfolk, and getting nearer to Larksoken with every killing. And when Dalgliesh discovers the murdered body of the Acting Administrative Officer on the beach, he finds himself caught up in the passions and dangerous secrets of the headland community and in one of the most baffling murder cases of his career.

©2005 P. D. James (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Taut.... Absorbing.... Better than her best." (The New York Times Book Review)

"I have often thought of mysteries as the sorbets of literature, something light and tangy to clear the palate between more serious courses. The books of P.D. James, however are more substantial fare, fulfilling as well as delicious, and Devices and Desires is no exception." (The Washington Post Book World)

"A masterful writer.... Devices and Desires seems to be that highly prized work - a terrific tale suspense and detection that also delivers the satisfaction of a mainstream novel." (The Wall Street Journal)

Not my favorite

I usually love the details but this time it was too easy to get confused. Not sure if too many characters and subplots or if reader didn't help me tell them apart. I was losing track of a lot of it.

Great Plot Ruined by too much introspection

Great plot with great characters. Problem is there isn't a scene without deep philosophic thought or memories.there are also too many long conversations. I like a book that makes me think ,but not one that tells me what to think. I got used to Miss Dellaporta but she's definitely past her prime.P D James is still heads above others writers even with my complaints.

Well read but too long.

The narrator is excellent.

I watched the TV series "Dalgleish" and enjoyed it. I didn't realize how much it was abridged. Having never read P.D. James before now, I found the actual story much too long and all the in-depth character studies a bit tedious. I was also disappointed that Dalgliesh wasn't more central to the story. I acknowledge that P.D. James is an excellent writer, I just don't know if I will listen to another book.

Another book ruined

Yet another book ruined by an ill-chosen narrator. I usually, always, listen to the preview of the book because the narrator can make or break the book for me. This time I realized instantly that I did not. While Ms. Dallaporta's normal voice can be characterized as 'fingernails on a chalkboard,' when the characters become emotional, she squawks like an hysterical myna bird. Ugh. I made it two-thirds of the way through before I concluded that the victim probably committed suicide to avoid listening to Ms. Dellaporta any longer. Listen only if you have an extremely insensitive ear to unattractive female voices.

Great Interesting Read, Good Performance

I enjoy the English reader, she does a good job with this book. Nice change of pace. The story is the thinking kind of mystery with enough colorful characters and interesting English countryside to hold your interest through a relatively long book.

Adam Dalgliesh is a secondary character

What was most disappointing about P. D. James’s story?

This is as well written as any of her other books, but if you want to watch Adam Dalgliesh solve a case, this book is a little disappointing. He is central to the storyline, but not a central character.

What about Penelope Dellaporta’s performance did you like?

I really enjoy her reading of these books. She does an excellent job.

Windmill of My Mind

Although I liked A Taste of Death better than this title, this was a fine tale. Adam Dalgliesh goes to settle his Aunt Jane’s estate and stays in her windmill home. Of course, he encounters murder. The philosophical passages are absorbing. Dalgliesh is as perceptive as the listener would expect. There is one episode that I would have preferred left out. See if you can determine which one. Listen with mostly pleasure!

Well done.

I love P. D. James and this is one of her very best. Thank you Ms. James.

A complex riveting story

PD James is a master of the complex mystery with many twists and turns and red herrings in evidence. All her books are wonderful.

Devices and Desires

I enjoy P.D. James’s books, whether audio or reading. However, Ms. Dellaport’s histrionic screeching at every rise in tension. however small, ruined this audiobook for me. She sounds like she is about to break into sobs. Her voicing of the various characters was also weak and ineffective. She should stick to straightforward reading. And it went on for hours! I won’t suffer through another one of her narrations. If she were on stage, I would walk out. She ruined an otherwise good book for me.
The story, as always, is very good,,with excellent character development.