• Devices and Desires

  • An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery, Book 8
  • By: P. D. James
  • Narrated by: Penelope Dellaporta
  • Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (273 ratings)

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Devices and Desires  By  cover art

Devices and Desires

By: P. D. James
Narrated by: Penelope Dellaporta
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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)

Featured Article: The Best Cozy Mysteries to Keep You Warm This Holiday Season


We’ve rounded up a list of some of the best cozy mystery audiobooks to help brighten up your winter listening. Here you'll find contemporary and historical cozies, classic whodunits and ingenious heist stories. While varying in tone, plot, and setting, these picks all share an irresistible holiday atmosphere. You'll find snowstorms galore, bakeries full of tasty holiday treats, glittering get-togethers, and picturesque English villages decked out in their holiday finest.

What listeners say about Devices and Desires

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

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.

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11 people found this helpful

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

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.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Please bring back the Michael Jayston Narrations

I decided to try a P.D James narrated by Penelope Dellaporta. I love Adam Dalgliesh and have listened to three narrated by Michael Jayston. Since those are no longer available for whatever reason, I just gave in. This was almost unbearable. Her narration is dreadful. She manages to demean P.D. James’ incredible talent. Audible, please offer the other versions!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

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.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Devices and Desires

I have read 7 of Mrs. James novels and noticed the thread of feminism wound throughout the story lines, but never felt it too intrusive; however, this story is much different. The content was so offensive to me that I returned it without finishing the story. I read detective novels for pleasure and escape, not to become the captive of someone's ideology. If the author's point of view in life is subtly woven throughout the plotlines and characters, and the story is well written, then one can overlook some aspects that are contrary to one's beliefs. It's really too bad that she felt the need to hammer her POV of abortion and feminism throughout the story. I won't be reading anymore of her books. I like the narrator and thought she did a beautiful job.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Only because I love the author, did I finish listening....

P.D. James writes very well. Her character development and the depth and complexity of each are marvelous. However: this is the first time I got a book with this narrator, and I honestly disliked it very much. This is my first time after a couple hundred books that I complain about narration. This particular voice is too high for my liking, the intonations are all wrong and overall the narration doesn’t add to the book - it takes away from it. So, I did not really believe all those other reviewers who said the same thing, but they were right!

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1 person found this helpful

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

To me this is unrealistic, unreadable tripe

If I could find out how to return this book, I would do it in a heartbeat.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Character development rich, unexpected plot twist

As usual, Ms James' Adam Dalgleish does not disappoint. With Adam being more of an observer, this story seems to develop characters that you see and feel their presence. Great plot twist and epilogue.

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1 person found this helpful

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

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.

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