The Lighthouse

An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery

By: P. D. James

Narrated by: Charles Keating

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Combe Island off the Cornish coast has a bloodstained history of piracy and cruelty but now, privately owned, it offers respite to over-stressed men and women in positions of high authority who require privacy and guaranteed security. But the peace of Combe is violated when one of the distinguished visitors is bizarrely murdered. Commander Adam Dalgliesh is called in to solve the mystery quickly and discreetly, but at a difficult time for him and his depleted team. Dalgliesh is uncertain about his future with Emma Lavenham, the woman he loves; Detective Inspector Kate Miskin has her own emotional problems; and the ambitious Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith is worried about working under Kate. Hardly has the team begun to unravel the complicated motives of the suspects than there is a second brutal killing, and the whole investigation is jeopardized when Dalgliesh is faced with a danger more insidious and as potentially fatal as murder.

©2005 P.D. James (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“With her trademark blend of subtle characterization, vivid sense of place and deceptively simple plot, James pulls off another triumph. A beautifully written page-turner from the queen of the genre.” —Toronto Sun

“An elegant and perceptive writer – rich drifts of prose pile up on the page, descriptive passages are Dickensian in length, ornament and power. . . James’s many fans will relish The Lighthouse, for all its poise and narrative familiarity.” —The Globe and Mail

“James’s gifts animate and transform the armature into something exceptional. Her disciplined conventions, her observation of social and class niceties, renew the traditional Franco-British drama of domestic crime. She is a very superior writer of detection.” —Times Literary Supplement

PD James is always a good read; narrator is superb

While this novel by PD James did not stand out to me as something very different from the rest of her novels, I nevertheless really enjoyed listening to it. Ms, James's vocabulary and knowledge about history, geography, etc. is always compelling. She writes concisely and so very well.
Charles Keating was a marvelous narrator. If you like British narrators reading mysteries, this one is for you!

Enjoyable but Flawed

I have enjoyed many of PD James' books, but found this one a bit disappointing. The plot was good and kept me going, but the conclusion was abrupt, and it was hard to believe that all the pieces came together in a single moment of inspiration. It was almost like James said to herself, "ok it's time to end the book, here is the conclusion, now let's move on".

The Lighthouse Could Shine Brighter

P.D. James' eloquence and descriptive storytelling shines in this story about murder on an isolated island, but when we get 3/4 into the investigative procedure and out of nowhere, the solution to the crime simply pops into a sick Adam Dalgleish feverish mind, I felt cheated, and that I had wasted the last 6 hours. We, who went through all the investigation, realize that it proved mostly meaningless, since Adam seems to have the clarvoyance necessary for the solution.
Go figure? No, don't. I will be VERY interested to see how this story will flesh out on video, if it ever does. Perhaps in the video, a "dah-dah" sound effect will justify Adam Dalgeleish's unexpected and out-of-nowhere solution, but it won't remedy our sense of bewilderment and disappointment at being deprived of a fitting ending to an otherwise satisfying tale.

Excellent

P.D. James has now become my favorite authoress. Although, some titles have left me feeling dissappointed at the end, this is not one of them. This book is a true mystery with a empasis on the human aspects of Adam and his team. I think her writing gets better with time and hope the next mystery comes soon and is as well thought-out. I love her descriptions of locations and characters.

Overly Psychological

Any additional comments?

I looked forward to this book, but ended up finding it tedious. The author gave much more time and attention to the psychological interiors of several of the characters than I found interesting.

A thoroughly satisfying read

There is tension, emotion and, finally, resolution, all done with superb attention to the charm of the island location and the nuance of individual personalities, remarkably narrated by Charles Keating, who, in my view, with John Lee is one of the best narrators I’ve heard in over 20 years of listening.

Entertaining but not riveting

If you are a fan of the genre, this is certainly a "must listen." The descriptions are lovely, the characters are rather engaging, and Adam Dalgliesh is always appealing. However, this plot feels like a bridge between previous books and future ones, rather than having merit in itself. The final outcome is predictable, the clues point you toward the murderer about 1/2 way through the book, not long before Dalgliesh has a similar revelation. There are creative plot twists (including the lighthouse), and James is an amazing writer. The narrator is fine, not fantastic but he doesn't detract from the story. Worth a listen.

Wonderful "read"

Classic AD. Wonderful, descriptive dialogue, characcters. Not for someone who is looking for non-stop actins, something to savor.

Excellent

I have always enjoyed the novels of PD James, and this is no exception. An interesting plot, evocative setting, and great writing as always. The excellent narration really does the book justice.

Great mystery, great performance!

I could not put this one down! Dalgleish at his subtle self, Kate opens up as a real human, and you get to know Benton-Smith.