The Murder Room

An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery

By: P. D. James

Narrated by: Charles Keating

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

The Dupayne, a small private museum in London devoted to the interwar years 1919 - 1939, is in turmoil. As its trustees argue over whether it should be closed, one of them is brutally and mysteriously murdered. Yet even as Commander Dalgliesh and his team proceed with their investigation, a second corpse is discovered. Someone in the Dupayne is prepared to kill and kill again. Still more sinister, the murders appear to echo the notorious crimes of the past featured in one of the museum’s galleries: the Murder Room. The case is fraught with danger and complications from the outset, but for Dalgliesh the complications are unexpectedly profound. His new relationship with Emma Lavenham—introduced in the last Dalgliesh novel, Death in Holy Orders—is at a critical stage. Now, as he moves closer and closer to a solution to the puzzle, he finds himself driven further and further from commitment to the woman he loves.

©2003 P.D. James (P)2003 Random House, Inc., Random House Audio, A Division Of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[A] superbly realized setting. … The plot unfolds at its Jamesian leisure; the rich, almost posh quality of its slow unveiling allows for sharp sketches of character and place…. [James] ought never to be confused with such practitioners of the murder-in-the-vicarage genre as Agatha Christie. She is subtler, more sophisticated, much more adept at creating character, and her social conservatism gives her a much darker view of human nature.”—Martin Levin, The Globe and Mail“[T]he premise is delicious.”—Telegraph (UK)

“James’s eye for architecture and nature is rare in most genres of the novel now, and this skill for physical description—along with her psychological acuity.”—The Guardian (UK)"]

“If crime fiction were classical music, P. D. James’s books would be filed under Grand Opera. In a sense, James is the last of the great Golden Age crime writers. She has an instinctive grasp of narrative: despite the leisurely prose, the shocks are beautifully handled. The plot purrs along like a well-designed and well-maintained engine. James writes with rare authority about the civil service, the police and the justice system. She also does an exceptionally good corpse—she never cheapens the physical appearance of death, but describes it with both respect and clinical attention to detail.”—The Independent (UK)

Death by fire

An interesting story with very interesting characters. A bit drawn out in places but probably required to fill out the characters.

First PD James, not my last! Wow!

I can understand the reviews by the folks that did not like this book. It starts out slow, and there are various little stories that take the whole book to connect. But, the descriptions are wonderful, the narration is excellent, and I found myself completely engrossed. It is not so much a police procedural as a psychological portrait of the cops and the suspects. I found it a true joy; but perhaps it is not for those who prefer a more direct writing style.

Great Narrator for a Great Detective

Wish Charles Keating read all of PD James’s work. Publisher, please consider re-recording the books read by another reader with Keating or another reader who lets you enter into the world of the book with such engagement. Keating reads sensitively, with expert pacing, and brings all the characters to life, especially the special Adam Dalgliesh. The prose loaded with descriptive detail of every room and every character is not to everyone’s taste. But I enjoy the quality of writing and the way the mystery hinges on character and character brought to life through these details.

Should make a movie out this book!

These are the types of stories I'd go to the movies to see! Engaging. So good to hear intelligent and top notch vocabulary and conversation!

PD James consistently delivers

I can always count on PD James to keep my interest and tell a good story. I LOVE Inspector Dalgleish!

Doesn't get better than this.

The writing is beautiful. The narration is perfect. I guess if you need your mysteries at a quicker pace...well, you wouldn't have bought P.D. James in the first place. It doesn't matter anyway. The book flies by. I only wish they had more of James to on "byte" or whatever. I "rewind" sometimes just to hear the writing. I mean, a girl does need her murders - and James provides, and happily - but getting there is such a pleasure.

Great Mystery!

This is the best mystery I've "read" in some time.
The plot is great not giving one the ability to guess who did what or why. It reveals itself at a good pace and held my interest as well as being an extremely enjoyable read in the company of some great characters.
Hats off to Ms. James' effort!

The Murder Room

Excellent book; just as good as the other PD James books. Great mystery, I did not want to stop listening. The reader was excellent in performing the various characters and expressing the mood of the story. I am looking forward to the next PD James book.

Don't Blink

No doubt THE MURDER ROOM is one of the best classic mysteries I have listened to to date. The characters were more interesting than the mystery though interesting also. The listener should put a little energy in listening to this book. Idle listening will get you lost. In other words... DON'T BLINK! Jame's best yet!

The Murder Room

P.D. James is wonderful,yet again. Her books keep you riveted from the first to the last. This one had a few unexpected twists near the end that were great!