• The Murder Room

  • An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery
  • By: P. D. James
  • Narrated by: Charles Keating
  • Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (805 ratings)

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The Murder Room  By  cover art

The Murder Room

By: P. D. James
Narrated by: Charles Keating
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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)

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 The Murder Room

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic P.D. James

Cerebral! Not idle listening.

Classic James, don?t listen in the car. I missed a clue (or two) and will now, happily have to allocate some time to re listen and see where it popped up. Her characters, scenes, storyline are richly detailed and layered; her command of the language is amazing a true artist.

Charles Keating the narrator?s performance is natural and believable. Some of the audio books I have heard the performer gets in the way of the story, not the case here.

You owe it to yourself to set aside the almost fifteen hours to listen. Concentration required.

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52 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Murder Room

Classic P.D. James. The book is not for the hurried. The characters are full blood and flesh and fully developed, not mere charicatures. The story line was believable and the language was even tempered. I enjoyed the pace but some may call it slow. I would recommend it if as a rule you enjoy 20th century English classics such as S.W.Maugham or Christie.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

P.D. James - Word Artistry

No one can make words sound more comfortable than P.D. James. She does it once again in this especially wonderful murder mystery, introducing us to new characters as well as once again familiarizing us with the old pro - Adam Dalgliesh.

What makes this listen so enjoyable is the extraordinary competence of Charles Keating. As a reader, he is everything one would want, playing male and female characters with aplomb and expertise. He's incredibly wonderul with James' prose.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Satisfying

Another excellent entry in the Adam Dalgleish series, which actually adds increased depth to the Chief Inspector's personality. The story is inhabited by flesh and blood characters (brought to life by Charles Keating's elegant reading), and the plot is believable and well developed. I especially enjoyed the ending - the part after the murders are solved - because of the human side it shows of Adam Dalgleish. Bravo to Ms. James - please write us some more.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

More, more.......

I have been an Audible listener for several years and have never left a review. I enjoyed Death in Holy Orders and couldn't wait for more. The Murder Room continues in the same fine tradition in telling a classic English detective story. Commander Adam Dalgliesh's personal struggles are revealed, while he remains the consummate profession. If you want to smell the flowers, the dust, and the blood...If you want to feel the anger, fear, and joy of James's characters, I highly recommend this book.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful reading

P D James has become a little formulaic over the years, but what a wonderful formula. Dalgleish is a classic character, and in this book he shows just a little more of his personality. The book itself would only warrant a 3 or a 4, but combined with Charles Keating's wonderfully evocative voice and diction, it gets my 5. This is a book to live in for a while, London and the characters come alive, and you are with them. Keating is the voice of Dalgleish for me and many others from now on.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Excellent Book

I really enjoyed this title. P. D. James creates such excellent word pictures in setting scenes. Charles Keating does another excellent job. I hope Audible adds more James titles. I know there are more available in audio format.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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5 people found this helpful