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

A++

PD James keeps getting better and better. Her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries are highly atmospheric and the characters are very dimensional. She is a master at psychological thrillers.

This story is set on a remote island off the English coast--Coombe Island. What follows is a classic, closed setting British detective thriller.

A Must Listen if you are a fan of the genre.

mediocre

Not P.D. James best but provided a satisfactory ending to a long running story line.

Classic P.D. James

With it's closed setting on the fictional island of Coombe and psychological insights into Dalgleish, Miskin and the suspects this is classic P.D. James territory. I enjoyed this even more than the previous 'Murder Room'. The narration is solid and clear.

AD Gets his man even when he is ill!

This was very entertaining I couldn’t stop listening. On some of the parts I had to re-listen to make sure I got all of the facts.
The ending was a surprise had no idea until the end. Great read!

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New Collaborators

This Dalgliesh moves the Commander’s life and team in new directions. It might be Kate’s finest hour but her new partner on the team performs must admirably. Listen with alacrity 👍

Enjoyed

PD James, good read, as always. Sorry there is only one left to go. I am listening after having read years ago.

Excellent listen!

PD James is a master writer! This book is full of well flesh-out characters behaving in believable ways in an excellent whodunit. The story will stand alone, but fans of the Adam Dalgleish stories will enjoy this adventure of the Scotland Yard inspector. James' complex characters add even more layers and nuances and we come to know AD and his team even better in "The Lighthouse." Danger, adventure, great characters, terrific writing-- who could ask for more?

wonderful

this is truly one of the most wonderful books i have ever read(heard) im so happy that i discovered such a charming and insight ful writer

Very good, but not as complex as most of her work

Even a mediocre PD James novel is superior to most other writers' work in this genre. This book is good, with her usual superb use of language and her plausible, interesting characters, but setting the story on an isolated island with few inhabitants forces a simpler plot than we are used to enjoying with James.

I really like this narrator, who certainly sounds British but does not "lay it on thick" like that Penelope person. Penelope's overwhelming, gushing narration makes many of the James audiobooks almost unlistenable for me. Charles' narration is clear and intelligent without drawing attention to itself.

Like most readers, I am guessing, I want to go for a long vacation on that island (now that it is rid of murderers.)

3 Loves

1. Love the author
2. Loved the story
3. Love the reading by Charles Keating. His is a voice that engages, changing with ever character and keeping one on the edge of their seat throughout the performance. And how can one not love that British accent? Well done!