Cover Her Face (Adam Dalgliesh, #1) by P.D. James — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists May 05, 2012 Shireen rated it really liked it · review of another edition After my brain injury, PD James became a marker for me in my reading progress. Pre-injury I read every one of her books and enjoyed them tremendously for their good writing and good stories. After my injury though, with my reading ability fried, I couldn't read any of her books. Too many characters to follow, plots that meandered beyond my ability to follow, writing at a grade level higher than what I'd sunk down to... It was rather disappointing to see her new books come out over the years and After my brain injury, PD James became a marker for me in my reading progress. Pre-injury I read every one of her books and enjoyed them tremendously for their good writing and good stories. After my injury though, with my reading ability fried, I couldn't read any of her books. Too many characters to follow, plots that meandered beyond my ability to follow, writing at a grade level higher than what I'd sunk down to...

It was rather disappointing to see her new books come out over the years and know I wouldn't read them. And then I was enrolled in a research drug trial in March. I felt my cognitive abilities shift, and I suddenly realised I was reading more. I dared to try a PD James. I followed my rehab therapists' advice: read a book I'd already read, tis easier. And so I went all the way back to James's first Dalgliesh book. It felt quite familiar. I'd begun reading PD James in my teens, an age when I still reread books (sometime in my twenties I stopped rereading them because as soon as I'd read the first paragraph, the entire book would flood back into my memory). And so I'd probably reread Cover Her Face a few times years ago. Also, the story is reminiscent of a couple of Agatha Christie mysteries (which I continued to reread after my brain injury), making the plot familiar in several ways. Even so, I did have some trouble keeping track of the characters, and I only solved the mystery near the end, which is better than my usual not-solving-the-mystery-at-all track record since the injury.

But the writing was demonstrably superior to many of the books I've been reading. It was rather satisfying to sink my teeth into a book fully of layers and complexities due to the author's good command of the language. I enjoyed it immensely. ...more Shelves: read-for-pleasure Nažalost, kod nas je bila popularnija serija snimljena po romanima o inspektori Daglišu nego sami roman P.D. Džejms... :) Ko je još nije čitao neka požuri, mnogo je propustio :) May 03, 2016 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition I have not read the first Adam Dalgleish novel for some time, so it was a pleasure to return to P D James and her very first book. In some ways this is a very typical mystery. The Maxie family live in the big house, in somewhat genteel poverty, with the only full time staff member the loyal Martha. As well as the housework and cooking, Mr Maxie is bedridden, so Mrs Maxie employs Sally Jupp, an unmarried mother as a house-parlourmaid.

She is convinced by Miss Liddell, the Warden of St Mary’s Refu I have not read the first Adam Dalgleish novel for some time, so it was a pleasure to return to P D James and her very first book. In some ways this is a very typical mystery. The Maxie family live in the big house, in somewhat genteel poverty, with the only full time staff member the loyal Martha. As well as the housework and cooking, Mr Maxie is bedridden, so Mrs Maxie employs Sally Jupp, an unmarried mother as a house-parlourmaid. She is convinced by Miss Liddell, the Warden of St Mary’s Refuge for Girls, that Sally will be a hard worker, but the arrival of sly, devious and attractive Sally causes chaos within the house. On the night of the Church Fete, held at Martingale, home of the Maxie’s, the young woman is killed. Enter Detective Chief-Inspector Adam Dalgliesh to investigate. We have a whole host of suspects and motives and the novel is, as you would expect, extremely well plotted.

I found the way Sally Jupp was presented as both a sympathetic victim, and yet essentially a young woman that nobody seemed to like, cleverly done and there were plenty of twists and turns. This reads very much as a stand alone novel, although, as we know, Dalgleish was to become a much loved and long running character. It was a joy to embark on this series again and I look forward to reading on. Shelves: fiction Where I got the book: Audiobook on Audible. I thought it was about time I listened to the entire Adam Dalgleish series—I’ve read some of them but certainly none of the early ones. In this 1962 story you can see the tradition that goes back to the Golden Age of the detective story in the 1930s. All the clichés are there: the stately home, the nerve-ridden war hero, the lower classes kowtowing to the upper, the vicar a sort of go-between in terms of social status. Except that it wasn’t, of course—J Where I got the book: Audiobook on Audible.

I thought it was about time I listened to the entire Adam Dalgleish series—I’ve read some of them but certainly none of the early ones. In this 1962 story you can see the tradition that goes back to the Golden Age of the detective story in the 1930s. All the clichés are there: the stately home, the nerve-ridden war hero, the lower classes kowtowing to the upper, the vicar a sort of go-between in terms of social status. Except that it wasn’t, of course—James updated her stately home mystery to portray a society shaken by (another) War and by the social upheaval that followed it. The staff at Martingale is reduced to a sort of housekeeper, Martha, with no butler in sight to do the dirty deed. Martha is aided by a housemaid, Sally Jupp, an unmarried mother who seems to take lightly what would once have been a cause of shame. The lower classes are decidedly uppity, with their carefully tended council houses and a distinct touch of attitude toward their betters.

The money is all gone, the master of the house is dying, and standards are always just a step away from slipping disastrously down the cliff face. And yet the Maxies struggle on, holding the village fête in their grounds, giving dinner parties and doing good wherever they can—such as taking in Sally and her child, whose father is unknown. Manipulative Sally announces that she’s marrying into the Maxie family, but is found dead the next morning and the chief constable calls in the Yard, in the form of Dalgleish. We learn little about the detective, who comes across as rather two-dimensional, prone to saying “yes, we know all about that,” when a new clue is revealed (and if the police knew all about it, why wasn’t the reader informed, I’d like to know?) Dalgleish is admired by his sergeant and clearly thought a Sexy Beast by the family’s attractive widow, but I never really got a clear impression of what made him such a striking figure. I guess it took James a while to build him into the Sensitive Loner Dectective that sent readers’ hearts a-fluttering. Two factors in particular made this story seem very dated to me.

One was the omniscient narrator, popping happily into the suspects’ heads without warning and in a very erratic fashion, as if the writer occasionally became tired of doing the storytelling and handed the job over to someone else for five minutes. The other, alas, was the voice of audiobook narrator Penelope Dellaporta, which was standard BBC refined actress—I’ve become so unused to hearing this voice that its plumminess tends to get on my nerves. Furthermore, when I was listening to the audiobook without earbuds, there were odd popping noises as if people were playing ping-pong in the background. It didn’t happen when I put my earbuds in—very strange. And, oh my goodness, every upper class character in the story was a resounding snob. Except, perhaps, the vicar, and vicars are, socially speaking, neither fish nor fowl. The descriptions of the lower orders’ houses were spectacularly condescending—was James playing to the sensibilities of her supposed readership, or was this how she actually thought? It seems almost impossible that English society was that hidebound just fiftysomething years ago.

The story wasn’t bad, apart from the tendency the characters had to explain their actions very carefully in chronological order, helpful if you’re the sort of mystery fan who loves the timetable aspect of investigation but not very realistic. There were some nice twists, and the whole thing culminated, very satisfactorily, with the great detective gathering all the suspects together in one room and methodically explaining what happened, with further twists in the tale being provided by timely interruptions. All very mechanical, really, but interesting—you can see the straight line going back to Dorothy L. Sayers and forward to the writer P.D. James would become in her later life. Development of the Mystery Story 101. This methodical method of building up a story was a bit on the slow side, of course. But it’s a true portrait, I think, of a world that was being swept away even as P.D. James was writing. I’m looking forward to seeing her move into the 70s . . . although, of course, if I remember anything of the Dalgleish stories I read, she tended to adopt the closed-community scenario where people were sort of stranded in time. ...more Shelves: mystery , crime Meh. P.D.

James is a competent writer and puts together a reasonable mystery, but there's nothing exciting about it -- I felt like I'd read it before, honestly. The Kindle version has very bad formatting, too ("that" turns into "mat", for example); no one bothered to proofread it. None of the characters are particularly interesting to me -- again, I seemed to have read all about them before, in other crime novels. I think I had the same reaction to another P.D. James book, so maybe I just don't c Meh. P.D. James is a competent writer and puts together a reasonable mystery, but there's nothing exciting about it -- I felt like I'd read it before, honestly. The Kindle version has very bad formatting, too ("that" turns into "mat", for example); no one bothered to proofread it. None of the characters are particularly interesting to me -- again, I seemed to have read all about them before, in other crime novels. I think I had the same reaction to another P.D. James book, so maybe I just don't care for James' work.

...more May 12, 2012 trishtrash rated it liked it · review of another edition This was James’ first crime novel, debuting DCI Adam Dalgliesh who gets far less character padding or attention than the victim, suspect pool, or even his accompanying sergeant. I enjoy James’ character building enormously, it’s really her forte, and especially the way she often leaves Dalgliesh to the role of observer, concentrating on the crime rather than the draw of a serialised detective. In Cover her Face, none of the characters are overly likeable, but they are all very strongly presented This was James’ first crime novel, debuting DCI Adam Dalgliesh who gets far less character padding or attention than the victim, suspect pool, or even his accompanying sergeant. I enjoy James’ character building enormously, it’s really her forte, and especially the way she often leaves Dalgliesh to the role of observer, concentrating on the crime rather than the draw of a serialised detective. In Cover her Face, none of the characters are overly likeable, but they are all very strongly presented, their actions, opinions and dialogue very human… if a little dated, in places.

The Maxies have taken in Sally Jupp, single mother, and recent resident of a refuge for women in similar ‘trouble’, to be their maid. Sally proves to be ambitious, secretive and a trouble maker. When she is found dead, the family reaction is more affront than surprise. But the motive that seems obvious dangles just out of the reach of provability… only painstaking assessment of the family and guests’ movements and characters will winnow out the culprit. Good old fashioned detective work, in other words. I’ve read these out of order over the years, just now coming to the first book, and was surprised to find it so cohesive. It isn’t perfect; for a start this is written to be a puzzler, not a gripping page-turner, but James’ writing skills cover up any small flaws; she’s no less competent a storyteller at book one than book fourteen. ...more Shelves: mysteries , 2008 I like keeping a crime novel handy sometimes when I’m reading a nonfiction book. I tend to find fiction a bit more relaxing, and would prefer not to read a book like The Omnivore’s Dilemma (the other book I’m reading) before bed.

This was James’ debut novel, and it reads quite assuredly for being such. A well constructed, if unsurprising, mystery. I don’t mean that the identity of the killer was unsurprising; I mean that, in general, the book stuck well within the confines of its genre. One thin I like keeping a crime novel handy sometimes when I’m reading a nonfiction book. I tend to find fiction a bit more relaxing, and would prefer not to read a book like The Omnivore’s Dilemma (the other book I’m reading) before bed. This was James’ debut novel, and it reads quite assuredly for being such. A well constructed, if unsurprising, mystery. I don’t mean that the identity of the killer was unsurprising; I mean that, in general, the book stuck well within the confines of its genre. One thing I found notable – and quite liked – was the beginning of the novel. I enjoyed that James introduced us to her characters – and started the action – before the murder. She spent a fifth of her book setting us up – that was something of a surprise to me, and worked well. I’m sure I’ll read more P.D. James – but I’m in no hurry.

...more Shelves: fiction-crime-detection James, P. D. COVER HER FACE. (1962). *****. This was James’ first Detective Chief Superintendent Adam Dagliesh mystery, and marked her entrance into the field superlatively. I’ve always wanted to read these mysteries in order, but, unfortunately, read them as I found them. Some little pieces of data are given in each installment about Dagliesh that help you to know the character better, but does not affect the reading of the book at hand. In this case, there is a killing at Martingale, the ances James, P. D. COVER HER FACE. (1962). *****. This was James’ first Detective Chief Superintendent Adam Dagliesh mystery, and marked her entrance into the field superlatively. I’ve always wanted to read these mysteries in order, but, unfortunately, read them as I found them. Some little pieces of data are given in each installment about Dagliesh that help you to know the character better, but does not affect the reading of the book at hand. In this case, there is a killing at Martingale, the ancestral home of the Maxie family. The current Mr.

Maxie is on his death bed – and has been on the deline for several years – being taken care of by his wife, Mrs. Maxie, and the housekeeper, Martha, a long-time retainer. Mrs. Maxie feels the strain of both keeping up the manor and taking care of Mr. Maxie and so hires on a young girl, Sally Jupp, from the local home for unwed mothers to help out. Sally is a pert and efficient assistant around the house, but soon begins to get on everyone’s nerves by her superciliousness and air of secrecy. She is installed in an upstairs bedroom, along with her young son. Mrs. Maxie’s daughter, Deborah, begins to hate her because of her disdainful manner. Martha is very annoyed with her because she shows disprespect to her in numerous minor matters in the kitchen. Mrs. Maxie’s son, Stephen, a surgeon at a London hospital, is the only one who seems to take a shine to her. This, of course, alientates Catherine, Stephen’s assumed intendent. When Sally is found dead in her bedroom, both sedated and then strangled to death, there are no end of suspects.

All of this has to be worked out by Inspector Dagliesh, which he does through great deductive reasoning. This is a mystery that is hard to put down. You have to read it through to the end. Highly recommended. ...more Shelves: mystery-british , police I've previously read a couple of other PD James' Inspector Dalgleish mysteries before and enjoyed very much. I like how intelligent James writes. This is the first Dalgleish mystery and I must say I enjoyed as much as the others I've read. Dalgleish is almost a peripheral character in the story, James rather focusses on the other characters/ suspects and their activities, motivations as she develops the story. Basically, Sally Juup, a housemaid is found dead (strangled) in her bedroom. All of th I've previously read a couple of other PD James' Inspector Dalgleish mysteries before and enjoyed very much. I like how intelligent James writes. This is the first Dalgleish mystery and I must say I enjoyed as much as the others I've read. Dalgleish is almost a peripheral character in the story, James rather focusses on the other characters/ suspects and their activities, motivations as she develops the story.

Basically, Sally Juup, a housemaid is found dead (strangled) in her bedroom. All of the family members are suspects. The story follows Dalgleish as he performs his policework, interrogating the family members, travelling around the area to discuss Sally's character and past with family members and other relations. But at the same time, the story also follows around the people from the estate, allowing us to see their motivations, their thoughts on the murder, their own investigations. It's an interesting way to present a case and I found the story well-written and interesting. There were some nice little surprises which added to the story. All-in-all, most enjoyable and I will be continuing my experiences with Inspector Dalgleish. ...more Shelves: mystery This is a classic English mystery along the lines of an Agatha Christie story. There is the upper class family who lives in their family manor and is attended to by servants. One of these, Sally Jupp, was a meddlesome single mother and her death by strangulation is what brings Inspector Adam Dalgliesh into the the case. In typical fashion he interviews all the suspects, looks beyond the obvious solutions, and in a confrontation gets the killer to admit to the crime.

Few other writers today captu This is a classic English mystery along the lines of an Agatha Christie story. There is the upper class family who lives in their family manor and is attended to by servants. One of these, Sally Jupp, was a meddlesome single mother and her death by strangulation is what brings Inspector Adam Dalgliesh into the the case. In typical fashion he interviews all the suspects, looks beyond the obvious solutions, and in a confrontation gets the killer to admit to the crime. Few other writers today capture the feeling of Christies mysteries, and P.D. James does a great job of that. But I found the pace slow as she spends a long time building up the backgroud before we get to the crime. The puzzle was also not as complex as Christie and it was easy to guess who the culprit was. Inspector Dalgliesh was an excellent sleuth, as the hints to his background were enought to be intriguing but not enough to answer all the readers questions. Which would make you want to read on through the rest of the series to find out more about him. On this narration, the reader did a good job, but not an excellent one.

...more Aug 25, 2016 Silvio111 rated it really liked it This is another of P.D. James' very early Dalgliesh novels. Much like UNNATURAL CAUSES, it displays a certain dated view of society no longer seen in the 21st century. Whereas it is displayed in UNNATURAL CAUSES in the author's attitude toward disability, in COVER HER FACE it emerges in the portrayal of an unwed mother as a sly, deceitful, and wicked person who happens to be physically beautiful, but is targeted by virtually everyone around her a sinner and a wretch from whom gratitude is expect This is another of P.D. James' very early Dalgliesh novels. Much like UNNATURAL CAUSES, it displays a certain dated view of society no longer seen in the 21st century.

Whereas it is displayed in UNNATURAL CAUSES in the author's attitude toward disability, in COVER HER FACE it emerges in the portrayal of an unwed mother as a sly, deceitful, and wicked person who happens to be physically beautiful, but is targeted by virtually everyone around her a sinner and a wretch from whom gratitude is expected. Of its time,perhaps, but still irritating. The fact that the said "wicked person" is actually quite clever and manipulative meets with its moral due in that this character is the murder victim. Having said this, James actually is more creative with this situation, and the plot turns several corners and holds quite a few surprises, so the result is not quite as ham-handed as the earlier book. A good mystery, to be sure, but noteworthy mostly in an anthropological way to see how P.D. James evolved over time. ...more Shelves: read-women-2016 Old school mystery puzzle with a limited field of suspects and you have to work out which one is the least likely so you can suspect them (lol that is not a spoiler it is just me being cynical).

A weakness is the shifting POVs which can be used more ambiguously but I think in this one some of them disqualify themselves by too obviously being clueless about the possible guilt of others. The victim is well written, partly because of what can be read as the author's reluctance to slut shame (and a c Old school mystery puzzle with a limited field of suspects and you have to work out which one is the least likely so you can suspect them (lol that is not a spoiler it is just me being cynical). A weakness is the shifting POVs which can be used more ambiguously but I think in this one some of them disqualify themselves by too obviously being clueless about the possible guilt of others. The victim is well written, partly because of what can be read as the author's reluctance to slut shame (and a couple of times various characters observe that "everyone" sleeps around in any case). The few romances (especially the surprise one at the end) are less well written, are sort of a self-consciously "sophisticated" and "modern" (for 1974 which was the year I was born incidentally) that dates by 2016 and is still fairly misogynist.

Oh and I am sure I have said this before but I find Adam Dalgleish sort of gross and irritating! ...more May 22, 2009 Stven rated it liked it Recommends it for: all Brit mystery fans I'm hovering between three stars and four and pick three simply because I know the later books in the series get better, and I need a way to go up! Adam Dalgliesh is my favorite P.D. James character, and though I have read many of the novels and seen most of the BBC productions featuring him, I had never actually read this 1962 book, the first in the series. It was very interesting to see the character introduced, and gratifying to find this an engrossing read, full of the sensitivity to motivat I'm hovering between three stars and four and pick three simply because I know the later books in the series get better, and I need a way to go up! Adam Dalgliesh is my favorite P.D. James character, and though I have read many of the novels and seen most of the BBC productions featuring him, I had never actually read this 1962 book, the first in the series.

It was very interesting to see the character introduced, and gratifying to find this an engrossing read, full of the sensitivity to motivations and subtexts -- as well as the overarching class consciousness -- expected from a fine British novelist. Dalgliesh's personal history is barely touched upon in a single paragraph, which I also found interesting. You wouldn't have guessed from his oblique treatment and the focus on storyline here that this would be the tale upon which P.D. James would found a dynasty. It is not a spectacular but a solid beginning. ...more Shelves: crime , mystery , first-novel A very enjoyable murder mystery. I've been curious about P.D James for a while now, so I bypassed my bulging 'Golden-Era' crime novel shelves and tried this second generation lady mystery author. On the whole, I wasn't disappointed. James writes well, engages the reader with the characters, and has some very strong opinions on the state of society as she saw it, which she was definitely not afraid to air. Some of the topics to get a tongue lashing from her included the morality of youth, unmarried A very enjoyable murder mystery.

I've been curious about P.D James for a while now, so I bypassed my bulging 'Golden-Era' crime novel shelves and tried this second generation lady mystery author. On the whole, I wasn't disappointed. James writes well, engages the reader with the characters, and has some very strong opinions on the state of society as she saw it, which she was definitely not afraid to air. Some of the topics to get a tongue lashing from her included the morality of youth, unmarried parenthood, and 'good old' English cooking. This novel's greatest strength was the depth to which we got to know its characters, and James never made the mistake of introducing too many, or all of them at once. We get to know them slowly, spending a little time inside almost all of their heads, seeing the story from all angles - even the murderer's - and by the end we are invested in the situation. Agatha Christie often introduced the whole cast of characters immediately upon arrival at the old manor house, and then making them all very pale plot points with little to distinguish between them, leaving the reader (or at least, me) confused and bored.

James has created just the right amount of suspects, enough to cast suspicion far and wide and still have time to delve into their psyches in some detail. The only let down here was that, having got to know all the suspects so well, the unmasking of the murderer was underwhelming; not because it was obvious (it never is to me), but because it was unsurprising. The novel's weakness, in my opinion, was the relative blandness of James's detective, Adam Dalgliesh. While this is his first appearance in fiction, and he therefore might be excused for not being fully formed, he put me in mind of Peter Robinson 's DCI Banks - a generic third party with few personal thoughts. He slides through doors, asks quiet questions, and knows all about it after a day or two. I realise that Poirot or Lord Peter Wimsey are not realistic depictions of humans, and that possibly the creation of larger-than-life detectives was passe, but I can't get behind someone with no apparent personality. The point is, it could have been anyone solving that case - Dalgliesh did nothing special and showed no special crime-solving abilities. He had no little grey cells, so to speak.

However, I enjoyed reading this book quite enough to warrant reading the next one. Sep 15, 2012 Snort rated it it was ok · review of another edition "Death Comes to Pemberley" so says P.D. James, but before risking any sensibilities, I thought it wise to dip a tentative toe into her first novel, in order to judge whether she may do Austin justice. Many will agree that "Pride&Prejudice" is such Perfection that I'm loathe to destroy it with inferior associations, which is why I have yet to embrace the blood-thirsty "Pride&Prejudice&Zombies" (despite my hearty appetite for the Walking Dead), and why it took me 7 years to watch the K "Death Comes to Pemberley" so says P.D. James, but before risking any sensibilities, I thought it wise to dip a tentative toe into her first novel, in order to judge whether she may do Austin justice.

Many will agree that "Pride&Prejudice" is such Perfection that I'm loathe to destroy it with inferior associations, which is why I have yet to embrace the blood-thirsty "Pride&Prejudice&Zombies" (despite my hearty appetite for the Walking Dead), and why it took me 7 years to watch the Knightley movie adaptation. I wish I discovered P.D. James earlier. There was a time when I was Agatha Christie's biggest fan, devouring every one of her novels, and yes, even the Tommy&Tuppence ones, so now you understand. There was then the despondent period after, when I mourned her limited oeuvre of 66 murder mysteries. P.D. James may have plugged that listless hole then, for both Christie and James employ the same deliberate slow prose and aura of regal British upper-class assurance. "Cover Her Face" also marks the debut of detective Adam Dagliesh, the Poirot/Marple equivalent. He too waits till the final chapter to gather all involved (in the study, preferably with a log fire), dissect every clue, reveal a couple of scandals and denounce the guilty, always to gasps of disbelief.

Thus, you can understand my profound hurt and disappointment when I actually correctly guessed the murderer in this novel. None of the characters are particularly compelling. I have a soft spot for red-heads (Anne Shirley, Nancy Drew, Pippi Longstocking, the Weasleys...) but the death of Sally Jupp ("...her flaming gold-red hair turned in a flash of sunlight") failed to incite any indignance whatsoever. Mrs Maxie was too remote in her grief to be personable, while Stephen skulked like an overgrown child. Deborah was quite the charmer, as was the dapper Felix, but unfortunately only in the most 2-dimensional way. Catherine would be a solid bore in real life, but really the only character fleshed out properly through her wistful, thwarted crush for Stephen. So yes, I wish I discovered P.D. James earlier, but that golden time has passed. An unappreciative 2 stars, because "Cover Her Face" did save me from intractable boredom during a recent trans-Tasman flight. PS: Pemberley, I am unlikely to come! Nov 27, 2013 Bill Rogers rated it really liked it I believe this was P.

D. James's first detective novel, and it is an amazing piece of work for a debut. It reads like, and is, more of a novel rather than the simpler, sketchier, slightly dumbed-down style more common in the genre. Yet there is nothing highbrow or deliberately precious about it. The characters are well developed. The various conflicts and motivations of the characters are interesting and well developed as well. I found the character of Adam Dalgliesh to be refreshing. He comes to I believe this was P. D. James's first detective novel, and it is an amazing piece of work for a debut. It reads like, and is, more of a novel rather than the simpler, sketchier, slightly dumbed-down style more common in the genre. Yet there is nothing highbrow or deliberately precious about it. The characters are well developed. The various conflicts and motivations of the characters are interesting and well developed as well. I found the character of Adam Dalgliesh to be refreshing. He comes to his first novel as a seasoned professional. He is not the stock British Amateur Gentleman Detective. There is no need to wonder how he managed to stumble upon the case; it's his job.

The book is not about his quirks or his fashion sense, it's a mystery that is actually about the mystery. Perhaps because I'm binging on detective novels lately, this straightforward simplicity is refreshing. Sally Jupp is an interesting variant on the victim, also. She is not the innocent cannon fodder of most detective novels. In fact, I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say that as I read my sympathies were less and less with her, in spite of her ending up dead. I was a bit disappointed in the conclusion of the book (view spoiler) [ because in the end it appears that all the detection was unnecessary; the solution of the crime would have made itself self-evident once a few encumbering side details were wrapped up (hide spoiler) ]. That is the only reason I didn't give the book five stars. It's that well done. ...more • Was this a terrifically plotted mystery? No • Was I satisfied by the ending? Not really • Was this book eminently readable? Yes • Did I enjoy the book? Yes • Will I read more of this series?

Yes (view spoiler) [I did not figure out who had killed Sally… and I don’t know if Inspector Dalgliesh had either, or was just fishing. I prefer a mystery novel when there are very logical clues that lead to the resolution. I am always disappointed when a mystery is solved by what I call the “poof” me 3 1/2 stars • Was this a terrifically plotted mystery? No • Was I satisfied by the ending? Not really • Was this book eminently readable? Yes • Did I enjoy the book? Yes • Will I read more of this series? Yes (view spoiler) [I did not figure out who had killed Sally… and I don’t know if Inspector Dalgliesh had either, or was just fishing. I prefer a mystery novel when there are very logical clues that lead to the resolution. I am always disappointed when a mystery is solved by what I call the “poof” method - in this case a confession. And I am left wondering how in the world Mrs. Maxie had the strength to so quickly subdue and strangle a young girl who was sitting up in bed, laughing at her.

Yes, I know that Sally had been mildly drugged, but she certainly wasn’t unconscious! The book loses ½ a star for such an implausible ending! I like the fact that Deborah Riscoe will be showing up in subsequent books, presumably as a love interest for Adam Dalgliesh. That was rather a surprise for me, and I wondered where THAT had come from! I did think it was just thrown in there at the end… I guess to “leave the door open” for down the road. (hide spoiler) ] I take heart considering that this was the first novel ever written by P.D. James. One has to assume that Ms. James got better as she continued writing additional books in this series. But I thought it was pretty darn good for a debut novel! Read with SBC book club August 2014. ...more Dec 31, 2014 Francis rated it liked it Ok, lets start with a murder, maybe in a locked room, yeah something like that, you know and then maybe the whole thing should have a closed in kinda claustrophobic feel to it, like in a country manor, yeah, I like that.

Just for the fun of it, lets have it take place around a celebration or party or something like that so we can have at least five or six people around at the time. Oooh, I know, I know, lets give them all a motive for wanting to have done the victim in. Man, this is getting good Ok, lets start with a murder, maybe in a locked room, yeah something like that, you know and then maybe the whole thing should have a closed in kinda claustrophobic feel to it, like in a country manor, yeah, I like that. Just for the fun of it, lets have it take place around a celebration or party or something like that so we can have at least five or six people around at the time. Oooh, I know, I know, lets give them all a motive for wanting to have done the victim in. Man, this is getting good.

Better yet, maybe they should all have questionable alibi's, maybe we could throw in a few twist and turns to kinda shake things up and keep everybody on edge (call them red herrings maybe?) Ok, ok, and at the end I see this thing where all the suspects are gathered around in the same room while this detective guy kinda rehashes the whole story while each of them stares at the others wondering who the real killer is. OMG! the tension. Wow ...I can't stand it, lead me to a typewriter, I got to write this down, while it's still fresh, and before somebody else beats me to it! All right, all right, calm down, I know, its been done before, maybe more than once, but you know, you put P.D. James behind that typewriter and you could still get yourself a pretty good little story. Shelves: mystery , 2010 I'm beginning to think by some coincidence the very first PD James I read also happened to be the only interesting book she's ever written. Honestly, I would really like to like her, but I can't. Cover Her Face is her first novel and I wonder how she ever became successful this way.

It suffers from all the flaws I've found pervasive in her other novels – boring descriptions, unlikeable characters, and zero suspense. The mystery plot has a lot of painstakingly crafted red herrings and clues, bu I'm beginning to think by some coincidence the very first PD James I read also happened to be the only interesting book she's ever written. Honestly, I would really like to like her, but I can't. Cover Her Face is her first novel and I wonder how she ever became successful this way. It suffers from all the flaws I've found pervasive in her other novels – boring descriptions, unlikeable characters, and zero suspense. The mystery plot has a lot of painstakingly crafted red herrings and clues, but I just didn't care enough to be interested in the solution. And I don't get the appeal of Adam Dalgliesh. Your star detective is supposed to have personality, so people want to read about him, you know. The only indication James ever gives that Dalgliesh is not a robot is that every now and then she'll have him think about his dead wife. But other than that, he is as flat as paper.

The cover blurbs set him up as a rival to Ngaio Marsh's Alleyn, but um... being boring and mechanical is not actually the same as being cool and stoic. Sorry. Afraid I'm done with PD James. Done done done. ...more Nov 21, 2013 Daniel rated it really liked it At long last, I picked up a P.D. James book. My Mother has talked about these books for years, and they remain some of her favorites (which is saying a lot, given the sheer number of books my Mother has devoured). This really worked for me. I love the prose and the narrative voice. The story passes through the perspective of various characters and each is written well. Some of the observations made about these characters are wicked and even humorous. The mystery itself has familiar trappings and At long last, I picked up a P.D. James book. My Mother has talked about these books for years, and they remain some of her favorites (which is saying a lot, given the sheer number of books my Mother has devoured). This really worked for me. I love the prose and the narrative voice. The story passes through the perspective of various characters and each is written well.

Some of the observations made about these characters are wicked and even humorous. The mystery itself has familiar trappings and a good number of knots for the detective to unravel. Speaking of the latter, Dalgliesh intrigues me, and I want to see more of him, especially since James uses him sparingly in this novel. I will pick up more from this series in the future. ...more Shelves: mystery This was my first PD James. Since I'm a fan of mystery, I thought it was time I read the mistress of the genre. I decided to start at the beginning with first in the Adam Dalgliesh series written in 1962. It took me a while to get used to the style, so accustom am I to mystery writers of the the 90s, like Patricia Cornwall, Kathy Reichs, and Nevada Barr-- who write high energy modern crime drama. But I cut my teeth on Agatha Christie, so it was not long before I was in the swing of things. Cover This was my first PD James. Since I'm a fan of mystery, I thought it was time I read the mistress of the genre.

I decided to start at the beginning with first in the Adam Dalgliesh series written in 1962. It took me a while to get used to the style, so accustom am I to mystery writers of the the 90s, like Patricia Cornwall, Kathy Reichs, and Nevada Barr-- who write high energy modern crime drama. But I cut my teeth on Agatha Christie, so it was not long before I was in the swing of things. Cover her Face was quietly English. I enjoyed the slow rise of the detective work, no crescendo, but complete with novel twists and turns that kept me guessing. I'll read more of James, not in place of my typical escape mysteries but when I want to wrap my mind around murder. ...more Shelves: crime-thriller-suspense , lib-has-audio , library , first-of-a-series , reread , a-lucky-one I enjoyed this visit back to the first mystery series I ever picked up in my late teens. Sometimes, it's a good thing that my memory is so poor, as this felt like a first-time read. I love the way James writes.

She has a great sense of place, and is able to concisely communicate various people's states of mind amazingly well. She is also able to manage this equally well from a man's or a woman's point of view. The murderer was a surprise, and there were a couple of twists at the end I didn't see I enjoyed this visit back to the first mystery series I ever picked up in my late teens. Sometimes, it's a good thing that my memory is so poor, as this felt like a first-time read. I love the way James writes. She has a great sense of place, and is able to concisely communicate various people's states of mind amazingly well. She is also able to manage this equally well from a man's or a woman's point of view. The murderer was a surprise, and there were a couple of twists at the end I didn't see coming. The last chapter hints at a possible developing relationship between one of the characters and the (recurring) detective. I'll definitely be continuing on with this series, and hopefully revisiting the English countryside in the process.

...more Jul 23, 2010 Shannon rated it it was ok · review of another edition Was able to finish this book but couldn't really care how it ended up - not one redeeming character and very little development of the Detective. I'm assuming this is because this is a series so why make me like the Detective and want me to read more about him and his cases. . .don't focus on him but rather the boring, selfish other 'suspects' and 'victim'. To be fair I should read at least one more in the series to see if it gets better (based on other reviews it sounds like it gets better). Ho Was able to finish this book but couldn't really care how it ended up - not one redeeming character and very little development of the Detective. I'm assuming this is because this is a series so why make me like the Detective and want me to read more about him and his cases. . .don't focus on him but rather the boring, selfish other 'suspects' and 'victim'. To be fair I should read at least one more in the series to see if it gets better (based on other reviews it sounds like it gets better).

However, reading another in this series is far down on my list. ...more Dec 14, 2014 Carol rated it liked it This is one of the earlier works of this author and takes place for the most part in an upper class English home and again has a goodly amount do characters. I guess because I did not understand the vagaries of English society this story did not appeal as much. I will continue with her later works which I found more entertaining, but give this lady a lot of credit. For an early novel it was convoluted and well written Shelves: concierge , library , women-writers , mystery , series , england I came late to the P.D.James party, but I'm glad I got here. The head of a local book shop spoke at a meeting with such enthusiasm and fondness for the character of Adam Dalgliesh that I just HAD to try the books. This is the first one - and it's a first-rate "locked room" murder mystery. Very fine writing, and keeps you guessing right to the end. NOTE: In Sept 2008 I read this again because I didn't realize I had read it before until I was half-way through.

Still kept me entertained! Shelves: misterios-y-thrillers PD James, Baronesa de Holland Park, es uno de los grandes nombres vivientes de la novela detectivesca junto con Ruth Rendell, Baronesa de Babergh. Con una multifacética carrera que incluyó participaciones en el ministerio del interior británico y en la mesa directiva de la BBC, James encarna a la vez la tradición de Agatha Christie y una nueva voz en la novela clásica de misterio. ‘Cubran su rostro’ es su primera novela, y por ratos se siente así. Especialmente si se le compara con The Mysterious PD James, Baronesa de Holland Park, es uno de los grandes nombres vivientes de la novela detectivesca junto con Ruth Rendell, Baronesa de Babergh. Con una multifacética carrera que incluyó participaciones en el ministerio del interior británico y en la mesa directiva de la BBC, James encarna a la vez la tradición de Agatha Christie y una nueva voz en la novela clásica de misterio.

‘Cubran su rostro’ es su primera novela, y por ratos se siente así. Especialmente si se le compara con The Mysterious Affair at Styles de la Christie: en ambas novelas existe cierta aspereza e incluso algo de vacilación que desaparecerían (en el caso de la matrona del género, en el caso de James no he leído ninguna otra novela para afirmarlo) a medida que progresaban sus habilidades literarias. La ambientación de las dos novelas es muy parecida: una casa solariega en Essex, uno de los ‘Home Counties’, una familia ricachona, un asesinato en medio de la noche, una serie de sospechosos, la fenomenal deducción del detective para embonar las piezas y hallar al culpable. Como es obvio, una diferencia es el tiempo, pues el caso de Styles se escribió en 1916 y ‘Cubran su rostro’ en 1962.

Pese a esto, la sociedad británica sigue siendo la misma que conocemos: un clasismo rampante, un terror malsano al ‘qué dirán’, una obsesión permanente sobre mantener las formas, la flema sarcástica. Esta novela de James presenta un rompecabezas convincente, como es la regla entre las grandes damas del misterio (sí, hablo de Christie, Highsmith, Rendell, James y George). Sin embargo, hay varias notas que la hacen distinta, algo a lo que no estoy acostumbrado en una novela detectivesca. James escribe con largos pasajes de sucesos explicados sin diálogo, resultando en páginas y páginas seguidas de un solo párrafo. Esto la vuelve cansada por ratos e impide que se lea de un solo tirón.

Otro punto es que James cuenta la historia con un método POV desde cada uno de los sospechosos: la matriarca de los Maxie, Doña Eleanor; sus desenfadados y aburridos hijos Stephen y Deborah, la pretendiente de aquél, Catherine; el pretendiente de aquella, Felix. El detective, Adam Dagliesh, tampoco es el típico detective genio, torpe y excéntrico. Es más bien un personaje indescifrable y metódico, no muy simpático (y en esta primera novela, creo que no muy bien esbozado). Es incontrovertible e incólume, pero su cabeza funciona igual que la de cualquiera de sus pares literarios. Conclusión: léase como un buen misterio con una buena taza de café en la sala. Emociónese cuando se revela el usualmente inesperado culpable y se descarta la pista falsa. ¿Leería otro libro de PD James? Sí… cuando salga en oferta, como cuando compré éste.

Question: Which fictional detective first appeared in the book "Cover Her Face"?
Answer: Adam Dalgleish