A competent murder mystery remarkable only for being the first of what would become a classic series. The single victim is unusual in being the hired help in a large middle class house (at a time when fictional victims tended to be of the family and servants were often treated as furniture) but the descriptions are a little too mannered to be engaging. ( )

I'm ashamed to admit that it took me two readings (eight years apart) to truly appreciate the first novel of the Adam Dagliesh series. My first reception back in 2001 was lukewarm at best, but after rereading this I have to say that this book is spectacular.

The novel wasn't flawed, merely the reader. My tastes had to expand and mature.

Wonderful first in series. ( )

Kindle. P. D. James inventing herself as a writer and Adam Dagliesch as a character. Her first book. A fun read. Didn't knock me over. You could hear the gears of a writer figuring out how to do this. Trying out various narrative techniqus and conceits. But I would be thrilled to have this be a first novel I had written. Have I said before that I love P. D. James. ( )

My first James and I'm disappointed. Besides sloppy use of pronouns and commas, with awkward transitions and thoughts bouncing from character to character, the plot was subservient to showing off the acting chops of each character. But this is not a script. Tolerable if you have to read something for a long flight because you've already seen the inflight movie. ( )

Ein Durchschnittskrimi.
Außerdem wird mir zuviel "gedacht" : A dachte "...", B dachte "...." usw. Naja. ( )