A Certain Justice
The classic locked-room murder mystery from the 'Queen of English crime' (Guardian)
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- £6.49
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- £6.49
Publisher Description
THE MULTIMILLION-COPY BESTSELLING ADAM DALGLIESH SERIES FROM THE 'QUEEN OF ENGLISH CRIME' (Guardian)
'A legend.' VAL MCDERMID
'P. D. James took the classic crime novel and turned up the dial.' MICK HERRON
'Ingenious and beautifully written, this is P. D. James at her highly impressive best.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
PERFECT FOR FANS OF VAL MCDERMID, RUTH RENDELL AND ELLY GRIFFITHS
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Venetia was much concerned with murder, but she could hardly have expected to become so intimately involved.
Distinguished barrister Venetia Aldridge QC's defence of Garry Ashe, accused of the brutal murder of his aunt, is one more opportunity to triumph in her distinguished career as a criminal lawyer. But four weeks and four days after the trial, she is murdered at her desk.
Commander Adam Dalgliesh and his team find plenty of motive for murder among the clients Venetia has defended, her envious professional colleagues, her wayward daughter, and the lover she has tried to keep secret. But just as Dalgliesh begins to narrow down the field of suspects, a second brutal murder sends the case in a totally new direction . . .
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'The capped tooth of middle-class English malice has seldom been better described.'GUARDIAN
'Enthralling . . . the story gripped me.' 5* reader review
'Fiendishly clever.' SUNDAY TIMES
**Now a major Channel 5 series**
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READERS LOVE THE ADAM DALGLEISH SERIES:
'Adam Dalgleish is one of the best characters in modern detective fiction.' 5* reader review
'If you are not already an Adam Dalgliesh fan, I urge you to become one . . . James can describe a scene or delineate a character with precision and depth, like no other writer I have read . . . I usually stay up all night to read a P. D. James novel once I start one.' 5* reader review
'I would never give less than 5 stars to any P. D. James book. She is one of a kind, always constant, always wonderful writing, always great characters, and always a good mystery that you cannot put down.' 5* reader review
'P.D. James writes mysteries for ordinary people. Her characters are relatable and her hero is dynamic. But don't expect cell phones or computers. Her stories are strictly old school, which is what I love about them.' 5* reader review
'Crime writing at its very best!' 5* reader review
PRAISE FOR P. D. JAMES:
'P. D. James is the crème de la crème of crime writers. Her books are shrewd puzzles, full of wit and depth.' IAN RANKIN
'Nobody can put the reader in the eye of the storm quite like P. D. James.' SUNDAY EXPRESS
'One of the literary greats. Her sense of place was exquisite, characterisation and plotting unrivalled.' MARI HANNAH
'James manages a depth and intelligence that few in her trade can match.'THE TIMES
'There are very few thriller writers who can compete with P. D. James at her best.' SPECTATOR
'The queen of English crime.' GUARDIAN
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Crafting a classic locked-room mystery in her latest Adam Dalgliesh novel, James leads readers on a page-turning journey behind the scenes of the English legal system and along the darker, twisted byways of human intentions. Although neither Dalgliesh, Commander at New Scotland Yard, nor Detective Inspector Kate Miskin provides the most powerful presence here, readers won't mind: victims and suspects comprise an indelible cast. Introduced first is ambitious criminal lawyer Venetia Aldridge as she successfully defends a chillingly unfeeling young man named Ashe against charges that he murdered his slatternly aunt, with whom he lived after stints in a series of foster homes and institutions. Venetia is found dead in her locked office, wearing a blood-soaked barrister's wig, shortly after her 18-year-old daughter, Octavia, announced that she was in love with Ashe and planned to marry him. While questioning the lawyers and staff who shared the victim's chambers at Pawlet Court, Dalgliesh, Kate and her new partner, Piers Tarrant, probe the dead woman's past and personal history. James (Original Sin, 1995) briskly introduces a varied array of suspects and motives, drawing the reader deeper into their lives and gradually revealing a network of intersections. Another murder precedes the disappearance of Octavia and Ashe, which leads to a riveting, credible resolution. Themes of obsession, neglect, revenge and ambition fuel this emotionally powerful puzzler, which may remind readers of the author's stand-alone novel Innocent Blood (1980) and is immensely satisfying in both its intricate plot and complexity of characters. 250,000 first printing; BOMC selection; author tour; simultaneous Random House audio and large print edition.