Customer Reviews

Black Tower (Windsor Selections)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

P.D. James is reknowned for her ability to combine the psychological novel with the classic murder mystery--but now and then her emphasis on psychology so overshadows her plot that it becomes hard to describe the work as a murder mystery per se. Such is the case with THE BLACK TOWER, a profoundly bleak novel set in an isolated home for "the young disabled," a euphemistic term for victims of slowly progressing but ultimately fatal muscular disease.

The story begins when Inspector Dalgliesh, himself recovering from both a serious illness and a crisis of confidence, is invited to Toynton Grange by the home's elderly chaplin; something is amiss, and the chaplin would welcome Dalgliesh's advice. But when Dalgliesh arrives, he finds his old friend has died a few days earlier. With little to go on except his own suspicion, Dalgliesh slowly, grudingly begins to investigate... and finds one suspicious death after another.

The premise is a classic set up, but in this novel James places Dalgliesh more as an observer of the inevitable than as a detective, and when the solution arrives it does so more by intuition and assumption than by logical deduction. But if this element is weak, the overall novel is very strong: moody to the point of despair, and peopled with painfully pitiful characters, THE DARK TOWER is perhaps one of James' more memorable novels in terms of style alone. Flawed, yes; recommended nonetheless. But be forewarned: you may need prescription medication to escape the sense of depression the novel creates.

"The Black Tower" is arguably the creepiest of P. D. James's works! In addition to having the highest number of murder victims, the novel has a claustrophobic setting--an isolated nursing home on the Dorset coast--that lends itself well to a level of suspense bordering on terror.

H. R. F. Keating has cited "The Black Tower" as one of the 100 greatest mystery novels of all time. (James's "A Taste for Death" is also on the list.) Interestingly enough, although the element of mystery builds throughout "The Black Tower," its resolution is not as satisfying as in some other works by P. D. James. The reason may be that the motive for the multiple murders does not seem to be as well integrated into the heart of the novel when compared to "Shroud for a Nightingale" and "Original Sin," to name novels that both preceded and followed "The Black Tower."

Still, the remarkable characters and, yes, the element of creepiness make "The Black Tower" a terrific read. The setting is atmospheric and plays a large role in generating the tension that pervades the novel. Bonus: Fans of both detective series in the P. D. James canon will be gratified by the teasing references to Cordelia Gray in this Dalgliesh novel.

Commander Adam Dalgliesh is recovering from a severe illness when he receives an invitation to visit his old friend and mentor Father Baddely. Deciding that a visit to the countryside might give him time to relax and give thought to perhaps giving up his career at Scotland Yard. But there is no rest, as there are a series of deaths at Troynton Grange, and with each death Dalgliesh is drawn inexorably back into his old life, solving murders.
'The Black Tower' is a little less in classical Agatha Christie style as 'The Skull Beneath The Skin', the other PD James novel I have read. The setting for 'The Black Tower' is in a local sanitorium for patients with long-term illness, which provides a suitable sense of dread and decay. James peoples it with several interesting characters. A fine effort.

Adam Dalgliesh, recovering from his illness, paid a dutiful visit to Father Badderly at Tonyton Village. He found himself to be an unwilling spectator to four deaths. In spite of his determination not to be involved, his detective instincts and skeptism were soon searching for the link and reasons behind the four seemingly straightforward deaths.

I find this book to be one of P D James¡¦ best. The conclusion to the story was simply impressive. As in all her books, this book is best not to be read in a hurry, it is beautiful to digest it slowly. The beauty of it all is that it will make you hold your breathe even when you are turning the pages slowly, a most unusual feature for a thriller as exciting as this.

The Black Tower is a mystery novel that successfully explores despair. Adam Dalgliesh finds himself recovering from a debilitating atypical mononucleosis that had been inaccurately diagnosed as being fatal. While thought he was about to die, Dalgliesh takes a look at his life as detective . . . and decides there has to be something more.

Determined to resign from the force, his intention is interrupted by a request to visit for help from an old family friend, Father Baddeley.

Wondering what sort of evil Father Baddeley cannot handle on his own, Dalgliesh is shocked to find that his friend had died of natural causes shortly after Dalgliesh sent a note accepting the invitation. Baddeley's will leaves his money to Toynton Grange, a facility specializing in the progressively disabled, which really needs the money . . . and his books to Adam. Dalgliesh is surprised to find that the father's desk has been forced and that the latest part of his journal has disappeared. Adam decides to look around for some hint as to what the problem might have been that caused Father Baddeley to consult him.

Dalgliesh's instincts are aroused when he discovers that a patient, Victor Holroyd, had also died . . . but under strange circumstances just before Father Baddeley did.

Dalgliesh decides to use the excuse of packing up his books to hang around and see what he can learn. His black mood is continued by his interactions with the austere staff at Toynton Grange and the disabled people. Although Adam puts a brave face on his contacts with these disabled people, even they know that he's terribly disgusted by their deformities.

Having spent more time there, Dalgliesh learns a depressing story about the Victorian folly, the Black Tower, that exists near the grange.

As all of this bleakness serves to further depress Dalgliesh, he finds himself unable to understand what Father Baddeley was concerned about.

Meanwhile, other unexpected deaths occur. Dalgliesh seems even more at a loss than ever . . . until a clear spot opens up in his depression . . . and he's able to start thinking like a police investigator again. That leads to an exciting, memorable finish to the novel . . . one of P.D. James' best.

My main complaint about this novel is that Baroness James stretches the bleakness a little too far and a little too long for my taste. She got the mood across so well . . . that I found myself getting depressed reading the book.

The mystery itself isn't terribly mysterious, but it's adequate to carry the rest of the story. The mystery is well told, though, because the reader is given lots of insights into what's really going on to serve as a contrast to Dalgliesh's haze. Otherwise, this would have been a most boring and unrewarding novel.

Another James puzzler with twists in the telling as well as the tale. Like that of "Unsuitable Job for a Woman" this book's plot is not a simple and straightforward murder mystery. In fact, for a good portion of the book one wonders if in fact there is a mystery, let alone a murder, except that, this being a James' Dalgleish there must be. Dalgleish has been in hospital for suspected leukemia ~ thank goodness a misdiagnosis! ~ and, asked, plans to visit his father's old curate in Dorset during his convalescence. Father Michael Badderly is priest in residence at Toynton Grange, a small (and getting smaller) home for terminally ill patients. There are a number of varyingly sinister characters living in and around the Grange, and it is in the interplay of these people that the story unfolds. Suffice it to say that, by the end, Dalgleish's intuition is proven again, he rescinds his decision to leave the Force, and the evil ~ if not the foolish ~ are punished.

I enjoy reading mysteries so that I can be surprised by the characters' actions or motives. This novel has very few surprises. Yet, because PD James is such an excellent writer, I enjoyed the novel because of the detective. His thoughts were interesting and surprising. I wish the action had been too.

I have read many of Ms. James' books, but this is one of the older ones I had trouble finding. I finally found it in a used book store and have not been disappointed. This is definitely one of her best. Her talent for conveying the dry British wit is displayed very well in this novel about a sort of hospice in Dorset. As one character says: "We all suffer from an progressive, incurable disease. We call it life."

Adam Dalgleish is back in this well written, though ultimately depressing and bleak thriller. Recuperating from a near-death illness, Adam is summoned to a small village by an old friend, a priest named Father Michael. However, when he gets there, his old friend has died of a heart attack, and Adam finds himself involved with a hospice for the young disabled, i.e., terminally ill patients. James serves up a host of pathetic, sad creatures and as usual, a cast of mostly unlikeable characters. Dalgliesh serves more as an observer than a detective, since he is having his own crisis of whether to retire or not, but he nonetheless manages to investigate a series of deaths that may or may not be murder.

James continues her mastery of atmospheric tension and the culprit's identity is expertly hidden until the end.

Reading this book you will never feel that it is going too slow or even too fast.The tempo is perfect and until the very end,the suspense and agony are being hold to maximum levels...