The Private Patient. P.D. James (Adam Dalgliesh Mystery) [IMPORT] (Hardcover)

~ P. D. James (Author)
Key Phrases: sanctuary court, old pantry, lime avenue, Miss Gradwyn, Rhoda Gradwyn, Sister Holland (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

When the notorious investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn booked into Mr Chandler-Powell's private clinic in Dorset for the removal of a disfiguring and long-standing facial scar, she had every prospect of a successful operation by a distinguished surgeon, a week's peaceful convalescence in one of Dorset's most beautiful manor houses and the beginning of a new life. She was never to leave Cheverell Manor alive. Dalgliesh and his team are called in to investigate the murder, and later a second death, which are to raise even more complicated problems than the question of innocence or guilt.A new detective novel by P. D. James is always keenly awaited and "The Private Patient" will undoubtedly equal the success of her worldwide bestseller "The Lighthouse". It displays the qualities which P. D. James' readers have come to expect: a masterly psychological and emotional richness of characterisation, a vivid evocation of place and a credible and exciting mystery. "The Private Patient" is a powerful work of contemporary fiction.

About the Author

P. D. James was born in Oxford in 1920 and educated at Cambridge High School for Girls.From 1949 to 1968 she worked in the National Health Service and subsequently in the Home Office, first in the Police Department and later in the Criminal Policy Department.All that experience has been used in her novels.She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and of the Royal Society of Arts and has served as a Governor of the BBC, a member of the Arts Council, where she was Chairman of the Literary Advisory Panel, on the Board of the British Council and as a magistrate in Middlesex and London.She has won awards for crime writing in Britain, America, Italy and Scandinavia, including the Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Award.She has received honorary degrees from seven British universities, was awarded an OBE in 1983 and was created a life peer in 1991.In 1997 she was elected President of the Society of Authors. She lives in London and Oxford and has two daughters, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1St Edition edition (September 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571242448
• ISBN-13: 978-0571242443
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,671 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book to be Savoured, October 10, 2008

By	S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a book that should be savoured for a number of reasons. The first is that P.D. James has lost none of her talent for writing a novel that grips and holds you. Also, the book is more than just a little mystery story. There is a whole lot more here than that. It's a book that held me in its thrall right until the end. Of course we have Adam Dalgliesh, and we have his team (Kate and Benton). We also have an intriguing mystery when a private patient in a country clinic is found dead in her room. Adam and his team travel to Dorset to try to solve the murder. The book is complex and the murder is also. And last, but not least, there is a possibility that this may be the last Adam Dalgliesh book. Ms. James has certainly approached this issue throughout the book. I will be sad if that is so, but it is a wonderful way to end a brilliant creation! Ms. James is a wonderful author, and I truly revelled in this book. I put it down with a real sense of sadness, but I think it is a book that should be read more than once. A second and third reading may be in order in order that all the rich nuances can be grasped. I have to say, that although it is only the middle of October, I think this is the most significant book of fiction that I will read in 2008.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb P D James Mystery, September 24, 2008

A Kid's Review

After the first page it is very clear that you are once again reading something by one of the masters of the genre. And Adam and his fiance are both involved in the story although she is not involved at all in the mystery.
The actual mystery involves a patient at a private clinic outside of London who wishes to have a scar removed from her face. The clinic sounds utterly marvelous (in an old estate) and the characters are wonderfully drawn. By the end of the book you feel you've once again left some friends behind.
A definite read for any mystery or British mystery fan. Enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Made me think, April 15, 2009

By	Therese D. Barry (NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the first of the Dalgliesh mysteries I have read and I found it very enjoyable. I like how the story unfolds neatly (with one exception*) and characters are well portrayed. I enjoyed the descriptions of the country side and the old manor house.

*I am at a total loss as to the purpose of the characters Annie and Clara. In fact, when I mentioned that to the person who gave me this book as a gift, he said, "I do not remember those characters." EXACTLY. They serve no purpose at all.

I find myself in agreement with the character Helena who says (on page 342 in my edition), "You think she (Candace) could be lying to protect someone else?" George insists this is "ludicrous."

I am inclined to agree with Helena because the hand of the murderer is described (page 85) as using a gesture " .....delicate and elegant in its controlled motion..."

The murderer, Candace, is always described as being masculine and her brother as being more feminine. A "delicate and elegant" motion is not one that Candace could easily pull off. Makes one think.