Unnatural Causes (Adam Dagliesh Mystery Series #3) (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: Unnatural Causes, Maurice Seton, Miss Calthrop (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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People P. D. James is the greatest living mystery writer. -- Review

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TimeThe reigning mistress of murder.

PeopleP. D. James is the greatest living mystery writer.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (July 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743219597
• ISBN-13: 978-0743219594
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #6 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( J ) > James, P.D.
  #81 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > British Detectives
  #98 in	Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Series

• This is item 3 in The Adam Dalgliesh (Books) Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Enjoyable, March 17, 2007

By	Brett Benner (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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I actually found it her most enjoyable so far, Having now read them in order I was less than impressed with the first, enjoyed the second, but found this third mystery refreshing and utterly enjoyable. Dalgliesh takes a vacation, visiting his aunt whose neighbors are a variety of writers who are a hilarious collection of characters. When one of them turns up dead in a dinghy with his hands chopped off, Dalglieh becomes a reluctant participant in finding the killer among them. Witty and wonderfully written, it makes me anxious to buy the next book!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ignore other reviews; this is a fine James, November 22, 2000

By	Elsie Wilson (Aberystwyth, Cymru) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unnatural Causes (Adam Dagliesh Mystery Series #3) (Paperback)

Curious that, with such an arresting opening as this book has (a handless corpse floating off the Suffolk coast), i should find it so difficult to get involved with. I think, more than anything, i found it a little tough to tell some of the characters apart at first. Once past that point, however, this became, like just about every other James, the best one she's written. One grows to enjoy the little community she has created, the petty spites and jealousies, the sniping back and forth between these largely unsuccessful (at least in terms of importance) writers, at the death of one of them. Even Dalgliesh, in Suffolk on holiday, so the death is not his case, has trouble in his relationship with the local Inspector in charge of the case, they are overtly polite, but there is tension between them; he cannot hold himself back from doing some investigation on his own, however, and is able to show that murder has been committed, though not prevent another. The actual revelation of method and motive are interesting and unusual, in that James makes use of the murderer's confession to show how it was done. Another classic James and Dalgliesh.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dalgiesh's Vacation, December 23, 2006

By	J. Brian Watkins (San Dimas, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In this third mystery by P.D. James our author skirts the line of getting a bit cute--a little too wry for comfort. Realizing that she set the bar very, very high with her first two books, Ms. James seems to have retreated somewhat from focus on the mystery itself. Instead, this work is focused upon Inspector Dalgliesh; who the reader will note is destined to become one of the most well-known characters of the genre. So, not only does Dalgliesh take a bit of a vacation--so does the author.

Nevertheless, the writing is profoundly good. Inspector Dalgliesh begins to take shape in this book--his skills are evident and one learns more of his background, his likes and his dislikes. Ms. James even takes pains to prune the character back a bit. Though the mystery itself didn't get five stars, the development of Dalgliesh will pay vast dividends in future works. Like the corporations that take a charge against earnings in order to invest for the future, Ms. James' detour in "Unnatural Causes" allows her to focus uniquely upon her protagonist with results fully expected to pay rich rewards in her future installments.