โ Scribed by P. D. James
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Ifas some reviewers have speculatedThe Lighthouse marks the end of James's 13-book mystery series about policeman/poet Adam Dalgliesh, at least in this artful and gripping audio version the commander is going out in style. Gifted veteran actor Keating rises above some familiar plot elements and obvious padding to create a convincing atmosphere set on an isolated private island where burnt-out leaders in the fields of business, politics and art go to rest and recuperate. Keating delineates James's many characters sharply and smoothlyfrom the top men in the police and foreign office who initiate the investigation through the three very different detectives who show up to probe the mysterious death of a noted and much-disliked novelist and find themselves in the middle of another murder. Dalgliesh is even calmer than usual, much of his mind still back in London with his new love interest. Insp. Kate Miskin is also preoccupied by the attentions of a former colleague, and Sgt. Francis Benton-Smithhis eye on the prize of promotionsees Miskin as a hurdle in the road to success. Dedicated James fans should find this pleasant listening. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 17). (Nov.)
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Last seen in The Murder Room (2003) ( **Mar/Apr 2004), Dalgliesh is still pondering his romance, and theres still a mystery to be solved. Critics, who generally praised this 13th installment of the series, saw similarities to the plot of Agatha Christies And Then There Were None, to Jane Austens playful writing, and to Virginia Woolfs themes. Vivid character studies and intricate settings reveal Jamess eye for detailfrom descriptions of Olivers insidious personality and Dalglieshs insecurities to an intelligent game of Scrabble. James also makes references to popular literature. But there are no quick rewards for the reader interested in a fast-paced mystery or a wholly original plotexcept for the ending, which "will transfix even the most hopeless addict of potboilers" (Chicago Sun-Times*).
Copyright 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.
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