The Adam Dagliesh novels could be divided into two periods- an earlier one and more recent one. The earlier novels are shorter, have a wonderful period quality and are, one the whole, darker and colder. The more recent ones are a lot more interested in Adam Daglieshs love life and show the detective in a far more humane and happy light. One could wonder if this change in the great detective reflects the quiet consolations of later life and family for the author- certainly the newer novels are all dedicated to her loved ones.
With that in mind- its very easy to put this novel into the darker and colder earlier period. The novel opens on a dark wet midwinter's morning when a nursing school inspector prepares to leave the dubious comforts of her little flat to visit a training school in the country. We are quickly introduced to an antiquated style of hospital with the matron, sisters and primadonna consultants that are (alas?)no more. Certainly, there is no mention of managers, targets or mrsa; and one gets the impression that the floors of the hospital are clean enough to eat your dinner off. The nurse training appears remarkably practical and devoid of the over emphasis on protocol and science that has ruined the NHS. The nurse training inspector watches the students insert a nasogastric tube into one of their colleagues as part of a demonstration. Unfortunately someone substituted the milk that was meant to be given to the volunteer with detergent. The young student dies in some considerable pain. The investigation that follows carefully dissects the apparent order of the hospital and instead portrays a sad cold lonely world with deeply damaged healers that live in an uncomfortable proximity together- the ultimate institution.
Dagliesh is at his most unsympathetic in this novel. Its is even difficult to imagine how he could ever be a poet- such is the coldness of his characterisation. He certainly shows little humanity and appears to be as difficult to his subordinates as to those under his investigation. Yet if he is cold his assistant is sociopathic. Despite this the novel flows with the author's usual ease. The ending is rather cold and brutal and there is little redemption.
Alongside the murder, this novel evokes a changing time in the medical system and the authors talents lie as much in the evocation of social history as in crimewriting. James seems to rather relish the future direction of the health service as the novel ends but for those of us who are stuck with the current one can only think of those seemingly less complicated days with some envy.
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