An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Commander Dalgliesh is recuperating from a life-threatening illness when he receives a call for advice from an elderly friend who works as a chaplain in a home for the disabled on the Dorset coast. Dalgliesh arrives to discover that Father Baddeley has recently and mysteriously died, as has one of the patients at Toynton Grange. Evidently the home is not quite the caring community it purports to be. Dalgliesh is determined to discover the truth of his friend’s death, but further fatalities follow and his own life is in danger as he unmasks the evil at the heart of Toynton Grange. ‘More expertise from P. D. James. The writing is excellent, the pitch of final terror beautifully sustained.’ Evening Standard ‘She writes like an angel. Every character is clearly drawn. Her atmosphere is unerringly, chillingly convincing. And she manages all this without for a moment slowing down the drive and tension of an exciting mystery.’ Marcel Berlins, The Times
The Black Tower
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"People"
P. D. James is "the greatest living mystery writer."
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Stunning paperback repackages celebrating the world's pre-eminent crime writer and over forty years of detective fiction.
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33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Set on a lonely stretch of the Dorset coast in the mid-Seventies, The Black Tower is an unusual crime thriller. Although it functions perfectly well as a conventional whodunit, it's also a modern gothic, and, like its predecessors in that genre, it's a meditation on mortality and human frailty. Much of the book's power derives from James's scrupulous exploration of the character and states of mind of her hero. The poet-policeman, Commander Adam Dalgleish, is a subtle and compelling creation, and his substantiality helps to ground a plot that might otherwise seem to teeter on the brink of melodrama.
The tone is set with the 'resurrection' of Dalgleish, who as the book begins is recovering from a serious illness, which initially had been misdiagnosed as mortal. This brush with death has had a profound psychological impact on Dalgleish, and his decision to make his convalescence coincide with a duty visit to an old acquaintance seems from the first an attempt to postpone a confrontation with his own unanswered questions.
Disenchanted with policing Dalgleish may be, but when he is confronted with the merest suspicion of foul play, his instincts reassert themselves in spite of his inclinations. The atmosphere of illness, frustrated hopes, and impending disaster gathers force with every page as Dalgleish, against his will, is drawn deeper into the poisoned community of Toynton Grange.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Clifford
Format:Kindle Edition
The novel is certainly well written and is an intelligent thriller. As one would expect from PD James, the characters are intereting and well rounded. I particularly liked the ending where she plays a little game with the reader, casting just a scintilla of doubt about whether Dalgleish really did experience it all. But what I did not like was the continuous stream of typographical errors, many of them originating from what I assume was the scanning of the text into the kindle format. For example, cliff might become diff and so on. It is this sort of irritating error that makes one prefer the real, paper artefact.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By K. J. Kloian
Format:Paperback
what a fantastic book. One of my absolute favourite adam dalgliesh mysteries. The classic 'whodunnit', the surprise ending will satisfy, and getting there is exciting too!
you will not be disappointed!
you will not be disappointed!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not my favourite
Began in expectation of the Black Tower being of the same quality as the previous ones (I am reading all in chronological order) - but not this time. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nicki Evans
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Black Tower.
This is a very good read, I live in Dorset and could relate to the places that Adam Dalgliesh visited in pursuit of the killer.
Published 1 month ago by Mrs Imogen Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful reading
P.D. James is such a wonderful author. She has a gift for getting the reader engrossed in her highly intelligent and ingenious plots right from the word go. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Malcolm Gillett
5.0 out of 5 stars
mystery
This is a very interesting mysery, an excellent read. P D James never disappoints and she keeps you hooked all the way.
Published 2 months ago by A. Monerasinghe
4.0 out of 5 stars
Plenty of suspects...
I have just finished reading The Black Tower and found it a most interesting book that I had to go back to and finish as I wanted to know all the facts. Read more
Published 4 months ago by C. FULLER
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hugely enjoyed, read on holiday and couldn't put down
A typical PDJ read. She concentrates on the fine points of character and draws out relationships. The turn at the end was very surprising .
Published 5 months ago by Martin John Unwin
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE BLACK TOWER
Brilliant, as always. Never disappointed by a P.D. James book. So well written and constructed - a pleasure to read.
Published 9 months ago by MistyMoo
3.0 out of 5 stars
It Hasn't Aged Well....
In my younger days I loved the TV interpretations of the Commander Dalgliesh series, but was disappointed at how poorly this book has aged. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Galning
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Black Tower
The story is unpreditable, one can feel the desolation and cold mist surrounding the characters. The atmospheric and bleak setting draws the reader to keep turning the pages
Published 14 months ago by Pages
5.0 out of 5 stars
A ggod Read
I bought this book because we live near the Clavell tower at Kimmeridge Bay where this book was written around. It is a good read
Published on 24 Dec 2010 by Mans96
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