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A Certain Justice (Paperback)

by P.D. James (Author) "Murderers do not usually give their victims notice ..." (more)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 496 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (14 Jan 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140274685
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140274684
  • Product Dimensions: 18 x 11.1 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 494,801 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #40 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > J > James, P.D.

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Although A Certain Justice begins with news of a murder, the victim isn't set to die for another four weeks. Publicly respected but privately loathed, Venetia Aldridge has far more enemies than a brilliant London criminal lawyer should--and at least one of them is determined to do her in. Venetia plies her superior trade in courts that harbour "the illusion that the passions of men were susceptible to order and control," but her past and private life are exceedingly unruly. Her married lover is intent on giving her up; her daughter loathes her; her fellow barristers are determined that she not become the next head of chambers. Even the cleaning woman seems to have something on her. The outline alone of this complex novel would take pages (as would the eclectic inventory of players), but P. D. James makes us admire far more than her brilliantly developed plot. James in fact creates a crowded gallery of surprisingly decent suspects, along with one suitably vile creature--who happens to be Aldridge's last client. A superior murder mystery, A Certain Justice is also a gripping anatomy of wild justice. James's characters can be overcome by hate, but she is equally concerned with love's manifestations--human, divine, destructive, and healing.


Product Description

Venetia Aldridge QC is a distinguished barrister. When she agrees to defend Garry Ashe, accused of the brutal murder of his aunt, it is one more opportunity to triumph in her career as a criminal lawyer. But Regina v Ashe initiates events both frightening and unpredictable ...Just four weeks later, Miss Aldridge is found dead. Commander Adam Dalgliesh, called in to investigate, finds motives for murder among the clients Venetia has defended, her professional colleagues, her family - even her lover. As Dalgliesh narrows the field of suspects, a second brutal murder draws them into greater complexities of intrigue and evil.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Murderers do not usually give their victims notice. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Story and Characters but a Tad Slow, 4 Feb 2004
By Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Certain Justice: An Adam Dalgliesh Novel (Paperback)
Venetia Aldridge is a top notch criminal lawyer. She hardly ever looses a case and is able to find the holes in any argument. Her personal life isn't so rosy, however. She is basically estranged from her daughter and considered a problem by her co-workers. Her life really begins to unravel when her daughter announces her engagement - to a man Venetia has recently gotten off for murder. But when Venetia is found dead in her office two days later, it's up to Adam Dalgliesh and his team to figure out who killed her. And with all these motives and suspects, it won't be easy.

I'd heard much about P.D. James, but this was the first time I'd actually read one of her books. I found the writing style engaging and would have a hard time putting it down once I started. On the other hand, I'd have a hard time picking it up again. The beginning especially seems to give us too much background on our characters, stuff we don't need to learn until later if at all. This really slowed the story down for me.

The more I got into it, the better I enjoyed it, however. There were some nice twists along the way with an intriguing sub-plot. The last couple of chapters did seem a little anti-climatic considering what had gone before, but I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be. Using multiple view points greatly added to the story most of the time, although it did confuse me some as far as timeline goes.

I can understand why P.D. James has such a fine reputation. She can paint a picture with words like few other writers currently writing. While she may be a tad too slow for my normal taste, I'm certainly glad to see what all the talk is about. Her reputation is well earned.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars One of PD James best - both absorbing and credible, 6 Sep 1999
By A Customer
Having been rather disappointed by PD James's last couple of detective novels I approached "A Certain Justice" with some reluctance. But from the first page I was completely absorbed. The novel opens with a court-case, in which we see the eventual murder victim, barrister Venetia Aldridge, conducting an inspired defence on behalf of a particularly repugnant client. Over the next few chapters we learn about Venetia's childhood, and what lay behind her ambition to become a criminal barrister. PD James then goes on to present to the reader Venetia's various colleagues. This is done in her usual customary detailed and sympathetic manner, so that the reader becomes absorbed by the personalities described, their inter-relationships and their secret anxieties. Once the murder occurs, we are quickly reacquainted with our old friend Commander Adam Dalgliesh, with Detective Inspector Kate Miskin in tow. Then follows the usual series of police interviews with the several suspects, and, after some unexpected but credible twists and turns,including a second murder, Dalgliesh succeeds (as always) in identifying the culprit. In this novel PD James' narrative and descriptive skills are at their best, and felt both the setting and the denouement to be more convincing that than those of her last novel, "Original Sin". PD James' many fans are in for a treat.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read at an excitable pace, 27 Feb 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: A Certain Justice (Paperback)
Not having read P D James for some considerable time, I had almost forgotten how good her work is. From the first page, I was intrigued by the characters and to the exclusion of all else, found I was reluctant to put this book down and completed it over a two day period. An excellent mystery with believable characters and a plot that was easy to follow. The author's writing is uncomplicated but never simplistic. A lot of "if's and's & but's" culminating in a satisfying ending. Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars A Certain Justice
Interesting first half soon gives way to tedium. Some good characters, though the male policemen are rather indistinguishable from each other. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Rich

5.0 out of 5 stars Immensely enjoyable
This is the first PD James I've read, and I will certainly read some more. A good whodunnit, good, believable characters (Inspector Dalgleish among them), and a good setting (the... Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars My 2nd P D James
Very entertaining, felt all the suspects almost lining up for me to pick from! Although I prefer the older settings, it still maintained an air of another era.
Published on 10 Aug 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not as good as Original Sin
this novel is very good, but not as good as Original Sin, which was entirely brilliant. The plot is strong and credible, the denouement inspringly written> But it fails to... Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars James shows there's justice for all!
P.D. James purists may argue that "Devices and Desires" is her best work to date, but "A Certain Justice" is certainly a close second! Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2000

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