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An Unsuitable Job for A Woman (Paperback)

by P.D. James (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 220 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber (5 Jan 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0571228550
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571228553
  • Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11.2 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 48,878 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

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

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Product Description

Product Description

Meet Cordelia Gray: twenty-two, tough, intelligent and now sole inheritor of the Pryde Detective Agency. Her first assignment finds her hired by Sir Ronald Callender to investigate the death of his son Mark, a young Cambridge student found hanged in mysterious circumstances. Required to delve into the hidden secrets of the Callender family, Cordelia soon realizes it is not a case of suicide, and that the truth is entirely more sinister.
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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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4.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars "What's there to be afraid of? After all, we're only dealing with men.", 6 Aug 2006
By Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
Written in 1972 and winner of the Best Novel Award by the Mystery Writers of America in 1973, this clever mystery by P. D. James features a female detective who is no Miss Marple. Cordelia Gray, is a contemporary detective, liberated and independent. An attractive young woman in her early twenties, she has inherited a detective agency from her partner Bernie Pryde, and she intends to keep it running, make it profitable, and create a career for herself. Polite and at ease in elegant circumstances, Cordelia is also willing to take chances and do all the dirty work--and carry a gun.

On her first case following the death of Bernie Pryde, Cordelia is hired by famed environmentalist Sir Ronald Callender of Garforth House, to find out why his son Mark has hanged himself. Sir Ronald has had little interest in or affection for his son during his lifetime but now seems determined to understand the reasons for his son's shocking suicide. Cordelia soon learns that just prior to his death, Mark dropped out of college and found work as a gardener, severing relations with his father from whom he declared he would accept no money or support. Further investigation leads Cordelia to believe that Mark was murdered.

The characters, though "thin" and somewhat stereotypical, are quirky and memorable enough to keep the reader interested in their behavior--Mark's friends, who know more than they are willing to reveal; Sir Ronald's household, including Elizabeth Leaming, his secretary, formerly a student of literature; Miss Markland, the sad single mother who once lived in the cottage where Mark's body was found; and Christopher Lunn, assistant to Sir Ronald at the scientific foundation where they both work. Soon an attempt is made on Cordelia's life, and three more deaths occur before Mark's murderer and motive are revealed.

James is a master at keeping the reader guessing till the very end, creating numerous plot twists which change the reader's perceptions and expectations at every turn. The tension remains high throughout, and the conclusion, in which Cordelia has to make a report to Adam Dalgiesh, Bernie Pryde's mentor (and the main character of James's best-known series), allows James to connect Cornelia's story with that series and, perhaps, give it additional credibility. Cordelia Gray is an engaging detective conveying just the right balance of ingenuousness and fierce determination, traits that continue her appeal in James's The Skull Beneath the Skin. One of James's best novels, "Unsuitable Job" will keep even jaded mystery readers on the edge of their chairs. Mary Whipple
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Dalgliesh Echoes beyond His Reach, 20 Oct 2007
By Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)      
Baroness James deserves great credit for coming up with this most unusual and interesting novel. Her detective, private investigator Cordelia Grey, is a landmark in the history of female detective fiction. The clever way that Ms. James connects this unlikely operative to the mighty Adam Dalgliesh adds great insight into both characters. The story itself is full of the unexpected . . . while maintaining touch with the ordinary. The combination is enough to keep you misdirected and fascinated until the very end.

I recently decided to reread the book to see if it still ranks up there as one of my favorite detective novels . . . and came away even more impressed than ever.

Cordelia Gray is a young woman learning her investigatory trade when her partner, Bernie Pryde, cuts his life short. Bernie has set up matters to give her as good a chance as possible to prosper in sole detection, including leaving her an unregistered gun. But will she have any clients?

It's a relief when a prospective client shows up looking for Bernie and takes Cordelia back for an interview with the famous father of Mark Callender, who recently killed himself. What father wouldn't want to know why? Cordelia in short order finds herself off on a five pounds a day assignment.

As she tracks backwards through the last days of Mark Callender, Cordelia finds that she likes him and wants to do right by his memory. Using the lessons that Bernie taught her, that he, in turn, learned from Dalgliesh, Cordelia soon has her suspicions about the suicide. Before long, she's being threatened as well.

What's it all about?

Bring a big imagination, grab a very comfy chair, turn on a good reading light and settle down for a treat!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid, 10 April 2009
By Katja Beck (Hollywood, FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I loved reading this book. It has a very 'English' feeling to it and James shows great talent in describing the landscape of the story. I could vividly picture the cottage and garden and everyplace else the story takes Cordelia Gray during her investigation. I also enjoyed the unusual ending of the story which sets the book apart from other mystery novels. I liked the brief encounter of Cordelia with Adam Dalgliesh. It made both detectives more human, showing that they don't live in an isolated world of their own. In short, a wonderful British mystery.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Quite boring
I found this book very dull and would not recommend it. The characters are all a bit cardboard and unrealistic. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Kate

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