Librarian’s Corner: Mystery author P.D. James

P.D. James, 1920-2014

submitted by Amelia Herron, Manchester District Library

Do you like crime mysteries? Do you like period dramas? Do you like dystopian fiction? If you answered yes to any or all those questions, then you should pick up a P.D. James novel.

James started writing in 1962, starting with crime mysteries. Once Agatha Christie had died, P.D. James became the Queen of Crime. She got what some might consider a late start, writing her first novel at age 40. Despite this, she flourished, writing 18 novels. 14 of them are a part of her most famous series about the intelligent and attractive Inspector Adam Dalgliesh.

She was hailed for her ability to create a believable air of mystery. She did this both for the characters involved and the reader. Part of what made her such a successful crime mystery author is that she was actually “very frightened of violence.” This fear allowed her to accurately depict crime scenes and the crimes themselves. It also allowed her to focus on the part of the crime that she felt was most important: the tragedy.

When asked about being compared to crime mystery writers of the past like Agatha Christie, James said that she didn’t like the comparison. Classic mystery writers often clean up the problems in their book by the end, having everything go back to the way life was before the crime happened. James did not believe that portraying crime like that was humane or ethical. In her novels, she highlights the fact that in real life, after a horrific crime occurs, nothing can go back to normal. She believes this also contributed to the realism that readers felt upon reading her novels.

She also tended to do a lot of research for her novels, even going to a nuclear power plant because one of her books was set in one.

P.D. James believed that religion was important, so she made sure to include at least one religious character in each of her books. Adam Dalgliesh, the main character of her most popular series, is the son of a vicar. The Inspector Dalgliesh series was adapted into a television series by the BBC.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.