The Book Sniffer

One of the last books in the Adam Dalgliesh series. The Dupayne Museum in Hampstead Heath in London a fictional museum dedicated to the intra war years of London with a murder room that showcases several famous crimes of those years.

All the three trustees of the museum should agrees on a lease to make sure that the place stays in business. One of them is killed.

Commander AD is asked to investigate the murder.

This novel shows the class system in its best. The resentment between high class and the police force. The resentment of lower to middle class against the upper class.

Some chapters would have been omitted and the plot would still have been the same. The imagery and poetic use of language is impressive.

P.D. James presents London as a realistic modern city filled with the tube breakdown, and traffic congestion. Yet she imagines a narrow strip of London that is inhabited by the posh upper class. The ones who live in an ivory tower and do their own things.

Adam here is different than the character we first meet in her 1st book Cover her face; 11 books before. She made him less active, more intuitive and just happy asking questions. He is more sentimental; thinking of love, marriage and children.

This book starts slow, a murder takes place probably after 100 pages. It slowly builds up to it and the reader slowly reaches a climax and descent gradually into a conclusion.

The Murder Room would be a good introduction to anyone who is interested in the detective fiction of P.D. James.