There was an explosion of light, and the image of the dead girl leapt up at them and lay suspended in air, burning itself on Dalgliesh’s retina. It seems contradictory, but this is still a 5 star book even if it has to come with an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert ™. P.D. James is definitely hitting her stride here with her trademark style of novels set in "an enclosed world, seething with malice, intrigue, hatred and murder.*" Spoilers ahead for Dalgleish season one. For two decades, Roy Marsden portrayed the no-nonsense Inspector Adam Dalgliesh across several series for ITV. Adapted from P. D. James’ crime novels, the series became intertwined with Marsden – and vice versa. But thanks to a new adaptation by Channel 5, another actor will soon be filling those shoes. Each book is your typical murder-mystery whodunit with Inspector Dalgliesh set the seemingly impossible task of unmasking the culprit. Nurse Pearce is acting the part of our patient this morning. We have just been going through her history. She is Mrs. Stokes, the fifty-year-old mother of four children, wife of a council refuse collector. She has had a laryngectomy for the treatment of cancer." She turned to a student sitting on her right.

Phyllis Dorothy James, known as Baroness James of Holland Park, is not accidentally called the modern Agatha Christie. The total circulation of her books is more than sixty million copies, and their end-to-end character, detective-poet Adam Dalgliesh, is rightfully among the most beloved book detectives. I'm meeting him for the first time and I admit I'm fascinated. Julia Pardoe's composed, rather childish voice went on: "So if the victim was really meant to be Fallon, it couldn't have been one of us, could it? We all knew that Fallon wouldn't be acting the patient this morning." The policeman rather enjoys talking with her and watching her performance. At the end, when they talk about the bottle of disinfectant that was the poison that killed the first nurse, Collins forcefully says, “And now I’ll tell you something, Mr. Detective.” For instance, Matron Mary Taylor, the head of nursing and the single strongest force at the John Carpendar Hospital outside of London, is one of those hyper-competent, compassionate leaders on whom the staff routinely leans. Yet, as James describes it, Taylor finds the performance draining: This story opening in Nightingale House in 1975 where a group of trainee nurses are being taught. In the class they are giving a demonstration of how to feed a patient through a tube, with a nurse playing the part of the patient... as soon as the liquid in the tube reaches her stomach she reacts violently and dies. It appears that somebody has replaced the milk meant to be used with disinfectant. Inspector Adam Dalgliesh and DS Charles Masterson turn up to investigate. As the case progresses various suspects and motives emerge.There are chase scenes, murders-in-progress, a couple of nasty assaults, one or two very funny set-pieces (particularly Sargent Masterson's involvement with a ballroom dancing contestant...) and a lot of suspense and gloomy forboding along with really superb characterizations. And the ending exposition while a bit slow in spots is fascinating, and absolutely beautifully done, weaving in every little thread and bit of earlier-presented information we'd been given, while still making us/allowing us to "feel for" the people involved. Really fine writing. James was that rare mystery writer and, for that matter, rare writer who could see and feel in the routine the deeper waters of life and loss. There was a murmur from the class. Sister Gearing raised an interrogative eyebrow. The spectacled student said:

Physical attractiveness is treated as the most important part of each character to a large extent. Not surprising, but really crap. What is the book about? Strange and scary things happen at the nursing school. Right at the practical lesson, a student dies. Do you know the procedure of anal feeding when a patient cannot eat for some reason? Her skill, like any other, should be worked out by future sisters, and fellow students serve as a model for procedures in turn. The one to whom this has fallen today is injected with another substance instead of warm milk. And a day later - another death.Shroud for a Nightingale, published in 1971, was the fourth crime novel by P.D. James, the fourth of a series centered on Scotland Yard detective Adam Dalgliesh that would eventually total 14. Written by PD James —Has it really been 42 years since this PD James novel came out, one of her best-known and most-loved works? Although it was her fourth book featuring poet and police detective Adam Dalgliesh, it was the first, and certainly not the last, to win awards. It took the CWA Silver Dagger in 1971, and was runner-up for The Mystery Writers of America’s Best Novel Award the same year. Shroud for a Nightingale was one of her first novels to be adapted for TV in 1984, starring Roy Marsden as Dalgliesh. He went on to play the complex detective for 15 years. My grandmother left this for my mother to read, and bored, I started it waiting for her in the car. Boredom, too, is the only reason I can give for my finishing it -- I was mesmerized by how entirely uninteresting it was, both the story and the literary style. The story is set in a nurses' training school and we meet an interesting set of characters who soon becomes the suspects of two murders. While telling her story, James takes us also through the characters and lives of each suspect revealing their qualities, secrets, and scandals and giving a good account of their real selves. This probing deeper into the characters of the suspects is quite interesting. It also gives weight to the story. At the same time, however, certain attitudes and the sheer insolence of some of the suspects towards Dalgliesh and his official retinue bit grated on my nerves.

Shroud for a Nightingale is a classic British whodunit. It has a closed community, a limited number of suspects, a trail of clues and a detective tasked with finding the murderer. Yet despite a relatively low body count — you can add them up on one hand and have fingers to spare — this is not a cosy crime novel. Whilst there is little blood or gore, there is plenty of malicious intent. Correct. And as our patient is conscious and able to swallow we are giving her this feed by mouth. Don't forget to reassure your patient, Nurse. Explain simply to her what you are going to do and why. Remember this, girls, never begin any nursing procedure without telling your patient what is to happen." Nurse Goodale asked sharply: "What was she wearing?" Maureen was unsurprised at this apparently irrelevant question. By the way, you'd better start in good time. The road's up just before you strike the Guildford by-pass." My dear woman, this girl's dead! Dead! What does it matter where we leave the body? She can't feel. She can't know. For God's sake don't start being sentimental about death. The indignity is that we die at all, not what happens to our bodies."

Episodes

Tagged with: ★ 4 Stars, 1970s, British, Health Service, London, Murder, Mystery, Narrative, Review, World War 2 P. D. James, byname of Phyllis Dorothy James White, Baroness James of Holland Park, (born August 3, 1920, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England—died November 27, 2014, Oxford), British mystery novelist best known for her fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard.

James is one of my favorite writers, and I've reread most of her books several times; this time I listened to SHROUD in audio, read by Michael Jayston, courtesy of my library. He's a smooth, excellent reader, and this was very enjoyable. And now to the plot... The six-episode Acorn TV series, premiering Monday (Nov. 1), stars Bertie Carvel as the titular Dalgliesh; each close-ended episode airs in two parts, with different supporting characters. The novel "Shroud for a Nightingale" has nothing to do with "The Lady with the Lamp" or the Nightingale from the women's intelligence network, sung by Kristina Hanna. Although the echoes of the events of the Second World War will play a significant role here, and the place of action will be a nursing school.Now suppose we introduce ourselves," she said encouragingly. "My name is Miss Muriel Beale. There's no need to tell you I'm a G.N.C. Inspector. I know some of your names but I am not really sure who is who."