Search - A Certain Justice (Adam Dalgliesh, Bk 10)

Amazon.com 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 harbor "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 women 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.

I was ready to murder the victim myself by the time it happened. At least four people (in every age range) had good motives. Loved learning about the personalities of the team, (Kate, Piers, and Robbins), and learning more about Dalgliesh. A real whodunit.

This is a P.D. James case to shiver through and revel in - dark page by dark page.

What would you do if you were a lawyer who successfully defended a murderer and just found out that this man is dating and wants to marry your daughter? Venetia Aldridge has this problem ... but it is not her former client who is now found murdered, but she herself. Her future son-in-law is not the only suspect, though - apparently, Ms. Aldridge was a very fine lawyer, but did have a certain lack of "people-skills"

As usual a great book, with great characterizations, by PD James.

This book is about a criminal lawyer with large talents and small personal charm. She tries to save a young lower-class tough who is accused of murdering his prostitute aunt. Then the lawyer is murdered. A good story.

Bravo! Another great read from P.D. James. I could hardly put it down.