The Murder Room - PD James

goodreads.com

One of my reasons for picking up PD James is the consistent pattern of her novels. Once you get used to her style and the narrative, you pretty much know what to expect and well, get it. It is like cuddling up on the couch to watch a movie by your favourite director. You are prepared to like something or everything about it.

In a nutshell:

The setting is a small elite museum in London, devoted to inter war years founded by a war veteran and carried forward by his children who act as trustees. However, when one of the trustees is murdered, suspicion falls on the siblings, volunteers and as investigation goes on, it brings to fore, the lives and motives of the characters.

But what is interesting is the how James has used this platform to show the class differences in her characters, in their thoughts and also their lives and use it as a dimension to the story. The character portrayal and keen observations make all her novels fascinating and well, this one falls in the same category.

What works:

• A great setting and characters 
• Good suspense

What doesn't:

• Limited use of direct speech could mean that reading it could get a bit monotonous at times.

I have never been able to guess the killer in her novels. The day I do, I may stop reading her. But that is unlikely to happen.