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Death Comes to Pemberley

SGM
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 700
Joined: March 2010

Post by SGM » Tue November 22nd, 2011, 6:16 pm

I have this on Kindle and will be getting to it within the next couple of weeks.

I will have to see if I agree with you.

Do you like her other books?
Currently reading - Emergence of a Nation State by Alan Smith

annis
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4585
Joined: August 2008

Post by annis » Tue November 22nd, 2011, 6:24 pm

Yes, I've read many of PD James' mysteries and enjoyed her intelligent and psychologically acute approach, and she does ably demonstrate the same approach in DCTP, it's just that tedium renders it difficult after a while to care whodunnit and why - for two pins I could have happily killed off the lot of them. It was quite a surprise to find that DCTP just wasn't really doing it for me. It has to be remembered that P D James is now in her 90s. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

Edit: Couldn't help chuckling at this naughtily witty comment I just spotted at Digested Reads: "The kiss of death comes to Pemberley". Crace is so sharp- I love his column.

I've posted my review of Death Comes to Pemberley here, but of course, it's nowhere near as witty as Crace's - see here for his full Digested Read DCTP parody/review.
Last edited by annis on Fri November 25th, 2011, 5:01 am, edited 20 times in total.

Jen Black
Scribbler
Posts: 22
Joined: December 2008
Location: Tyne Valley, UK
Contact:

In agreement

Post by Jen Black » Mon January 26th, 2015, 10:10 pm

[quote=""annis""]It seems vaguely sacrilegious to diss the work of such a renowned author, but I see from the Amazon UK reviews that I'm by no means the only reader to feel that style has taken precedence over substance in Death comes to Pemberley. Obviously there will be others who feel that style justifies itself.[/quote]

I agree with you, Annis. I too found it very dull. I expected so much more from so famous a writer.

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Susan
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3746
Joined: August 2008
Location: New Jersey, USA

Post by Susan » Mon January 26th, 2015, 11:16 pm

I did not finish Death at Pemberley. Awful.
~Susan~
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Baylou
Scribbler
Posts: 19
Joined: December 2017
Currently reading: The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor
Interest in HF: I’ve always loved fiction and history, so historical fiction is my happy reading zone. I think the books that cemented hist fic as my favourite were Random Passage and Waiting for Time by Bernice Morgan. I have a special interest in: WWII, Ireland, England, Italy, Canada (especially Newfoundland and Labrador), women’s history/herstory and folklore.
Favourite HF book: Can’t pick one. Recently enjoyed The Good People by Hannah Kent.
Preferred HF: I have a special interest in WWII period, especially relating to women’s history, codebreaking work, Bletchley Park. I tend to most enjoy literary fiction rather than comercial or popular fiction, but read a range.
Location: Canada

Re: Death Comes to Pemberley

Post by Baylou » Tue December 19th, 2017, 8:31 pm

I admit to not having read the book, but I watched the TV adaptation which aired on PBS and included one of my favourite British actresses, Anna Maxwell Martin. She also was in the cast of the adaptation of a Agatha Christie book And Then There Were None.

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Vanessa
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 4378
Joined: August 2008
Currently reading: The Farm at the Edge of the World by Sarah Vaughan
Interest in HF: The first historical novel I read was Katherine by Anya Seton and this sparked off my interest in this genre.
Favourite HF book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell!
Preferred HF: Any
Location: North Yorkshire, UK

Re: Death Comes to Pemberley

Post by Vanessa » Wed December 20th, 2017, 4:27 pm

I enjoyed And Then There Were None. ‘Crooked House’ was shown in the UK on Sunday, another one of Agatha Christie’s one-offs. I’ve recorded it.

Anna Maxwell Martin has been in ‘Midwinter of the Spirit’ as Merrily Watkins. It’s a mystery series by Phil Rickman. She’s also been in ‘The Bletchley Circle’ which was very good.
currently reading: My Books on Goodreads

Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind

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