Tuesday, September 17, 2013

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P.D. James - Review


An Unsuitable Job for a Woman

Rating: 1 Star

Description:  For her first job after the death of her business partner, Private Investigator Cordelia Gray, is hired to find out why wealthy Sir Ronald Callendar's son Mark committed suicide.  As the investigation progresses Cordelia becomes more emotionally invested in Mark and begins to wonder - what if it wasn't suicide at all?

Genre: Mystery

My Impression:  P.D. James is one of the great mystery authors - up there with Christie and Sayers - but try as I might I just don't like her books.  I gave this one a try because I thought a new detective might be more enjoyable and it was short so I wouldn't have to slog through 500 pages to decide I didn't like it.  Instead I ended up slogging through 250 pages spending most of that time somewhat perplexed to decide I didn't like it.  The level of connection between Cordelia and Mark passes between odd to morbid.  She is staying in the cottage that he lived and and wearing his clothes, including the belt that he hanged himself or was hanged with.  I figured out the twist about 50 pages before it even came up in the plot and when a big villain reveal happened it took me way too long to remember who that person was.  There was very little to recommend with this book, I thought the characters were unlikable and boring and the mystery was convoluted.  It was impossible to believe that Sir Ronald would go out of his way to hire someone to figure out his son's death.  After 250 pages I felt no more emotional attachment or level of interest to the characters and the story than I did at page 1.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: I shouldn't but I probably will.  I keep hoping I'll read one I like.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Absolutely not.

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