Reviews

Cover Her Face by P.D. James

applegnreads's review against another edition

3.0

Good. Since one of her inspirations was D Sayers, I was hoping for a more Lord Peter-like character but this one is still good and after all, this was her first.

book_concierge's review against another edition

3.0

I came late to the P.D.James party, but I'm glad I got here. The head of a local book shop spoke at a meeting with such enthusiasm and fondness for the character of Adam Dalgliesh that I just HAD to try the books. This is the first one - and it's a first-rate "locked room" murder mystery. Very fine writing, and keeps you guessing right to the end.

NOTE: In Sept 2008 I read this again because I didn't realize I had read it before until I was half-way through. Still kept me entertained!

davidkelly0324's review against another edition

challenging mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

markeefe's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

alex_watkins's review against another edition

4.0

What I expected from P.D. James, but I think even more P.D. Jamesy. Or at least the suspense to procedure ratio was slightly off. I love the whole try to follow along and solve the case (next to impossible), and I love the surprise solution. The other ones I've read have thrown in a bit more suspense that heightened the excitement. Still I couldn't put it down once i got towards the reveal. The beginning was a bit hard to get into because she just mad throws characters at you, I had to write them down.

briesespieces's review against another edition

2.0

this book deceived me. i thought i was in for a quick murder mystery read because final exams and i don’t have time but no. it was a laborious task to finish this and i regretted my choice a quarter of the way through but i didn’t wanna back down so i had to slog through. the mystery was intriguing but the execution was somewhat lacking. i also had a love/hate relationship with the writing because why would you feel the need to forget about paragraphs and why is a character talking a whole page without any breaks repeatedly? i’m just glad i’m done but i have to say, i just loved the reveal of the murderer.

i’m not sure if i’ll be picking up the rest of the books in the series though.

jnelsontwo's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

laz_'s review against another edition

1.0

ok

twocatstailoring's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

iteechesinglish's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Rereading this after many years and couldn't remember who the murderer was because my memory is crap, so it was like reading it for the first time! I was introduced to PD James by reading an Unsuitable Job for a Woman in college so it's interesting to go back and read her earlier works. Most of her novels feature the detective Adam Dalgliesh but at least in this novel he is mostly in the background, popping up in here and there for questioning with the spotlight mostly on the cast of possible suspects. It's a classic British mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie and doesn't quite stand out in any way, but the writing is good and the characters are compelling. 

Summary for myself: The Maxies are an aristocratic family whose fortunes are declining. They take on Sally Jupp as a a maid. Sally is a single mother from a home that "rehabilitates" young women who have fallen from grace and immediately starts causing problems in the household which come to a head when she announces that the son Stephen has proposed to her. The next day she is found murdered in her room with the door locked from the inside. Who could have done it!