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A review by jennylimmy
A Certain Justice by P.D. James
3.0
This book starts out strong, with James making the fun decision to spend a very long time with the soon-to-be victim. She’s a great character, and the book loses a lot of momentum when she leaves the scene. Although the regular protagonists remain (Commander Dalgliesh, D.I. Miskin), the book eventually shifts its concern to the victim’s unpleasant child. As a heroine — or more accurately, a damsel in distress — she is deeply unsympathetic, and her plight mostly frustrating.
There are other elements in here that reduce the fun: a “sluttish” (her word, not mine) mother figure/rapist, a character of color (one of the very, very few) who dies unnecessarily, seemingly disposed of as a mechanic to enlighten a very dumb White person.
It is nonetheless interesting to see James branch out in various ways in this book. I imagine it will pay off later in the series.
There are other elements in here that reduce the fun: a “sluttish” (her word, not mine) mother figure/rapist, a character of color (one of the very, very few) who dies unnecessarily, seemingly disposed of as a mechanic to enlighten a very dumb White person.
It is nonetheless interesting to see James branch out in various ways in this book. I imagine it will pay off later in the series.