People love mysteries. It is in our nature to enjoy problem-solving- to watch as all the threads come together to a satisfying conclusion. “Mystery” is still an immensely popular genre across nearly all mediums. And, of course, what is more enthralling than solving a mystery with the passion of justice behind it?
A murder mystery, in other words? After all, catching a murderer is one of the justest motives to solve a mystery. Thousands of books and thousands of hours of television are dedicated to the subject. It’s a shame that real life isn’t so tidy, isn’t it? I mean, sometimes there just isn’t a conclusion. Your numbers don’t come up in online slots. The threads never come together. The bad guy gets away.
I guess that’s why there are the stories, eh?
P.D. James
“A Mind to Murder” is written by Phyllis Dorothy James (P.D. James), an English author, Baroness of Holland Park, and receiver of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and member of the Royal Society of Literature. Don’t worry, I’ve never heard of here either. Most of her works are detective mysteries featuring the recurring character, Adam Dalgliesh, against the backdrop of UK bureaucracy, a topic she was familiar with due to various life experiences.
“A Mind to Murder,” What it’s NOT:
Adam Dalgliesh is called in to investigate the murder of the Administrative Officer of a posh psychiatric clinic, who is found dead in the basement with a chisel stabbed in her chest, and her body positioned to hold a strange, carved fetish. It’s a great setup, and the book dives right into things.
Now, let me quote the synopsis real quick because I have a complaint (rant).
“On the surface, the Steen Psychiatric Clinic was one o the most eminent institutions in London… then its administrative head was found with a chisel in her heart and a weird wooden phallic symbol in her arms, and the terrifying truth began to come out. For the clinic was an explosive mixture of psychiatry, sex, and drugs, where doctors could be more twisted than their patients, nurses found their own uses for couches, and a diabolically cunning killer was out [there]…”
Sounds awesome, right? The perfect setup to a horrific, Lovecraftianesque story in a disturbing location with a terrifying villain.
Except that’s not the case at all. Without spoiling anything important, I can safely say that the clinic is not horrific in the slightest (a bit snobbish, but otherwise normal), there is no scandalous use of sex and drugs in the story, and the doctors are completely normal for the time (a bit snobbish, but otherwise normal).
Going off of that synopsis, you’ll expect a very different story from the one you’ll read. A good story, mind you, but very different based on those expectations.
Oh, regarding the most important part of the synopsis, the book never clarifies what nurses use the couches for. And honestly, that bit was half the reason I picked up the book in the first place!
So no, there’s no paranormal or Lovecraftian elements to the story, and is instead more like the stories of Poirot and novels such as “Murder on the Orient Express”. This isn’t a bad thing, but I find the synopsis very disingenuous.
“A Mind to Murder,” its merits:
As for the story itself, I did enjoy it a lot. If you like Agatha Christie-type mysteries, then “A Mind to Murder” will be right up your alley. The characters and their worldviews are quite dated for a modern audience, but that par for the course regarding books written in and about this era (approximately 1950s – 1960s). Also, you may be disappointed by the relatively small scale of the crime in this story if you’re used to grand plots and schemes that are often seen in television shows like “Sherlock”.
Despite actually being the second book featuring the character of Adam Dalgliesh, the story is written excellently and is self-contained quite well, so knowledge of P.D. James’ previous story (“Cover her Face”) isn’t required at all.
The mystery, for what it is, will leave you wondering “Who did it?” right up to the last page. Every character has an alibi, an excuse, and no one has a motive- or so it seems.
No, “A Mind to Murder” is a down to earth detective story, solved using real police sleuthing, a critical mind, and a strong work ethic. If that sounds right up your alley, then P.D. James’ “A Mind to Murder” is definitely recommended.
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