Tag Archives: P.D.James

Requiem for the Detective Novel: Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s “The Pledge”

Posted on February 9, 2012 by dorothyjames

Requiem auf den Kriminalroman:  This was Dürrenmatt’s own subtitle for his short and stunning novel, Das Versprechen [The Pledge] (1958).  It has no place in Sean Penn’s film version of the book  though this did keep the title, The Pledge … Continue reading →

Posted in crime fiction, detective fiction, literary mystery, movie thriller, murder mystery | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Julian Barnes: “Life is not a detective story.”

Posted on December 1, 2011 by dorothyjames

When Julian Barnes, 2011 winner of the Man Booker Prize, was asked (2006) whether the readers of Arthur and George expected him to name the culprit in that novel, he replied, “Well, one or two were disappointed that they didn’t … Continue reading →

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The Chilling Thrillers of Sally Spedding

Posted on October 12, 2011 by dorothyjames

Sally Spedding does not write cozies.  Some people have called her novels “creepy chillers.”  They are not for the faint-hearted. They frighten me. But that, I think, is what they are supposed to do, and they do it with style, … Continue reading →

Posted in murder mystery, paranormal, thriller | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quotations: And other people say . . .

Posted on May 13, 2011 by dorothyjames

Dorothy L. Sayers Death in particular seems to provide the minds of the Anglo-Saxon race with a greater fund of innocent amusement than any other single subject. Quoted  by P.D. James in TalkingaboutDetectiveFiction (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, Toronto, 2009, … Continue reading →

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