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P. D. James
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Death of an Expert Witness (Adam Dalgliesh Mystery Series #6) Paperback – May 20, 2002

by P.D. James (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,813 ratings
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Dr. Lorrimer appeared to be the picture of a bloodless, coldly efficient scientist. Only when his brutally slain body is discovered and his secret past dissected does the image begin to change. Once again, Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh learns that there is more to human beings than meets the eye -- and more to solving a murder than the obvious clues.
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Previous page
  1. Book 6 of 14
    Inspector Adam Dalgliesh
  2. Print length
    306 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Gardners Books
  5. Publication date
    May 20, 2002
  6. Dimensions
    4.41 x 0.87 x 6.97 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0571204201
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0571204205
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gardners Books; Repack edition (May 20, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 306 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0571204201
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0571204205
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.41 x 0.87 x 6.97 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,813 ratings

About the author

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P. D. James

P. D. James

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P. D. James is the author of twenty previous books, most of which have been filmed and broadcast on television in the United States and other countries. She spent thirty years in various departments of the British Civil Service, including the Police and Criminal Law Departments of Great Britain's Home Office. She has served as a magistrate and as a governor of the BBC. In 2000 she celebrated her eightieth birthday and published her autobiography, Time to Be in Earnest. The recipient of many prizes and honors, she was created Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991 and was inducted into the International Crime Writing Hall of Fame in 2008. She lives in London and Oxford.

Photo credit Ulla Montan

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
2,813 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

J. Brian Watkins
5.0 out of 5 stars A Touchstone British Murder Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2007
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Perfect. In this sixth of her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, the author has achieved a flawless blend of the requisite elements. Dalgliesh is now a fully developed character and is given a sidekick that provides a fine complement to Dalgliesh's naturally dark character. I would also note without any spoilers that a grasp of Dalglish's background adds greatly to the enjoyment of the work. Our author is now able to avoid providing excessive and distracting detail regarding her protagonist as well as provide themes and plot lines that resonate with the Inspector's experience. Suffice it also to say that there is a strong and unifying theme running throughout the book that neatly ties everything up in an edifying and powerful manner. As befits first-rate fiction (of any genre), the book provides a worthwhile lesson in the nature of the human condition.

In short, a Forensic Biologist is whacked over the head with a mallet in his own police laboratory. Thus, the investigation of other murders must be put on hold while the police sort out their own business. The setting is well-matched to the events, the characters are diverse and excellently drawn, the plot moves nicely--but what sets this book apart are the constant red herrings. Upon encountering what appears to be a significant clue, you have not yet finished congratulating yourself on solving the mystery before your speculation is revealed to be flawed.

What makes this a masterwork is that the diversions and complications appear entirely natural. Nothing is out of place and the book is seamless in its relentless march to the ultimate revelation, the tragedy of which is developed in much greater detail than in prior works.

Thus far, my favorite P.D. James mystery. Highly recommended.
11 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer Carol E
4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 rounded to 4
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2022
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I hadn't read a James book for awhile, and had forgotten how her use of many, many, many adjectives makes reading so tedious. The detailed descriptions of characters and locations felt like too much information. That said, the plot was interesting and I wasn't able to identify the culprit until the end. I wanted less minutiae to wade through!
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Annie
5.0 out of 5 stars P. D. James at her Best
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2012
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I have read all of P D James' novels, first in print and now with my kindle. The plots of her books build up in a way that one cannot foretell the conclusion till the very end. Death of an Expert Witness is one of her best. The characters all have a motive to commit murder and I go through the book guessing who is the guilty one and can't wait to find out if I'm right.

I hope that P.D. James continues writing her great mystery novels that give me so much pleasure.
One person found this helpful
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Ronald E. Parsons
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Idea But Not One Of Her Best
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2021
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I specifically remembered reading P.D. James' <Death of an Expert Witness> decades ago. However I didn't remember much about the story. That is one of the reasons I decided to buy and read it again - that, and I always considered the author to be top-notch.

Now having re-read it I know why I didn't remember much from my previous reading. It is only a so-so story with too many (for me) wordy descriptions of things I believed to be unnecessary to the story. And Massingham did not strike me a being a plausible assistant.

Similar reasons are expressed in the other three-star reviews. Until I read those a little while ago I thought I might just have become too old and jaded to enjoy the story.
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LouAnn
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Murder Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2012
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Mrs. James certainly understands murder, forensics and how to write a good story. I was eager to read her work, since I saw an interview of her on BBC. I can say I wasn't disappointed. Mrs. James' background in crime solving makes her the perfect person to write a novel that makes you wonder who killed the lab man and why. What was his motive? Who else needs to be eliminated? Very good, exciting. I personally didn't like some of the language used, which is why it's rated four instead of five stars.
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Nancy Kappus Schear
5.0 out of 5 stars Death of an expert witness.
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2018
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PD James takes us into the realm of the crime solvers in this book in which one of the crime solvers, an expert witness himself, is found dead in his laboratory. Thru twists and turns and red herrings we at last find the perpetrator of the crime, another expert witness but I won’t say who in case you have not read the book.
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Betty H
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book for the Weekend
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015
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This book is a classic British mystery. If you are a fan of Detective Dalgleish, you will enjoy this book. There are many suspects of murder that takes place in the crime lab used by many police agencies in one region of England. There are many twists as the investigation goes forward. If you enjoy reading a good mystery that makes you feel like one of the investigators, this is a good book for that. It can be read on a weekend getaway or a rainy day.
One person found this helpful
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Mary Carlson
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic English mystery
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2017
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James can get a little wordy in places, but she does put you in the picture with her descriptions of location and rounding out of characters. I was first introduced to her with Masterpiece Theater many years ago, so I knew the format and some of the main characters she used beforehand. For a good English style mystery, always with a surprise ending, she is hard to beat.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Renee
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in Canada on July 28, 2023
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Each book of hers I’ve read is excellent. Descriptive and riveting.
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Dr. Maria Hurley
5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling mystery
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2024
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Always plunged into a new and exciting world with PD James . Her sense of menace and place is second to none.
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ernst van der lingen
2.0 out of 5 stars boring
Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 6, 2022
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Well written but a bit boring.
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Reini
4.0 out of 5 stars 色彩があざやか、内容が堪能できるミステリーです。
Reviewed in Japan on July 23, 2020
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この作品が三冊目です。きおくでは二冊目の紙本もamzonから購入した。さいきん読み直したく、字が小さくつらいのでkindle版を購入した。紙本と参照もできて、よかったです。内容について、技法、セッティング、人物、人間関係も読み応えがあります。色彩云々は、前作 A MIND TO MURDER と較べた上の話。あの作品も読んだが、ひたすらくらいのです。
あいにく手がゲガして片手でキー打つで、乱筆でお許しを.....
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Sanjay
5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerising
Reviewed in India on December 12, 2016
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The story starts with a murder, though this is not enough to bring Commander Dalgliesh on the scene. P.D. James goes on to paint a picture showing how a highly sophisticated forensic lab set in the countryside works. The rural setting is perhaps also at the root of the mystery, as you will find out. The pace is slow - James first does a pencil sketch, then fills it up with some colour, and then returns again to add more. In between is the usual fascination with church architecture. Though slow, the book is wonderfully fascinating. You find yourself looking into each sentence - worried that you might miss a clue. Look as you might, you will probably not find anything - till the time James is ready to reveal the murderer.
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