Adam Dalgiesh and his team are called in to investigate the suspicious death of barrister Venetia Aldridge in her office. There are a great many suspects. Nearly all the staff who work in the same chambers had a motive from the head of Chambers down to the cleaners. Then there are her daughter and ex-husband, plus a long list of possible disgruntled clients. Gary Ashe is a client Venetia Aldridge successfully defended a month earlier for the murder of his aunt and he has become engaged to Venetia's daughter and sole heir. The murder is unusual in that following death by stabbing a judicial wig was placed on her head and soaked in blood. There is the possibility that the killer is not the same person who placed the wig and blood there. As always P. D. James weaves a very involved plot, includes great narrative about her characters and the places she uses as settings.
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The review of this Book prepared by Penny
It is difficult to beat P.D. James as a mystery writer (indeed, she has been called “the queen of mystery writers”!) and in “A Certain Justice,” this English writer offers a compelling mystery. A queen's judge is found dead in her chambers and James' brilliant superintendent Adam Dalgliesh takes the case. There are enough suspects, as the
judge was not a popular figure among her colleagues and she had also earlier defended a young man accused of a brutal murder, and won. As Dalgliesh narrows his list of suspects,
one of them is found murdered, too. From this point, James takes us through a labyrinth of detail, of detective logic, of exciting judgment before concluding with what is perhaps
her most exciting finale. James is a treasure to read!
The review of this Book prepared by Bill Hobbs