From Publishers Weekly

James ( A Taste for Death ) sets her 11th novel on Larksoken, a remote windswept headland in Norfolk, where the presence of a huge nuclear energy plant serves as a metaphor for the power of the past to rule over her characters. Commander Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard, in Larsoken to settle an estate left him at the death of a relative, is drawn into the investigation of a serial killer, the Whistler. Dalgliesh's neighbors include the power station's director, Alex Mair; his elegant sister Alice, a cookbook author; acting administrator--and Alex's former lover--Hilary Robarts; and anti-nuclear activist Neil Pascoe. The next signature killing , of the widely disliked Robarts, turns out to have occurred hours after a young man who firmly establishes his identity as the Whistler commits suicide. The question of who murdered Robarts, then, centers around motive. This intricate, layered mystery may be read as parable: we can escape the consequences of our choices, political and personal, no more than we can shed our private histories. This is dark James, plotted with a slight unevenness but utterly faithful to her deeply and sympathetically plumbed characters. 175,000 first printing; BOMC and QPB main selections.

Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

While the serial killer known as the Whistler goes about his grisly business in the area around the Larksoken Nuclear Power Station, Commander Adam Dalgliesh comes to Norfolk to settle his aunt's estate. Slowly, through masses of dialog and ruminations by most of the characters, the complex plot unfolds into the usual Jamesian tangle of human relationships and subplots. The story takes shape as James unwraps each nuance of personality, each intricate piece of the puzzle. Though not as fast paced as Shroud for a Nightingale (LJ 1/1/72) nor as finely plotted as A Taste for Death ( LJ 10/1/86), this latest novel demonstrates just how well James commands the English language and illustrates her considerable ability to craft and write a novel. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/89; BOMC and Quality Paperback Book Club main selections.

- Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L., Ohio

Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

P．D．詹姆斯是英国当代最著名的推理小说女作家，被尊称为“推理小说第一夫人”。出生于1920年的P．D．詹姆斯自1950年开始写作，至今笔耕不辍。她已出版近20部作品，她的大部分作品均被拍成电视剧或电影。 P．D.詹姆斯的作品曾经多次获得英美推理小说奖。1987年荣获有“诺贝尔推理文学奖”之称的英国推理小说家协会“钻石匕首奖”终身成就奖，并受英国皇室勋封为女伯爵，1999年荣获美国推理小说家协会大师奖，也曾获爱伦坡奖。P.D.詹姆斯现任英国作家协会主席。