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'The Queen of Crime.' New York Times

Venetia Aldridge QC is a distinguished barrister. When she agrees to defend Garry Ashe, accused of the brutal murder of his aunt, it is one more opportunity to triumph in her distinguished career as a criminal lawyer. But just four weeks later, Miss Aldridge is found dead at her desk.

Commander Adam Dalgliesh, called in to investigate, finds motives for murder among the clients Venetia has defended, her professional colleagues, her family - even her lover. As Dalgliesh narrows the field of suspects, a second brutal murder draws them into greater complexities of intrigue and evil . . .

'Ingenious and beautifully written, this is P. D. James at her highly impressive best.' Sunday Telegraph

'Fiendishly clever . . . An accomplished performance by a leader in her field' Sunday Times

A beautiful new edition of one of P. D. James's classic novels.

About the Author

P. D. James was a bestselling and internationally acclaimed crime writer. She was the creator of Adam Dalgliesh and Cordelia Gray, and their long and successful series of mysteries. Her works include Cover Her Face (1962), An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1972), Innocent Blood (1980), Children of Men (1992), and the Jane Austen-inspired Death Comes to Pemberley (2011).

James was born in Oxford in 1920. She won awards for crime writing in Britain, America, Italy and Scandinavia, including the Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Award. She received honorary degrees from seven British universities, was awarded an OBE in 1983 and created a life peer in 1991. In 1997 she was elected President of the Society of Authors, and stood down from this role in 2013.

Book Information
ISBN 9780571354245
Author P. D. James
Format Paperback
Page Count 592
Imprint Faber & Faber
Publisher Faber & Faber
Weight(grams) 90g
Dimensions(mm) 252mm * 132mm * 15mm