PD James is one of the most beloved authors in the crime fiction genre. Her series, which follows detective Adam Dalgliesh and his team of Scotland Yard detectives as they investigate a variety of mysterious crimes, is a classic for readers who love a good whodunit. If you’re new to this series and want to know where to start, here’s a guide for reading the Adam Dalgliesh books in order.
The original Adam Dalgleish novel was published in 1962. The book, Cover Her Face, introduces us to Detective Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh as he investigates the death of young nanny Sally Jupp. From there, we follow him through 17 more novels and one short story collection as he solves crimes set in England's bucolic countryside and London's gritty urban areas alike.
If you want to dive into this series from the beginning, grab Cover Her Face first. From there you can read books two through five (A Mind To Murder, Unnatural Causes, Shroud for a Nightingale, and The Black Tower) before transitioning into Death of an Expert Witness (book six). You can then proceed with books seven through thirteen (A Taste For Death; Devices and Desires; Original Sin; A Certain Justice; Death In Holy Orders; The Murder Room; and The Lighthouse). Book fourteen is The Private Patient followed by The Reckoning (book fifteen), The Monogram Murders (book sixteen), Sleep No More (book seventeen), and finally The Mitford Murders (book eighteen).
There are also two short story collections featuring Adam Dalglieish that are worth checking out including Time To Be in Earnest (which consists of three stories) and Talking About Detective Fiction (which consists of four stories). These collections provide insight into some of the cases that were too small for full-length novels but still contain enough mystery to keep readers entertained.
Reading PD James' work is like taking a literary tour through England's past—the settings come alive as our favorite Scotland Yard detectives solve puzzles created by masterful wordsmiths. Whether you're an old fan or just starting out on your journey with Adam Dalgliesh and his team of Scotland Yard detectives, these books will provide entertaining reads full of suspense that will leave you wanting more from this iconic author.
If you're a fan of the classic and award-winning author PD James, then you'll want to click this link! With years and years of gripping mystery plots, this article showcases the best PD James books of all time. The selections are based on reviews and expert consensus, so you can trust that these titles are truly some of her best work. Start your journey into PD James' intricate world today!