Talking About Detective Fiction

“[P.D. James’s] literary sensibility—calm observation and exact description—is on ample display here.”—Wall Street Journal
 
“An avid book-length essay on the roots, ethics and methods of the detective story . . . Her opinions are often surprising and determinedly contrary . . . Refreshingly outspoken.”—The New York Times
 
“An amiable, personal appreciation of the genre by someone who has been one of its most accomplished and popular exponents.”—The Times, London
 
“It’s like sitting across from P. D. James over tea, and that, naturally, is a delight.”—Booklist
 
“Anyone who is interested in P. D. James’s own fiction will want to read this, but it stands in its own right as a deeper, more thoughtful enquiry into what it is we get out of detective fiction . . . Elegant and thoughtful.”—The Independent, London

“A master class on British mysteries . . . It’s hard to imagine a better guide.”–Christian Science Monitor

“Talking About Detective Fiction has biblical heft. . . . The style is clean, thoughtful and full of grace. . . . Incisive.”—New York Times Book Review

“Fascinating. . . . Her writing shows a vast knowledge and abiding love for the genre she describes.”—USA Today
 
“P. D. James is the undisputed grande dame of the modern mystery . . . She presents an energetic, insightful, and often witty history of the genre.”—Boston Globe