The Skull Beneath the Skin

the novel appears to be PD James looking back at agatha christie by taking the basics of the classic murder mystery (an enclosed and gothic setting, a finite number of suspects, stylized characters)...and then updating it with all of the intricate details, narrative complexity, and emotionally nuanc......more

These books that get 2 stars are beginning to have a particular feel to them. Professionally written but ultimately ill sustaining books that do enough but don't tell enough. I'm leaving the ultimate choice to fans who want to buy the second Cordelia Gray book. The first one was a real find. This o......more

3.5 stars - I was very impressed with the actual prose of this book, and I very much enjoyed the plot. It delivers on the closed circle mystery, and I thought the setting of this creepy castle on the island was an effective mileu for that plot type. That said, I didn't really feel a connection to mo......more

Secondo e ultimo caso per Cordelia Gray, devo dire che mi ha un po' deluso rispetto al primo (a parte quando P.D. James, da ottima Janeite, cita Emma. «Vado a fare due passi con la signorina Gray» disse con tutta calma. «Non si può dire che la recita finora sia stata di quelle che inchiodano l’attenzi......more