A Mind To Murder (1963)

Not quite the beginning of the series, but I am surely one of the only people in the universe who reads mystery novels in publication order. Cheesy title and only moderately interesting characters, but this book excelled in plotting. It had a GREAT, creepy, plot-twisty third act, which is exactly what you want in a mystery novel (and so rare in other fiction). ( )

One of the earlier Dalgleish stories and not particularly riveting.
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1963, #2 Inspector Adam Dalgleish, a psychiatric clinic, London; classic police procedural, still entertaining, narration pretty good. This reread via Overdrive - 1985, Chivers Audio Books, read by Roy Marsden
The Office Manager of a posh clinic gets herself brutally murdered in its basement and suspects abound as Dalgleish works to peel away the layers of semi-truth and falsehoods that surround the setting, the victim, and her co-workers.

You can see the debt James owes Marsh here, as Adam uncharacteristically works with a bluff second-in-command a.la Mr. Fox, but the plotting is strong and the pacing good. Although the characters may now seem somewhat stereotypical, this 50-year-old mystery still holds up, with nicely interwoven subplots and numerous twists. And the ending is terrific, with several switches when you least expect it, and one that you do, but it leads to something else you hadn't considered...

Marsden’s reading is a bit awkward, and he mixes up characters’ voices, but for me he *is* Adam, and at this time was hugely popular, recording this at about the same time they made the TV version. He acts far better than he reads IMO.
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1963, #2 Inspector Adam Dalgleish, a psychiatric clinic, London; classic police procedural, still entertaining, narration pretty good. This reread via Overdrive - 1985, Chivers Audio Books, read by Roy Marsden
The Office Manager of a posh clinic gets herself brutally murdered in its basement and suspects abound as Dalgleish works to peel away the layers of semi-truth and falsehoods that surround the setting, the victim, and her co-workers.

You can see the debt James owes Marsh here, as Adam uncharacteristically works with a bluff second-in-command a.la Mr. Fox, but the plotting is strong and the pacing good. Although the characters may now seem somewhat stereotypical, this 50-year-old mystery still holds up, with nicely interwoven subplots and numerous twists. And the ending is terrific, with several switches when you least expect it, and one that you do, but it leads to something else you hadn't considered...

Marsden’s reading is a bit awkward, and he mixes up characters’ voices, but for me he *is* Adam, and at this time was hugely popular, recording this at about the same time they made the TV version. He acts far better than he reads IMO.
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This second Dalgliesh novel, published in 1963, felt like a story out of the past. It’s curious how quickly we are accustomed to mobile phones and all the accoutrements of contemporary life. In this novel it’s a matter of pillar-boxes and telephone kiosks, although I think it was the style most of all that dated it for me, especially the opening half of the book where Dalgliesh methodically interviews everyone in the clinic, all rather tiresome. There are some astute twists towards the end but I think I have found greater enjoyment in later Dalgliesh books where his personality and background emerge more strongly. ( )