An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1972)

Reading this book was a pleasure. However it did expose my lack of acute concentration, if not my imagining. There was one place in the book where I could do with some exactitude, that is the detective in the well part. Unlike many cozy, and English mystery books, there are quite some prurient quips lying about. Many of the physical traits of the supporting cast are confidently described. P.D. James is some writer.

This book is one of the least domestic crime books I've ever read. The heroine lives, during her investigation, in a decrepit so called cottage. But the author comes into her own element when describing Cambridge. The libraries, the churches, one graveyard, the University; all of them highly etched prosaically. The story is padded with a lot of description, but this treatment doesn't feel like butter spread too thinly on bread. It would be, had the mystery lasted 400 pages. But that's not the case. Pun unintended.

The two things P.D. James laid emphasis on were smells, and the deduction from people's eyes. Most of the characters are presented, or hinted, as intelligent. Some are not clever enough. But even the Pilbean lady who is branded as stupid had the voice of an oracle herself. The richness of the prose forces admiration from me and, I'm sure, others too. Conversely, the author knows how to turn the style on and off. During passages of tangy urgency, she loses the descriptions, and action is shown rather than told.

The main victim, Mark Callender, is a character that can be liked by some and disliked by others. I still don't know how generous, forgiving, or intelligent he was. The fact that he left his study sealed in fate. His death is pitiable, more so in its dressing and undressing. Even death here is seen differently from the characters at various points in the narrative.

I have come to new words here, like "censorious"(3 times), "prurient", "theurgy", and "deletrious". I was interested to know how the author would hide her hand. Since we are seeing the plot unravel from Cordelia's view, the solution to the problem must occur at once and not in stages. I'm glad to say that almost nothing is held from the reader. That is more admirable considering the paucity of witnesses and suspects. The truth of the case was as startling as reading this book proved to be. My first P.D. James novel; excellent. ( )

Enjoyable, if weirdly conservative in its underpinnings (beware radicals!). I always get a little thrill from interconnected novels (in a series or otherwise). 13 ways of looking at Adam Dalgliesh. ( )

Read for my Crime Fiction class. This one certainly wasn't talked up at all by the lecturer, which didn't help, but her comment that "Gray" is a very appropriate name for this female detective is unfortunately true. The whole book was drab and gray for me: the writing was never exciting, the tension never had me curious to read on, the characters rarely compelled me -- the only character I found interesting was the murdered boy, who I felt sorry for.

I'm sure this must be somehow influential or interesting in terms of Crime Fiction, but I couldn't get into it or enjoy it and I'm not planning to write an essay about it. The writing -- the actual mechanics of it, the characters, all of it -- is entirely functional, but entirely uninspired. Part of this might be me as a reader, and the world I've grown up in, of course. The idea of a female detective is no longer surprising, for one thing. ( )

Happy to have read first of Cordelia Gray mystery. A 22-year woman on her first assignment in pre-Internet era: when you visited a newspaper office to check news from previous week, visited a government office to checkout a will and police procedures weren't as advanced and snazzy as in Bond movies or Behavioral Unit of FBI (as in Criminal Minds). Here is a lone women, who is again and again told that she is not in a suitable job like this and nothing more than an unlicensed revolver to her aid. This book also gives an insight into old England. The plot and writing style is intriguing, though unraveling of the mystery is rather lackluster. I can not remember any high points of thrill in the book, yet character development and presentation style is a plus. ( )

This Cordelia Grey mystery may deserve 4 stars but I find myself increasingly disliking crime novels in which the guilty go uncaught or unpunished. One could argue that, since Sir Ronald Callender, Lunn, and Miss Leaming all end up dead, this isn't such a novel. However Cordelia's willingness to conceal Miss Leaming's act bothers me. ( )

There are many wonderful things about older crime novels. Without hi-tech gadgets, in-depth forensic analysis and overly sadistic killers, the writer nearly always has to rely on incredible language and story telling skills to keep the reader engaged and excited. P D James wrote the first Adam Dalgliesh novel in 1962 and her novels continuously make best selling lists over 40 years later. I really, really enjoyed An Unsuitable Job for a Woman in so many ways - sadly it is the first of only two books in the Cordelia Gray series, but I definitely will read more of James' Dalgliesh novels in the future.

Life for Cordelia is, in my opinion, quite wonderful. She is young, described to be quite pretty, and she is a partner in a fun but unconventional private investigation agency. This is the case until her partner Bernie unexpectedly kills himself. Not a great start to the novel. After Bernie's affairs are set in order, Cordelia receives an unexpected client. The wealthy and well-known Sir Ronald Callender's son has recently committed suicide, and Mr Callender wishes to know why his son would choose to end his life. Without many options, Cordelia accepts the case and ends up staying in the cottage the young Mr Callender lived in before he died. Cordelia's keen eye for detail reveals that certain things don't add up to suicide, and she starts to suspect foul play was involved.

This is where the novel really begins to shine. Cordelia is not a trained policewoman, nor is she a specialist in any kind of medical or legal field. Her only understanding of detection came from her unpredictable mentor and partner Bernie. She is essentially a normal, everyday person who has to make do with logic and intuition. She is sharp, sassy and knows what to ask, when to ask it, and how to interpret the ways people respond to her. Her hunt for the truth surrounding the Callender suicide takes her all over Cambridge and on a wild chase that gets her noticed by the wrong person. After a nearly fatal accident, pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place in rapid succession, leading to an explosive climax that was somewhat predictable but expertly delivered all the same.

James' stellar knowledge and use of the English language made this novel a delight to read. It is remarkably both well written and easy to understand at the same time, putting it in a well-deserved class of its own. Reading quality writing almost makes some more mainstream novels easier to handle... almost. James is a superstar in her own right and after reading An Unsuitable Job for a Woman I completely understand what the fuss is about. If all modern authors wrote half as well as this, I think the book industry would be in an incredibly different situation. There is a lot of rubbish out there. This, however, is quality literature at its finest. ( )

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman is the first of two books James has written about a young female private investigator Cordelia Gray, though her more well known protagonist, Adam Dalgliesh, does make his presence felt. Cordelia is the business partner of former policeman (and colleague of the aforementioned Dalgliesh) Bernie Pryde and she arrives at work one day to find Bernie has killed himself. Just as she is trying to work out how to keep the business afloat without her senior partner she is approached by a woman acting on behalf of noted scientist Sir Robert Callender who wants Cordelia to investigate his son Mark’s suicide. In accepting the case Cordelia becomes wrapped up in the lives of wealthy Cambridge students who were Mark’s friends in order to unravel the reasons behind Mark’s death. I enjoyed meeting Cordelia who is quite determined to succeed despite not having much experience (and to prove wrong every second person she meets who makes some comment about the job of detecting being unsuitable for a woman). She uses as her guide the lessons that Bernie learned from his former boss Dalgliesh so his influence pops up throughout the book and the man himself makes a brief appearance at the end. The story is quite slow to unfold but the details of the lives of the players are more interestingly revealed and the people themselves more believable and engaging. ( )

This is the first PD James’ novel I've read and therefore I'm unable to compare it to her other books. Although written in the 70s, tech apart, it didn't come across as dated. In some ways it reminded me of the first of the Millennium Trilogy. Both novels feature a family member who, dissatisfied with a police investigation, instruct someone outside the police to reopen the case, only to open a can of worms instead with all that entails.
The narrative structure was very easy to follow and I knew where and with whom I was the majority of the time. Being constantly privy to Cordelia Gray's innermost thoughts, gave the story immediacy. The frequent mention (and eventual appearance) of Adam Dalgleish served as a nice steppingstone between the protagonist of this novel, and the author’s most famous literary creation.
Was this the best PD James to start with? I don't know, but I think it a shame only two novels feature Cordelia Gray. Maybe Mrs James should bring her back to life, but now a sixty-something private detective, still plying her trade?
Nina Jon is the author of the Jane Hetherington Adventures in Detection crime and mystery series, which will number twelve in total. To learn more please link through www.ninajonbooks.com ( )

Where I got the book: my local library. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

My first shock of this review is checking Wiki to see where this novel comes in P.D. James's oeuvre and discovering that P.D. stands for Phyllis Dorothy. Let me just take a moment.

*clears throat*

Now where was I? Right. The second shock was discovering I wasn't all that impressed. I thought I liked P.D James. Have I changed or is this the Death Comes to Pemberley effect?

Anyway, I find that this was James's fifth novel. And indeed the writing is that of a seasoned author, fluent and vivid, the setup is clever, and if the detective heroine is rather unremarkable she's reasonably well sketched. I did like the idea of the abandoned cottage being loved again on one side but not on the other.

Generally, though, I wasn't excited by the story. James can be a little bleak at times and I think "bleak" is definitely the word here. None of the characters really seem to give a damn about each other or anything else, really. As a reader I wanted to care more and I didn't; it was a puzzle to be solved and that was all.

And then, we get near the end. And the heroine guesses the clue to the mystery (and that "clue" about the blood groups is reaching a bit imho) and then the other key characters start filling in the details with cheerful abandon in a "oh well if you know that much" way. I hate it when they do that, because why should they? Especially in a world where all the characters bar the students have been anything but forthcoming.

AND THEN Cordelia does something completely unprofessional by concealing the fact of the last murder. Why, seriously, would she risk her livelihood by doing that when all her character development points to caution?

AND THEN all the murderers conveniently die, like Hamlet. I don't mind leaving the stage littered with bodies but I think, as Dalgliesh points out, it's all a bit overly neat and tidy.

So now I'm both underimpressed AND annoyed. Not a good way to finish a detective novel. ( )

My first PD James book - sometimes descriptions or details appear to be too long winded and then... just when I'm beginning to get bored or annoyed something totally unexpected happens. I wonder if all PD's books are like this? Guess I'll have to read a few more to find out. The story itself was pretty okay ( )

http://booknutreview.blogspot.com/2010/11/unsuitable-job-for-woman-p-d-james.htm... ( )

The puzzle is a bit contrived and it's hard to buy into the murderer's motivation at the end, but the writing and characterizations are up to James's usual high standards. It's a bit disturbing how all of her main characters go around talking about how dreadful the architecture, or the decorating, or the oil paintings, or something, are. One gets the impression that everyone in England is simultaneously unable to create good art and a born critic of everyone else's. ( )

After Corcdelia Gray's senior partner commits suicide rather than face a slow painful death by cancer, she inherits the struggling Pryde's Detective Agency.

In her first solo case, she is hired by Sir Ronald Callender, a prominent scientist and businessman, who hires her to find out why his son abruptly dropped out of Cambridge and hanged himnself just a few weeks later.

As she investigates, she begins to suspect that that Mark Callender may have been murdered. As she follows a labrynthine trail of clues, she uncovers secret after secret. Exposing one or more of these secrets could quite possibly threaten someone, including Mark's possible murderer, and might, in turn, endanger Cordelia.

I liked this a lot. It was a real page-turner, and was brilliantly written. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, though. ( )

(#9 in the 2009 Book Challenge)

Cordelia Grey is a young woman who finds herself the sole proprietor of a London detective agency after her business partner kills himself. Her first solo case is the investigation of the circumstances surrounding the suicide of a young Cambridge student, at the request of his father. I was a bit enthralled by how deliciously nineteen seventies everything was ... just about every single plot point in the book came back around to SEX, and most of the characters needed to point out how uninhibited they are with regard to sex, because people who don't have any hang-ups about sex frequently go around pointing that out constantly to anyone who will listen.

Grade: B+
Recommended: It's good but dated as far as mysteries go, but I think the real enjoyment comes from a love of the genre in general, and contemplating how this fits into the tradition. It's a little meta that way. ( )

I think Cordelia’s repugnance for things a little slimy, is more faked than anything in her character. She hates Callender Sr. for his callousness toward her when he reveals his motives for killing his son, but readily agrees to conceal his murder by his mistress. At the end, when a slightly seedy client is waiting outside her office and she politely invites him inside, it’s a pretty clear indication of her future. She won’t mind getting her hands dirty from now on, after all, they can’t get much worse. Thank you Ms. James. ( )

P.D. James' first book, I believe. And very good. Here our sleuth is a woman--Cordelia Gray. But we also catch a glimpse of Adam Dalgliesh, the Scotland Yard tec who will eventually take over James' novels and make her into one of the most popular crime writers ever. ( )

Not only does James create intriguing scenarios, detailed characters and clever twists, but she writes so well! This mystery is no different, in fact it is astonishing by its psychological development and careful attention to the character's emotions and motives. The theme of justice and reputation does seem a little passé and naive by today's standards, but in a sense they are very refreshing. ( )

One of PD James more human reads. There's always a sliver of icy detachment which prevents you from feeling a full sympathy with her characters. (She's also really bad at underclass characters but this doesn't show much in this one - only in Chris Lunn). Unsuitable job introduces one of her more sympathetic characters in Cordelia Grey, Cambridge is almost as much of a character as Oxford was for Dorothy Sayers. I almost feel she felt she gave away too much of hereself in this book as Cordelia only appears in one other. Love an academic setting and love the descriptions of buildings (note that the otherwise ubiquitous chequered tiled entrance hall doesn't appear here - I think I share a thing about domestic architecture with PD James!). Realise how naive I was the first time I read it as I completely failed to understand the concept of auto-erotic self asphyxiation! Book makes much more sense when you do! A good read and a good PD James. ( )

This is a good, straight-up mystery, with the main character being a young woman whose PI mentor kills himself at the beginning of the book. She ends up with a case which is slightly twisty, but not too out of the question, and looks like she might be getting over her head in. There's a fair amount of her considering her life and how she looks to those around her, and it's all quite interesting.

James's style is certainly not overpunctuated, but she has a good feel for dialogue and for setting up atmosphere. It's enough to give you a feel for the people based on their surroundings, at any rate. I've arranged to get the next of these books, so I'll give it another shot. James's other detective shows up towards the end of this one, and I can't say I feel as good about him, but I'll try the other of the Cordelia Gray ones, certainly. ( )

Listened to as an audiobook. I had seen the PBS series. I like reading P.D. James. So I plunged in. I wasn't disappointed. A pleasant read. Ends with a scene with Adam Dagleish. I will look for other pleasant reads involving Cordelia Grey.

A good, satisfying mystery, set in Oxford. ( )