Dalgliesh on Vacation
Review of the Sphere Books paperback edition (1973) of the Faber & Faber hardcover original (1967)

But he lingered himself for a few more minutes in the library. He had a tantalising and irrational feeling that somewhere, and very recently, he had seen a clue to Seton’s death, a fugitive hint which his subconscious mind had registered but which obstinately refused to come forward and be recognised. This experience was not new to him. Like every good detective, he had known it before. Occasionally it had led him to one of those seemingly intuitive successes on which his reputation partly rested. More often the transitory impression, remembered and analysed, had been found irrelevant. But the subconscious could not be forced. The clue, if clue it were, for the moment eluded him.

Unnatural Causes finds Adam Dalgliesh on vacation in Monksmere on the East Suffolk coast for an annual visit to his aunt and a planned time of relaxation away from his duties at Scotland Yard CID. Death is not far away though. A corpse is brought ashore in a dinghy with its hands amputated. It is identified as the body of local writer Maurice Seton. The suspects include a brother and other writers, critics, secretaries & relatives who live in the vicinity and the local police investigate without calling in any official assistance from Scotland Yard. Adam Dalgliesh is at the heart of the investigation regardless.

In a surprise twist, the autopsy reveals that Maurice Seton died of natural causes, an apparent heart attack and he was known to have a failing heart. Why then would his corpse be mutilated after the fact and the body set adrift? Then yet another body is found, a poisoning or a suicide? The answers are revealed in a dramatic finale in the midst of a torrential storm and flood on the Suffolk coast where Dalgliesh is called on to save some of the locals. Is one of them a murderer and will Dalgliesh become their next victim in the chaos of the tempest?

I'm quite enjoying getting reacquainted with P.D. James and Adam Dalgliesh in a binge re-read thanks to discovering my old 1980's paperbacks in a storage locker cleanout. I look forward to the next books in the series.

Trivia and Links
* In Book 1 Cover Her Face, Adam Dalgliesh was a Detective Chief Inspector. In Books 2 to 4 he is a Detective Superintendent and then in Books 5 to 14 he is a Detective Commander.

Unnatural Causes was adapted for television in 1993 as part of the long running Dalgliesh TV-series for Anglia Television/ITV (1983-1998) starring actor Roy Marsden as Commander** Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard. You can watch the entire episode of the 1993 adaptation on YouTube here. NOTE: The adaptation differs considerably from the original novel.
** Dalgliesh is a Superintendent in the novel, but in the TV adaptation he was already a Commander.

The new Acorn TV-series reboot Dalgliesh (2021-?) starring Bertie Carver as Adam Dalgliesh has not yet done an adaptation of Unnatural Causes. It has not yet been announced which books are being adapted for Season 2 (as of mid July 2022). Season 1 adapted Books 4, 5 & 7.

Remember me, you said, at Blythburgh,
As if you were not always in my mind
And there could be an art to bend more sure
A heart already wholly you inclined
Of you, the you enchanted mind bereave
More clearly back your image to receive,
And in the unencumbered holy place
Recall again an unforgotten grace.
I you possessed must needs remember still
At Blythburgh my love, or where you will. - A poem by Adam Dalgliesh written during Unnatural Causes.

( )

Adam Dalgliesh looks forward to ten days relaxation at his Aunt Jane's coastal home in Monksmere, Suffolk. When neighbor Maurice Seton's body turns up in a boat with his hands chopped off, many residents become suspects, including his aunt. Her chopper, stolen months earlier, probably severed the hands. Although the case belongs to Inspector Reckless, it ruins Adam's vacation, and Reckless keeps him somewhat in the loop. The book seemed repetitive in places, and the long drawn-out taped confession rehashed too much of the story. While not James' finest effort, it still rates as an enjoyable one. I listened to the audiobook read by Penelope Dellaporta whose accent gave it the classic British cozy feel. ( )

Adam Dalgliesh goes on holiday to visit his Aunt Jane Dalgliesh in Monksmere on the coast of England. While there, he wants to decide whether or not to marry Deborah Riscoe. However, Maurice Seton is found dead in his brother's boat and missing his hands. This throws Dalgliesh into an investigation with Inspector Gerry Reckless since Maurice appears to have died of natural causes--a heart attack. The death causes much concern among the residents of Monksmere: Digby Seton (Maurice's half-brother), Justin Bryce (writer), Oliver Latham (critic), Celia Calthrop (romance writer), Liz Marley (Cambridge student), and Sylvia Kedge (handicapped typist). Then there is another unquestionable murder and a bit later a terrific storm that finally reveals the murderer. ( )

Digital Audiobook read by Penelope Dellaporte

In book three of the mystery series, Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh has a holiday planned. He’ll spend ten blissfully uneventful days with his spinster aunt at her seaside cottage on the Suffolk coast. It’s a well-earned break, and his plans include nothing more taxing that long walks, tea by the fire, and some personal reflection. And then a headless, handless body washes ashore.

I came late to the PD James party, but here I am and I’m ready to enjoy myself. Dalgliesh is a marvelous character – a supremely competent detective, astute, observant, and intelligent, but also sensitive to nuance and willing to reflect on numerous possibilities.

James gives us several possible suspects and enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing. There’s also a thrilling scene involving a major storm that puts everyone in danger. I hadn’t identified the culprit before the reveal. A totally satisfying mystery. I’ll continue with this series.

Penelope Dellaporte does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. ( )

I registered this book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14754243
Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh takes a holiday. Or that is his plan. He drives to a country village where his aunt Jane lives. Jane is a favorite and Dalgliesh likes to spend time with her.

But he hardly has time to set down his suitcase when a corpse comes calling. Not literally. Writer Maurice Seton is found drifting in a dinghy, dead but missing his hands. Seton lived near Jane Dalgliesh and was known to her. As were others in the small community.

Seton, a mediocre writer, had few friends and one relative: a nephew on whom he didn't dote. Many of his acquaintances could be said to have motives for his murder. Dalgliesh struggles to stay out of it but he really can't, and it does provide some distraction from the big question: should he propose to Deborah Riscoe. The thoughtful, understanding Deborah had been sharing time with him and he could feel the need to end the dangling nature of the relationship.

With help from the astute Aunt Jane, Dalgliesh seeks out and...does he catch the murderer? Does he ask Deborah to marry him? ( )

I really appreciate PD James writing. She creates a wonderful sense of place and great characters. This was typical and just what I was in the mood for. Penelope Dellaporta is an excellent narrator. ( )

Honestly this whole book felt like a waste of time. The only reason why I am giving it two stars is I liked how James described the location of the murders and we get into Dalgliesh's family history more.

"Unnatural Causes" follows Adam Dalgliesh as he returns to Suffolk to visit his aunt Jane. I maybe smiled at her name and had thoughts of Miss Marple dancing in my head. Adam's visit though is interrupted by a local writing group coming to call and then an Inspector Reckless interrupting to tell them that one of their own, Maurice Seton, was found dead and missing his hands. James takes you through all of the characters in this one, Adam, Sylvia Kedge, Maurice's secretary who is handicapped, Maurice's half brother and only heir, Digby Seton, Oliver Latham who is a critic, Celia Calthrop and her niece, Elizabeth.I am probably forgetting someone. We also have to deal with Adam and his tedious relationship and where is it going next throughout this one.

Honestly the description of Suffolk was great, I liked hearing things via Adam's third person point of view and other than that, this book dragged. I just didn't care about what was going on after a while. When the action moves from Suffolk things became even slower.

I have to say the ending was lackluster. The killer is revealed and I maybe went really? We then get the killer's taped confession that goes on and on for dozens of pages. I felt bored and things can be wrapped up by saying they felt insulted so they just went about murdering everyone they could. ( )

Unnatural Causes by P. D. James

A dingy bearing a corpse is discovered, adrift off the coast of England. The vessel has neither oars nor oarlocks nor a mast. Also absent are the corpse's hands. Hmm. The deceased is identified as Maurice Seton, a middling sort of crime novelist, who lives in a cottage by the sea. It is in a remote area and the residents are few. But almost all congregate to share what they know (or most of it, or very little of it) and to test their alibis. This dress rehearsal—carried out before the inevitable police interviews—takes place at the home of Jane Dalgliesh, the spinster aunt of Adam Dalgliesh, a well-known investigator with New Scotland Yard's Metropolitan Police. And, gosh, Adam just happens to be spending his holiday with his aunt.

Dalgliesh wants to stay out of the investigation, but the local police investigator named, of all things, Reckless keeps drawing him in.

An interesting mix of characters, many of them writers: A drama critic for a London newspaper; a past-her-prime author of romance novels who is sheltering a glum niece; a remote literary giant, author of three excellent novels, who's published nothing in more than a decade. The victim was predeceased by his wife, a suicide, and he has a ne'er-do-well half brother. He leaves behind a crotchety, handicapped assistant who has done typing and clerical work for many people in the neighborhood. Affairs come out and grudges are revealed.

But who would cut off Maurice's hands? Where were the hands?

Not a bad mystery, though I thought the crime, as revealed, was awfully complicated and unlikely to come off without a screw-up.

I enjoyed P.D. James more the first time I read her novels. This one particularly is quite old-fashioned in style: the eccentric characters are a bit over the top, the denouement long, and Dalgliesh has not yet settled into his character. Still, you can't go wrong with a mystery by James. ( )

I like the writing, and characters, but th plot is much too complex, and the idea of a community of crime authors involved too much...
Anyway a good read! ( )

good mystery @ murder —

Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh had been looking forward to a quiet holiday at his aunt's cottage on Monksmere Head, one of the furthest-flung spots on the remote Suffolk coast. With nothing to do other than enjoy long wind-swept walks, tea in front of the crackling wood fire and hot buttered toast, Dalgliesh was relishing the thought of a well-earned break.

However, all hope of peace is soon shattered by murder. The mutilated body of a local crime writer, Maurice Seaton, floats ashore in a drifting dinghy to drag Adam Dalgliesh into a new and macabre investigation.

This is the third James book I've read so far. I enjoyed the story but I was a little put off by the 10 page long explanation at the end... really really far fetched. The climactic scene was great however, well written... James is a fine write, the whole book is well written, of course... also, this is only her third book and was written 42 years ago, so I'd imagine that her later books have more plausible solutions... ( )

Maurice Seton was a distinguished mystery writer living in the tiny town of Suffolk, England. He may have come to prominence through his books, but no murder that he had ever devised for one of his stories could possibly have been as grisly as his own. When his gruesomely mutilated corpse is found in the bottom of a dinghy, drifting just within sight of the lakeshore, ripples of shock and horror spread among the tightly-knit circle of Maurice's bizarre friends.

Scotland Yard Inspector Adam Dalgliesh was supposed to be on vacation, visiting his eccentric Aunt Jane. To be perfectly honest, he is actually looking for some time off; some time away from crime and death. However, it would seem that crime and death never got the message, and Inspector Dalgliesh soon finds himself investigating the murder of Maurice Seton. His primary list of suspects seems to come from the close-knit circle of Maurice's self-described friends; certainly an unusually odd bunch of people, if truth be told.

There is a cynical and cruel drama critic, a voluptuous burlesque showgirl, a dissolute young heir, and a young woman who is absolutely terrified that she may become the killer's next victim. Inspector Dalgliesh and his extraordinary aunt Jane are following a tantalizing trail of sin and scandal. And they must make sure that they are on the right track to discovering a dead man's secrets, because if the sleuths are wrong, this perilous plot is bound to take another twisted and murderous turn...

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The mystery itself wasn't too taxing and I found it easy to follow. I also appreciated that there weren't that many characters in the story; I usually find myself getting confused if there are too many characters to remember.

Anyway, I know that I have several other books by P. D. James on my bookshelf, but I haven't found them yet; they are so well hidden. I will say that this was the first book by Ms. James that I've actually read, although I have started to read one or two in the past. For whatever reason, I was unable to really get into either book and had to set them aside for a while. Although I would happily give this book an A+! Guess I'll be looking out those other two P. D. James books next! ( )

A body washes ashore, its hands missing. A rather gruesome start and the introduction to a small Suffolk community comprising writers and literary critics. There are no secrets in this bitchy community, or are there? Into this maelstrom walks Adam Dalgliesh, arriving for a holiday with his Aunt Jane.
This is one mystery where I didn’t guess the murderer correctly, the modus operandi of the first murder [yes, plural] is complicated and I didn’t connect the clues. Slightly irritating. Adam Dalgliesh is not the officer in charge which means the story felt at times remote from the detecting; he observes from outside and we are not privy to the thoughts and discoveries of Detective Inspector Reckless [what a great name].
First published in 1967, this novel offers a glimpse of pre-computerisation – authors dictating novels to a secretary to type, taking carbon copies etc. The clique of literary characters seemed at times a little clichéd, but perhaps that is the passing of time.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/ ( )

James' British cozy about writers who barely tolerate each other. Dalgleish solves the case. One of James' weaker efforts. ( )

Listened during Fall 2006

Audio Books are very useful. I read and saw this one a while ago and I was pleasantly suprised at how much I remembered. This is a very early effort and it is well crafted but not as well written as The Murder Room. The final wrap up, esp. is a bit clumsy. The characters are well developed and Jane Dalgliesh is particularly interesting.

I continue to enjoy this series. I'm not well-read enough in mysteries to evaluate it as a piece of the genre, but it is pleasurable fiction with a light and somewhat literary style. Since I feel invested in the series as a whole, I don't mind how slowly Adam Dalgliesh's personality is being drawn out for the reader from one book to another. The setting for this novel is quite a bit different from that in either of the two preceding books, so it avoids feeling repetitive.

I will say that I enjoyed this novel marginally less than its predecessors. The suspects are sketched somewhat more as grotesques than as nuanced personalities; the final-chapter reveal, while satisfying in its details, is lame in its mode of presentation. On the whole, however, this is an excellent chapter in what has so far been a consistently well-written and surprising series. ( )

Somewhat of a disappointment, barely making three stars. Dragged on especially the murder's confession and detailing how the motive and how to in the end. ( )

Very early P.D. James, when she was still young enough to feel the urge to put in a bit of gentle teasing of the older generation of British crime writers. Apart from the Suffolk coastal atmosphere and the the in-jokes of the various writers who are lined up as suspects, this one doesn't have a great deal to recommend it: the characters are still largely caricatures, without much depth to them, and the interaction within the little community where the action takes place is more formulaic than natural. But quite ingenious, all the same. ( )

A book on someone else's shelf. An English gentleman detective solves a crime while on vacation in the early 60's in southern England. I've seen Dagliesh on PBS but my first such novel. A little over written but w some good words and phrases. Great description of coastal England. Maybe one of her earlier works. The Children of Men was so much better ( )

Nice detective story. I sometimes find Dalgliesh a bit annoying, and these stories are slightly old-fashioned, but still, they're a nice read and usually keep you guessing... ( )

Enjoyable ironical horrible chronicle.

I decided to read all of the Adam Daigliesh mysteries in one fell swoop and am glad I did. First, they are classic British mysteries all well-deserving of the respect P.D. James has earned for them and all are a good read. However, what is interesting is to watch the author develop her style from the early ones to the later ones. And, in fact, A Shroud for a Nightingale and The Black Tower (the fourth and fifth in the series) is where she crosses the divide. The later books have much more character development -- both for the players and the detectives -- make Dalgleish more rounded and are generally much more than a good mystery yarn -- they're fine novels that happen to be mysteries. The first three books (Cover Her Face, A Mind to Murder, Unnatural Causes) are just that much more simplistic. But read any or all -- she's a great writer and they are definitely worth the time. ( )

The novel starts beautifully - as a matter of fact, it starts as a mystery novel should start as we find out that fiction and reality have collided. This wonderful symmetry creates a fantastic ambiance in a world where authors and their works coexist in a small village. Unfortunately, whereas there are wonderful moments, such as Dalgliesh's jealousy of Reckless who's in charge of the case or Maurice's careful research for his novels, most of the book seems too complicated and dreadfully contrived - I'm all for some suspended disbelief, but James expects us to believe that fiction will take over reality at all expense. This is particularly true for the ending which is revealed to the reader in the most ludicrous fashion - it was all I could do from rolling my eyes.
Nonetheless, James's writing saves the day - her ability to recreate scenes and atmospheres is unparalleled, and it's always a joy to read her stories. Not her best plot, but definitely a gripping story. ( )

This is the third of the Adam Dalgliesh series. I've read the first but not the second, but that hasn't lessened the story here at all.

Dalgliesh is looking forward to a few weeks of relaxation during his holiday at the seashore with his aunt at her cottage. She lives in a small village that seems to house nothing but writers, a place where everyone enjoys their solitude. But as soon as he arrives a writer is murdered,the corpse mutilated and Dalgliesh finds himself at odds with the local Inspector, who seems to resent Dalgliesh's presence.

A good one. Dalgliesh's moods swing between irritated and depressed, yet he always is cool. The suspects are well-written and unlikeable. ( )