Faber & Faber

‘A good crime novel is a good novel and the new P. D. James is a very good novel indeed ... The Murder Room is a very wise book. It does everything a crime novel should - and a whole lot more.’
Simon Brett, Daily Mail

‘The Murder Room is a quiet, elegant, pensive work ... Those that read P. D. James because she writes a first-class detective story will be happy with The Murder Room.’ Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘The Murder Room read like vintage P. D. James ... [She] is one of a very small band of writers who, having written some fifteen crime novels, does not appear to feel jaded with the format or to have lost inspiration. Each new offering is a matter of anticipatory delight to her readers and rarely disappoints them.’ Harriet Waugh, Spectator

‘P. D. James’s imaginative and humourous talents function as vividly as ever, especially in her command of her large gallery of characters ... it’s never a mistake to read P. D. James.’ Giles Waterfield, Sunday Telegraph

‘[P. D. James’s] formidable talents are fully in evidence here ... she doesn’t relent until the genuinely chilling climax. Patrician, eccentric, but still a delight.’ Peter Guttridge, Observer

‘[P. D. James] is a wonderfully entertaining writer. The descriptions are so full and convincing, the narrative flows so smoothly, the characterisation is so rich, the intelligence so alert. The Murder Room is as good as anything she has written, an absorbing delight from start to finish.’ Allan Massie, The Scotsman

‘The Murder Room scintillates from the start ... gleams with inventive sparkle.’ Tom Adair, Scotland on Sunday

‘The attraction of the book ... lies not so much in discovering the identity of the murderer ... as in submerging oneself in a carefully constructed, densely populated, fascinating, fictional milieu, occasionally lit by the lightning flash of a swift, acerbic comment on some folly of the present.’ T. J. Binyon, Evening Standard

‘James’s eye for architecture and nature is rare in most genres of the novel now, and this skill for physical description - along with her acute psychological acuity - ensures that a books about killings among the exhibits is never entirely a museum piece.’ Mark Lawson, Guardian

‘James is the last of the great Golden Age crime writers. She has an instinctive grasp of narrative: despite the leisurely prose, the shocks are beautifully handled ... what linger in the mind are James’s sharply individual characters.’ Andrew Taylor, Independent

‘James’s greatest gift is making the art of crime writing appear an easy art. The fact that it’s not is testament to her considerable skills, and her own particular kind of genius.’ Lesley McDowell, Sunday Herald

‘You know immediately you are in the hands of a brilliant operator. P. D. James has produced all the ingredients to make for a totally absorbing read ... This is a detective thriller of superb quality, with a strong, compelling plot and characters who would be interesting even if they were not involved in murder.’ Maggie Pringle, Daily Express

‘This book is ideal for armchair detectives, with enough clues to make the case seem crackable and enough surprises to keep you guessing. James writes with her customary intelligence and sophistication, and the result is a thoroughly satisfying whodunit.’ Anthony Gardner, Mail on Sunday

‘P. D. James’s new novel is a powerful meditation on the weight of the past. James could not have chosen a better setting for her theme than a museum, a place that celebrates both life and death ... this is a thoughtful exploration of human motivation, not just for murder but for simple acts of love and hate and faith.’ Nicola Upson, New Statesman

‘Classic, copper-bottomed whodunit, guaranteed to delight all crime addicts, especially those who prefer their gore to be top drawer ... James marshals her characters and her plot with total confidence and brings it all home without a loose end. Very traditional; very gratifying.’ Philip Oakes, Literary Review

‘The Murder Room is so absorbing that it’s more enjoyable to forget any twist-spotting and simply enjoy the elegantly plotted scenes.’ East Anglian Daily Times

‘P. D. James’s new offering is another masterpiece of detailed characters and beautifully-drawn plots.’
Oxford Mail

‘A gripping mystery which won’t disappoint P. D. James’s many fans.’ Sunday Tribune

‘Besides paying adroit homage to the golden age of detective fiction, whose tradition James has so fruitfully extended, the juxtaposing of homicides from two very different epochs opens up thought-provoking social perspectives around the whodunit puzzles.’ Peter Kemp, Sunday Times

‘The Murder Room is one of P. D. James’s best mysteries, soaked in the atmosphere of the Notable British Trials series and the relics of historical murders brought up to date.’ John Mortimer, Sunday Telegraph