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Cover Her Face
- Narrated by: Daniel Weyman
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
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Cover Her Face
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Summary
From P.D. James, one of the masters of British crime fiction, comes the debut novel that introduced Scotland Yard detective Adam Dalgliesh. Set against the English countryside, Cover Her Face is a classic murder mystery filled with James's trademark plot twists, intrigue, and suspense.
Though the Martingale manor house has hosted the annual St Cedd's Church fête for generations, this year feels different. On top of organizing stalls and presiding over luncheon, the bishop and the tea tent, Mrs Eleanor Maxie now also has to contend with the news of her son's sudden engagement to the new parlour maid, the sly and sensuous single mother, Sally Jupp.
Sally has quite a reputation as a ruthless social climber, and no one at Martingale seems too happy about the engagement. But the Maxie family barely has time to contend with her wily ways-on the following morning the whole village is shocked by the discovery of Sally Jupp's body.
Investigating the violent death at the manor house, Detective Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh becomes embroiled in the complicated passions beneath the calm surface of English village life.
In Cover Her Face, award-winning P.D. James (author of Death Comes to Pemberley and Children of Men) methodically plots a complex story of family secrets and suspicion. The book was later adapted into a TV miniseries starring Roy Marsden as the inspector protagonist.
Meet the dark and brooding Dalgliesh-a gentleman, a poet, and a gifted detective-and read the novel that launched P.D. James's career as the world's pre-eminent crime writer.
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What listeners say about Cover Her Face
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- FictionFan
- 26-08-22
Dated...
The servant problem has become so acute post-war that the Maxies of Martingale are reduced to taking on a “delinquent” as housemaid – Sally Jupp, a young woman with an illegitimate child. But Sally refuses to be as humble, penitent and grateful as a fallen woman should be, and various members of the household soon have reasons to resent her presence. So when she is found strangled in her room one morning, the field of suspects is wide. Enter Inspector Adam Dalgleish – full-time policeman and part-time poet…
I mentioned when I put this on my reading list that I used to love PD James but had found her last few books a struggle because it had felt to me that her style had dated badly. I hoped by going back to the beginning of her long-running Dalgleish series that my love might be revived, but I fear not. Sadly her class snobbery is too much for me to take now. It’s odd – I can put up with snobbery and other ’isms in the older authors of the Golden Age much better than from post-war authors. I suspect I feel they should have known better, although my own love for this series back in the day suggests I didn’t know better myself at that time! Whatever, I find I now have no tolerance for passages in post-war novels like the following, describing an elderly maid…
“Dagleish had met a number of Marthas in his time and had never supposed them to be complicated people. They were concerned with the comfort of the body, the cooking of food, the unending menial tasks which someone must carry out before the life of the mind can have any true validity. Their own undemanding emotional needs found fulfilment in service. They were loyal, hardworking and truthful and made good witnesses because they lacked both the imagination and the practice necessary for successful lying. They could be a nuisance if they decided to shield those who had gained their loyalty but this was an overt danger which could be anticipated. He expected no difficulty with Martha.”
I shall remain grateful to PD James for the enjoyment her books once gave me, but sometimes it’s best to leave the past undisturbed. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Linda
- 17-10-15
P D James - Excellent as always.
An excellent crime story as we have come to expect from the Queen of crime novels. The twists and turns, the red herrings and the clever storyline narrated brilliantly by Daniel Weyman , with his clever voice changes for either sex made it clearly outline who was who. Want to see if there is a DVD of this story, as it was so captivating.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- JillyB
- 09-06-20
Not quite as good as I remembered
Read this a long time ago and having just reread Shroud for a Nightingale and enjoyed it, thought I’d try this. Compared to Shroud I thought this was very lightweight, no real plot to it and such a poor reason to murder someone. After rereading this I was almost surprised she continued with this series.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amy
- 16-09-17
Enjoyed thoroughly!
For some reason have never read this author before but glad I did so now, beautiful writing and so wonderfully well read;ew readers earn 5 stars from me but this one certainly did. The combination of a good story and a good reader is a true pleasure.
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gabrielle Harvey-Jones
- 07-06-18
What can one say?
A master (well - mistress!) at work! Cleverly and competently plotted with just the right characters in just the right places! Beautifully read by Daniel Weyman - one feels that one is in safe hands, all the way through!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lady Daxy
- 13-06-21
A trip down memory lane
I read this book many years ago but glad to say I couldn't remember the ending.
it is a much slower pace than modern books of today but still very enjoyable and relaxing to listen to while crafting.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- 11thman
- 02-12-19
Oddly outdated
Very much still in the tradition of Christie, Marsh et al. Fortunately the style adapted as the series progressed, even if Dagleish has never aged.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- silverfoxes34
- 18-03-19
A Brilliant Story
A great read = full of excitement and
Thrills.
I have listened to it twice will listened
to it again.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- JM
- 26-06-21
Modern Agatha Christie with psychological portraits of possible murderers.
I have enjoyed my first P. D. James novel. Village characters with stylistic echoes of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie and a traditional plot development.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- lesley n.c.
- 17-11-21
good reads
I am re visiting PDJames as 2 series back on TV.enjoyed the book, didnt for 1 minute guess who the guilty person was, almost a first. also enjoyed last few words of final chapter.
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