The Lighthouse is the thirteenth book in the Adam Dalgliesh series, written by P. D. James. Released in 2005, the book is about the murder of a famous novelist on a secluded island which is a recreational haven for the rich and powerful. Like her other books, in this book too James has taken the underlying theme of murder in a closed confined space with a set number of suspects. Along with her books, James is also making her protagonist grow and evolve. Dalgliesh has come a long way from the widower in the 80’s to a man who is now worried about commitment issues to the lovely Dr. Emma Lavenham.
The story takes off with famous novelist Oliver Nathan travelling to Combe Island, where he was born, to spend a few days with his daughter and copy editor Dennis Tremlett. However, when he finds out that the 2 are having an affair he explodes and tells them to get off the island. In the few short days that he does live alone, he manages to anger and agitate a lot of people including the local help, provided by the boatman – Jago and the handyman – Daniel, and a priest of the Anglican Church.
So it is not very surprising that such an obnoxious person was found hanged to death, over the Lighthouse situated on Combe Island. That’s when commander Dalgliesh is introduced to the story. His presence along with that of his team is requested on Combe Island, to help solve this case. However, Scotland Yard’s finest are not doing very well on the personal front. With Dalgliesh having problems in his love life and Miskin going through an emotional crisis, the book focuses on both, the mystery as well as the detective’s personal traumas.
Painstakingly and meticulously as always, Dalgliesh collects the clues, and in the process uncovers many secrets, one of which that dates back to Germany and World War 2. However, somewhere along the way he falls sick because of a gentleman who had come from Germany to visit the island. The man has SARS, and he transmits this disease to Dalgliesh. The whole island is quarantined with nobody allowed off the island. Just in time too, as yet another murder takes place. That of an Anglican priest who had strongly disliked the victim, Oliver Nathan.
So as to maintain a shroud of mystery, no evidence is allowed to be collected and the detectives are working on clues and good judgment alone. While Dalgliesh is in the quarantined sick room, Miskin and Francis-Benton Smith, his colleagues are left to solve the case. However, Dalgliesh gets feverish visions, which help him, piece together evidence that has been in his head all along and figure out who the perpetrator is. He immediately gets in touch with his colleagues and asks them to go find out if he is right.
The pace picks up, as the murderer knows that the detectives are on to him. And they finally catch the perpetrator trying to escape. With the case solved, and after he begins to recover and recoup, Dalgliesh and Emma realizes how stupid their fears about commitment are and the book ends with both of them deciding to get married.
Unlike her predecessors, James does not pose a problem of being completely out of touch with the real world, and even at 85, her books are eloquently written with perfect grammar and speech, even though this might feel a tad pretentious, and not realistic enough for the modern day setting. But, James is known as the Queen of crime, and rightly so. Even after decades of writing, James still keeps the suspense going in her books. She always keeps the reader speculating till the very end, and at the same time reminds them of the somber fact, that “you can’t get away with murder”.
%2B-%2BAuthored%2Bby%2BP%2BD%2BJames%2B-%2BDeath%2Bin%2Ba%2Bremote%2Blighthouse.jpg "The Lighthouse (published in 2005) - Authored by P D James - Death in a remote lighthouse")
The story takes off with famous novelist Oliver Nathan travelling to Combe Island, where he was born, to spend a few days with his daughter and copy editor Dennis Tremlett. However, when he finds out that the 2 are having an affair he explodes and tells them to get off the island. In the few short days that he does live alone, he manages to anger and agitate a lot of people including the local help, provided by the boatman – Jago and the handyman – Daniel, and a priest of the Anglican Church.
So it is not very surprising that such an obnoxious person was found hanged to death, over the Lighthouse situated on Combe Island. That’s when commander Dalgliesh is introduced to the story. His presence along with that of his team is requested on Combe Island, to help solve this case. However, Scotland Yard’s finest are not doing very well on the personal front. With Dalgliesh having problems in his love life and Miskin going through an emotional crisis, the book focuses on both, the mystery as well as the detective’s personal traumas.
Painstakingly and meticulously as always, Dalgliesh collects the clues, and in the process uncovers many secrets, one of which that dates back to Germany and World War 2. However, somewhere along the way he falls sick because of a gentleman who had come from Germany to visit the island. The man has SARS, and he transmits this disease to Dalgliesh. The whole island is quarantined with nobody allowed off the island. Just in time too, as yet another murder takes place. That of an Anglican priest who had strongly disliked the victim, Oliver Nathan.
So as to maintain a shroud of mystery, no evidence is allowed to be collected and the detectives are working on clues and good judgment alone. While Dalgliesh is in the quarantined sick room, Miskin and Francis-Benton Smith, his colleagues are left to solve the case. However, Dalgliesh gets feverish visions, which help him, piece together evidence that has been in his head all along and figure out who the perpetrator is. He immediately gets in touch with his colleagues and asks them to go find out if he is right.
The pace picks up, as the murderer knows that the detectives are on to him. And they finally catch the perpetrator trying to escape. With the case solved, and after he begins to recover and recoup, Dalgliesh and Emma realizes how stupid their fears about commitment are and the book ends with both of them deciding to get married.
Unlike her predecessors, James does not pose a problem of being completely out of touch with the real world, and even at 85, her books are eloquently written with perfect grammar and speech, even though this might feel a tad pretentious, and not realistic enough for the modern day setting. But, James is known as the Queen of crime, and rightly so. Even after decades of writing, James still keeps the suspense going in her books. She always keeps the reader speculating till the very end, and at the same time reminds them of the somber fact, that “you can’t get away with murder”.
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