History and Mystery Reads

Rating: 9/10

• Plot: A former government minister and a tramp are found with their throats cut in the vestry of a London church.
• Clues: Rich and layered, drawing on the dead man’s family, career and religious crisis.
• Reveal: Satisfying, though the book is more concerned with understanding than surprise.
• Science bonus: Forensic pathology, blood patterns and the exact reconstruction of the vestry scene are handled with James’s usual precision.

Sir Paul Berowne, a former minister, is found dead in the vestry of St Matthew’s Church in Paddington, alongside a homeless man, Harry Mack. Both have had their throats cut. They are discovered by an elderly spinster and a young boy. Commander Adam Dalgliesh leads a new squad, including Kate Miskin, a detective inspector from a working-class background.

This is P.D. James’s most ambitious novel. It is long and richly detailed, exploring Berowne’s family, his mysterious spiritual experience in the church, and the lives of the people affected by the murders. It is as much a study of London society as a mystery.

Kate Miskin is an excellent addition, bringing a fresh perspective and a sharp awareness of class. Dalgliesh’s reflections on faith and death give the book depth.

The mystery is well constructed, but the pace is slow, and the novel’s length may test some readers. The solution is less surprising than in some Golden Age novels.

The 9 reflects a major achievement in the crime genre, a novel that combines investigation with serious literary ambition. It won the CWA Silver Dagger.