English mystery writer PD James is of a set with the best. Her name is worthy mention among Doyle and Christie. Therefore, I must read her. The second book in my quest to familiarize myself with PD James’s work is 1972’s An Unsuitable Job for a Woman.
The title refers to the first case for newly solo private investigator Cordelia Gray. She is summoned to investigate the apparent suicide of a college student at Cambridge. In great James style, the clues come quickly and plentifully, and the twist at the end is wicked. Despite a somewhat overly surprising (the twist) reveal of the true villain, the story is tight and pleasantly inhabited with complex characters.
In two stories now, I especially appreciate the fact that James gets slightly risqué in what first appears to be a tale packed with stodgy English mores. Both stories go beyond the core mystery to explore generational conflicts, and in the case of An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, gender stereotypes.
Link to An Unsuitable Job for a Woman on Powells.com
Yes, I’m a big PD James fan. Honestly there are many stories much better than this one. But also honestly there’s a whole bunch that are worse too. So yes she’s one of the best, but it doesn’t mean she’s perfect.