Talking About Detective Fiction by P. D. James

Non-fiction: Writing. Unabridged audio from BBC Audiobooks America. Published in 2009. Read by Diana Bishop. 4 hours and 18 minutes. Purchased from Audible.com.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book! It’s not long, but it was very interesting to hear James discuss detective fiction, make comments about her own work and the different detective fiction authors throughout the years. I spent a good part of the time looking for a pen to write down which stories were her favorites from different authors. She discussed some stories I have read and others that were new to me. It was great to get some new ideas. Diana Bishop did a fantastic job with the narration as well.

Publisher’s Summary:

To judge by the worldwide success of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Poirot, it is not only the Anglo-Saxons who have an appetite for mystery and mayhem. Talking about the craft of detective writing and sharing her personal thoughts and observations on one of the most popular and enduring forms of literature, P. D. James examines the challenges, achievements and potential of a genre which has fascinated her as a novelist for nearly 50 years. She explores the metamorphosis of a genre that has gripped and entertained the popular imagination like no other type of novel. Written by the author widely regarded as the queen of the detective novel, this book is sure to appeal to all aficionados of crime fiction.

For a hard copy:
Amazon.com
For the audio:
Audible.com