#Crime fiction book review: #The Skull beneath the Skin by #P.D. James

Summary: The Skull beneath the Skin (Cordelia Gray Mystery Series #2) by P.D. James 

Combining the classic ingredients of a murder mystery with elements of horror, apparitions and hairbreadth episodes, The Skull Beneath The Skin creates a dark and claustrophobic atmosphere in a masterpiece of crime fiction. When leading actress Clarissa Lisle receives threats to her life the young detective, Cordelia Gray, is hired to accompany her to a private island where she is going to star in The Duchess Of Malfi. In this gripping dramatization, the sharp-witted slueth, played by Greta Scaachi, finds herself in the enclosed setting of a chilling country house on an island with a blood-stained history.

Book Review: The Skull beneath the Skin (Cordelia Gray Mystery Series #2) by P.D. James

The Skull beneath the Skin (Cordelia Gray Mystery Series #2) by @P.D. James
is about eccentric actor Clarissa Lisle, Lady Ralston, who receives death threats and is scared for her life and PI Cordelia Grey who is hired by Clarissa’s husband to keep her out of danger. A murder occurs on private Courcy Island and the small group of people present become suspects. 

I listened to an audio CD of The Skull beneath the Skin by P.D. James. This was my first encounter with her work, except for numerous TV adaptations I have watched over the years. The plot is set on small, privately owned Courcy Island. Actor Clarissa Lisle is invited there with a small group of acquaintances to star in a theater play, but is scared for her life because of all the death threats she has received ahead of performances. PI Cordelia Grey is hired to keep her safe while pretending to be her secretary.

Main character Cordelia Gray felt a bit like the mother hen who kept everything together when things got rough. I really liked her character and was impressed by her detective skills. She had analytical skills like Agatha Christie’s Poirot, but I felt she added a womanly touch when helping the police with their investigation. 

Ambrose Gorringe is a longtime friend of the victim and the owner of Courcy Island. I felt he was a cynical and cold person and felt unsettled by his collection of gruesome items kept on the island. Entertainment for the guests included a scary sightseeing and telling of gruesome legends from the middle ages. 

Roma Lyle, Clarissa's heir was my least favorite character of this story as she seemed an unsympathetic, greedy and rude person who disliked the victim. As she was in acute need for money to please her boyfriend, she seemed to be near the top of the suspects list.

The victim I felt was a well crafted character who was rich, controlling and disliked by many of the guests. I disliked her attitude intensely, but she certainly added drama to the plot. Most of the guest’s characters I found to be seriously superficial in an entertaining as well as shocking way. -One asking if the play would go on as planned after the murder had happened. They seemed well developed, like the author might have taken their traits from posh people in her real life. 

My favorite part of the story was also the scariest, where guests were taken on a tour around solitary and scary Courcy Castle and told a horrifying legend of the island. I found it to be a perfect element in a Halloween read, and one of the parts I felt was particularly well written.
The plot and the writing I found reminded me somewhat of Agatha Christie. A group of people were gathered on a solitary place when a murder took place. Slightly more gory details were added in this story, like descriptions of how the dead body looked.

The Skull beneath the Skin (Cordelia Gray Mystery Series #2) by P.D. James
is a thrilling and entertaining story of PI Cordelia Gray solving a horrible murder in opulent English environment on a private solitary island. Fans of P.D. James will enjoy this and it is also recommended for readers of crime fiction. Similar books to explore might be one of Agatha Christie’s numerous works.

All opinions in this review are completely my own.

My rating: 4 stars / 5

Book Details (kindle edition) (from Amazon)

Print Length: 483 pages
Publisher: Faber & Faber; New Ed edition (November 20, 2008)
Publication Date: November 20, 2008
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English

About The Author (from Amazon)

P. D. James is the author of twenty previous books, most of which have been filmed and broadcast on television in the United States and other countries. She spent thirty years in various departments of the British Civil Service, including the Police and Criminal Law Departments of Great Britain's Home Office. She has served as a magistrate and as a governor of the BBC. In 2000 she celebrated her eightieth birthday and published her autobiography, Time to Be in Earnest. The recipient of many prizes and honors, she was created Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991 and was inducted into the International Crime Writing Hall of Fame in 2008. She lives in London and Oxford.