A good mystery story is like a boxed appliance that says, “All necessary parts & tools included.” Dark tensions mounting to an inevitable crescendo? Check. An imposing array of apparent leads, among which tiptoe the “right” ones? Check. Wry dialogue and subtly allusive conversations? Check. A scintillating workout for the mind? Check. Suavely sophisticated characters? Check. When assembled—an effective escape from encroaching reality? Precisely.

James’ initial foray into “crime writing” is a blockbuster. Having inadvertently read the sixth installment in her Adam Dalgliesh series first, I devoured the true numero uno book without disappointment. I treated James’ nuanced characters with more respect this time ‘round, but still couldn’t pin the murder on the right bloke. With a plethora of leads and suspects, a late-breaking red herring, and absorbing psychological interplay between characters, more Dalgliesh lies ahead. Incidentally, how come all the best mystery writers are British?