P. D. James, who was probably born a formidable older woman, penned this short history and critique of the detective novel. She's in her nineties now and her writing is as sharp and flawless as ever. It's a quick read, more informative than opinionated, although she makes it clear the authors and the novels that she finds most indispensable. But the real pleasure in reading the book is in reading an author who has never written an awkward sentence in her life. And she also makes it abundantly apparent how much she loves and reveres the genre she works in.
I really want to read this. Don't know why I haven't already. If only I could read eveything at once, all would be well.
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