The Black Tower (1975)

Newly promoted to Commander, Adam Dalgliesh is recuperating from an illness and seriously thinking of retiring from the police service. Having received a letter from an acquaintance whom he has not seen for many years asking for his assistance, he sets out to visit him in a home for people who can no longer live by themselves. When he gets there, he finds Father Baddeley has died and been buried only days before.

Father Baddeley had left him a small bequeath of books which will take time to sort and box so he plans to stay for a week. As much as he tries, Dalgliesh cannot escape his policeman sense that things are not as they seem at Toynton Grange and when there are more unexplained deaths, he begins to look for clues.

Slow to start but eventually the reader will be riveted to the story line.

She rarely puts a foot wrong. Another artful exercise in mystery-making. I like that everyone seems intelligent, for the most part (not geniuses, necessarily, but thinking, as opposed to the foolish automatons that people other authors' books).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve! ( )

Set in the 1970s, this episode in Adam Dalgliesh's life takes place while he is supposed to be convalescing after a serious scare in the hospital. He is far from in top form when he answers a request from a friend from childhood, Father Baddeley. Baddeley asks if Dalgliesh might lend his sleuthing skills to a little problem that has found. He doesn't say what it is. When Dalgliesh arrives at Baddeley's home, however, he discovers that the man has been dead for several days and is already buried.

Baddeley had been living in a compound near the ocean, in a remote area far from London. The main house, called Toynton Grange, is now a home for seriously ill persons, most with degenerative diseases. It was founded and is headed by a man who went to Lourdes and came away apparently cured of his own degenerative disease. The small staff, consisting in large part of persons who would have difficulty getting work elsewhere, cares for a small patient load. Baddeley had lived in Hope Cottage, a separate building.

Dalgliesh is determined to give up police work. Something about being "sentenced to life", after believing he would die soon, has thrown his psyche out of kilter. Thus he is interested in figuring out what Father Baddeley wanted, but he does not want to get too involved.

Yet he does. Little by little he discovers little things that don't seem quite right. Is this what Father B was concerned about? Or this other thing? Would he every know?

The Black Tower figures in the history of the place as well as in the dramatic ending. The original owner met an unfortunate end in the oddly-designed tower, which reminded Dalgliesh at one time of a pepper shaker.

Not a typical investigation, but in the end it has something of a typical resolution. ( )

I registered this book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14754244

An Adam Dalgliesh mystery. Recovering from illness, Dalgliesh accepts the invitation of a priest who had been his father's curate many years ago. Father Baddeley was living in a small house in a compound for young disabled persons, a place called Toynton Grange. The compound was owned and managed by Wilfred Anstey.

Father Baddeley wants to talk to Dalgliesh about something that has been bothering him. He says he wants his professional advice.

Thinking it a good break from work, Dalgliesh heads to the remote area.

Unfortunately, he finds that the elderly Baddeley has died and can, therefore, no longer tell him what he wanted advice on. Still thinking it was probably something minor, Dalgiesh decides to stay in the cottage and putter about, looking into Baddeley's few possessions to see if he can get a clue.

True to form, he soon finds himself in the midst of something bigger than he expected. Also fairly typical for James, the setting is remote, somewhat cut off from the rest of civilization, so there is a limited number of suspects for the murders that follow.

The plot is complex. We also are treated to more of Dalgliesh concerned with his own life and death. ( )

Indeholder "Kapitel 1. Dømt til at leve", "Kapitel 2. En præsts død", "Kapitel 3. En fremmed i natten", "Kapitel 4. Rædslens kyst", "Kapitel 5. Brændende had", "Kapitel 6. Et blodløst mord", "Kapitel 7. Tåge over forbjerget", "Kapitel 8. Det sorte tårn".

??? ( )