Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cover Her Face | 1962 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 2 | A Mind to Murder | 1963 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 3 | Unnatural Causes | 1967 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 4 | Shroud for a Nightingale | 1971 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 5 | The Black Tower | 1975 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 6 | Death of an Expert Witness | 1977 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 7 | A Taste for Death | 1986 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 8 | Devices and Desires | 1989 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 9 | Original Sin | 1994 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 10 | A Certain Justice | 1997 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 11 | Death in Holy Orders | 2001 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 12 | The Murder Room | 2003 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 13 | The Lighthouse | 2005 | P.D. James | Buy |
| 14 | The Private Patient | 2008 | P.D. James | Buy |
The Adam Dalgliesh series is P.D. James’s signature work, featuring a Scotland Yard detective who is also a published poet. Commander Adam Dalgliesh investigates murders across England, from nursing schools and psychiatric clinics to publishing houses and coastal retreats. James began the series in 1962 with Cover Her Face and continued writing Dalgliesh mysteries for nearly five decades.
James was praised for elevating the detective novel into literary fiction. Her mysteries feature psychological depth, careful plotting, and detailed settings that bring English institutions to life. Dalgliesh himself is an unusual protagonist - reserved, intellectual, and emotionally guarded after personal tragedy. His poetry career and internal life receive as much attention as the cases he solves.
The series has been adapted for television multiple times, with Roy Marsden and Martin Shaw among the actors who have portrayed Dalgliesh. James received numerous awards for her work, including the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement.