Queenie's best line

Writers get attached to their characters. Its almost a given - especially when the characters are part of an ongoing series. You find recurring characters in series in most genres, but never more so than in the detective crime novel. From Poirot to Stephanie Plum, these characters can go on forever. Which brings me to the latest PD James novel The Private Patient featuring, of course, the character of Adam Dalgliesh and his little team.

I have always liked James' work for its grimness. The characters are not happy - they are ordinary people living lives of quiet desperation. Even the superman Dalgleish is deeply troubled. Somehow it add a depth and texture to otherwise fairly standard format murder mystery stories. But things are a bit different in The Private Patient.

( A little spoilerish - consider yourself warned )