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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
A suspicious death on a private island; the investigation involves prominent figures
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Some
Some sexual content in the examination of the victims' relationships
Substance Use
Barely any
Mild content
Emotional Intensity
Some
The specific vulnerability of a private retreat — the assumption of safety that allows people to lower their guard in ways they wouldn't in public
What this book is about
Combe Island off the Cornish coast is a private retreat for the famous, the burned-out, and the powerful — a place to rest away from the world, where no media can intrude. When one of the guests is found hanging, Commander Adam Dalgliesh and his team investigate what appears to be suicide but may not be. P.D. James's thirteenth Dalgliesh novel uses the island setting to create the sealed world she has always used most effectively — everyone is a suspect, nobody can leave, and the investigation must work within the specific rules of a community that prizes its privacy.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
thirteenth Adam Dalgliesh novel by P.D. James; private island setting
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