The Private Patient by P. D. James, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh investigates the murder of an investigative reporter in an isolated, secure manor house, in The Private Patient, the 14th mystery in this series by P. D. James.

Rhoda Gradwyn may have the title of investigative journalist, but she's really a gossipmonger. And she's very good at her job. At the age of 13, she was hit in the face with a broken whiskey bottle, courtesy of her irate, abusive, and drunken father. The attack left a grotesque scar on the side of her face. Thirty-four years later, she decides to have plastic surgery to remove the disfiguration. When her doctor, George Chandler Powell, asks why now, her cryptic reply is that she no longer has need of it. Rather than have the surgery in London, she elects to have the procedure done at Chandler Powell's private clinic at his home, Cheverell Manor in Dorset. It's private and her security can be guaranteed. Or so she thinks. Two days after the surgery, she is found dead in her bed, strangled. Dalgliesh and his team are called in to investigate, and they immediately focus on members of Chandler Powell's household and clinic staff. Which leads Dalgliesh to wonder if Rhoda Gradwyn was, in fact, the sole victim here. Might someone be trying to discredit the doctor as well?

The list of suspects is surprisingly long, from Chandler Powell's surgical assistant, nurse, secretary, and bookkeeper to his household, even his sister. And there were also several patients in residence at the time. It seems no one was particularly fond of Rhoda, most fearing that upon leaving she would give a scathing report on her stay there. Still, no one has a solid motive. But as Dalgliesh digs deeper, it becomes apparent that there is more to this murder. Why did Rhoda choose this particular physician? Why choose the manor clinic over a more convenient London hospital? Did one dictate the other? Hidden secrets and old crimes are just a few of the bewildering and captivating aspects of the case.

The Private Patient is in many ways an exceptional manor house-style mystery. The characters, even the minor ones, are fully developed, vital and vibrant, the location appropriately moody and atmospheric. The keenly developed plot includes twists that are as unexpected as they are unpredictable. There are hints that this may be Dalgliesh's final case, and if so, it's a grand way to end a long, distinguished, and memorable career.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Private Patient.

Acknowledgment: Random House provided a trade paperback edition of The Private Patient for this review.

The Private Patient

An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery by P. D. James