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  • Original Sin

  • By: P. D. James
  • Narrated by: Daniel Weyman
  • Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (871 ratings)

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Original Sin

By: P. D. James
Narrated by: Daniel Weyman
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Summary

An Adam Dalgliesh Mystery. Set on the banks of the River Thames in the literary world, P. D. James' Original Sin is the ninth Adam Dalgliesh mystery and a brilliant work of crime fiction from the best-selling author of Death Comes to Pemberley.

The Peverell Press, a 200-year-old publishing firm housed in a dramatic mock-Venetian palace on the Thames, is certainly ripe for change. But the proposals of its ruthlessly ambitious new managing director, Gerard Etienne, have made him dangerous enemies - a discarded mistress, a neglected and humiliated author, and rebellious colleagues and staff.

When Gerard's body is discovered bizarrely desecrated, there is no shortage of suspects, and Dalgliesh and his team are confronted with a puzzle of extraordinary complexity and a murderer who is prepared to strike again.

P. D. James (1920-2014) was a best-selling and internationally acclaimed crime writer. She was the creator of Adam Dalgliesh and Cordelia Gray and their long and successful series of mysteries. Her works include Cover Her Face (1962), An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1972), Innocent Blood (1980), The Children of Men (1992), and the Jane Austen-inspired Death Comes to Pemberley (2011).

James was born in Oxford in 1920. She won awards for crime writing in Britain, America, Italy, and Scandinavia, including the Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Award. She received honorary degrees from seven British universities, was awarded an OBE in 1983, and created a life peer in 1991. In 1997 she was elected president of the Society of Authors and stood down from this role in 2013.

©2014 Faber & Faber (P)2014 Faber & Faber
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Critic reviews

"An elegantly written, splendidly atmospheric and immensely satisfying mystery." ( Sunday Telegraph)
"Classic P. D. James, rich, delicious and satisfying." ( Sunday Times)

What listeners say about Original Sin

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic story

Vengeance is wrongly visited and a police officer conflicted. PD James has outdone herself with this tightly plotted journey through London and Essex. The characters are strong, with no hint of the superficiality which occasionally creeps into her work. I loved this.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable enough story, struggle with narration

Story was enjoyable, I really can’t get on with the narrator s voice- I find it impossible to pay attention to, have to keep skipping back every few minutes because my mind wanders- it compels no attention at all. Also way too fast so have to listen at slowed speed. Really odd.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Excellent narration, slow story, great ending

Struggled with the story over 3 months. Lost track of characters and struggled to engage. Excellent last few chapters though which I flew through.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Ok book.

Having watched a few PD James on the tv I wasn't sure I would get on with this audio.....never really being a fan. Nice descriptions but a little long and convoluted for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A beautifully written book, beautifully read

Enjoyed this so much, Daniel Weyman’s interpretation of the characters was splendid, and his beautifully modulated voice perfect for the genre. P D Janes writes so elegantly, and I look forward to reading others of her books.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A real "page turner"


Another great book. I've been a fan of AD for sometime and the orator of these stories brings him and the other characters to life with a real identity. Good job all round.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Classic P D James

When you buy a crime thriller by P D James you know exactly what you're getting. It's like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers, familiar and restful! Original Sin is no exception. A very good story with well written characters, all well educated and quite posh!! Daniel Weyman provides an excellent narration with his measured tones and his BBC pronunciation. A good story that I enjoyed.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Convoluted tail well told

Indulgently written, convoluted tail of murder, many characters to follow. Quick ending to a complex story which pulls all the threads together

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story

Kept me interested throughout. Didn't guess the climax in advance. One weakness the Jewish policeman.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

good, long read, sometimes a bit wordy though

I've read this book once before having borrowed it in Braille, but it was really nice to hear such a good book read by such a fabulous narrator. PD James was a fantastic author with a knack for good scene descriptions and for describing people, however there were a few instances where her word choice could have been better / more up to date. I don't usually have to get the dictionary out when I'm reading, but because her writing is slightly old-fashioned, in some ways I found it quite refreshing.
The narrator's voice is lovely and he does male and female voices equally well.

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14 people found this helpful