245:
Cordelia sympathises with Miss
Leaming and is determined to protect Mark's legacy, so the two rearrange the crime scene to look like yet another suicide and it is accepted as such by the coroner. The case, however, is referred to Chief Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh, who had been Bernie Pryde’s commander originally and then sacked him. Word arrives during their interview that Leaming has been killed in a car crash, allowing Cordelia to maintain the fiction they concocted together. Dalgliesh admits to Cordelia, based on his observation of her abilities, that perhaps he had underrated Pryde. He also believes that he has worked out the true facts of the case, but in private conference with his superiors says there is little point in disturbing the official story in view of the social and international pressures on the police.
241:
in order to ambush her would-be killer. He turns out to be Sir Ronald's laboratory assistant, Lunn, who had been tailing her during her investigations. However, he escapes in his van, only to die in a collision with a truck. Certain now of her case, Cordelia continues to Sir Ronald's house, where Miss
Leaming takes her gun from her and leads her to Sir Ronald. Cordelia privately accuses him of the murder of his son, which he defiantly admits, sure that nothing can be proved against him. Miss Leaming, however, who has overheard him, enters the office and shoots him with Cordelia's gun.
312:
Cordelia and Mark's mothers died shortly after they were born. Mark attended
Cambridge University, which Cordelia sought to attend herself. Finally, they both have fathers more dedicated to working for the greater-good than caring for their children. Joan G. Kotker claims that this explains Cordelia's motivation to attain justice for Mark, as she is also "avenging herself."
288:
is present as a sort of transcendental authority." Similarly, Kate Watson writes in the
European Journal of English Studies that "While Cordelia is the central investigating figure in the text, always in the margins is the shadowy figure of Inspector Adam Dalgleish… the patriarchal figure that embodies the conventions of the traditional family of crime fiction."
240:
Back at the cottage the following night, someone attacks
Cordelia, throws her down a well and replaces the cover. She is saved by a combination of her own resourcefulness and the good luck that the cottage owner notices the well has been tampered with. Cordelia in turn lies in wait with Bernie's gun
287:
Critics also note that despite the novel's feminist undertones, Cordelia remains under male authority during the novel. Throughout her investigation, Cordelia follows the teachings of Bernie Pryde's mentor, Superintendent
Dalgliesh. SueEllen Campbell says that "Throughout the novel, then, Dalgliesh
307:
According to Dennis Porter, the novel also stands out from other detective fiction because of its commentary on ethics. In contrast to the detectives that predate the novel, Cordelia continually questions the morals of the people she encounters, and is also motivated by achieving justice for Mark.
303:
instated
Cordelia Gray as the first female private investigator in detective fiction. This is frequently acknowledged in the novel, as other characters repeatedly question whether Cordelia's occupation is "suitable" for her. This question inspires the book's title, acknowledging Cordelia's novelty
244:
Miss
Leaming confesses to Cordelia that she was Mark's true mother but was prevented from telling him by Sir Ronald. Lady Callender had been infertile and died shortly after Mark's birth. Sir Ronald had murdered Mark when he was close to discovering the truth, so as not to lose his wife's fortune.
311:
Cordelia also has a distinct closeness to the victim. During her investigation, she lives in Mark's cottage and wears some of his clothes, even using his belt to pull herself out of the well and save her own life. In addition, Cordelia relates to Mark on account of their shared experiences. Both
283:
noted the novel as a key pioneering work in which the focus is "at least as much on character and theme as…on crime". Another critic described it as "a political contribution to the recasting of the female detective mould", noting in particular how its heroine avenges a young man's murder by his
229:
companions try to lead her away from the investigation but
Cordelia is determined to succeed in her first solo case. Returning to the cottage one night and finding an effigy hanging from the same hook on which Mark's body had been suspended convinces her that someone is trying to scare her off.
224:
Cordelia travels to
Cambridge, where Mark had left university and taken a job as gardener despite decent grades and the prospect of a considerable inheritance from his maternal grandfather. Her task is to discover the reason for Mark’s death but she begins to suspect foul play. She meets Mark's
228:
Cordelia decides to move into the rundown cottage on the estate where Mark had worked. As she sifts through Mark's effects, trying to get a clearer picture of his life, she becomes ever more convinced that his death could not have been suicide. Repeatedly, friendly overtures from Mark's former
220:
22-year-old private detective Cordelia Gray walks into the London office she shares with former police detective Bernie Pryde to find her partner has committed suicide. Pryde has left everything, including his unlicensed handgun, to Cordelia, who decides to keep the failing agency open out of
40:
232:
She finds out that a certain Nanny Pilbeam, formerly nanny to Mark's mother, had attended Mark's cremation and goes to question her. The old woman tells Cordelia that she went to see Mark at his college and gave him a
221:
gratitude. When she returns to her office from the funeral service, she is visited by her first client, Elizabeth Leaming, assistant to prominent scientist Sir Ronald Callender, whose son Mark recently hanged himself.
237:
that his mother had wanted him to have when he turned 21. Cordelia finds the book in the cottage and discovers in it evidence that Lady Callender could not have been Mark's mother.
262:
judged the book "A top-rated puzzle of peril that holds you all the way", whose characters "are anything but stereotypes," although "at the very end, things are a little too pat".
869:
308:
Based on her successful detection as an independent, "morally upright" woman, Cordelia was frequently viewed as a "hero" around the time of the novel's release.
552:
Porter, Dennis (1988). "Detection and Ethics: The Case of P. D. James". In Rader, Barbara A.; Zettler, Howard G.; Southern Connecticut Library Council (eds.).
859:
482:
Campbell, SueEllen (1995). "The Detective Heroine and the Death of Her Hero: Dorothy Sayers to P.D. James". In Irons, Glenwood; Irons, Glenwood (eds.).
336:
24:
280:
623:
589:
561:
491:
439:
234:
248:
Cordelia returns resignedly to the agency and finds her next client waiting, a man who believes his 'lady friend' might be cheating on him.
321:
20:
665:
874:
417:
138:
864:
827:
693:
854:
679:
849:
735:
820:
770:
707:
686:
204:
192:
164:
332:
as Cordelia. It was financed and produced by Goldcrest Films/ The National Film Finance Corporation and Don Boyd.
616:
396:
284:
father and connives in the murder in return of the father by the boy's mother in an act of feminine solidarity.
225:
student friends, who are reluctant to talk and attempt to convince Cordelia that his death really was suicidal.
879:
802:
672:
512:"Family Discord: Challenging the choreography of crime fiction in P. D. James's An Unsuitable Job for a Woman"
788:
721:
609:
430:
Nixon, Nicola (1995). "Gray Areas: P.D. James's Unsuiting of Cordelia". In Irons, Glenwood H. (ed.).
268:
795:
742:
700:
511:
385:
714:
585:
557:
531:
487:
435:
413:
146:
133:
658:
580:
Kotker, Joan (1995). "The Re-Imagining of Cordelia Gray". In Klein, Kathleen Gregory (ed.).
523:
92:
728:
344:
340:
188:
180:
651:
641:
554:
The Sleuth and the scholar: origins, evolution, and current trends in detective fiction
407:
263:
258:
208:(1982). It is noted for introducing a new type of female detective at the start of the
843:
753:
272:, however, thought it "barely passable". The novel also received a nomination for an
199:
82:
71:
273:
527:
363:
187:
and of a TV series of four dramas developed from that novel. It was published by
633:
329:
325:
184:
53:
535:
470:
556:. Contributions to the study of popular culture. New York: Greenwood Press.
347:
as Edith Sparshott was made in 1997 and 2001, based in part upon the book.
39:
209:
153:
455:
601:
454:
Sue Ellen Campbell, "The Detective Heroine and the Death of her Hero",
434:. Toronto ; Buffalo: University of Toronto Press. pp. 29–45.
374:
584:. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press.
412:, New York: Harper & Row, revised and enlarged edition 1989.
605:
471:"Forms of Agency in Women's Detective Fiction in the Seventies"
276:, and many requests for another novel featuring Cordelia Gray.
147:
279:
Authors commenting on the introduction of the new type of
812:
780:
752:
640:
486:. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press. pp. 12–28.
159:
145:
132:
124:
116:
108:
98:
88:
78:
67:
59:
49:
19:This article is about the novel. For the film, see
410:and Taylor, Wendell Hertig. "A Catalogue of Crime
328:, was released in UK cinemas in 1982, featuring
582:Women times three: writers, detectives, readers
617:
8:
870:British novels adapted into television shows
32:
624:
610:
602:
38:
31:
202:, the protagonist of both this title and
25:An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (TV series)
356:
16:1972 Cordelia Gray novel by P. D. James
575:
573:
547:
545:
505:
503:
484:Feminism in women's detective fiction
432:Feminism in women's detective fiction
7:
198:The book features private detective
21:An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (film)
516:European Journal of English Studies
252:Literary significance and criticism
316:Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
14:
860:British novels adapted into films
320:The book has been twice adapted.
828:Talking About Detective Fiction
266:, in a later supplement to his
33:An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
1:
764:An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
301:An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
294:An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
176:An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
528:10.1080/13825577.2010.481459
510:Watson, Kate (August 2010).
120:Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
896:
821:The Maul and the Pear Tree
771:The Skull Beneath the Skin
687:Death of an Expert Witness
205:The Skull Beneath the Skin
165:The Skull Beneath the Skin
18:
191:in the UK in 1972 and by
37:
23:. For the TV series, see
875:British detective novels
803:Death Comes to Pemberley
673:Shroud for a Nightingale
865:Faber & Faber books
193:Charles Scribner's Sons
457:Modern Fiction Studies
855:Novels by P. D. James
235:Book of Common Prayer
722:Death in Holy Orders
322:The first adaptation
296:in Detective Fiction
274:American Edgar Award
269:A Catalogue of Crime
850:1972 British novels
796:The Children of Men
743:The Private Patient
701:Devices and Desires
386:Greene & Heaton
141:(Paperback edition)
34:
304:within the genre.
183:by English writer
179:is the title of a
837:
836:
715:A Certain Justice
694:A Taste for Death
591:978-0-87972-681-2
563:978-0-313-26036-0
493:978-0-8020-0519-9
459:29.3 (1983) p.498
441:978-0-8020-0519-9
337:television series
172:
171:
109:Publication place
93:Faber & Faber
887:
666:Unnatural Causes
659:A Mind to Murder
626:
619:
612:
603:
596:
595:
577:
568:
567:
549:
540:
539:
507:
498:
497:
479:
473:
467:
461:
452:
446:
445:
427:
421:
405:
399:
394:
388:
383:
377:
372:
366:
361:
343:as Cordelia and
281:female detective
160:Followed by
149:
100:Publication date
42:
35:
895:
894:
890:
889:
888:
886:
885:
884:
880:Feminist novels
840:
839:
838:
833:
808:
776:
748:
729:The Murder Room
680:The Black Tower
636:
630:
600:
599:
592:
579:
578:
571:
564:
551:
550:
543:
509:
508:
501:
494:
481:
480:
476:
468:
464:
453:
449:
442:
429:
428:
424:
408:Barzun, Jacques
406:
402:
397:NYTimes archive
395:
391:
384:
380:
373:
369:
362:
358:
353:
345:Annette Crosbie
341:Helen Baxendale
318:
298:
254:
218:
189:Faber and Faber
181:detective novel
117:Media type
101:
45:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
893:
891:
883:
882:
877:
872:
867:
862:
857:
852:
842:
841:
835:
834:
832:
831:
824:
816:
814:
810:
809:
807:
806:
799:
792:
789:Innocent Blood
784:
782:
778:
777:
775:
774:
767:
759:
757:
750:
749:
747:
746:
739:
736:The Lighthouse
732:
725:
718:
711:
704:
697:
690:
683:
676:
669:
662:
655:
652:Cover Her Face
647:
645:
642:Adam Dalgliesh
638:
637:
631:
629:
628:
621:
614:
606:
598:
597:
590:
569:
562:
541:
522:(2): 133–141.
499:
492:
474:
462:
447:
440:
422:
400:
389:
378:
367:
355:
354:
352:
349:
324:, directed by
317:
314:
297:
290:
264:Jacques Barzun
259:New York Times
253:
250:
217:
214:
170:
169:
161:
157:
156:
151:
143:
142:
136:
130:
129:
126:
122:
121:
118:
114:
113:
112:United Kingdom
110:
106:
105:
102:
99:
96:
95:
90:
86:
85:
80:
76:
75:
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
51:
47:
46:
43:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
892:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
847:
845:
830:
829:
825:
823:
822:
818:
817:
815:
811:
805:
804:
800:
798:
797:
793:
791:
790:
786:
785:
783:
779:
773:
772:
768:
766:
765:
761:
760:
758:
755:
754:Cordelia Gray
751:
745:
744:
740:
738:
737:
733:
731:
730:
726:
724:
723:
719:
717:
716:
712:
710:
709:
705:
703:
702:
698:
696:
695:
691:
689:
688:
684:
682:
681:
677:
675:
674:
670:
668:
667:
663:
661:
660:
656:
654:
653:
649:
648:
646:
643:
639:
635:
627:
622:
620:
615:
613:
608:
607:
604:
593:
587:
583:
576:
574:
570:
565:
559:
555:
548:
546:
542:
537:
533:
529:
525:
521:
517:
513:
506:
504:
500:
495:
489:
485:
478:
475:
472:
466:
463:
460:
458:
451:
448:
443:
437:
433:
426:
423:
420:
419:
418:0-06-015796-8
415:
409:
404:
401:
398:
393:
390:
387:
382:
379:
376:
375:World Catalog
371:
368:
365:
360:
357:
350:
348:
346:
342:
338:
333:
331:
327:
323:
315:
313:
309:
305:
302:
295:
291:
289:
285:
282:
277:
275:
271:
270:
265:
261:
260:
251:
249:
246:
242:
238:
236:
230:
226:
222:
215:
213:
211:
207:
206:
201:
200:Cordelia Gray
196:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
177:
168:
166:
162:
158:
155:
152:
150:
144:
140:
139:0-446-31517-6
137:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
97:
94:
91:
87:
84:
81:
77:
73:
72:Cordelia Gray
70:
66:
62:
58:
55:
52:
48:
44:First edition
41:
36:
30:
26:
22:
826:
819:
801:
794:
787:
781:Other novels
769:
763:
762:
741:
734:
727:
720:
713:
708:Original Sin
706:
699:
692:
685:
678:
671:
664:
657:
650:
581:
553:
519:
515:
483:
477:
469:Maria Vara,
465:
456:
450:
431:
425:
411:
403:
392:
381:
370:
364:Google Books
359:
334:
319:
310:
306:
300:
299:
293:
292:The Role of
286:
278:
267:
257:
255:
247:
243:
239:
231:
227:
223:
219:
216:Plot summary
203:
197:
175:
174:
173:
163:
29:
813:Non-fiction
634:P. D. James
330:Pippa Guard
326:Chris Petit
195:in the US.
185:P. D. James
54:P. D. James
844:Categories
351:References
632:Works by
536:1382-5577
339:starring
89:Publisher
210:feminist
154:31623136
60:Language
83:Mystery
63:English
756:series
644:series
588:
560:
534:
490:
438:
416:
167:
68:Series
50:Author
212:era.
125:Pages
79:Genre
74:No. 1
586:ISBN
558:ISBN
532:ISSN
488:ISBN
436:ISBN
414:ISBN
256:The
148:OCLC
134:ISBN
104:1972
524:doi
128:287
846::
572:^
544:^
530:.
520:14
518:.
514:.
502:^
335:A
625:e
618:t
611:v
594:.
566:.
538:.
526::
496:.
444:.
27:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
