Chief Detective Inspector Dalgliesh ponders the clues in Cover Her Face. And at the heart of the mystery, the clue that would make all plain, lay the complex personality of Sally Jupp. There was an empty cocoa tin, a golden-haired girl laughing up at Stephen Maxie as he retrieved a child’s balloon from a Martingale elm, an anonymous telephone call and a gloved hand briefly glimpsed as it closed the trap-door into Bocock's loft.

There was the bottle of Sommeil pressed hastily into the earth. There was Martha’s significant reluctance to dwell on one of Sally’s shortcomings. John Webster (1580-1634), from 'The Duchess of Malfi' (1614)ĭalgliesh pondered on the diversity of the clues which he felt were salient in the case. Review of the Sphere Books paperback edition (1974) of the original Faber & Faber hardcover (1962)Ĭover her face. Also the cover of this edition (the bloodied telephone handset) has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. I'd not read this one for a long time and re-read after discovering its publication forced Agatha Christie to change the title of her last published Marple from 'Cover her face' to 'Sleeping Murder' - it fitted better with Christie's plot (though something of a spoiler). I enjoyed this book but there's always a curious feeling of distance in James's writing, a lack of warmth, or a clinical detachment which I find slightly uncomfortable. Interesting to see the beginning of a change in attitude to 'unmarried mothers' and rather shocking to discover that the 'girl' in question is an adult of 22 (her apparent lack of agency suggested to me she was about 17).

There's a great deal of classism and snobbery amongst the main suspects, and James is always better at her rendering of the upper middle classes than the common people. Interesting closed circle mystery set within the confines of a modest country house in the early 60s.

Quick binge re-read of PD James' first published book.

Cover her face novel