''The Lighthouse'' is a 2005

detective novel Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as specu ...

by English writer

P. D. James Phyllis Dorothy James White, Baroness James of Holland Park (3 August 1920 – 27 November 2014), known professionally as P. D. James, was an English novelist and life peer. Her rise to fame came with her series of detective novels featuri ...

, the thirteenth book in the

Adam Dalgliesh Adam Dalgliesh ( ) is a fictional character who is the protagonist of fourteen mystery novels by P. D. James; the first being James's 1962 novel '' Cover Her Face''. He also appears in the two novels featuring James's other detective, Cordeli ...

mystery series.

Plot

Adam Dalgliesh is brought in to investigate the mysterious death of a famous writer on a remote and inaccessible island off the Cornish coast. Combe Island is a discreet retreat operated by a private trust, where the rich and powerful find peace and quiet. Famed novelist Nathan Oliver, who was born on the island and thus is allowed to visit as he wishes, arrives with his daughter, Miranda and his copy-editor, Dennis Tremlett, who, unbeknownst to Oliver, are having an affair. When he discovers them, Oliver reacts with fury and orders them to leave the island the next day. Oliver is discovered hanging from the island's historic lighthouse. Dalgliesh and his team arrive to investigate. Surfacing from a fever, Dalgliesh has a vision that helps him fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Dalgliesh recovers from his illness, and after the break of the investigation and quarantine, he and his lover Emma both overcome their fears about each other's seeming lack of commitment, and agree to marry.

Reception

In a 2005 book review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'',

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...

called the book "too rooted in genre conventions to count originality as its strong suit. But it has deviousness to burn, and it also offers other enticements", and wrote " tis a better book than its predecessor, 'The Murder Room.' Its format and intent are more appealing and clear. And it is a sturdy installment in a well-honed series, which is a concept that even its characters understand." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' wrote: "Although the story is briefer than James’s recent double-deckers (The Murder Room, 2003, etc.), readers will still revel in her matchless fullness of characterization."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lighthouse 2005 British novels Novels by P. D. James Novels set in Cornwall Faber & Faber books Novels set on islands British detective novels Novels set in lighthouses