Diana Bishop reads P. D. James' fascinating observations on one of the most popular and enduring forms of literature, the detective novel.

To judge by the worldwide success of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie's Poirot, an appetite for murder, mystery and mayhem is universal. Talking about the craft of detective writing and sharing her personal thoughts and observations, P.D. James examines the challenges, achievements and potential of a genre which has fascinated her for nearly fifty years. From the tenant of 221b Baker Street to the Village Priest from Cubhole in Essex, from the Golden Age of detective writing between the wars to the achievements of the present and a glimpse at the future, P.D. James explores the metamorphosis of a genre which has gripped and entertained the popular imagination like no other type of novel.

Written by the author widely regarded as the queen of the detective novel, Talking about Detective Fiction is a must-have for all fans of crime fiction.