The Private Patient Audiobook By P. D. James cover art

The Private Patient

Preview
Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Private Patient

By: P. D. James
Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.50

Buy for $22.50

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Cheverell Manor is a lovely old house in deepest Dorset, now a private clinic belonging to the famous plastic surgeon George Chandler-Powell. When investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn arrived there one late autumn afternoon, scheduled to have a disfiguring and long-standing facial scar removed, she had every expectation of a successful operation and a pleasant week recuperating.

Two days later she was dead, the victim of murder. To Commander Adam Dalgliesh, who with his team is called in to investigate the case, the mystery at first seems absolute. Few things about it make sense. Yet as the detectives begin probing the lives and backgrounds of those connected with the dead woman the surgeon, members of the manor staff, close acquaintances suspects multiply all too rapidly. New confusions arise, including strange historical overtones of madness and a lynching 350 years in the past. Then there is a second murder, and Dalgliesh finds himself confronted by issues even more challenging than innocence or guilt.

P. D. James has gained an enviable reputation for creating detective stories of uncommon depth and intricacy, combined with the sort of humanity and perceptiveness found only in the finest novelists. The Private Patient ranks among her very best.

©2008 P.D. James (P)2008 Random House Audio
Detective Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Fiction
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro805_stickypopup

Featured Article: The Best Cozy Mysteries to Keep You Warm This Holiday Season


We’ve rounded up a list of some of the best cozy mystery audiobooks to help brighten up your winter listening. Here you'll find contemporary and historical cozies, classic whodunits and ingenious heist stories. While varying in tone, plot, and setting, these picks all share an irresistible holiday atmosphere. You'll find snowstorms galore, bakeries full of tasty holiday treats, glittering get-togethers, and picturesque English villages decked out in their holiday finest.

Intriguing Plot • Complex Characters • Emotional Nuance • Detailed Descriptions • Suspenseful Twists • Pleasant Voice
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant

Would you listen to The Private Patient again? Why?

Yes - it's plot and characters are complex enough that a second or third listen could be enjoyed. PD James has a wonderful way with words and I always add to my dictionary when reading her.

Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favorite?

She was good with all the characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It is too long for that one sitting but makes you want to get back to it right away.

Any additional comments?

PD James is my absolute favourite mystery author and this read was great. I have tried to listen to Penelope Dellaportia's reads but they fall far short of the mark so it was pleasant to find a good reader attached to one of the Queen of Crime's books! Please make more!

Great cozy mystery if you love PD James.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Always a good story. Great narration voices and plots twists that keep you engaged. Enjoy!

Great twists!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I liked the story ; however, I was disappointed that the wedding was an after thought. I was expecting Adam to have some deep thoughts about the marriage and his job.

The wedding

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Great narration, interesting premise for a "closed room" murder mystery, but endlessly drawn out descriptions sucked any suspense out of the story.

Very British

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

a wonderful read. While I so enjoy listening to this book over and over again, I feel a sadness that there will be no more.

Her last Dalgleish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

She's good with the female voices, but the male voices tend to sound similar, very precise and even stuffy (including Dalgleish). Wish Charles Keating was still reading James; I thought he did an excellent job with The Lighthouse.

Problem with narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Private Patient to be better than the print version?

I love P.D. James despite some irritating things that persist book after book. I don't really need to bear witness to every single shower her characters take -- I'd be happy to stipulate to their probable adequate personal hygiene. And she always must bounce in at least one character I'd be willing to kill myself.

Would you be willing to try another book from P. D. James? Why or why not?

Of course, I'll go on reading (or listening) as the good far outweighs the bad.At least "The Private Patient"'s annoying characters aren't as bad as that awful cleaning woman and her thuggy sidekick who nearly ruined the wonderful "Murder Room" whining about her cottage, or the truly creepy incestuous pair that almost spoilt the excellent "Death in Holy Orders".

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

I liked her voice, and she didn't ham it up. As for Dalgleish, I think she read him right -- pretentious, just a bit arrogant and dare I say boring.

Please turn off the shower!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A review of this book from 2008 says, "She's good with the female voices, but the male voices tend to sound similar, very precise and even stuffy (including Dalgleish). Wish Charles Keating was still reading James; I thought he did an excellent job with The Lighthouse." I agree with this entirely. While I enjoyed the story very much, the narrator made all of the males sound angry. Charles Keating did a much better job. For a woman narrator, I would have preferred Davina Porter.

Poor Narrator Nearly Ruins a Good Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I didn’t think the voice of Adam Dalgliesh was appropriate for his character after reading some of the books by P. D. James.

Voice of Adam Dalgliesh

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Pd James is a favorite but for the fist time, I misjudged the narrators voice when sampling before buying. Her voice, especially with the most important rendering of Dalglish, was a total distraction from an otherwise good story

She tried hard

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews