Book Log 2007 #31: The Dark Tower by P. D. James

The first of my vacation books, fitting given that we were in England (though not the eastern coast, where this book takes place). In this Dalgliesh mystery, the inspector goes to pay a call on an elderly minister he knew as a boy, only to find that he has died while living on an estate serving as a long-term care facility. Dalgliesh suspects something other than natural causes, and is borne out as he gets to the bottom of the web of intrigue surrounding the owner, patients, and community surrounding the care facility.

It's one of the better Dalgliesh books I've read, I think. You can tell it was written some time ago (first published in 1975), but the main mystery certainly holds up. I also liked that there was a little more insight as to Dalgliesh's past, which is (understandably) diminished in later books.

James was inspired for this work by Clavell Tower, whose story is vaguely similar to the tower in the book.

Recommended, and probably evidence that reading the books in order would be somewhat helpful.