Born Phyllis Dorothy James White, in Oxford, England, the renowned mystery author, P.D. James, died at her home in Oxford on Thursday, October 27, 2014 at the age of 94.
Ms. James was born to humble circumstances and at the age of 14 was left to manage the house and care for her siblings when her mother was committed to an asylum. She longed to write but at 16 was forced to leave school and take up work in order to support her family.
She went on to raise her own family and didn’t publish her first book until the age of 42. She wrote 18 popular crime novels and became known as the “Queen of Crime.” Her last book was published in 2011.
Ms. James was one of those rare authors whose work stood up to the inevitable and usually invidious comparisons with classic authors of the detective genre, like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham. A consummate stylist, she accumulated numerous awards for the 18 crime novels produced during a writing career spanning a half-century. Seven of her mysteries were adapted for the public-television series “Mystery!” and were broadcast in Britain and the United States.
Read the full story: P. D. James, Creator of the Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries, Dies at 94
Ms. James is survived by her daughters, Clare Flook and Jane McLeod; a sister, Monica; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
