Fashion in murder mysteries

[inulro]

ITV3, for my non-UK readers, and UK-based non-TV watchers, is pretty much based around repeats of detective dramas. Which I mostly didn't see the first time around. A couple of days ago they played part 1 of PD James's Shroud for a Nightingale (I haven't read the book). I taped it and watched the next day, and it was most excellent, and I want to know what happens next RIGHT NOW.

The only DVDs of this available on Amazon are Region 1 and in the US. This isn't a deal-breaker - our supposedly multi-region DVD player doesn't always play non-European DVDs, but we also have DVD players in all our computers, so we would be able to watch it. The problem was that all of the sellers had low ratings from customers. After nhw's no-so-recent experience with a 94% rated seller, I've started taking note.

I then noticed that a big box set of a whole bunch of dramatisations of PD James books exists and is available from UK Amazon. It costs more than I can afford at the moment, so I put it on my wish list for later consideration.

There's many copies of the book available from 1p on Amazon, but I was good and did not expand the book mountain. I then checked whether there's a copy at any of the local libraries I could pick up soonish, and the answer is - not really! LibrariesWest do have copies that I could order in, but none living at a branch I can just walk into and pick up. I found that extremely sad - I thought PD James was a basic component of all public libraries, and I suspect that ten years ago this was true. I also suspect that she's been pushed off the shelves but all the modern forensic crime novels (and Ian Rankin). Which I am more than a little guilty of reading, but it shouldn't have to be an either/or situation.

Come to think of it, I bought most of my PD James books at charity shops over a decade ago, and I don't think you see them so much there now either. I had been contemplating getting rid of the PD James collection because I thought that if I ever had the urge to re-read, I could just go to the library. Clearly I need to reconsider that.

Comments

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

Well, if its ITV3 then part 2 will be on soon - and then repeated 16 times in the next fortnight... I loved the series when they were first on, and would love to see them again but every time I notice that one's it seems to be The Black Tower!

I re-read the book recently, and having read quite a few modern forensic crime novels was struck by how dated it felt, being written and set when it was. A few of her early books read like period pieces now (I suppose they are, really) - the attitudes towards women, the police procedure, etc.

I am surprised that they've disappeared from library shelves - I can only assume natural wastage (non-returns and damaged books) has whittled away the stock and they haven't been replaced, perhaps not being fashionable enough. I got my stock from charity shops - some quite recently. Perhaps you're not frequenting the right charity shops?

[inulro.livejournal.com]

I also haven't really been looking, until this week.

When I taped it I assumed part 2 would be on the next day and frequently repeated, but it seems to be the good old one episode per week format, unless they're repeating it late at night and I haven't looked that far in the listings.