The secluded Combe Island, situated just off the Cornish coast, is the location for PD James 17th crime novel.

With a history of bloody piracy and violence, the now privately-owned Combe offers a place of refuge and isolation for the distinguished and powerful set.

However, the fragile peace is broken when a famous novelist is found murdered in the eponymous lighthouse. James' poet detective, Commander Adam Dalgliesh, is despatched from New Scotland Yard with his small team - Inspector Kate Miskin and the ambitious Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith. Personally, it is a difficult time for Dalgliesh, who is waiting to see if a written marriage proposal has been accepted, while Miskin is also emotionally fragile.

It is almost with relief that we hear about the death of Nathan Oliver, the successful but ultimately nasty writer. With steep cliffs protecting the island and only one landing stage, virtually everyone on the island is a potential suspect.

Oliver is despised by all of them, including his daughter and copy editor, for various reasons embracing both the recent and distant past. Unravelling the motive behind the murder is Dalgliesh's complex task.

Miskin and the Anglo-Indian detective Benton-Smith take a greater role in the investigation and their complex relationship is another delicious subplot in James' gripping story.

The Lighthouse is my first foray into the work of PD James but the strong cast of suspects and victims combined with a vivid sense of place make for an compelling read.

James Carr