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Writing Mysteries with P. D. James.

British mystery writer P.D. James, the 66-year-old grandmother known as the queen of crime. Her most recent book, just released in paperback, is titled A Taste for Death. An earlier work, Shroud for a Nightingale, was serialized on PBS television. (Rebroadcast of November 19, 1986).

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Other segments from the episode on October 19, 1987

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, October 19, 1987: Interview with P. D. James; Review of Cassandra Wilson's album "Days Aweigh"; Interview with Leonard Maltin; Review of television program "HBO World…

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Legendary Mystery Novelist P. D. James.

Fresh Air's book critic Maureen Corrigan interviews British mystery novelist P. D. James. James has just published her fifteenth book, "A Certain Justice," which is already on the New York Times Best Sellers List. James talks to Corrigan about the nature of the mystery novel and the differences between British and American mystery novels.

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05:04

British Mystery Novelist P.D. James

The writer, known for her grisly descriptions of crime scenes, lives a quiet life as a grandmother in her 60s. Her novels focus on psychological themes rather than the tightly-plotted mysteries associated with the works of Agatha Christie.

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