Phyllis James is a renowned British writer. She wrote novels about Adam Dalgliesh and Cordelia Gray. Phyllis wrote books in the detective genre.
Biography and personal life
Phyllis Dorothy James was born on August 3, 1920 in Oxford. She passed away on November 27, 2014 at the age of 94 in the UK. Phyllis was educated at Lundlow British School. She attended Cambridge High School. She did not manage to get a higher education, since her father, who worked as a tax inspector, did not consider it necessary for the girl. In addition, her family was on a budget.
Phyllis's father took him to work, where she worked for several years. Tired of her routine, James left the tax office and became an assistant director of a theater troupe. In 1941, her wedding took place with a military doctor. Ernest Connor Bantry White became James' husband. Their family had daughters Claire and Jane.
The writer's husband served during the Second World War. He returned sick and could not work. All the worries about providing for the family fell on the shoulders of James. She worked as a hospital administrator for almost 20 years. Then she served in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. She was widowed in 1964. Shortly before her husband's death, Phyllis published her first novel, Cover Her Face.
Selected bibliography
The largest series of Phyllis tells about the adventures of Adam Dalgliesh. It includes 14 detective stories translated into Russian. Among these books: "Cover Her Face" in 1962, "Sophisticated Murder" in 1963, "Unnatural Causes" in 1967, "Shroud for a Nightingale" in 1971 and "Black Tower" in 1975. Phyllis also wrote the detective stories The Death of an Expert Witness in 1977, Addiction to Death in 1986, Tricks and Lust in 1989, and Original Sin in 1994. The series concludes with the novels "Justice Undisputed" in 1997, "Murder in Theological College" in 2001, "Murder Room" in 2003, "Lighthouse" in 2005 and "Woman with a Scar" in 2008.
Contribution to cinema
Several films have been made based on the Phyllis books. In 1982, the painting "Inappropriate Work for a Woman" was released, in which the novel by the writer was used. Billy Whitelaw, Paul Freeman, Pippa Guard and Dominic Guard got the main roles. The detective was nominated for a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Based on the works of James, the mini-series "The Nightingale's Shelter" in 1984 was filmed. Directed by John Gorrie. This was followed by the mini-series "Cover Her Face", "Black Tower", "Addiction to Death", "Devices and Desires". In 1995, the film "Desire to Kill" was released. The crime detective has been shown in the UK, Norway and Sweden. In 1997, the series "Inappropriate Job for a Woman" began, which consists of 2 seasons.
In 2003, the mini-series "Death in the Seminary" was released. Jesse Spencer, Alan Howard, Martin Shaw and Tom Goodman Hill got the leading roles in the thriller. Following him was filmed a serial film "Death Room". In 2006, based on the novel by the writer, the film "Human Child" was created. In 2013, the miniseries Death Comes to Pemberley was released based on the detectives James. The detective melodrama has gained popularity in the UK, Italy, Belgium, Spain, USA, Sweden and Finland.
