P. D. James

P. D. James (Phyllis Dorothy James, 1920–2014) was a British writer. After working in hospital administration, she joined the criminal department of the British Home Office, drawing on that experience in her fiction. From 1962, she devoted herself fully to writing. She became internationally known for her crime novels featuring Commander Adam Dalgliesh. James was appointed to the Order of the British Empire in 1983 and became Baroness James of Holland Park and a member of the House of Lords in 1991. Her novels sold widely and received numerous awards.