Some conventions that are adhered to include the closed circle of suspects and social milieu on the isolated setting, which to some extent echoes Christie's locked room scenarios, the detective figure, highly developed atmosphere, strongly delineated characters, a complex and detailed plot and quite formal language reminescent of classic Golden Age crime fiction. Subversions include a sense of respect for the police, the perceived inadequacy or futility of the detective and unclear motives of the murderer. James also tends to focus more on her characters than the crime itself. Through this, she simultaneously makes comments on human nature and society that tend to be avoided or not achieved by other examples of crime fiction.
I hate this book to death.