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Phyllis Dorothy James (1920-2014) was a British writer, a classic of the modern English detective, a member of the British Royal Academy, a life peer of the House of Lords with the title of Baroness, granted to her personally by Queen Elizabeth II, and an officer of the Order of the British Empire. F.D. James has received many literary awards, including three Silver Daggers and the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the British Association of Mystery Writers. The writer is often referred to as a modern-day Agatha Christie.

"Unnatural Causes" is the third novel by F. D. James, published in 1967. Superintendent Adam Delgleish visits his aunt in a small village on the seaside for a holiday. However, on the day of his arrival, the corpse of his aunt's neighbour, a detective writer, is found in a boat with his hands cut off. The investigation is led by local police inspector Reckless. But Delgleesh cannot stand aside and decides to conduct his own unofficial investigation in parallel. Soon he realises that each of the neighbours has something to hide: the heir of the murdered man, the literary critic, the lonely novelist, and even the crippled stenographer. So Delglish has to find the killer as soon as possible before he strikes again...