The book received a 80% from The Lit Review based on 17 critic reviews and the consensus of the reviews being, "A short but informative class on British Mysteries, heavy emphasis on the British. James writes this examination of the genre the way she writes her novels, clean and thoughtful. The best part for some readers may be the shopping list of great books you now need to go out and get. One of Oprah’s Books to Watch".[5] In Bookmarks Mar/Apr 2010 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (3.5 out of 5) with the summary stating, "In Talking About Detective Fiction, P. D. James writes with good-natured authority (and a large dose of humility, given her status in those circles) about the writers who have shaped the detective novel in all its variations. Informative, readable, and a suitable paean to the genre, the book is a good starting point for any detective reader’s wish list".[6]
