Val McDermid thinks crime writing is most definitely a suitable job for a woman. She believes women are good at observing the minutiae of life and incorporating them into clue development. Despite writing a book entitled 'An Unsuitable Job For A Woman', PD James evidently thought the same. Val McDermid discusses her life with the help of James' friend, the literary critic Peter Kemp.

PD James died in November 2014 aged 94.

Producer: Maggie Ayre

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.