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Dalziel & Pascoe #1
A Clubbable Woman
Home from Rugby Club after taking a nasty knock in a match, Connon finds his wife even more uncommunicative than ususal. After passing out on his bed for five hours, he comes downstairs to discover communication has been cut off forever - by a hole in the middle of her forehead. Down at the club, passions run high, on and off the field. This is a home game for Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel who knows all the players, male and female. But Sergent Peter Pascoe whose loyalties lie with another code has a few ideas of his own. This is the first appearance together on any field for Dalziel and Pascoe, and already we can feel that electricity of opposite but complementary skills which will take them into the topmost division.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
About the author
Reginald Hill
155 books481 followersReginald Charles Hill was a contemporary English crime writer, and the winner in 1995 of the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement.
After National Service (1955-57) and studying English at St Catherine's College, Oxford University (1957-60) he worked as a teacher for many years, rising to Senior Lecturer at Doncaster College of Education. In 1980 he retired from salaried work in order to devote himself full-time to writing.
Hill is best known for his more than 20 novels featuring the Yorkshire detectives Andrew Dalziel, Peter Pascoe and Edgar Wield. He has also written more than 30 other novels, including five featuring Joe Sixsmith, a black machine operator turned private detective in a fictional Luton. Novels originally published under the pseudonyms of Patrick Ruell, Dick Morland, and Charles Underhill have now appeared under his own name. Hill is also a writer of short stories, and ghost tales.
After National Service (1955-57) and studying English at St Catherine's College, Oxford University (1957-60) he worked as a teacher for many years, rising to Senior Lecturer at Doncaster College of Education. In 1980 he retired from salaried work in order to devote himself full-time to writing.
Hill is best known for his more than 20 novels featuring the Yorkshire detectives Andrew Dalziel, Peter Pascoe and Edgar Wield. He has also written more than 30 other novels, including five featuring Joe Sixsmith, a black machine operator turned private detective in a fictional Luton. Novels originally published under the pseudonyms of Patrick Ruell, Dick Morland, and Charles Underhill have now appeared under his own name. Hill is also a writer of short stories, and ghost tales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
August 30, 2007
OMG this was awful... I was positively spellbound by its awfulness. It was dreadful on so many levels -- the prose, the plot, the very assumptions that oozed out of the woodwork. Normally I don't finish books that I truly dislike, but this was an exception as I found its awfulness positively riveting.
August 8, 2022
Before Jackson Lamb, there was Andy Dalziel
Review of the Grafton Books paperback (1987) of the Collins Crime Club hardcover original (1970)
Having recently completed a binge read of the Slough House novels, I also came across my archive collection of the early Dalziel & Pascoe paperbacks from the 1980s in a storage locker clean-out. Curiosity about the Jackson Lamb inspiration had some satisfactory confirmations as one can read in the sample text excerpts above.
Book haul of the early Dalziel and Pascoe paperbacks, mostly from Grafton Books in the 1980s. Image sourced from Twitter.
The story itself was not that much of an inspiration though. It feels badly dated with the members of a community rugby club coming under suspicion for the apparent murder of the wife of one of its local heroes. There is a lot of leching for each other's wives, poison pen letters, opportunistic voyeurs and a cringe-inducing scene where the (of-age) teenage daughter of the murder victim allows herself to be fondled by an older man in order to glean some possible investigative information due to his knowledge of local gossip. The erstwhile investigators barely solve anything except that a confession is finally provoked without any especially dramatic confrontation. Not a great start to the series, but I'll probably give it a few more re-reads before I decide to abandon it.
Cover image of the Series 1 boxset of the "Dalziel & Pascoe" TV series. Image sourced from IMDb.
Trivia and No Link
A Clubbable Woman was adapted for the long running TV series of Dalziel and Pascoe (1996-2007) as Episode 1 of Series 1. I could not find an online trailer or posting of the episode.
Review of the Grafton Books paperback (1987) of the Collins Crime Club hardcover original (1970)
Dalziel sank over his chair and scratched himself vigorously between the legs. Not absent-mindedly - nothing he did was mannerism - but with conscious sensuousness. Like scratching a dog to keep it happy...Mick Herron, the author of the Slough House aka Slow Horses (2010-ongoing) espionage series, has acknowledged that part of the inspiration for the slovenly and flatulent head of the Slough House department of misfit agents of the security service was from Reginald Hill's Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel (pronounced Dee-El) of the Dalziel & Pascoe police detective series (1970-2009).
Dalziel rose ponderously and belched without effort at concealment.
Pascoe scratched his nose ruminatively then stopped in horror as he realized who he was imitating.
Dalziel pushed his right index finger through the small hairs which fringed the cavity of his ear, and wriggled it sensuously about. - excerpts from A Clubbable Woman
Having recently completed a binge read of the Slough House novels, I also came across my archive collection of the early Dalziel & Pascoe paperbacks from the 1980s in a storage locker clean-out. Curiosity about the Jackson Lamb inspiration had some satisfactory confirmations as one can read in the sample text excerpts above.
Book haul of the early Dalziel and Pascoe paperbacks, mostly from Grafton Books in the 1980s. Image sourced from Twitter.
The story itself was not that much of an inspiration though. It feels badly dated with the members of a community rugby club coming under suspicion for the apparent murder of the wife of one of its local heroes. There is a lot of leching for each other's wives, poison pen letters, opportunistic voyeurs and a cringe-inducing scene where the (of-age) teenage daughter of the murder victim allows herself to be fondled by an older man in order to glean some possible investigative information due to his knowledge of local gossip. The erstwhile investigators barely solve anything except that a confession is finally provoked without any especially dramatic confrontation. Not a great start to the series, but I'll probably give it a few more re-reads before I decide to abandon it.
Cover image of the Series 1 boxset of the "Dalziel & Pascoe" TV series. Image sourced from IMDb.
Trivia and No Link
A Clubbable Woman was adapted for the long running TV series of Dalziel and Pascoe (1996-2007) as Episode 1 of Series 1. I could not find an online trailer or posting of the episode.
January 26, 2016
A promising debut whose promise was fulfilled...
Sam Connon had been a rising star destined one day to play rugby for England, when his career was thrown off track by an injury. Still fit to play, though not at the top levels, he was a stalwart of the local rugby team in Mid Yorkshire, and still turns out occasionally for the fourth team – the old-timers whose glory days are behind them. On this afternoon, he has had a kick in the head during a scrum, which has left him feeling woozy and sick. So when he returns home, he merely pops his head into the living-room to let his wife know he's home and then goes straight to bed, where he falls into something approaching unconsciousness for several hours. His wife hadn't acknowledged his greeting but that wasn't too unusual – their marriage was rocky, at best. But when he comes downstairs again, he discovers she is dead, with a circular hole in the middle of her forehead...
This is the first book in the long-running Dalziel and Pascoe series – my favourite crime series of all time. I originally started, as so often, in the middle of the series and then backtracked to the earlier books. And I'm rather glad I did, because although this one is a good, solid police procedural it's nowhere near the standard that Hill reached as the series evolved. Both Andy Dalziel and Pete Pascoe have some of the attributes that make them such a memorable pairing, but they're not yet fully developed. Andy is as brash and uncouth as he will always be, without yet the depth of characterisation that reveals the intelligence, subtlety and loyalty to his junior colleagues that is seen in later books. Pete, still single, spends much of his time having a rather annoying internal monologue, partly about the attractions of the various women he meets in the course of the investigation, and partly about his resentment and reluctant admiration for his boorish boss.
The plotting is very good as, of course, is the writing. First published in 1970, the book shows its age in Hill's depiction of most of the women as sexual temptresses – surprising for someone who went on to write one of the most intriguingly feminist characters in crime fiction in Elly, Pete's future wife. I guess that as a debut writer, Hill may have been trying to conform to what was then the norm, whereas he soon became a leader in the field, showing the way in including strong female and even empathetic gay characters long before the trailing pack would have dared. However, Connon's daughter Jenny feels almost like an embryonic Elly, giving a hint of his later style in depicting women as intelligent, witty and, above all, equal to his male characters. Jenny's boyfriend, Anthony, is the first example of another 'type' that appears regularly throughout the series in different personas – decidedly straight men but with slightly effeminate traits, intellectual and rather urbane, with a love of words. I have always wondered how much these characters might have been autobiographical.
The plot is interesting and quite traditional in format – all of the action centres around the rugby club so there is a defined list of suspects all with various motives. Andy, as a leading figure both in the club and in Mid Yorks life, knows everybody and this gives him access to 'inside information'. Pete worries that Andy is too close to the people involved and doesn't yet know him well enough to be sure that he won't let his actions and opinions be swayed by friendship. But true to his later characterisation, Andy believes in justice above all, though he might step outside the bounds occasionally to achieve it. And the solution when it comes gives hints of the complex morality of the criminals Hill will introduce us to in future years.
To be honest, if I were reading this for the first time with no knowledge of the series, I'd probably be saying it's a promising debut, better written than most but fairly standard otherwise. And I might or might not have gone on to read the next one. So when I highly recommend it, as I am doing, it's as the first step in what becomes something exceptional further down the line. A series to be read in its entirety, and though not essential to read them in order, best read that way to see how all three of them - Dalziel and Pascoe, and Hill himself - develop as the years go by.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Sam Connon had been a rising star destined one day to play rugby for England, when his career was thrown off track by an injury. Still fit to play, though not at the top levels, he was a stalwart of the local rugby team in Mid Yorkshire, and still turns out occasionally for the fourth team – the old-timers whose glory days are behind them. On this afternoon, he has had a kick in the head during a scrum, which has left him feeling woozy and sick. So when he returns home, he merely pops his head into the living-room to let his wife know he's home and then goes straight to bed, where he falls into something approaching unconsciousness for several hours. His wife hadn't acknowledged his greeting but that wasn't too unusual – their marriage was rocky, at best. But when he comes downstairs again, he discovers she is dead, with a circular hole in the middle of her forehead...
This is the first book in the long-running Dalziel and Pascoe series – my favourite crime series of all time. I originally started, as so often, in the middle of the series and then backtracked to the earlier books. And I'm rather glad I did, because although this one is a good, solid police procedural it's nowhere near the standard that Hill reached as the series evolved. Both Andy Dalziel and Pete Pascoe have some of the attributes that make them such a memorable pairing, but they're not yet fully developed. Andy is as brash and uncouth as he will always be, without yet the depth of characterisation that reveals the intelligence, subtlety and loyalty to his junior colleagues that is seen in later books. Pete, still single, spends much of his time having a rather annoying internal monologue, partly about the attractions of the various women he meets in the course of the investigation, and partly about his resentment and reluctant admiration for his boorish boss.
The plotting is very good as, of course, is the writing. First published in 1970, the book shows its age in Hill's depiction of most of the women as sexual temptresses – surprising for someone who went on to write one of the most intriguingly feminist characters in crime fiction in Elly, Pete's future wife. I guess that as a debut writer, Hill may have been trying to conform to what was then the norm, whereas he soon became a leader in the field, showing the way in including strong female and even empathetic gay characters long before the trailing pack would have dared. However, Connon's daughter Jenny feels almost like an embryonic Elly, giving a hint of his later style in depicting women as intelligent, witty and, above all, equal to his male characters. Jenny's boyfriend, Anthony, is the first example of another 'type' that appears regularly throughout the series in different personas – decidedly straight men but with slightly effeminate traits, intellectual and rather urbane, with a love of words. I have always wondered how much these characters might have been autobiographical.
The plot is interesting and quite traditional in format – all of the action centres around the rugby club so there is a defined list of suspects all with various motives. Andy, as a leading figure both in the club and in Mid Yorks life, knows everybody and this gives him access to 'inside information'. Pete worries that Andy is too close to the people involved and doesn't yet know him well enough to be sure that he won't let his actions and opinions be swayed by friendship. But true to his later characterisation, Andy believes in justice above all, though he might step outside the bounds occasionally to achieve it. And the solution when it comes gives hints of the complex morality of the criminals Hill will introduce us to in future years.
To be honest, if I were reading this for the first time with no knowledge of the series, I'd probably be saying it's a promising debut, better written than most but fairly standard otherwise. And I might or might not have gone on to read the next one. So when I highly recommend it, as I am doing, it's as the first step in what becomes something exceptional further down the line. A series to be read in its entirety, and though not essential to read them in order, best read that way to see how all three of them - Dalziel and Pascoe, and Hill himself - develop as the years go by.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 14, 2017
I read the first third of this book and gave up. It is too much of its time for me. The sexism is casual and the women not very likable. It was such a slog to get past the detective's unpleasant personality I never got to the point of caring about the crime.
July 11, 2009
British mystery with a twist. Out in the hinterlands with the only writing I have recently encountered with a real effort to give us the Northlands manner of speaking. R. Hill is also talented at conveying smaller city manners, as well as, the nature and practice of the local police force. Definitely a page-turner.
March 4, 2009
A CLUBBABLE WOMAN (Pol. Proc.-Dalziel/Pascoe-England-Cont) – G+
Hill, Reginald – 1st in series
Felony & Mayhem, ©1970, US Paperback – ISBN: 9781933397931
First Sentence: “He’s all right.”
Sergeant Peter Pascoe has a degree in social sciences and read criminology. His new boss is Superintendent Andrew Dalziel (Dee-ell) is big, sloppy, a copious drinker and has his own way of solving crimes. I their first case together, they investigate the murder of Mary Connon.
Mary Connon was a shrewish housewife married to a former local rugby star. After a game, “Connie” comes home to find his wife watching television in her favorite chair, only later to realize she is dead. “Connie” is the obvious suspect but Dalziel disagrees.
One of the most interesting things about this particular edition was the author’s note where Hill talks having had no intention of this being a series or of Dalziel being the focal character. It’s always interesting to see how things develop.
The other thing I enjoyed was learned about Dalziel through Pascoe’s internal dialogue. We are discovering Dalziel as Pascoe is. As to the story itself, it doesn’t have the depth found in the later books. Nor, because of the nature of it, does it have the interplay or humor between the two characters.
What it does have is a good plot and a solid foundation for the rest of the series. I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Hill, Reginald – 1st in series
Felony & Mayhem, ©1970, US Paperback – ISBN: 9781933397931
First Sentence: “He’s all right.”
Sergeant Peter Pascoe has a degree in social sciences and read criminology. His new boss is Superintendent Andrew Dalziel (Dee-ell) is big, sloppy, a copious drinker and has his own way of solving crimes. I their first case together, they investigate the murder of Mary Connon.
Mary Connon was a shrewish housewife married to a former local rugby star. After a game, “Connie” comes home to find his wife watching television in her favorite chair, only later to realize she is dead. “Connie” is the obvious suspect but Dalziel disagrees.
One of the most interesting things about this particular edition was the author’s note where Hill talks having had no intention of this being a series or of Dalziel being the focal character. It’s always interesting to see how things develop.
The other thing I enjoyed was learned about Dalziel through Pascoe’s internal dialogue. We are discovering Dalziel as Pascoe is. As to the story itself, it doesn’t have the depth found in the later books. Nor, because of the nature of it, does it have the interplay or humor between the two characters.
What it does have is a good plot and a solid foundation for the rest of the series. I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
May 30, 2008
A good enough entry to the Dalziel and Pascoe series. It is the first one, so readers more familiar with Hill's later work may be surprised by how his narrative voice feels. I don't remember Pascoe having quite so many internal monologues in later works, but it's interesting to see them in a more rambly form.
The case itself had decent twists and turns, but the atmosphere of the book was definitely saturated in rugby; the family at the heart of the case are involved with a rugby club. Not being a rugby person myself, I found the rugby discussion bits/metaphors going over my head. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this book, but I would suggest that newcomers to Dalziel and Pascoe get a few of the more recent ones under their belt before going back to this one.
The case itself had decent twists and turns, but the atmosphere of the book was definitely saturated in rugby; the family at the heart of the case are involved with a rugby club. Not being a rugby person myself, I found the rugby discussion bits/metaphors going over my head. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this book, but I would suggest that newcomers to Dalziel and Pascoe get a few of the more recent ones under their belt before going back to this one.
July 15, 2022
For some reason this book just didn't click with me. Nothing wrong with the story that I could put my finger on but nothing stood out either. For some reason I couldn't connect to any of the characters and the back story, centered around a rugby club, is something I've never had any interest in.
Others may find it better, but for me it was not a book I looked forward to getting back into. First in a series so the author probable gets better going forward. At some point I may pick up another, but I have another 20 or so British Mystery authors to sample first.
Others may find it better, but for me it was not a book I looked forward to getting back into. First in a series so the author probable gets better going forward. At some point I may pick up another, but I have another 20 or so British Mystery authors to sample first.
November 2, 2014
Eh. The first one in the series is usually fairly bad. Hopefully they get better.
A slutty middle-aged woman of Yorkshire is found murdered and her husband, a rugby player, comes under suspicion. As does everyone at the Rugby Club. Hill's writing is not bad, but there's lots of vintage 1970 casual misogyny (starting with the double entendre title).
March 13, 2019
I tried 3 different times to read this book. This last time I actually made it to page 35 before bailing.
• The formatting in the ebook was horrific.... it made the story jump all over the place.
• I could not understand (nor care about) all the many, many, MANY references to rugby.
• I intensely disliked both Dalziel and Pascoe.
• The formatting in the ebook was horrific.... it made the story jump all over the place.
• I could not understand (nor care about) all the many, many, MANY references to rugby.
• I intensely disliked both Dalziel and Pascoe.
July 22, 2020
Published in 1970 and very much of it's time. Too much rugby and misogyny for me.
February 2, 2014
I did not like this book at all. The author was recommended to me by someone who knows I love British mysteries and series characters. However, this one was not good. Boring, too many references that, I assume, must pertain to the UK or even that time period when the book was written. Most of my reading is by foreign authors (British, Scottish, Norwegian, Swiss) and occasionally there may be a reference that I might not understand. But this one had too many of them. Plus I didn't care for any of the people in the book. I almost didn't finish it but pursued it to the end. I mostly borrow books from the Philadelphia Library website and read them on my Kindle, but this one I bought on Amazon for a penny (and $3.99 shipping). I doubt I'll read any others by this author and am sorry I purchased this one. I will probably donate it to my local library. Very disappointing.
December 21, 2021
Having seen every episode of the TV series Dalziel & Pascoe, I thought it was time to re-visit the first book. I read it many years ago and thought it was okay. I did enjoy it a bit more the second time around, enough at least to give the next book a try.
September 4, 2014
Stubborn, bloody-minded detectives are a regular feature of British detective mysteries (just think of Inspector Morse!). But Reginald Hill’s inspector Andrew Dalziel (pronounced “Dee-al”) takes the cake.
Old school, coarse, even vulgar when necessary to make a point, “Fat Andy” is a thorn in everyone’s side…which is exactly what he wants to be. He’s tenacious as a terrier, rude, and perpetually underestimated by the more cultivated suspects he’s investigating. Being so is his modus operandi. It’s a trap. Many get caught.
Fat Andy’s partner is sergeant Peter Pascoe and, as is often the case in British mysteries, he’s Dalziel’s exact opposite: Young, educated, smooth, a gentleman and a thoroughly likeable chap. The two spar constantly and yet it is clear they admire each other deeply, for all their differences.
When a dishy young mid-Yorkshire woman is found dead in her home, her husband is the immediate subject. But the woman has been a regular and flirtatious presence at the local rugby club and Dalziel believes the answers lie there.
Fat Andy is the kind of cop who can’t pass a pub without a pint or three, but it never clouds his vision or weakens his resolve. A great beginning to a series so good it has been televised in the UK and US.
Old school, coarse, even vulgar when necessary to make a point, “Fat Andy” is a thorn in everyone’s side…which is exactly what he wants to be. He’s tenacious as a terrier, rude, and perpetually underestimated by the more cultivated suspects he’s investigating. Being so is his modus operandi. It’s a trap. Many get caught.
Fat Andy’s partner is sergeant Peter Pascoe and, as is often the case in British mysteries, he’s Dalziel’s exact opposite: Young, educated, smooth, a gentleman and a thoroughly likeable chap. The two spar constantly and yet it is clear they admire each other deeply, for all their differences.
When a dishy young mid-Yorkshire woman is found dead in her home, her husband is the immediate subject. But the woman has been a regular and flirtatious presence at the local rugby club and Dalziel believes the answers lie there.
Fat Andy is the kind of cop who can’t pass a pub without a pint or three, but it never clouds his vision or weakens his resolve. A great beginning to a series so good it has been televised in the UK and US.
September 8, 2016
3.75 stars
This is a tough review. I read all the Dalziel and Pascoes years ago and loved the series, although some of them were downright odd. I decided to pick up the debut book with an eye toward re-reading the series from book one.
And at first, I didn't love it as much as I expected to. Being the first book, the characters are not fully developed, and to me, both Pascoe and Fat Andy are somewhat shallow. And I admit, the casual sexist attitudes made this one feel dated.
However, by the time I was halfway through, the old magic began to work and I enjoyed the last half.
Plot: Old school troglydyte Andy Dalziel and his cop underling, the college-educated Peter Pascoe, are called on to investigate the murder of a local rugby player's wife. The club that anchors the rugby team is a hotbed of adultery and old grievances, so there is not a shortage of suspects.
Rewarding book once you get into it ...
This is a tough review. I read all the Dalziel and Pascoes years ago and loved the series, although some of them were downright odd. I decided to pick up the debut book with an eye toward re-reading the series from book one.
And at first, I didn't love it as much as I expected to. Being the first book, the characters are not fully developed, and to me, both Pascoe and Fat Andy are somewhat shallow. And I admit, the casual sexist attitudes made this one feel dated.
However, by the time I was halfway through, the old magic began to work and I enjoyed the last half.
Plot: Old school troglydyte Andy Dalziel and his cop underling, the college-educated Peter Pascoe, are called on to investigate the murder of a local rugby player's wife. The club that anchors the rugby team is a hotbed of adultery and old grievances, so there is not a shortage of suspects.
Rewarding book once you get into it ...
February 11, 2018
The book which introduces us to Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe, much seen on the TV version of the Hill books. First published in 1970, this is now a little dated and suffers from being too slow-moving. I hope the later books improve a little from this tale involving the local Rugby Club,
April 18, 2023
I'm less surprised
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2021
Yes, this was written in 1970, and centres around a rugby club, but I was very put off by the misogynism and casual sexism. Plus, I didn't really like anyone in the book, including Dalziel (Pascoe wasn't quite as bad), except for Jenny and Anthony.
July 14, 2012
The first of the Dalziel and Pascoe novels is not as complex or thoughtful as some of the later books in the series, but it's still an entertaining mystery that lays the foundations of the relationship between two very different men who together form a formidable detective team. Even this first book displays Hill's witty style and elegant prose, if not to the same high level as later books.[return][return]The book is based around the goings-on at a rugby club that may or may not be connected with the murder of the wife of one of the players, but no knowledge of the game is required to enjoy the book -- it's a study of the social interactions in such a venue rather than the sport itself. The main problem readers are likely to face is that the book was first published in 1970, and as such is recent enough not to be immediately obviously a period work, while still being old enough for the culture and mores to feel somewhat odd to the modern reader. It's important to be aware of the period when reading the book, as many of the potential motivations for the characters revolve around sexual jealousy and flouting of mores. Hill draws a detailed picture of life in a relatively small Yorkshire town in the 1970s, with its web of social obligations and friendships that can be exploited by both the police and those they're pursuing.[return][return]Not my favourite of the series, and the characters aren't yet fully developed, but well worth reading both in its own right and as an introduction to the series.
June 1, 2014
A man arrives home late at night with a headache and finds his wife dead. And the suspense begins... A Clubbable Woman by Reginald Hill does not waste time in getting to the point of the matter. It brings forth its characters quickly, does not dwell too much outside of the murder case's requirement, and moves at a bright pace though in a soothing manner without any excessive drama. Is that a good thing or not? Well, the boundaries of the book do limit the reader's involvement in the plot. There aren't many complicated characters to ponder on, though there are complications in the plot itself which will keep you enticed to keep on reading further. The lead detective Dalziel and his subordinate Pascoe are the best of the lot, an antithesis to each other and yet complementing in so many ways, Dalziel with his rough and arrogant demeanor and Pascoe with his bookish knowledge and a love-hate feeling for his superior. They bright up the proceedings wherever they go!
The writing by Reginald Hill shifts from one person's point of view to another very quickly, and many times, very abruptly, which kills the fluidity of the narration. It in fact can get annoying too, when you misunderstand the person in the scene initially and then have to retrace your path and re-read once things get clarified. Having said that, Hill builds up enough intrigue in the story, by exposing quite a few sub-plots linked to the main murder, so that overall it comes as a fine read for a rainy day! I wouldn't mind picking up another Dalziel & Pascoe story sometime soon...
The writing by Reginald Hill shifts from one person's point of view to another very quickly, and many times, very abruptly, which kills the fluidity of the narration. It in fact can get annoying too, when you misunderstand the person in the scene initially and then have to retrace your path and re-read once things get clarified. Having said that, Hill builds up enough intrigue in the story, by exposing quite a few sub-plots linked to the main murder, so that overall it comes as a fine read for a rainy day! I wouldn't mind picking up another Dalziel & Pascoe story sometime soon...
January 24, 2016
Sometimes you just want some pulp fiction, a "whodunnit", an easy to read detective novel. That's my excuse for spending time reading this book. I've given it 2 stars, but it could easily be one star. Really it's rubbish, but I have to admit I kept reading it to see "whodunnit?".
I've only occasionally caught bits of TV episodes of "Dalziel and Pascoe", who are the detectives in this novel. I've heard positive reviews of it, and of the books. This book was the first in the D&P series.
It was written in 1970, and shows its age. The attitudes of the males seem almost prehistoric, though this might be exaggerated by the rugby club environment around which much of the action centres. The women are not much better, mostly being sex obsessed housewives who go to the rugby club to flirt with men.
What astounded me most was the incredibly clumsy manipulations of plot and character in order to achieve a solution to the crime. Stray characters and events are introduced at seemingly random points in order to enable an event to occur, or a piece of information to surface, or an item to be found. It really did remind me of the Cluedo game: Colonel Mustard in the library with the lead pipe. The eventual explanation of the murder was so ridiculous as to be laughable.
The book served its purpose in keeping me occupied for a few evenings, but doesn't make me want to read any more by the author. Perhaps the sort of thing to read during a long airport stopover.
I've only occasionally caught bits of TV episodes of "Dalziel and Pascoe", who are the detectives in this novel. I've heard positive reviews of it, and of the books. This book was the first in the D&P series.
It was written in 1970, and shows its age. The attitudes of the males seem almost prehistoric, though this might be exaggerated by the rugby club environment around which much of the action centres. The women are not much better, mostly being sex obsessed housewives who go to the rugby club to flirt with men.
What astounded me most was the incredibly clumsy manipulations of plot and character in order to achieve a solution to the crime. Stray characters and events are introduced at seemingly random points in order to enable an event to occur, or a piece of information to surface, or an item to be found. It really did remind me of the Cluedo game: Colonel Mustard in the library with the lead pipe. The eventual explanation of the murder was so ridiculous as to be laughable.
The book served its purpose in keeping me occupied for a few evenings, but doesn't make me want to read any more by the author. Perhaps the sort of thing to read during a long airport stopover.
February 2, 2017
Wow, times change! I have to keep reminding myself that Hill started writing in the late 1960s and early 1970s, well before feminism changed EVERYTHING. His early books are sexist in the extreme, but as a 65-year old woman I well remember the casual sexism of the era. Hill seems to have progressed over the decades --- he is clearly an educated man --- but the early books, with their leering references to breasts and behinds, are hard to stomach. Still, if you can get past the sexism
(I know, I know, its hard!) he does have a way with plotting. If Hill were alive today, I've no doubt his novels would be all about smart, ambitious female detectives. Like all of us, he was a man of his times. And of course I am so glad those times are gone. (Although, with Trump in the White House, racism and sexism may be coming back ...)
(I know, I know, its hard!) he does have a way with plotting. If Hill were alive today, I've no doubt his novels would be all about smart, ambitious female detectives. Like all of us, he was a man of his times. And of course I am so glad those times are gone. (Although, with Trump in the White House, racism and sexism may be coming back ...)
August 22, 2011
Reginald Hill's award-winning Dalziel and Pascoe novels have been adapted into a BBC mini-series.
Dalziel is the boor, the 'fatman' who doesn't care what he says or does. Pascoe is university educated, intelligent with a beautiful wife. They are described as Laurel & Hardy. The first in the series introduces these characters when a rugby star's wife is found murdered at the club.
The two manage to investigate crime after crime, battling personality clashes and changes in their personal lives.
One of the best police procedural series ever written.
Dalziel is the boor, the 'fatman' who doesn't care what he says or does. Pascoe is university educated, intelligent with a beautiful wife. They are described as Laurel & Hardy. The first in the series introduces these characters when a rugby star's wife is found murdered at the club.
The two manage to investigate crime after crime, battling personality clashes and changes in their personal lives.
One of the best police procedural series ever written.
March 1, 2016
Not bad at all for a first work. Interesting side characters, if a little too many for me to remember (I was interrupted a few times), and I'm looking forward to reading more about Dalziel and Pascoe, our coppers. I also enjoyed a little time travel into early 70s Britain, which was really well described.
And more nostalgia: gay meaning merry. Pascoe, quite one for the ladies, describes himself as "bachelor gay". ;)
And more nostalgia: gay meaning merry. Pascoe, quite one for the ladies, describes himself as "bachelor gay". ;)
August 12, 2018
I found this a thoroughly enjoyable read and look forward to reading more titles in this series along with other works by author Reginald Hill. A comfortable read.
A police procedural that focuses on the characters and their interactions as much as the unwinding of the murder investigation.
A police procedural that focuses on the characters and their interactions as much as the unwinding of the murder investigation.
September 3, 2018
Just beginning the series Dalziel & Pascoe, and have to admit I do love the relationship between them and will continue the series.
April 2, 2022
This is my first book by Reginald Hill. I have seen all the TV shows about Dalziel and Pacoe. There is more friction between the two main characters than in many police partners. Hill tells a good story, I liked the characters and the mystery was interesting. I plan on reading more of the series.
January 15, 2021
A most enjoyable start to a new series for me. More here:
https://ahotcupofpleasureagain.wordpr...
https://ahotcupofpleasureagain.wordpr...
November 3, 2022
I haven't read much of Hill's stuff. This one is well plotted, and well worthwhile: but I really don't like Dalziel, so I can't imagine that I'll read many more of this series, at least.
April 6, 2021
A good mystery which introduces Dalziel and Pascoe. I look forward to reading more in this series.
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