LJ's Reviews > A Clubbable Woman

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.