Customer Reviews

A Clubbable Woman: A Dalziel and Pascoe Novel (Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries (Audio))

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series starts here. A Clubbable Woman is the first in the series, and generally continues to improve throughout the series. The upronounceable Dalziel (Dee-el)is the Chief Inspector: apparently crude and ill mannered, he is the active force in the partnership, if active is defined as the rush of an enraged bull, demanding beyond reason and totally unsuited for tearooms and crumpets. Dalziel is boorish, coarse and candid (that is, rude) in his opinions and prejudiced in his various points of view. He could easily have become a stereotype himself, but in Hill's hands he reveals himself to be intelligent, occasionally sensitive, and though willing to stomp pretty thoroughly on the manual of police procedure, he is honest and moral and, rarely, willing to reverse himself or his opinions. His foil is Peter Pascoe, educated, handsome, and the image of the new face of policing--a face that his boss can't abide. Through the series, these characters mature, add depth and become more nuanced, although true to the original characters revealed here. Their relationship with each other and with other continuing characters, especially Ellie Pascoe, grows with every book.

All of this is great fun to watch expand through the novels but if the mysteries in each book were not interesting, the series would not work. Some in the series are stronger than others, but all of them are, at worst, interesting and at best throughly engrossing. It is always murder, sometimes by murders caught in the circumstances of their lives, sometimes by madmen, and occasionally by the good gone wrong.

There are some notes that jar. Ellie Pascoe is the weakest of the characters, seen as a feminist first and often strident, which does not quite seem to fit with her husband and often seems one dimensional. Every now and again, one of the books will wander a bit, making the reader wonder what Hill really wants to talk about. But the writing is strong, literate, often witty and spare enough to allow the reader to build an affectionate picture of the characters and countryside without being cloying. The suspects become more complex as the books progress and some of the best are the most recent. My only regret is that I did not start the series at the beginning and that I have read them all, and miss the pleasure of having a Dalziel and Pascoe story to look forward to. I've stolen the list, in order, from Wikiopedia:

1. A Clubbable Woman (1970)

2. An Advancement of Learning (1971)

3. Ruling Passion (1973)

4. An April Shroud (1975)

5. A Pinch of Snuff (1978)

6. A Killing Kindness (1980)

7. Deadheads (1983)

8. Exit Lines (1984)

9. Child's Play (1987)

10. Under World (1988)

11. Bones and Silence (1990)

12. One Small Step (novella) (1990)

13. Recalled to Life (1992)

14. Pictures of Perfection (1994)

15. The Wood Beyond (1995)

16. Asking for the Moon [SS] (1996)

o "The Last National Service Man"

o "Pascoe's Ghost"

o "Dalziel's Ghost"

o "One Small Step"

17. On Beulah Height (1998)

18. Arms and the Women (1999)

19. Dialogues of the Dead (2002)

20. Death's Jest-Book (2003)

21. Good Morning Midnight (2004)

22. The Death of Dalziel (UK Title)/Death Comes for the Fat Man (US Title) (2007)

23. A Cure for All Diseases (2008)

While going on vacation with a pile of scholarly books and papers, I grabbed a couple of early mysteries by Hill. I felt as I read this particular one, that it was definitely his first (though I didn't know for sure). I also felt that as an author he has done very well, not in terms of financial attainment from his work, but that unlike several current mystery authors I could name...Reginald Hill retained the quality of his writing as he continued the series. Not only that, but he can claim that his quality of writing has improved. Whether or not some readers dislike his wordiness and his attempt to keep his writing fresh through his continuous reading, Hill has mostly avoided falling into the usual rut of other mystery writers. His characters and the plots of the books continue to be unique and well-done, even as the series edges on to thirty years old or more.

I was jealous to read that other reviewers have had access to a television version of Hill's mysteries. I hope they are well done, and would love to see them, but at the same time I am leary lest Dalziel not be the person my mind has drawn him as. Pascoe's shoes would probably be easier to fill.

This book IS slightly dated. It is only through having grown up in the sixties, that I recognize much of the language and the mores of the time period. Perhaps the reoccurance of the fashions (there is a contradiction in terms) of the 1970's will make some of the book more understandable to other readers. Of course, Hill would choose to write about something he knows. Rugby may be foreign to American readers, but I enjoyed reading about it, even though it's rules are not quite clear. However, the enthusiasm of men for their sport and the comraderies among these men is certainly not something new.

A fun read...

Karen Sadler

Hill is an exceptionally fine writer and the Dalziel and Pascoe mysteries show off his skills at their best. This is first mystery in the series and sets the tone and introduces characters for the books to come. In itself it is a gripping mystery set in chilly Yorkshire in the blue collar world of a rugby club, where camaraderie and tension vye with equal measure, where secrets seep through by word of mouth until they act as the match to trigger an explosion. Dalziel springs fullformed from the Author's forehead while Peter Pascoe begins his struggle with his ambivilence between a liberal conscious and a police job. Some readers may find the dialect and attitudes a bit hard to get through but this is series that develops well as it ages.

I've enjoyed the Daziel & Pascoe series on TV over the years. It seemed time to check out the book series that is the basis for the show. All I can say is that I'm glad I had the show as a mental resource. It's hard to point to any one problem with the book. Perhaps the problem is that the book was written in 1970 and is a bit dated. Perhaps the problem is that much of the book centers on rugby, a sport I don't know in the slightest. And, perhaps, there are just some rough edges in the first time writer's style. Bottom line was that I found the book a bit of chore to get through. Still, I like the characters well enough that I'll certainly give Hill another chance (or two).

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.

In the early 1970s in Yorkshire, Mary Connon loved rugby; literally she loved seducing the local rugby team's players. Her husband "Connie" knew she flirted with the entire squad, but seemed to tolerate her activity. That is until she is found dead in their home; the Mid-Yorkshire police believe a cuckold drunken Connie killed his wife fueled by the alcohol.

Case closed except the new cop on the block Andy Dalziel finds the wrap up too simple especially since everyone knows Mary was the local rugby team's biggest fan. He thinks sharing a few pints with the players might prove illuminating. Sergeant Peter Pascoe cannot believe the investigative method of his new superior "Fat Andy", but tags along especially as clues begin to point towards the squad rather than the spouse.

Although in some ways this reprint of the first Dalziel and Pascal British police procedural feels like a 1970s historical (although written at the time as a present day tale), A CLUBBABLE WOMAN remains a well written somewhat a sports whodunit. The story line introduces the audience to the dynamic duo who are working together for the first time; thus Pascoe is shocked by Dalziel's techniques as he has not adapted to it yet. Fans of the series will enjoy where it all began.

Harriet Klausner

I've been anxiously waiting to begin the Dalziel and Pascoe series, and was very happy to begin with this first book in this long-lived series. I am anticipating a a wonderful time while I read all the other books. Hill is a remarkable writer, and his two characters - Dalziel and Pascoe are as real as they can get. I am a huge fan of the british police procedural genre, and this series looks to be a winner. In this book we are introduced to the wonderful world of English Rugby, as well as the plots and counterplots afoot in the English Rugby Country Club culture. This is a very readable book.

I just read Hill's latest book, "The Woodsman", and it was very good. The characters were well developed and interesting; the story was fantastic.

This first book ("A Clubbable Woman") in the Pascoe and Dalziel series was rather boring. Uninteresting characters, including Pascoe and Dalziel, dull story. Knowing something about rugby and the local English dialect and slang might make things a little easier to follow. I'm a Henning Mankel, Jo Nesbo, and Michael Gruber fan, so this series just doesn't cut it for me, so far. I hear it's a fairly popular series, and I'm willing to try one more novel in it. But to stick with it, the next book better be much improved.

Though written in 1970, this first book by Hill (with an interesting foreward by the author), has some terrific dialogue and character setups that will eventually become the hallmarks of his writing. "A Clubbable Woman" is the first outing for the Dalziel and Pascoe detective partnership and the contrasting personalities work well even at this early stage. Hill's foreward explains his thinking in creating the polar-opposite characters.

"A Clubbable Woman" is slightly sexist in its treatment of women, but otherwise presents an entertaining complex story line that is ultimately plausible and satisifying.

This book also signals the welcome arrival of numerous reprints of Hill's earlier novels, which provide the U.S. mystery reader with many new possibilities to absorb time and money.