Customer Reviews

Death Comes for the Fat Man (Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In this twenty-second Dalziel and Pascoe mystery, a young Mid-Yorkshire police constable sees a man waving a gun inside a shabby video store which has been flagged for follow-up by an anti-terrorist unit, should unusual activity be observed there. The local police, including Det. Supt. Andy Dalziel and Chief Inspector Peter Pascoe, arrive on the scene to investigate this report, just as an earth-shattering explosion takes place. Both Pascoe and Dalziel are seriously injured, with the hefty Dalziel comatose and dying.

Straight-talking Dalziel has always been bold and aggressive, willing to take chances and leave "the book" behind when necessary. Pascoe, by contrast, is a "master of diplomatic reticence." With Dalziel comatose, however, Pascoe determines to find out who and what caused the explosion, and he agrees to work with the Combined Anti-Terrorist Unit (CAT) of MI5 and Special Forces as they try to unravel events. Pascoe soon finds himself acting on his own, however, becoming as aggressive as Dalziel has always been, and even beginning to speak in Dalziel's bold, irreverent manner.

Alternating with this narrative about terrorism and the explosion, are Dalziel's out-of-body excursions through his subconscious as he combines nightmarish elements of his past and present and suffers from his potentially fatal injuries. Several additional plots and subplots ratchet up the action and excitement. A renegade group of Knights Templar decide to take the law into their own hands, murdering men they believe to be terrorists. A local convert to Islam, Michael Carradice, related to Pascoe's wife Ellie, is released from jail after being tried for terrorism, then mysteriously disappears, and the local author of a book on the Iraq wars, a former member of the SAS, figures in the semi-conscious nightmares of a hit-and-run victim.

As is always the case in this series, the emphasis on psychological reality is strong. The backgrounds of the characters are clear, even for readers who may not be familiar with earlier novels, and the tensions which develop among the characters are well developed and realistic. The author maintains his tongue-in-cheek humor throughout the novel, from events involving Pascoe's psychic dog, to Cap Marvell's attempt to bring Dalziel out of his coma by waving Lagavulin under his nose, and Dalziel's hilarious private conversation with his own God as Fr. Kerrigan prays beside his bed. The writing is sharp and controlled, and the dialogue sparkles. A few loose ends remain at the end. Perhaps they will be resolved in the next book if the series continues. A terrific mystery, even without the great Dalziel. (4.5 stars) n Mary Whipple

What a fabulous read. First of all, I am not sure why this is, but I find Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series far more entertaining than his other writings. For instance the Spy's Wife was really disappointing to me, with an ending that fell utterly flat. That never seems to happen when Dalziel and Pascoe are at work. This book has a whipping plot, without the usual slow wind up of books in this series. The dialogue is exceptionally clever and witty. The turn-of-phrase Hill deploys in this series is the equal of my hero, Raymond Chandler.

Despite The Fat Man being somewhat out of the frame in most of the book, there is still wonderful character development, and to be honest (and I was surprised at this), it was kind of nice not to have "Hat" and Novello involved.

Finally, this book does poke into the realm of morality, and how gray much of the world is.

So, this book has it all: great plot, great characters, superb dialogue, and even a bit of philosophy. My only caution would be to those whom have not read books earlier in this series. Go back as early as you can and start from there. The relationship between the main characters is very important for extracting the most out of this book, and they are all great reads.

I feel as though it's been months since I read anything good, but this book makes up for the drought! As it opens, Dalziel and Pascoe are caught up in a bomb blast, and, as Dalziel lies comatose in the hospital, a less-critically injured but very angry Pascoe takes on the mission, depite the fervent wishes of most everyone else involved, of finding who was responsible. Although you would think that there would be little of Dalziel in a book in which he is unconscious, the brief vignettes that relate what he is thinking/dreaming/doing during this time are worth their weight in gold, metaphysically, medically and even spiritually speaking. And, on his own, Pascoe -- and we -- find that he takes on much of the persona of Fat Andy as he does whatever has to be done to solve the case, damning the consequences.

On the perimeter but no less essential to the book, we have Ellie Pascoe, who provides the voice of love when it's not being a policeman; Rosie Pascoe, who sees and knows a lot more than anyone gives credit for; Sergeant Edward Wield, stalwart and efficient even as Peter goes a bit off the rails; Cap Marvell, Dalziel's lady love and number one supporter, a very Wise Woman; and a great police procedural and mystery story as the bombing becomes entwined with sites known to the Combined Antiterrorist Task Force, a Spook-y group that has a lot of rules but maybe not much right (sorry, Outback).

Hard to imagine all that in just one book? Hill weaves it seamlessly, managing to also include laugh-out-loud conversational interchanges and enought pathos to make you feel as though it was the ones you love that were in danger. Oh, heck, I'll say it -- I love them all and maybe even more to realize that they can't go on forever.

I have read some reviews on Amazon U.K. which rate this novel lower (to much lower) than Hill's other Dalziel/ Pascoe (D-P)novels. I heartily disagree-- especially,if you have read some of the other novels (this is the 22nd in the series).

I have read many of his novels, most at least two times (Hill is a great writer, not just another airport or beach novelist--see contra James Patterson, Janet Evanovich.) Like the other two great writers of crime/suspense fiction, Ruth Rendell and T. Jefferson Parker, the quality of his writing and the intelligence displayed in the writing of his novels makes him difficult for many readers.

For those familiar with his novels, his portrayal of Ellie in this novel comes off almost perfectly (she has been prominent in several of his novels, but he's always been just a little off-key with her. This time I thinks he gets her right)

In any event, read the novel whether you are new to Hill or not. It's enjoyable, with its "B" novel plot (which Hill has fun with and elevates it into the A- range) and its "A" characterizations.

Please consider reading more of his novels, if not all of them. Certainly, the highly underrated Dialogues of the Dead is one of the top ten mystery/suspense novels of all time. To be fair, Hill must have spent a lot more time on Dialgues, than he did on this one: it is the apex of an astonishing writing career. Still, Hill doesn't have to spend months on a book for it to be top-drawer.

Go ahead and read this book and enjoy yourself (and be prepared to read some of the passages more than once, due to essential depth of the passage and necessary complexity and some passages, just for the fun of it).

There are times when Reginald Hill is so plummy and full of his own literary genius that I can't keep up. Those books feel contrived to let us feel his intelligence and I want to tear my hair and say "we know you're brilliant so please just tell us one of your whopping good stories"! I doubt he has really heard me but "Death Comes for the Fat Man" is just perfectly brilliant storytelling with enough of Hill's blazing intellect to keep things challenging but not enough to stifle the desire for the tale to go on. This is a tough one that takes in terrorism in present-day Britain and the problems faced by the poor street coppers. Enter our favorite fat superintendent Andy Dalziel and his beautifully maturing minion Peter Pascoe whose lives are altered in a flash of explosive. Pascoe lives and Dalziel hangs on by a thin sinew through the whole book. It was beautiful to see the calm, urbane Pascoe take on all of the best and worst of the character of Dalziel as he is allowed to shadow the investigation while Dalziel dances with death. In fact (and I am not one of those heartless reviewers who insist on spoiling the ending), I was absolutely breathless until the end and truly did not want to finish this book. I wanted it to go on and on. But resolve it he did and, to his credit, Hill did a hearty turn on terrorist cells, immigrants, and our own fears and prejudices. He took a lot of chances with this book and I appreciated every one of them.

I've read all the Dalziel and Pascoe novels and this is one of his best. I would put it second only to "On Beulah Height". It is topical, in that it is concerned with an investigation into terrorism, and it is unusual in that Dalziel is rendered unconscious and close to death by a bomb at the very outset. So the story is largely about Pascoe trying to find out who is responsible for the incapacitation of his boss. But it is also full of delightful humour including the mental adventures of the unconscious Dalziel. These adventures lead to a beautifully constructed twist at the end. A tightly constructed novel of high quality and a terrific read.

While this may be my first Reginald Hill thriller, it won't be my last. I must admit up front that I was baffled by some of the local colorful language, for example, "a wee deoch an doris" but it did not diminish from my reading, in fact, it enhanced it. Being exposed for the first time to the Fat Man, Dalziel's mannerisms often put me in the mindset of Daisy's husband Onslow on BBC's "Keeping Up Appearances." But don't let Dalziel's colloquialisms fool you. Dalziel and Pascoe run far deeper than farts and funny rejoinders. These are enjoyable creative characters that Hill has obviously crafted with love and who the reader will learn to care deeply about as well. I particularly enjoyed Dalziel's near death experiences (as portrayed by Hill) and I was quite taken in on a number of occasions by Hill's superb wending of the storyline around circuitous and rocky twisted roads.

This is a book of great depth that takes you in slowly, unlike the opening scenes of many American thrillers that deliver the one-two punch within the first paragraph. Oh, there was traumatic action within the first chapter, but then the pace momentarily slowed and sucked you up like a leviathan, crafty and swift. Although I admit it took me a while to get used to the pace and canter of the story, once I let myself go, I found I utterly enjoyed Hill's creation. The message, in the midst of the wit and jocularity, should not be lost on the reader. This is a suitable communication in the world today. Whether you're a conspiracy theorist or just live with a heavy dose of reality, this book could be taken from the headlines and so could some of the characters inhabiting Hill's novel. It's topical, funny, thought-provoking, engaging, and worth every farthing (should they still exist, except in collections) I spent.

I love the way Hill inhabits his characters and makes you care about them. You'll hate them, love them, try to understand them, maybe even want to kill them; but you won't come away untouched. You may wonder why some of his characters would take such outrageous chances or maybe you'd do the same, so you'll root for them to succeed, like Kilda, and you'll wonder why the book didn't conclude with all the loose ends nicely tied in a knot. But, this book is about the way it really is, not the way we'd like it to be, so strap on your seat belt, this ride may start slow, but its hell on wheels--riveting, and it will get you by the jugular and it won't let go even after you've finished the last page. At least that how it affected me!

Finally, I liked the way the book ended, leaving you to wonder what's going to happen next. This is definitely a profoundly disturbing book, and one whose message will resonate with many and stay with the reader for a long time. It's a book you'll want to loan out but that you won't want to let it out of your permanent library; for the lessons are ones that we need to go back to again and again when life gets confusing and the bad guys seems to be winning. This is definitely got the devil in it, but it has many good guys too. Often it's hard to tell whom is on which side, but then that's what makes this story so multi-layered and interesting and what better endorsement than a spellbinding read? Happy reading! Well done, Mr. Hill! I'll be coming back for more.

The irreplaceable one-of-a-kind Yorkshire Det. Supt. Andy Dalziel - the Fat Man - is gravely wounded when the siege of a Muslim video store in a run-down street ends in an unexpected bomb blast.

His assistant, DCI Peter Pascoe, also wounded but saved by Andy's great bulk, is soon back on the job. Determined to solve this one, Pascoe finds himself taking on some of his boss' blunt manner and attitude as the case proceeds.

Pascoe's usual respect for procedure vanishes as the spook types attempt to take over the case and ease him out of their way, particularly when it begins to look as if the blast was generated by a British vigilante anti-Muslim group rather than by the usual terror suspects.

Point of view shifts among the major characters, while staying primarily focused on Dalziel (in his coma) and Pascoe. Pascoe's wife, Ellie, a sharp, sometimes prickly presence, is understandably worried about Pascoe, but her interference grows annoying.

The witty dialogue and wry turns of phrase are as entertaining and pointed as ever and Pascoe's "chameleon" proclivities add an extra dimension to the man. This is an outstanding entry in an outstanding series.

Old fans will relish this one (biting their nails to the last page) while newcomers may miss some of the humor while finding Dalziel's overwhelming presence perplexing. All I can suggest is read an earlier one - there are 22 to choose from.

This isn't my favorite D & P mystery and the reason is simple- not enough Dalziel. To me, Dalziel is what the series is all about and Pascoe is his necessary, but far less interesting, foil. Since there's little Dalziel, and what little there is isn't the vintage Fat Andy, I didn't find myself racing through this book in the usual way. It's not a bad read, Reginald Hill's writing ensures that, but it's towards the bottom of my D & P list.

Dalziel and Pascoe are called to investigate suspicious goings on at a small shop where a local bobby has reported seeing a man threatening another with a gun. Shortly after they arrive on the scene, an enormous explosion knocks both of them to the ground with Dalziel taking the brunt of the blow while sheltering Pascoe with his large body. He is rushed to hospital where he remains in a deep coma from which it is doubtful that he will recover. When Pascoe has recovered from his abrasions, he is seconded to a department named CAT, a group of "spooks" who deal with terrorists and their associates. A secret civilian group who call themselves the Knights Templar and who model themselves on the religious order of the Knights Templar of crusader times, are taking their own form of revenge on terrorists who escape the law on technical grounds. While Pascoe is allowed to participate in some of CAT's activities, he knows that he is being kept out of the loop and only being kept around so that CAT may be able to keep tabs on him daily, although he can't understand why this is important. It's an exciting read with some dark and interesting characters making up an intriguing story while the brilliant language skills of Reginald Hill had me scurrying for the dictionary on many pages.