Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"What a lunatic magician fate is when you're not looking for it.", April 18, 2007
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
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of Dalziel and Pascoe, April 6, 2007
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.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Outstanding Mystery-Suspense Novel from R. Hill, March 22, 2007
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).
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