Reginald Hill

Hi, there. I'm new to this site, so please forgive any gaffes. I'm currently working my way through Reginald Hill's 'oeuvre', seeking any that I haven't seen yet. I even found one in our local library that this website can't find! It's called "Another Death in Venice" and it's perfectly awful! I guess you can't hit them all out of the park. Anyway, just wondering which are your favourites, especially in the Dalziel and Pascoe series. Mine is "Pictures of Perfection" because of its wonderful humour, but I have to say that any moment with Dalziel is fraught with humour. I have been left helpless with laughter at his sarcasm.

I've only read a couple of short stories of his, in more general collections, although I keep meaning to try more, having enjoyed the D&P TV adaptations. Time to go and borrow some from my mum, I think!

I have Another Death in Venice--I'll have to check and see if I have it catalogued, it did touchstone okay. Pictures of Perfection is my favorite as well, but what I am really waiting for is a rematch with the villain of Deadheads, who we know is still leading a quiet life around town.

Thanks for the tip on Deadheads, Quartzite. The title doesn't seem to ring a bell. I'm putting it on hold at my local library.

Funny--I just catalogued my copy of Another Death in Venice about half an hour ago. I agree that it's rather dreadful.

My favorites of Hill's include On Beulah Height, Pictures of Perfection, The Wood Beyond, and Dialogues of the Dead, which are all Dalziel & Pascoe novels. There's also a mainstream novel of his, No Man's Land, which is set during the First World War and deals with a group of deserters--it's strange, but fascinating.

i think on beulah heights is Hills best work.it is a book that rise above any genre classification & stands up as literature.

I also love (Picture of Perfection) - a crime novel with no crime. I loved (Dialogues of the Dead) and (Death's Jest Book). Sometimes it seems he writes in slightly different genre with each book, exploring different conventions and styles. Pictures of Perfection reminds me of ((P G Wodehouse)), Death's Jestbook reminds me of ((Robertson Davies)) etc. I just love these books. I find it a little difficult to get hold of the non-Dalziel and Pascoe ones.

Finally reading this thread, I also present my usual question: what's the best book to start with?

The first book in the Dalziel and Pascoe series is A Clubbable Woman. I like it, but it is not to everyone's taste. If it does not really seem your cup of tea ;), I nonetheless encourage moving on to An Advancement of Learning before making a final decison on the series, which is notable for a lot of character development and a lot variation in tone. While all the books are witty and well-written, you can never be quite sure what you are going to get when you pick up one of this series, which is part of the fun.

Eurydice: Some of the early Dalziel/Pascoe books have not dated all that well. I like them, but I think it might be better to start with a later book and give yourself a chance to get into the series and the characters before going back. Deadheads might be a good place to start--it's the first really unconventional novel in the series.

It has been quite a while since I enjoyed a Dalziel and Pascoe; Beulah Heights I think. Hill could do with a good editor to reduce the bloat. Despite that, I've just started The Death of Dalziel because I need to know whether Dalziel survives!

I am not at all happy with the waffle about Knights Templar. Has Reg gone all Dan Brown on us, or is it worthwhile continuing with this book?

I agree with professorx and redtav in that by far the best one of the series is On Beulah Height I also like Under Ground and A Clubbable Woman.
The later ones where he gets mixed up with the supernatural just don't work for me.

I also agree that On Beulah Height is the best of the Dalziel and Pascoe series.

Certainly the books in the middle of the series are stronger than the ones at the beginning and the end.

All worth reading though. I have a library copy of The Death of Dalziel waiting for me at home!

No one's mentioned Child's Play, so I will. It's up there with On Beulah Height, Ruling Passion & Bones and Silence.

Wasn't too happy with Recalled to Life, Exit Lines and A Killing Kindness.

I wasn't so crazy about the Daziel novels. I was introduced to Reginald Hill with The Stranger House, which I loved and which is a stand alone with paranormal aspects as well as historical and standard mystery elements. A ripping read. Anybody else try it?

I read The stranger house a few weeks ago, and decided that I didn't like it as much as the D&P stories. But I don't generally react well to plots that rely on paranormal elements, anyway. He's much better when he's allowed to laugh at his characters a bit, as in Pictures of Perfection or A cure for all diseases.

Ok, I willkl try those, thanks.

I think that all the novels including Franny Roote are really good (with the exception of A Cure For All Diseases) - I especially like Dialogues of the Dead!

I did enjoy The Stranger House, which I listened to on CD. I've been a fan of Reginald Hill's since I read The Spy's Wife many years ago. I especially like Bones and Silence, in which a medieval mystery play is enacted, but then I was an English major....

And yes, Dialogues of the Dead is amazing!

I should mention that he also writes under the name Patrick Ruell.

Hi, I´m also new to this group. I love Reginald Hill although I find him a bit uneven in his writing. My favorite is On Beulah Height. I really loved it.

Hi, I'm new to this group, too. I also liked The Stranger House and another book not mentioned yet, Who Guards A Prince. Neither are D&P, but I've been collecting some of them and other Hill books, because I think I'd like to run through the whole collection eventually...
Something to look forward to. ;-)

Just joined the group but I am a true fan of British mysteries. I have read all the Morse series, the Dalziel and Pascoe series up to now and am currently going through Rebus. I have read many others but these are the most notable and all excellent. I just finished reading Reginald Hill's "The Woodcutter". Although it is not a series book it is probably one of the best mystery/thrillers that I read last year. Hill is an awesome writer at the top of his game. I encourage you to read it although I don't think it's out in the States yet. (I'm from Canada).

Thanks for the tip about The Woodcutter Romonko. I see it has just arrived at my local library.