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Product Description
Review
Only about half of Hill's police-procedurals (featuring Yorkshire cops Dalziel and Pascoe) have been published in America, Deadheads (p. 381) the most recent arrival; and this is the first US appearance for the 1970 Dalziel-Pascoe debut. The murder-victim of the title is shrewish housewife Mary Connon, found dead - an odd head wound - in front of her TV one evening. The obvious suspect? Her low-key husband "Connie," a former local rugby star who (to Mary's chagrin) has continued to spend his Saturdays at the nearby rugby club. But, despite anonymous accusations and bad-mouthing from a nasty neighbor, neither fat Dalziel nor the Connons' daughter Jenny believes that Connie is guilty. So all hands start sleuthing into possible sexual motives within the rugby-club - especially after Jenny finds heavy-breathing letters that her late mother received from a peeping tom. And the (rather strained) solution involves nearby adultery, Mary's nasty taste for emotional blackmail, and some ugly playfulness gone awry. Neither as dark nor as funny as later, better Hill, with Dalziel and Pascoe (still unmarried) not yet fully-drawn - but curious and atmospheric in its moody, rugby-centered, plodding way. (Kirkus Reviews)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
When Mary Connon, a small-town femme fatale, is found dead in her own living room, her husband comes instantly under suspicion. But Andy Dalziel, the gloriously vulgar savant of the Mid-Yorkshire police force, has some other ideas, and all of them center on the local rugby club?the town?s social center, and Mary Connon?s preferred hunting ground. Peter Pascoe, Dalziel?s young sergeant, suspects that his new boss?s interest in the club has at least as much to do with access to good beer as it does with solving the murder. But while Dalziel never said no to a pint or three, Pascoe has much to learn about Fat Andy?s uniquely effective methodology. (With new introduction by Reginald Hill.)
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good effort for first book...,
By
This review is from: Clubbable Woman (Mass Market Paperback)
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
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptionally fine!,
By
This review is from: Clubbable Woman (Mass Market Paperback)
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.
4.0 out of 5 stars
only the beginning....,
By "rachkmc" (toronto, canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Clubbable Woman (Mass Market Paperback)
This is not my favourite of Hill's cannon of Dalziel/ Pascoe novels, but I still enjoyed it .....starting at the roots.Dalziel and Pascoe are one of the most stimulating pairings in contemporary crime fiction. Pascoe is the young, idealistic and educated University Grad and Dalziel is.... well.... Dalziel ( you'll have to read the books !) The characterization, intelligent yarns and witty subplots and dialogue keep me hooked to this series. Hill is a classic of the genre. Long may both protagonists inhabit modern mystery!
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