Exit Lines: Dalziel & Pascoe #8 (Volume 8) Paperback – November 16, 2010

I am a huge fan of the Dalziel and Pascoe novels. As usual the story was entertaining and kept me engrossed from the first page to the last but what I love most is the wonderful descriptive writing and commentary plus delicious sarcasm between the police officers. It's not often that a crime story will also make me chuckle but this book did just that! I always feel at a loss when the marvelous books in this series ends!

Ever since I discovered Dalziel & Pascoe I've made it a point to read all the books in this series. They never disappoint! I love the absolutely unapologetic crudeness and Non-PC of Fat Andy as well as the sly humor of both he and Pascoe. Each book contains a good little mystery, as well, along with many other regular characters. Reading a Dalziel & Pascoe book is like a visit with familiar friends.

And he now on the take? A bookie for a companion doesn't look very respectable for the senior police officer. What else is going on?

This book focused on Pascoe with Dalziel acting mysteriously on the sidelines. A surprisingly complex tale of multiple murders among aged pensioners. One of the best of this mystery series.

This was another wonderful book by the author. A great storyline that involved three cases of murder and their final resolutions. The characters were all very interesting and mostly likable.

the pair of Yorkshire detectives Dalziel and Pascoe are classics and have been made into a series for BBC. If you like British mysteries with great character development and intriguing plots, this is the series for you.

The plot lines are a bit complicated, and the story drags slowly along to a somewhat surprising conclusion. The author ties up all the loose ends, but this is not his best work. It is a not-too-difficult read if you can stifle your boredom long enough to finish it.

I recommentdReginald Hill mysteries to those who like mystery with a bit of wit, humor and literary referances. I have read all of them.

This is the second Dalziel & Pascoe book I have read and I am already of the opinion that Reginald Hill's grasp of dialogue makes the books even better than the excellent television series. Whilst I don't think the "mystery" was as good as "On Beulah Height" which weaved a complicated set of circumstances and characters with a multi-faceted police team so that a series of compelling threads ran through the story, there is no doubting the craftsmanship of the writing. In fact, Hill is so good at giving his characters dialogue that seemed both realistic and also capable of defining the various individuals that the plot is almost secondary. In this tale, three pensioners die is various circumstances with Dalziel be put in the frame for potential drink driving leading to the death of one character. The three investigations run consecutively with the focus being on conflicts of interest for Dalziel as well as an expose of the licensed betting business. As usual with Hill, the story is peppered with credible characters and the plots deliberately low-key and mundane, the motives for the crimes being banal and credible. Despite this, the story remains hugely gripping with only a handful of references to TV programmes like "Dallas" betraying the fact that this book was written back in the 1980's.I used to believe that crime writing represented the nadir of fiction yet Hill is almost too good to be defined by this oeuvre. The writing puts the reader straight in to the story and I found it impossible to put this book down. Had I read these books before seeing the TV series, I would have found the dramatization a slight disappointment as good as the late Warren Clarke was. Whilst Clarke's portrayal of Dalziel was memorable, the books relay the stories in far greater detail with the put-downs which made his performance so compelling being a feature of the whole police team. This is writing of the highest order and a joy to read. I'm currently debating which one in the series to pick up next....................

Although I read crime fiction extensively, I have come late to Reginald Hill, and have read all the Dalziel and Pascoe books up to this one in order. Up to now they are based in the 70s and 80s, which is very much my time, The books improved continually, with really good plotting (of course) and excellent character development.Oddly, the cover displayed for this book reads...'writer of homebread crime fiction' which must refer to strong flour in some way

Each chapter in this novel is headed with the famous last lines of a famous character in history or literature, including "Et tu, Brute?" from (Shakespeare's) Julius Caesar - which some critics (of Shakespeare) regard as unlikely since Caesar probably exited in Greek, and "Either this wallpaper goes or I do" from Oscar Wilde - also perhaps apocryphal.But hey - it's fun, and you need something to lighten a story which revolves around the deaths of three pretty ordinary old men. And this Reginald Hill does, without trivialising the sadness of the victims and their relatives. The characters of two minor stalwarts of Mid-Yorkshire C.I.D. are also developed (the awkward Constable Hector and the up-and-coming D.C. Seymour - who tries to balance success in love with the contingencies of the service).What gives this novel an extra tension is the suggestion that the Fat Man himself might have been involved in one of the deaths, and Pascoe's loyalty (and ours!) is stretched to the limit. Hang in, there!

As a latecomer to Dalziel and Pascoe and now trying to work my way through the entire series I found this book to be in the same superlative mode as previously. Hill is a true master of the English crime novel and his extraordinary use of the language is such that others would do well to note.Once again from insignificant beginnings he conjures up a tale so intricate and yet so simple and wonderfully entertaining. The characters develop in each story and become almost old friends to the reader.Excellent!

Despite rapid changes in modern technology, Reginald Hill's quality of writing stands the test of time. I read these books to enjoy the witty descriptions, and steal a few clever quotes. Few writers have mastered the ability to write dialogue, I get the impression this author has not only enjoyed conversation himself, but has listened to friendly banter, and I mean listened, and taken note.