- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New edition edition (3 Mar 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007123442
- ISBN-13: 978-0007123445
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11.1 x 4.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 545,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
‘Few writers in the genre today have Hill’s gifts: formidable intelligence, quick humour, compassion and a prose style that blends elegance and grace’ Donna Leon
‘The finest male English contemporary crime writer’ Val McDermid
‘Reginald Hill’s novels are really dances to the music of time, his heroes and villains interconnecting, their stories intertwining’
Ian Rankin
Donna leon
Few writers in the genre today have Hill’s gifts: formidable intelligence, quick humour, compassion and a prose style that blends elegance and grace
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
That's it, man. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
That's it, man. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If there was any justice this book would be shortlisted for the Booker - which of course it won't be, being genre fiction and all. In 550 pages not a word is wasted.
The book, a direct sequel to the previous "Dialogues...," centres around 3 relationships, each of which can only end in disaster: DC Bowler and his new girlfriend "Rye" Pomona; DS Wield and a rent-boy informer; and (the core of the book) Peter Pascoe and his nemesis Franny Roote.
The book is full of unpretentious erudition and sharp character observation, the plot is very cunningly structured, and every page is a joy to read.
One of the best books I have ever read, imo right up there with the likes of "Worldly Powers" or either of the Amises at their best.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Any Reginald Hill fan will not be disappointed with this book. At least matching, if not surpassing his usual level of story-telling, this book continues the story of the "Wordman" which began in "Dialogues of the Dead".
The book begins with several seemingly separate threads and leaves the reader wondering "how the heck is he (Hill) going to resolve this?" Having read all of the Dalziel and Pascoe stories to date, I knew this would happen. However, I was still amazed at how all the threads are finally interwoven to form the detailed tapestry that Reginald Hill usually comes up with.
In essence, a cracking story maintaining the standards Reginald Hill has set with his Dalziel and Pascoe books to date. If you haven't read Dialogues of the Dead I would recommend that book be read first though.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
So you are a fan, read the Dialogues of the Dead and loved its subtle blend of crime and love? And now you are looking forward to what the author has in store for his newest additions to the Dalziel and Pascoe circle of friends, young DC "Hat" Bowler and his love-of-his-life Rye Pomona, both recovering from the traumatic finale of the Dialogues and its many dead indeed?
Then you'll love this Death's Jest-book because it features plenty of Rye and Hat. But as always it's fat Dalziel who's stealing (and running!) the show. Especially now that Pascoe is once again trying to deal with his eternal deamon, Franny Roote. Or is he simply playing a cruel Jest on poor Peter?
Before I start my personal appreciation a warning : although the whole series of D&P novels build on each other, this novel is a real sequel to the Dialogues. So if you haven't read the first, you'll be unable to appreciate this one.
I loved this book because it has the intrinsic Hill qualities : different story lines unfold themselves to a resolution that leaves no loose ends untied, the Dalziel character (a god's gift) and the superb storytelling talent of the author.
However, this book is not the best in the series. I've mixed feelings about the Franny/Pascoe storyline : the build up is sometimes annoying but the finale makes up for it. I expected more from a book that resolves a lot of stories spanning multiple novels. Also, for a non-native English reader, Hills wordgames and references to English literature sometimes stand in the way of the story.
Conclusion : as always solid work from Reginald Hill but only if you've read the brilliant Dialogues of the Dead.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Sequel to Dialogues of the Dead
This book is quite complex in terms of plotting, and the story follows on as a direct sequel to Dialogues of the Dead. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2007 by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
decent story hidden in a load of bore
Sorry I found this book for the most part boring, Alot of what wsa written didn't intrest me and seemed to have no bareing on the plot line, having said that this was my first D &... Read more
Published on 21 May 2006 by kimmy
A very good book indeed
I was most impressed with this book, and somewhat surprised to read other reviewers' comments.
The great joy of Hill's writing is that it is such a pleasure to read. Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2003 by Dr. Richard Dudley
Jest Without Humour
A sequel to Dialogues of the Dead, and, like all sequels, disappointing. Hill has fallen into the Henry / P.D. Read more
Published on 8 July 2003 by hacklehorn
The jest's on you!
I knew I was going to be disappointed. How could I possibly not be? After all, this book follows on from Dialogues of the Dead (which, by the way, is a masterpiece and the best... Read more
Published on 19 April 2003 by RachelWalker
The layers are back!
Hill's recent novels have been variable in quality, always good, but some better than others. Arms and the Women was irritating, but On Beulah Heights was so well crafted with... Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2002 by lady of mann
Somewhat disappointing
Yes, the other reviewers are right. This book is brilliantly written. And it has some superbly entertaining characters. But in areas of plot, it is a bit disappointing. Read more
Published on 20 Jun 2002
“Death and Hymen both are here…”
Time is moving at an increasingly glacial pace in Hill’s universe—less than two years have passed in “novel time” since PICTURES OF PERFECTION, which... Read more
Published on 6 May 2002
The story continued....
This book a' stand alone' sequel to 'Dialogues of the Dead continues in Reginald Hill's high standard of a well crafted thriller with believable characterisation and tight plotting... Read more
Published on 6 May 2002 by mrs Margaret Richens
Superb
After reading most of this series in the last couple of years, the disappointment that was 'Arms and the Women' did make me hesitate last year before purchasing 'Dialogues of the... Read more
Published on 5 May 2002 by Ms. Theresa M. Sinclair
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
