Customer Reviews
Death Comes for the Fat Man - By: Ilene R. London, 10 Oct 2008 
Having just read "Death Comes for the Fat Man" herein the U.S., I was thrilled to see "The Death of Dalziel" on amazon.uk - amazing that Reginald Hill could have a new book out so soon! BE AWARE: they are the SAME book, with different titles. At least I found out before I bought the 'new' one. Whatever the title, the book is very good & I recommend it.
Still very good, but not his best - By: johnverp, 27 Aug 2008 Here the pairing of policemen Dalziel & Pascoe is broken early as an explosion at a crime-scene puts Dalzielin a coma &in hospital. Pascoe goes soloin his efforts to find out what happened but feels blocked by colleaguesin an anti-terrorism unit. The mysterious Knights Templar, Muslim characters & terrorism all play roles.
Hill's trademarks are there : he writes well, builds a sound plot & is good with his characterisations.
The story is interesting without being complex or overly challenging.
I have not read all of the Dalziel & Pascoe books, but I would say that this is on par with those I have read; it falls shy, however, of the standard set by Hillin "The Stranger House" & some of his other novels. 9/10
I'm not sure about this book - By: J. Bowen, 09 May 2008 
Andy Dalziel (usually pronounced Dee-elle), a large "common man" type detective & Peter Pascoe, his better educated (and it's presumed, classically better looking) subordinate are two characters that Reginald Hill has usedin a number of murder mysteries. He usually uses themin a way that allows him to make clever digs about class & education, while they solve crimein the UK.
This book is slightly different. Dalziel is severely wounded (and spends the remainder of the bookin intensive care) when an Muslim run videostore is blown up. The deaths of the people inside are followed by the deaths of a number of high profile radical British Muslims, but Pascoe has to investigate all the deaths on his own (in conjunction with the Anti-Terrorism Squad), because Dalziel is otherwise engaged.
I'm not sure about this book, because the typical central dynamic that allows the story to rattle along isn't there. It flows along at a decent enough pace, but it doesn't work as well I don't think, because that central focus of most of Hill's stories isn't there.
You'll probably enjoy it, but don't comein expecting what you've gotin previous books or what you getin the TV series.
Ho-Hum!! - By: Kevan James, 29 Apr 2008 I've always enjoyed the D&P novels but have felt a bit let down by the last few. This one followsin the same fashion - just not as good as they used to be!
An explosion leaves Andy Dalzielin a coma whilst Pascoe rushes about trying to solve the case. My problem is that I find Pascoe far & away the dull half of the duo, so it makes for a dull book. Dalziel pops up from time to timein odd little 'dream' sequences but the rest of the time it's Pascoe!
It's not really terrible, just a little bit .... erm, dull!!
A spectacular return to form - By: Friendlycard, 27 Jan 2008 
Through a succession of ever-better novels, beginning with 'A Clubbable Woman'in 1970 & culminating (for me)in 'On Beulah Height'in 1999, Reginald Hill estabnlished himself as one of the finest crime writersin the business & his heroes Dalziel & Pascoe as amongst the most believable & likeable detectives. After the superlative 'On Beulah Height', however, subsequent books (and especially 'Arms & the Women') seemed to lose their way somewhat.
Not so 'The Death of Dalziel', which brings a triumphant return of the very best qualities of the Dalziel & Pascoe series - a complicated plot (which I shall not, of course, reveal), well-paced writing, excellent characterisation & a blend of subtle wit & incisive commentary. Where crime novels are concerned, it doesn't get better than this - very highly recommended!
