"A fantastic mystery short story collection, the perfect Christmas gift for crime fiction lovers
A beloved detective dies in a fire
Sherlock Holmes takes a trip to Italy
A disastrous case of mistaken identity
From his well-loved detective duo, DCI Dalziel and DI Pascoe to his own reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, Reginald Hill’s unforgettable characters and unique blend of humour and suspense make him one of Britain’s greatest crime writers. Complete with a foreword by Mick Herron, this collection of short stories showcases the very best of this iconic mystery writer."
"'Fast paced and packed with the Yorkshire duo’s trademark humour’ Daily Mirror
‘These stories will make a perfect Christmas present for mystery fiction aficionados’ Guardian
’Fast paced and packed with the Yorkshire duo’s trademark humour’ Daily Mirror
‘These stories will make a perfect Christmas present for mystery fiction aficionados’ Guardian
A vicar nailed to a tree in Yorkshire.
The theft of a priceless artefact during a fire.
A detective forced to tell the truth for 24 hours.
A body hidden in a basement.
From the restless streets of London to the wilds of the Lake District, displaying all his trademark humour, playfulness and clever plotting, this landmark collection brings together the very best of Reginald Hill’s short stories for the first time, complete with a foreword from Val McDermid.
PRAISE FOR REGINALD HILL
‘One of Britain’s most consistently excellent crime novelists’
The Times
‘A real treat. The characters are deftly drawn, the plot constantly delivers, surprises and the assured narrative demonstrates again what a terrific writer he is'
Observer
'Reginald Hill's novels are really dances to the music of time, his heroes and villains interconnecting, their stories intertwining'
Ian Rankin
'The finest male English contemporary crime writer'
Val McDermid"
"Pascoe finds his loyalties torn when duty calls him to Yorkshire but one of his friends is accused of multiple murder and may need his help… Read by the star of the BBC TV series Colin Buchanan.
Peter Pascoe is in shock. A weekend in the country with old friends turns into a nightmare when he finds three of them dead and the missing fourth a prime suspect in the eyes of the local police.
They want his cooperation, but Superintendent Dalziel needs him back in Yorkshire where a string of unsolved burglaries looks like turning nasty.
As events unfold, though, the two cases seem to be getting entwined…"
"‘Humour and topicality along a cold enigmatic trail of murder’ Observer
Life is on the up for Patrick Aldermann: his Great Aunt Florence has collapsed into her rose bed leaving him Rosemont House with its splendid gardens.
But when his boss, ‘Dandy’ Dick Elgood, suggests to Peter Pascoe that Aldermann is a murderer – then later retracts the accusation – the detective inspector is left with a thorny problem.
Not only have the police already dug up some interesting information about Aldermann’s beautiful wife; it also appears that his rapid promotion has been helped by the convenient deaths of some of his colleagues…"
"A stunning standalone psychological thriller, set in Cumbria, past and present, from Reginald Hill, one of the UK’s most popular and admired crime novelists
Things move slowly in the village of Illthwaite, but that's about to change with the arrival of two strangers intent on digging up bits of the past the locals would rather keep buried. Sam Flood is a young Australian mathematician whose grandmother was despatched from Illthwaite four decades ago, courtesy of the Child Migrant scheme. Miguel Madero, Sam's fellow guest at the Stranger House inn, is a Spanish wannabe-priest-turned-historian in pursuit of an ancestor last seen setting sail with the Armada in 1588.
The antipathy between them is instant and mutual, but as they follow their separate quests their paths become increasingly entangled, with clashes physical and metaphysical, and shocks natural and supernatural, as the tension mounts to an explosive climax.
All the elements we have come to expect from Reginald Hill's writing – mystery, humour, elegant style, intricate plotting, fascinating characters, and a strong sense of history – combine here to create what must be his finest novel yet."
"Bluff Superintendent Dalziel falls for the recently bereaved Mrs Fielding’s ample charms, and has to be rescued from a litter of fresh corpses by Inspector Pascoe.
Superintendent Andy Dalziel’s holiday runs into trouble when he gets marooned by flood water. Rescued and taken to nearby Lake House, he discovers all is not well: the owner has just died tragically and the family fortunes are in decline. He also finds himself drawn to attractive widow, Bonnie Fielding.
But several more deaths are to follow. And by the time Pascoe gets involved, it looks like the normally hard-headed Dalziel might have compromised himself beyond redemption."
"Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel investigates a murder close to home in this first crime novel featuring the much-loved detective team of Dalziel and Pascoe.
‘So far out in front that he need not bother looking over his shoulder’ Sunday Telegraph
Home from the rugby club after taking a nasty knock in a match, Sam Connon finds his wife more uncommunicative than usual. After passing out on his bed for a few hours, he comes downstairs to discover communication has been cut off forever – by a hole in the middle of her forehead.
Andy Dalziel, a long-standing member of the club, wants to run the murder investigation along his own lines. But DS Peter Pascoe’s loyalties lie elsewhere and he has quite different ideas about how the case should proceed…"
"Hill is on top form in this sixth story in the Dalziel and Pascoe series
When Mary Dinwoodie is found choked in a ditch following a night out with her boyfriend, a mysterious caller phones the local paper with a quotation from Hamlet. The career of the Yorkshire Choker is underway.
If Superintendent Dalziel is unimpressed by the literary phone calls, he is downright angry when Sergeant Wield calls in a clairvoyant.
Linguists, psychiatrists, mediums – it’s all a load of nonsense as far as he is concerned, designed to make a fool of him.
And meanwhile the Choker strikes again – and again…"
"Lecturers having it away with students, witches’ sabbaths on the sand dunes, a body buried under a statue in the gardens, and a fresh rash of killings. All is not well at Holm Coultram College.
All is not well at Holm Coultram College: lecturers having affairs with students, witches’ sabbaths, a body buried under a statue.
Detective Superintendent Dalziel, despite his cynical view of academics, doesn’t feel murder fits in here – let alone a rash of killings. But when he and DS Pascoe are sent to investigate a disinterred corpse at Holm Coultram College, that’s exactly what they find…"
"A fast-moving, stunning new standalone psychological thriller – from the award-winning author of the Dalziel and Pascoe series.
Wolf Hadda has lead a charmed life. From humble origins as a woodcutter’s son, he has risen to become a hugely successful entrepreneur, happily married to the girl of his dreams. A knock on the door one morning ends it all. Thrown into prison while protesting his innocence, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later prison psychiatrist Alva Ozigbo makes a breakthrough: Wolf begins to talk. Under her guidance he gets parole, returning to his rundown family home in rural Cumbria.
But there is a mysterious period in Wolf’s youth when he disappeared from home and was known to his employers as the Woodcutter. And now the Woodcutter is back, looking for the truth – and revenge.
‘An outstanding novel of force and beauty [which shows] Hill's elegant writing, erudition and imagination' The Times
'He quickly proves he's lost none of his sardonic wit, punch and complexity … You'll be hard pushed to find another crime writer with his verve … Hill uses every trick in his arsenal to elucidate. The result is an epic, unbeatable mystery' Financial Times
'A big, fat mystery which has the enduring power of a myth … Hill proves once again that the driving force of a successful crime novel is character, not incident … The heights of the Dalziel & Pascoe series aside, Hill has never written a better book' Evening Standard
'Reginald Hill's books are as good as crime fiction gets and this one is as good as he gets … A tragic, funny standalone mystery … History is rewritten with brilliant originality and verve. The combination of wit and humanity is characteristic of this most inventive of crime novelists – warmly recommended' Literary Review
'Hill's plotting is brilliant, the jokes first-rate, the prose supple: it's his humble awe at the English language that enables him to be a minor master of it' Daily Telegraph
‘One of the most gripping crime novels of the past few years' TLS"
"A fast-moving, stunning standalone psychological thriller – from the award-winning author of the Dalziel and Pascoe series
Wolf Hadda has lead a charmed life. From humble origins as a woodcutter’s son, he has risen to become a hugely successful entrepreneur, happily married to the girl of his dreams.
A knock on the door one morning ends it all. Thrown into prison while protesting his innocence, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later prison psychiatrist Alva Ozigbo makes a breakthrough: Wolf begins to talk. Under her guidance he gets parole, returning to his rundown family home in rural Cumbria.
But there is a mysterious period in Wolf’s youth when he disappeared from home and was known to his employers as the Woodcutter. And now the Woodcutter is back, looking for the truth – and revenge."
"A psychological thriller starring Dalziel and Pascoe, the hugely popular police duo and stars of the long-running BBC TV series.
Gina Wolfe is searching for her missing husband, believed dead, and hopes Superintendent Andy Dalziel can help. What neither realize is that there are others on the same trail.
A tabloid hack with some awkward enquiries about an ambitious MP's father. The politician’s secretary who shares his suspicions. The ruthless entrepreneur in question – and the two henchmen out to make sure the past stays in the past.
Four stories, two mismatched detectives trying to figure it all out, and 24 hours in which to do it: Dalziel and Pascoe are about to learn the hard way exactly how much difference a day makes…"
