LoveReading Says
A dual-time tale, absolutely fascinating, mixing three periods, the Tudors, the child migrant scheme to Australia and the present and it succeeds on all levels. It’s a mystery, a whodunit, a psychological thriller, a historical adventure, a ghost story and a lovely, lovely read, far superior to his normal Dalziel and Pascoe crime tales. In fact I believe it’s the best thing he’s written. Highly recommended.
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The Stranger House Synopsis
They came to The Stranger House. And death followed close behind.
For over 500 years, the Stranger House has stood in the village of Illthwaite, offering refuge to all manner of travellers. People like Sam Flood, a brilliant young Australian mathematician, who believes that anything that can't be explained by maths isn't worth explaining. And Miguel Madero, a Spanish historian in flight from a priests' seminary, who sees ghosts.
Sam is an experienced young woman, Mig a 26-year-old virgin. But both want to dig up bits of the past that some people would rather keep buried.
As they uncover intertwining tales of murder, betrayal and love, they must put aside their differences in order to uncover the dark mysteries at the heart of this ancient place...
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780007194834 |
| Publication date: |
3rd April 2006 |
| Author: |
Reginald Hill |
| Publisher: |
Harpercollins Publishers |
| Format: |
Paperback (a Format) |
| Pagination: |
626 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Crime and Mystery
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Reginald Hill Press Reviews
'A mystery novel but far more than that. Its gripping... Hill is wonderful.' The Times
'Exhilarating... if this is what results when Hill enjoys a holiday from the norm, he should take a break from his Yorkshire double act more often.' Sunday Times
'You're enthralled by the cunning of the plotting... great.' Observer
'Its a complex, multi-layered plot... it takes a master like Mr Hill to turn it into such an absorbing and atmospheric mystery.' Sunday Telegraph
About Reginald Hill
Reginald Hill was born in 1936 in Hartlepool in the North-East of England. At the time his father was a professional footballer playing for Hartlepool United, but Reg says he never took to the round ball game, much preferring rugby which actively encouraged the drinking of beer both before and after (and sometimes during) the game.
When he was three his family moved to Cumbria, where Reginald spent his entire childhood before going off to Oxford University and eventually becoming a teacher.
A teller of tales from his earliest years, Reg had his creative epiphany aged seven when he discovered people actually got paid for making things up. From that day on he was always certain that one day he would become a writer. He spent many years as a teacher in Yorkshire which provided the inspiration and setting for the novels featuring the Falstaffian figure of Andy Dalziel, Head of Mid Yorkshire CID. In 1970 his first book, A Clubbable Woman, was published by Collins and featured Dalziel and his more sensitive sidekick, Peter Pascoe. Hill was hailed as 'the crime novel's best hope' and, thirty years on, he has more than fulfilled that prophecy. The series of 20 books (and counting) featuring the ever-popular pair has have gone from strength to strength and been turned into a hugely successful BBC television series featuring Warren Clarke and Colin Buchanan.
Reginald Hill has written over forty books in many genres, from historical novels to science fiction. His crime writing includes the series featuring the likeable redundant lathe operator turned PI from Luton, Joe Sixsmith (Singing the Sadness, Killing the Lawyers, Blood Sympathy and Born Guilty) and several thrillers under the pseudonym, Patrick Ruell (The Only Game, Death of a Dormouse etc.)
Hill has won many awards for his books and short stories. One of the most notable was the Crime Writers' Association's prestigious Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year for Bones and Silence. In 1995 he was further honoured by the Crime Writers' Association with their Cartier Diamond Dagger for his lifetime contribution to crime writing.
Reginald Hill currently resides in Cumbria with his wife Pat (whom he has known for over 50 years and been married to for over 40), along with their two Siamese cats and Golden Labrador. On winning the Diamond Dagger, Hill said he was delighted because it finally confirmed he had made the right career choice and now he could really get down to it. In his late sixties he still works hard but never forgets to leave time for smelling the flowers along the way. His pastimes include walking the Cumbrian hills, watching rugby, and drinking delicious Australian and New Zealand wine. Reginald Hill died in January 2012.
Author photograph © Tony Davis
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