The Death of Dalziel

Dalziel and Pascoe, Book 22

De: Reginald Hill

Narrado por: Shaun Dooley

Caught in the blast of a huge Semtex explosion, the only things preventing Superintendent Andy Dalziel from stepping through Death's door might be his own size and indomitable willpower. As he lies on a hospital bed, it falls on DCI Peter Pascoe to seek justice for Andy. The security services have written it off as an accident: the terrorist suspects have paid for their clumsiness with their lives. Who, then, are the Knights Templar, a shadowy group exacting summary public justice on their enemies? Pascoe is certain of a conspiracy and the attempted murder of Yorkshire Police's most inept officer only convinces him further.©2007 Reginald Hill (P)2007 W F Howes Ltd

Intriguing and captivating

Enjoyed the writing and turn of phrase. The down to earth characterisation was appreciated. The book was funny, tense, exciting all mixed together. Well worth a listen.

Great Entry in a Great Series

What I love about Reginald Hill's Dalziel books is that they flout the usual conventions of British police procedurals. Usually, it's the brilliant/world weary DCI and the young/bumbling/earnest partner. In this series, though, it's the partner, Pascoe, who's thoughtful and refined and the mentor, Dalziel, who's coarse, two-fisted and (seemingly) lazy.

But THE DEATH OF DALZIEL takes this series to a new level. Here, Pascoe gets to be center stage as his partner lays dying. But Dalziel stills looms large (both physically and spiritually). Though Dalziel remains comatose, we are invited into his inner world, and we find it's a much more complex place than we imagined.

As always, Shaun Dooley's narration is impeccable; this book is less active than others in the series, yet Dooley manages to keep the pace moving.

If you haven't had the Dalziel experience, this is a fine place to start.

Wonderful story, brilliant prose, and great narration

Hill’s writing is fantastic, and the characters are full of life. Narration is excellent. A b c d e f

Another fan pleaser

If you are a fan of this series then this is a story you will enjoy. The narration is excellent as usual and the characters contain all their usual 'charm'. The plot is fast moving although it may not contain as many strings as is usual. The terrorism topic is dealt with in both a human and sensible way. As a new reader of this series it would not be a bad place to start

Great Writer and Great Reader

Shaun Dooley expresses the nuance and style of Reginald Hill in this excellent audio reading of 'The D of D'.
With Dalziel at Death's or maybe God's door conversing with the meaningful breeze inviting him to cross the threshold and Hector under attack, Pascoe seeks the facts of the bomb blast and what looks like a cover up within the Combined Anti Terrorist Services.(CATS).

It is with the delightful humour of Reginald Hill that the plots unfold. Peter Pascoe learns the great value of Andy's training in the benefits of bullying when invisibile red tape tries to hide the facts. When Rosie sees an opportunity to avoid her Mum's wrath, she uses her childlike innocence to assist her Dad and gain his protection.

While not essential. it does help if a listener is familiar with the series, the force of the Big Man and the 'respect' he has amongst Police and Crims alike. It helps too to understand Peter Pascoe's quiet internal turmoil with Andy's wisdom and methods to appreciate a good few of the challenges he faces in this story.