Hill is Master of Surprises
In the Price of Butchers' Meat, Reginald Hill proves, once again, to be a master of surprise in both plot and characters and in how the story is presented. To read and reread, with enjoyment!
A big disappointment
I am another reader who has always looked forward to Reginald Hill's books. But what a disappointment! The beginning was so boring I had trouble trudging through it. I soldiered on because of faith in the writer, but things did not really improve. I disliked reading page after page of e-mails with the usual spelling mistakes (were they really necessary?). Dalziel's musings brought nothing new. And, like others, I dislike the character of Franny Roote. There was so much about him, and he was rather improbable.
To quote Dorothy Parker, "this is not a book to be taken lightly, it is to be thrown across the room with great force".
Another ripoff, unfortunately
This book has appeared earlier as Cure for All Diseases, so if you bought that one, stay clear of this offering.
Another Good Read
Reginald Hill is one of my favorite authors. This book is a departure from his usual writing style. It took awhile to get beyond that, but the story, as always, was excellent. Loved it.
A Cure For All Diseases
I read this terrific Dalziel/Pascoe mystery a few months ago under its original British title (see above), and it is one of my favorite books in the long-running series. Reginald Hill's mysteries are consistently witty and intelligent, but in this one he introduces a new style of storytelling for his rotund Inspector Dalziel and the charming young woman who comes to his aid--emails and tape recordings. The first-person recordings are interspersed with regular third-person narrative to give us a fascinating, multimedia tale of murder and mayhem in a seaside health clinic.
If you're familiar with Andy Dalziel, you can just imagine his mood when he is sent to the hospital in Sandytown ("Home of the Healthy Holiday!") to recuperate from the injuries he received in his last adventure. He's so bored and frustrated that he actually welcomes the murder of a prominent local woman as a chance to bust out of his enforced confinement. The mystery is excellent, and the suspects are a colorful group of oddballs. But my favorite part of this book is Andy's relationship with Charlie, the clever girl who helps him solve the case. THE PRICE OF BUTCHER'S MEAT is sheer pleasure, start to finish. Highly Recommended.
(9 reviews)
