Good Morning, Midnight Book

What a pleasure it is to be in the hands of a trusted writer. And Good Morning, Midnight is a reminder of just how good this British crime writer is. Reginald Hill's reputation has been steadily consolidated with some of the most accomplished crime writing in the UK, and his Dalziel and Pascoe novels enjoy a consistency of achievement rare in the genre, with only the occasional misstep. Of course, it's hard these days not to visualise TV actors when we begin a D and P novel, but those adaptations soon seem a world away, so much more sophisticated and atmospheric are the novels. Here, Hill gives us his very individual gloss on a standard crime plot, one that most serious practitioners feel obliged to tackle at least once: the locked room mystery (P D James recently had a crack at the same narrative device). Pal Maciver has committed suicide in a manner similar to that of his father several years ago: the death happening in the classic locked room. Pal's stepmother Kay doesn't enjoy all the negative attention she gets after the death, and although the dependable D S Dalziel is on her side, his help is restricted by a surprising influence--nothing less than as Dalziel's partner, the intractable DCI Pascoe, who regards Kay with suspicion, despite Dalziel's sympathy and support. When a key witness, seductive provider of sexual services Madame Dolores, vanishes, things become very complicated for both detectives--particularly as Pal Maciver's death appears to have many international complications. Will the squabbling Dalziel and Pascoe be able to come to a compromise before further deaths occur? It goes without saying that readers are in for a very enjoyable time in the company of the disputatious coppers; amazingly, Hill is able to ring fresh changes on what might have been supposed to be over-familiar material. The plotting is as mystifying as ever--just what we read D and P for, right? --Barry ForshawRead More