Arms and the Women
Author: Reginald Hill
Publisher: Delecourt Press
Copyright: 1999
ISBN: 0-385-33279-3
Cover copy calls this a work of intricacy, precision and
psychological complexity. I cannot agree more emphatically. Yes, it's another
in what one hopes is an endless line of Dalziel and Pascoe mysteries. And yes,
it contains powerful, evocative writing.
"Here four men labored with shovels, their faces
wrapped with scarves, not for disguise but as barrier against the stench of the
decaying bat droppings they disturbed, while high above them a sea of leathery
bodies rippled and whispered uneasily as the sound of digging and the glow of
bull-lamps drifted up to the natural vault."
Peter Pascoe's wife, Ellie, is hard at work on her book.
Yes, she's hoping to be a published author one day. And then, abruptly,
inexplicably, there is an abduction attempt on her. Though the attempt is
thwarted by Ellie's nimble-mindedness, the act sets in motion a vast, complex
investigation and a plot that ranges over wide spaces of the English coastal
area and pits D&P against some very nasty characters. Adding to the
complications are difficulties over jurisdictional questions affecting the
National Interest.
This is a complex story with a large cast of interesting
characters and a strong sub-plot. It is an excellent novel by an excellent
writer. Hill handles his characters, his plot and his setting with consummate
skill. Almost twenty years old now, it’s well worth seeking out.
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