Scan barcode
midici's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first Reginald Hall book and my overall opinion was.. meh. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. It was okay.
In this book the police are called in to investigate what appears to be a straightforward suicide. The case becomes more complicated when Pascoe insists on doing some digging and turns up some complications. The man, Pal, has committed suicide in the exact same way his father did. Only now, the truth behind that case is also in question. The family members have a lot of bad history. There's the additional complication of some shady business the former-but-no-longer-family-business is up to. So what really happened to Pal senior and Pal Junior...?
The answer is... whatever story you'd prefer. There's a few options given by the end of the book, in which all the cops seem to decide they actually don't want to open this can of worms, therefore, case closed. Believe what you will.
I was not keen on the writing style which seemed to be trying a little too hard to be clever. The habit of nicknaming all the characters, and then having the characters frequently be referred to by those nicknames by all the characters and within narration as well, is not something I enjoyed. Every character in a relationship in this book, with the exception of Pascoe and his wife, was cheating on their partner. It's all just a lot of little things, but it didn't work for me.
In this book the police are called in to investigate what appears to be a straightforward suicide. The case becomes more complicated when Pascoe insists on doing some digging and turns up some complications. The man, Pal, has committed suicide in the exact same way his father did. Only now, the truth behind that case is also in question. The family members have a lot of bad history. There's the additional complication of some shady business the former-but-no-longer-family-business is up to. So what really happened to Pal senior and Pal Junior...?
The answer is... whatever story you'd prefer. There's a few options given by the end of the book, in which all the cops seem to decide they actually don't want to open this can of worms, therefore, case closed. Believe what you will.
I was not keen on the writing style which seemed to be trying a little too hard to be clever. The habit of nicknaming all the characters, and then having the characters frequently be referred to by those nicknames by all the characters and within narration as well, is not something I enjoyed. Every character in a relationship in this book, with the exception of Pascoe and his wife, was cheating on their partner. It's all just a lot of little things, but it didn't work for me.
jlady's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book by Reginald Hill I've read. I found it a cut above most mysteries. It's funny, sophisticated, and has an intriguing plot.
jefftstevens's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
bookish_wanderer's review against another edition
1.0
I loved the first book I read by Reginald Hill (The Stranger's House), and the description of this one sounded good. But I somehow couldn't manage to get into it, even though I tried to read it 2 times, years apart.
I think the pace is a little too slow for me. I'll try again some other time, and hopefully it'll get better.
I think the pace is a little too slow for me. I'll try again some other time, and hopefully it'll get better.
psalmcat's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Good book: I caught myself thinking through some of the themes yesterday at work. The end brings readers to the realization that a lot of our lives go on below the surface, and things aren't always spelled out clearly. The narrator was outstanding.
And I think I'll take a page from Dalziel and start calling political maneuverers "funny buggers."
And I think I'll take a page from Dalziel and start calling political maneuverers "funny buggers."
gloeilampje's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ericwelch's review against another edition
5.0
Classic Hill with scintillating use of language, puns, allusions, and a nifty mystery to boot. Not only that, you'll learn who the "funnyboogers" are. Some people dislike Hill's work as being too cerebral. Nonsense. They can be read on a multitude of levels, and Hill remains one of my favorite authors.
An intriguing and complex story. A man is found dead in a locked room, ostensibly having blown his head off. The story becomes even more mysterious when it's learned he killed himself in a way identical to his father some ten years earlier, even to the Emily Dickensen book of poems found open to virtually the same page in each case.
Statements from the participants given to the police are layered throughout the book and each provides a very different view of events. Lots of questions move the story along. What is Andy's relationship to Kay? Why does Andy keep trying to steer Pete away from his questioning what appears to be simply a case of copy-cat suicide? And who is the rather ordinary VAT inspector who seems to know more than he should?
The ending will be disconcerting to those who like everything tied up with a bow. I found it to be very satisfactory. Great title, by the way, the significance of which is revealed in the book.
An intriguing and complex story. A man is found dead in a locked room, ostensibly having blown his head off. The story becomes even more mysterious when it's learned he killed himself in a way identical to his father some ten years earlier, even to the Emily Dickensen book of poems found open to virtually the same page in each case.
Statements from the participants given to the police are layered throughout the book and each provides a very different view of events. Lots of questions move the story along. What is Andy's relationship to Kay? Why does Andy keep trying to steer Pete away from his questioning what appears to be simply a case of copy-cat suicide? And who is the rather ordinary VAT inspector who seems to know more than he should?
The ending will be disconcerting to those who like everything tied up with a bow. I found it to be very satisfactory. Great title, by the way, the significance of which is revealed in the book.
thecuriosityhourpodcast's review against another edition
4.0
Not a book I would normally pick up, but due to a misunderstanding with a friend over a recommendation, I read this one and THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. Very well written and not predictable, I would definitely recommend.