Scan barcode
kazofbooks's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
gretchenv's review against another edition
3.0
I realized that I had never read this classic series, so here I go! This is the first and probably not the best. I read a interview with the author who said that he never intended to write a series. This book was intended as a stand-alone but he later started writing another book that needed a police officer so he decided to use the same characters again. And that's how this lengthy series was born! I haven't watched the TV show, so I won't have any spoilers--
falconerreader's review against another edition
3.0
Glad my introduction to the series came rather later in, or I might not have gone on to read more. I liked it, but it wasn't at all remarkable. The later books are.
angrygreycatreads's review against another edition
3.0
A Clubbable Woman is the first book in the Dalziel and Pascoe series by Reginald Hill. I hadn’t read anything else in this series so I was interested to read this. Also, this series has apparently been made into a TV series which sounds intriguing. A Clubbable Woman introduces us to the detectives, Dalziel, older, rather stodgy, less politically correct, but experienced and knowledgeable and then Pascoe, younger, apparently a higher class and better educated as far as formal schooling, intelligent but not yet with the years of experience analyzing human nature. The mystery was fine, a solid three stars. The victim was particularly unsympathetic as were a few of the other characters. Fun fact: The title is quite punny :)
mickymac's review against another edition
3.0
whilst the book shows its age, it is an excellent introduction into the world of Dalziel and Pascoe, Written in the angry young man style of john Braine and Alan Stillitoe, it is far more a tale of the clash between the traditional hard-nosed detective and his modern educated sidekick,. Although the plot is uninspiring, its recollection of the camaraderie of the rugby club and the development of its characters is intriguing.
katiedreads's review against another edition
2.0
I really enjoy police procedural, murder mysteries and I wanted to try a vintage written series. So I picked up the first Dalziel and Pascoe. Set and written in the 1970. So I expected a novel that may have been dated in the context, representations of women and language to be outdated. What I didn't expect was the writing, while the story itself was fine, I didn't guess the murderer or the motive. The writing was not a style I enjoyed. If was weirdly paced dragging in non important areas and zooming over the clues so fast it was difficult to catch. I also found none of the characters likeable. Even descriptions of the characters were unlikeable, Dalziel being described as fat the entire book and I counted 6 times the author mentions him scratching himself. Neither of these things are what you want your main character to be known for. Also the dialogue is a mixture of boring and unnessaryly complex in places. At no point was I convinced anyone ever has conversations like this. So over all not the worse book I've read but certainly not what I would call good.
adzbuzz's review against another edition
2.0
Definitely not my favourite Reginald Hill book. This one felt too straight forward for a detective story; there were no twists and turns and unexpected events. I disliked Dalziel and Pascoe which is putting me off reading the rest of the series but at encouragement from my mother (who promises me they get better) I will persevere.
margardenlady's review
3.0
This is a perfect author for an Anglophile. The accents and culture described within are thickly British (and Irish and Welsh). This story about the murder of the wife of a rugby club member digs into the seamy underbelly of middle ages wannabe rugby players and their lives. It took me a while to care about any of the characters, but I did, finally. I appreciated the witty conversations throughout and the mystery was solved.
iceangel9's review
3.0
The first book in the Dalziel & Pascoe series. When a woman is found dead in her own living room by her husband, Dalziel and Pascoe are called in to solve the case. For those who haven't seen the BBC series (you should by the way), Dalziel is a fat crude older cop with a young college educated sergeant named Pascoe. The murdered woman was married to a member of the local rugby club to which Dalziel also belongs. A fun murder mystery. Fans of the television series will especially enjoy the book.