It’s not so much Reginald Hill’s productivity that is amazing (although producing novels for nearly four decades is impressive enough); it’s the unassailable quality of his writing that takes the breath away. With barely a misstep over the years, Hill’s chronicling of the abrasive (but, of late, more accommodating) relationship between his mismatched coppers, the no-holds-barred Andy Dalziel and the more nuanced Peter Pascoe, has been non-pareil, with the author’s plotting every inch a match for his spot-on characterisation (and not just of his detective duo -- there have been many sharply observed players introduced into the dramatis personae over the years). Of course, a title like The Death of Dalziel will set alarm bells ringing (as much, one assumes, for Hill’s publishers as for dedicated readers), and there's no denying that putting the life of his corpulent copper on the line ratchets up the tension here considerably.

We’re given a taste of Andy’s corrosive wit as he and Peter Pascoe observe a video shop that’s under surveillance by the security services for its supposed terrorist connections, but (before the reader has time to draw a breath), there is an explosion, and Dalziel is left lying unconscious, bleeding heavily and covered with debris, his body having shielded his partner from the worst of the blast. And for the rest of the book, while Pascoe tracks down the reasons behind the explosion (he doesn’t buy the obvious explanation, i.e., would-be terrorists have blown themselves up by accident), Hill tries something radically different: we are taken into the consciousness of the critically ill Dalziel in his hospital bed. These sections (discursive, alternately funny and sad) are among the most successful in a very successful book. --Barry Forshaw

Praise for 'The Stranger House': 'Grim, gory, fascinating, enraging and entertaining.' Independent 'A mystery novel but far more than that. It's gripping... Hill is wonderful.' The Times 'Exhilarating.' Sunday Times 'You're enthralled by the cunning of the plotting... great.' Observer 'It's a complex, multi-layered plot... it takes a master like Mr Hill to turn it into such an absorbing and atmospheric mystery.' Sunday Telegraph Praise for 'Good Morning, Midnight': 'A real treat. The characters are deftly drawn, the plot constantly delivers surprises and the assured narrative demonstrates again what a terrific writer he is.' Observer 'As absorbing and as enjoyable as anything Hill has produced. The writing is brilliant, witty and erudite.' Evening Standard 'Probably the best living male crime writer in the English-speaking world.' Independent Reviews for 'Good Morning, Midnight': 'Few writers in the genre today have Hill's gifts: formidable intelligence, quick humour, compassion and a prose style that blends elegance and grace.' Donna Leon, Sunday Times 'Reginald Hill's novels are really dances to the music of time, his heroes and villains interconnecting, their stories entwining.' Ian Rankin 'The fertility of Hill's imagination, the range of his power, the sheer quality of his literary style never ceases to delight.' Val McDermid