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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Pictures of Perfection (Dalziel & Pascoe #14) in Books

Nov 25, 2019 (Updated Nov 25, 2019)

This is one of those books that perfectly demonstrates the skill of Reginald Hill as a crime writer. In the sleepy village of Enscombe the local policeman disappears. Sensing foul play, Dalziel, Pascoe and Wield begin to investigate, turning up a number of suspicious characters and long buried secrets.

We have the usual Dalziel blunt language and Pascoe's schooled intuition but it is here that Wield finally gets a chance to step forward and form the 'holy trinity' of Mid Yorkshire CID. Hill has cultured his characters very carefully and writes them with great affection and this story shows how much chemistry they have.

The plot in this novel is outstanding and perfectly shows off Hill's willingness to play with the police procedural genre and the reader's expectations. There are some terrific rug pulls here and Hill could almost be said to get away with murder when everything falls into place at the end.

A brilliant tour de force for one of the greatest crime fiction writers. I can't fault it. It is in itself a picture of perfection

Kudos

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Wrong Side of Right (Grey Areas #3) in Books

Nov 29, 2019

The Wrong Side of Right (Grey Areas #3)

Brad Carl | 2015 | Contemporary, Crime, Romance, Thriller

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

The third book of the four part saga continues directly from the shattering events of the second and doesn't let up on the pace, or the twists.

Barrett Grayson is in custody, awaiting his long avoided FBI interview. But all he wants to do is get home to see his father before he dies. Meanwhile Sergeant Jackson's deal with the cartel means that someone is going to pay a heavy price.

The story follows all the protagonists from the saga as they each face their own struggles and make their own choices - for good or bad. As with the saga as a whole the writing is gripping and intense. There are many different plot strands interwoven here from police procedural to romance but each one is given time and space to develop and the reader is drawn into each one and pulled along.

As with the other books, the writing is superb. I would strongly recommend the Grey Areas saga to anyone. It is an extremely accomplished work of fiction.