Arms and the Women

by Reginald Hill

Book Overview

'Luminously written, thrilling, unexpectedly erudite, and beautifully structured' Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail When Ellie Pascoe finds herself under threat, her husband DCI Peter Pascoe and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385332793
• ISBN13: 9780385332798
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 374 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.6" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Kudos to the Elliad

Picking up a new Dalziel/Pascoe mystery can be doubly rewarding. First, it's guaranteed that I'll like the writing and the central characters, because I always have. But sometimes Hill throws in a bonus - an element you wouldn't expect to find that weaves through the main plot with illuminating results. This time it's shades of Homer. (Not Simpson - the other guy, although the prospect of Andy hoisting a few Duffs with Bart's dad has definite appeal.) The story begins with glimpses into several unidentified characters' minds. Who are these people? What are they going on about? It's confusing but not frustrating because we know Hill will ultimately lock all the puzzle pieces into place and show us the big picture. This time it's downright epic with the raging sea playing one of its most pivotal roles since the Odyssey, and the women finding resources that would have made Aeschylus proud. Not that Dalziel and Pascal are ever far away. When they're not on stage as themselves, they're there in the characters of Odysseus and Aeneas, as written by Ellie with perception, humor and surprising (in one case) affection. Hill can get inside the minds of not only his heroes - but women, children, Greeks, cats, killers, and thankfully readers.

The best so far

In my opinion this is the best so far of the Dalziel and Pascoe novels. The style is slightly different from usual but, unlike the reviewer who thought the book "convoluted", I would say the book is pieced together in a pleasing and masterful way. Right up to the very last "two words" the book did an excellent job of entertaining me and the focus on Ellie is done very well, especially her story within the story. If you want to be entertained then this book should do the trick.

Worth Wading Through

The opening chapters of Hill's latest Dalziel & Pascoe are an onslaught much like the storm at the close of the book. People and plots come howling in from all directions. I felt rather "gobsmacked" by all of it, but I kept on slogging through until it began to come together into a cohesive story.Hill has the extraordinary ability to shift consciousness from one character to the next, and I suppose that's what kept me off balance. From Ellie Pascoe, to DC Novello, to the writer "Spelt from Sybil's Leaves," Hill proves that he understands the insides of people, the private side they keep to themselves. This novel is told primarily from the perspective of the women who drive it forward. Hill grasps the confusion of midlife, the roles of wife and mother, the longing for belonging of singlehood. After these things, the mystery plot itself is only a frame on which to project the people.While Ellie Pascoe thwarts an attempted abduction, she leads the rest of the cast on an odyssey as she continues to seek comfort and meaning in her life. That we end up in a "cleansing" storm at the end of these Herculean labors is fitting.

The Dalziel/Pascoe series keeps getting better!

The Dalziel/Pascoe series started out as typical of the British procedural: sharply drawn characters, intricate structure and plot, and most important, wonderful prose writing. In the past few installments, though, Hill has added a thematic twist to make things more interesting. For example, "Recalled To Life" uses "A Tale of Two Cities" as a leitmotif; "Bones and Silence" draws on the medieval mystery plays; and "On Beulah Height" uses Mahler's "Kindertodtenlieder". In this book, "The Odyssey", in a retelling by Pascoe's wife Ellie, provides a counterpoint to the main action involving high tech terrorism, South American drug smugglers, and a mysterious "Sybil" who watches over everyone through her computer. Hill once again demonstrates that he is the unsurpassed master of this genre, and is fully the equal of John Mortimer when it comes to pithy literary allusions. Afficionados of the more genteel and politically correct lady novelists. eg. P.D. James, Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine, will have a hard time relating to the unrestrained Dionysian character of Andy Dalziel, and will be put of by the frequent use of humor to ward off the stultifying seriousness which so often oppresses those authors' works. Fans of Inspector Frost and American procedurals will be right at home though.

Could not put it down; glad to see Ellie take center stage

Maybe I'm biased because I enjoy Mr. Hill's novels so much as a whole. What I like best about this series is the way the writing complements the characters' personalities (literary and academic, and very, very human and realistic). For me, the weaving of three novels was intriguing--even the title is evocative (refer to George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man"). As for the characters, I found them believable. I also feel like I know more about the main characters' psyches with every novel Hill writes (in this series). I think the unexpected events in the main plot that may seem like coincidence help build excitement. I wouldn't recommend this book as an introduction to the Dalziel and Pascoe stories, but I highly recommend it to fans who have some familiarity with them.