Death Comes for the Fat Man (Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries) Summary and Reviews

Death Comes for the Fat Man (Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries)
by Reginald Hill

Death Comes for the Fat Man (Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Reginald Hill
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-02-01
ISBN: 0060821434
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Harper

Book Reviews of Death Comes for the Fat Man (Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries)

Book Review: "What a lunatic magician fate is when you're not looking for it."
Summary: 4 Stars

In this twenty-second Dalziel and Pascoe mystery, a young Mid-Yorkshire police constable sees a man waving a gun inside a shabby video store, which has been flagged for follow-up by an anti-terrorist unit if unusual activity occurs there. The local police, including Det. Supt. Andy Dalziel and Chief Inspector Peter Pascoe, arrive on the scene to investigate this report, just as an earth-shattering explosion takes place. Both Pascoe and Dalziel are seriously injured, with the hefty Dalziel comatose and dying.

Straight-talking Dalziel has always been bold and aggressive, willing to take chances and leave "the book" behind when necessary. Pascoe, by contrast, is a "master of diplomatic reticence." With Dalziel comatose, however, Pascoe determines to find out who and what caused the explosion, and he agrees to work with the Combined Anti-Terrorist Unit (CAT) of MI5 and Special Forces as they try to unravel events. Pascoe soon finds himself acting on his own, however, becoming as aggressive as Dalziel has always been, and he even begins speaking in Dalziel's bold, irreverent manner.

Alternating with this narrative about terrorism and the explosion, are Dalziel's out-of-body excursions through his subconscious as he combines nightmarish elements of his past and present and deals with his potentially fatal injuries. Several additional plots and subplots ratchet up the action and excitement. A renegade group of Knights Templar decide to take the law into their own hands, beheading and shooting two men they believe to be terrorists. A local convert to Islam, Michael Carradice, related to Pascoe's wife Ellie, is released from jail after being tried for terrorism, then disappears, and the local author of a book on the Iraq wars, a former member of the SAS, figures in the semi-conscious nightmares of a hit-and-run victim.

As is always the case in this series, the emphasis on psychological reality is strong. The backgrounds of the characters are clear, even for readers who may not be familiar with earlier novels, and the tensions which develop among the characters are well developed and realistic. The author maintains his tongue-in-cheek humor throughout the novel, from events involving Pascoe's psychic dog, to Cap Marvell's attempt to bring Dalziel out of his coma by waving Lagavulin under his nose, and Dalziel's hilarious private conversation with his own God as Fr. Kerrigan prays beside his bed. The writing is sharp and controlled, and the dialogue sparkles. A few loose ends remain at the end, and one would expect these issues to constitute the next novel in the series. A terrific mystery, even without the great Dalziel. Mary Whipple

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