A must-read (On Beulah Height - Reginald Hill)

Member Name: sunmeilan

Product:	On Beulah Height - Reginald Hill
Date:	21/02/06 (77 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: One of the best works of crime fiction over the last 20 years

Disadvantages: None

Introduction
Reginald Hill's work varies from the brilliant to the dreadful. For me, this particular book is by far the best he has written and rates above all works of crime fiction over the last 20 years, with the possible exception of Val McDermid's Place of Execution. An absolute definite to read, whether you're a fan of Reginald Hill or not.

The author
Reginald Hill, most famous for Dalziel and Pascoe, has also written another series starring a West Indian private investigator called Joe Sixsmith, as well as several non-series books. Before becoming a writer, he was a teacher at secondary school and college.

The plot
A child goes missing from her home and when her dog returns without her, her parents are concerned enough to call in the police. As time goes by, fear grows amongst the whole village, because several years before, when the village was based in a valley now underwater, three young girls had similarly gone missing. One of the locals, an educationally sub-normal young man called Benny was always thought to be guilty. Suspicions about the latest girl are even further raised when the words 'Benny's Back' are found painted on a wall.

Dalziel and Pascoe begin to investigate the recent case, which raises questions about the original case. The matter is made more poignant for Pascoe as his daughter Rosie and her friend go down with meningitis and face an almost certain death.

As the case continues, light begins to be thrown on the original cases as the case of the latest girl is solved.

The characters
Dalziel and Pascoe, two of my favourite fictional detectives, absolutely shine in this book. Dalziel is his usual crude, boorish self, but also shows his soft side with Pascoe's predicament and Elizabeth, connected to one of the girls to go missing. Pascoe, who usually follows in Dalziel's shadow, comes into his own in this book, half-blinded by grief for the condition of his daughter, yet still trying to carry on with his job, knowing the pain that the missing girls' parents must be going through. Fabulously and touchingly portrayed.

Elizabeth, who has a connection to the first disappearances, is a mysterious character, who clearly knows more than she is letting on and her connection to the case is not clear to begin with. Her story is another very moving one that strengthens this already solid book.

Conclusion
In my experience of crime fiction, this is a gem, head and shoulders above the competition. The depth of characterisation would have been enough to take me through the book, but the intriguing storyline made it doubly engaging. I read huge amounts of crime fiction and have become quite critical of anything that isn't quite up to scratch - this book stood out from beginning to end as something special. If you never read anything else by Reginald Hill, read this one, you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.

Available from Amazon for £5.59. Published by HarperCollins. 448 pages. ISBN: 000649000X

Summary: Exceptional plot, great characters