Dalziel (pronounced De-ELL) and Pascoe are not the types of detectives that inhabit the mysteries I usually read. Dalziel is rather obnoxious, earthy, a bit immoral, and fat. Pascoe is married with a child, educated, logical, and back at work after a debilitating injury.
Dalziel and Pascoe are nothing like Holmes and Watson because Pascoe, although of an inferior rank, is not a"sidekick" or supporting player, but Dalziel's equal partner in detection. I had a hard time getting into this story, though. Author Hill, who won a Golden Dagger Award for this novel, has a complicated writing style that leaves the reader wondering at times how everything could possibly fit together, plus the book is full of literary allusions. One thing that helped me was persistence. I found that the longer I read, the more I enjoyed the book. Another thing that helped was checking out Youtube and watching a bit of the British TV series based on these characters. Somehow seeing what they looked like and how they interacted made the reading go a little more smoothly.
If you're looking for a challenging reading experience you might want to try Bones & Silence. Hill cleverly unrolls the plot in a way that leaves you feeling as if the killer is just one step ahead of you (and Dalziel and Pascoe) throughout. I was glad when I finished, but also glad that I had made it through. It grows on you as you read, so don't get discouraged at the outset.
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