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Dalziel & Pascoe #14
Pictures of Perfection
Reginald Hill's ironic humor, polished prose, and keen insight have placed him squarely alongside such great mystery writers as P. D. James and Ruth Rendell. In his latest novel his much-appreciated team of detectives, the incomparable Dalziel and Pascoe, find themselves in the pretty village of Enscombe, which is steadfastly trying -- though somewhat in vain -- to repel the advances of both tourists and developers. When a policeman is discovered missing, Pascoe is immediately worried, but Dalziel thinks he's overreacting... until the normally phlegmatic Sergeant Wield also shows signs of changing his first impressions of picture-perfect village life. Over two eventful days a new pattern emerges: one of lust and lying, family feuds and ancient injuries, frustrated desires and unbalanced minds. Finally, inevitably, everything comes to a bloody climax at the Squire's Reckoning, where the villagers gather each Lady Day to feast and pay old debts. Not even the three lawmen's presence can change the course of history... though one of them is to find the course of his own personal history changed forever.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
417 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
About the author
Reginald Hill
154 books504 followersReginald Charles Hill was a contemporary English crime writer, and the winner in 1995 of the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement.
After National Service (1955-57) and studying English at St Catherine's College, Oxford University (1957-60) he worked as a teacher for many years, rising to Senior Lecturer at Doncaster College of Education. In 1980 he retired from salaried work in order to devote himself full-time to writing.
Hill is best known for his more than 20 novels featuring the Yorkshire detectives Andrew Dalziel, Peter Pascoe and Edgar Wield. He has also written more than 30 other novels, including five featuring Joe Sixsmith, a black machine operator turned private detective in a fictional Luton. Novels originally published under the pseudonyms of Patrick Ruell, Dick Morland, and Charles Underhill have now appeared under his own name. Hill is also a writer of short stories, and ghost tales.
After National Service (1955-57) and studying English at St Catherine's College, Oxford University (1957-60) he worked as a teacher for many years, rising to Senior Lecturer at Doncaster College of Education. In 1980 he retired from salaried work in order to devote himself full-time to writing.
Hill is best known for his more than 20 novels featuring the Yorkshire detectives Andrew Dalziel, Peter Pascoe and Edgar Wield. He has also written more than 30 other novels, including five featuring Joe Sixsmith, a black machine operator turned private detective in a fictional Luton. Novels originally published under the pseudonyms of Patrick Ruell, Dick Morland, and Charles Underhill have now appeared under his own name. Hill is also a writer of short stories, and ghost tales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
June 18, 2011
This is a rather delightfully odd installment in the Dalziel and Pascoe series. I wouldn't recommend it as anyone's first exposure to the series, for the simple reason that it's not at all representative of what the series is normally like, but if you've read a few of the more straightforward police procedurals in the series, and want to see Hill do something different, pick this up.
This book is clearly inspired by Jane Austen. Quotations from Austen's works precede each chapter, and there is the requisite country squire with the estate entailed on the male line, and more marriage intrigues than you can shake a stick at. While it uses these elements from Austen to good plot effect, the flavor of Hill's 1980s Yorkshire is sufficiently different from Austen's milieu that it never feels like an Austen pastiche. This is not Pride and Prejudice and Policemen.
One of the things this book does particularly well is to subvert a trope of mystery novels: the seemingly idyllic rural village which turns out to have horrible violence and depravity lurking below the surface. Without getting into spoilers, let's just say that there's plenty of crime and plenty of mystery, and it all turns out a bit more innocent than the reader is initially led to believe. It's a testament to Hill's skill as a writer that I was delighted by this rather than finding it anti-climactic. I still haven't quite figured out how he did it.
Dalziel and Pascoe rather take a back seat in this one - it's mostly Sergeant Weild's story, which is a big bonus for Weild fans. And really, is anyone not a Weild fan?
This book is clearly inspired by Jane Austen. Quotations from Austen's works precede each chapter, and there is the requisite country squire with the estate entailed on the male line, and more marriage intrigues than you can shake a stick at. While it uses these elements from Austen to good plot effect, the flavor of Hill's 1980s Yorkshire is sufficiently different from Austen's milieu that it never feels like an Austen pastiche. This is not Pride and Prejudice and Policemen.
One of the things this book does particularly well is to subvert a trope of mystery novels: the seemingly idyllic rural village which turns out to have horrible violence and depravity lurking below the surface. Without getting into spoilers, let's just say that there's plenty of crime and plenty of mystery, and it all turns out a bit more innocent than the reader is initially led to believe. It's a testament to Hill's skill as a writer that I was delighted by this rather than finding it anti-climactic. I still haven't quite figured out how he did it.
Dalziel and Pascoe rather take a back seat in this one - it's mostly Sergeant Weild's story, which is a big bonus for Weild fans. And really, is anyone not a Weild fan?
February 5, 2022
Wicked…
On the surface, no village could appear more idyllic than Enscombe, nestling in the Yorkshire Dales. But when the young village policeman goes missing, Sergeant Edgar Wield and his superiors, Dalziel and Pascoe, will find that many a secret is lurking below this picture of perfection. And Wield will find himself in danger – of death perhaps, or perhaps of being changed forever by the magical atmosphere he finds there…
This is without exception the most delightful of all the Dalziel and Pascoe books. Though both of them are in it, the starring role goes to Wield who has been steadily developing over the last few books to the point of being one of the main characters – a trio now rather than a duo. Here Hill gives him the chance to find the personal life he has avoided for so long, as he kept his sexuality secret from a society and a workplace that still rejected people like him. Enscombe is different though – here everyone has secrets, and everyone knows each other’s secrets, and so they all accept everyone else, foibles and all, in order to be accepted in turn. Only the incomer is out of the loop, leaving our three detectives struggling to work out why the young PC has disappeared – was it voluntary or has something sinister happened to him? But soon Wieldy will find himself being sucked into the life of the village and gradually his loyalties will subtly shift so that he is as much on the side of the villagers as the law.
The book starts with a terrifying prologue as an unnamed villager wanders along the High Street randomly shooting people, ending up in a scene of carnage at the Squire’s Reckoning – an annual gathering that takes place up at the Hall. These images stay in the mind as we’re then thrust back in time by just a couple of days to learn what led up to them. The cosy feel of the bulk of the book is therefore quite unsettling as we are expecting something awful to happen and, as we spend time with Wield in the village and come to care about all the quirky characters who live there, the tension grows. The plot is complicated – probably too complicated – but it doesn’t much matter because the heart of the book is in the setting, atmosphere and Wield’s budding romance rather than the various criminal activities that are uncovered along the way.
Sharp-eyed Jane Austen fans might have spotted that Enscombe is taken from Emma – it’s the name of Frank Churchill’s estate – and the title is a quote from one of her letters “Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked.” Each chapter is headed by a further appropriate Austen quote and these add much to the entertainment as Hill matches his wicked sense of humour to hers. The village is a kind of updating of an Austen village, complete with a Squire up at the Hall, some gentry and their various matrimonial entanglements, a soldier or two and a few rustic characters. Wield’s tentative friendship with the local bookseller provides him with an insider view of the village, while also providing the book with a gloriously Austen-esque romance between two characters who happen to be gay. I know I’ve said this before but Hill was in the vanguard of making gay characters openly central and likeable, rather than figures of ridicule or pity, back in the days when this was still quite a risky thing to do in popular culture. Wieldy’s romance is as delightful as that earlier romance between Lizzie and Darcy, and it’s impossible not to be wholeheartedly hoping for just as happy an ending.
I don’t want to say more about the plot since it’s fun to read it without knowing too much. But this is one that is also perfect for re-reading once you do know what it’s all about, when you can see how cleverly Hill led you astray first time around. In fact, I defy anyone to get to the end and not immediately want to go back to the beginning and read that prologue again! It would work as a standalone, I suppose, but works ten times better if you’ve already grown fond of Wield from the previous books. One of my top two of the whole series, a true picture of perfection complete with wickedness, and as always, highly recommended!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
On the surface, no village could appear more idyllic than Enscombe, nestling in the Yorkshire Dales. But when the young village policeman goes missing, Sergeant Edgar Wield and his superiors, Dalziel and Pascoe, will find that many a secret is lurking below this picture of perfection. And Wield will find himself in danger – of death perhaps, or perhaps of being changed forever by the magical atmosphere he finds there…
This is without exception the most delightful of all the Dalziel and Pascoe books. Though both of them are in it, the starring role goes to Wield who has been steadily developing over the last few books to the point of being one of the main characters – a trio now rather than a duo. Here Hill gives him the chance to find the personal life he has avoided for so long, as he kept his sexuality secret from a society and a workplace that still rejected people like him. Enscombe is different though – here everyone has secrets, and everyone knows each other’s secrets, and so they all accept everyone else, foibles and all, in order to be accepted in turn. Only the incomer is out of the loop, leaving our three detectives struggling to work out why the young PC has disappeared – was it voluntary or has something sinister happened to him? But soon Wieldy will find himself being sucked into the life of the village and gradually his loyalties will subtly shift so that he is as much on the side of the villagers as the law.
The book starts with a terrifying prologue as an unnamed villager wanders along the High Street randomly shooting people, ending up in a scene of carnage at the Squire’s Reckoning – an annual gathering that takes place up at the Hall. These images stay in the mind as we’re then thrust back in time by just a couple of days to learn what led up to them. The cosy feel of the bulk of the book is therefore quite unsettling as we are expecting something awful to happen and, as we spend time with Wield in the village and come to care about all the quirky characters who live there, the tension grows. The plot is complicated – probably too complicated – but it doesn’t much matter because the heart of the book is in the setting, atmosphere and Wield’s budding romance rather than the various criminal activities that are uncovered along the way.
Sharp-eyed Jane Austen fans might have spotted that Enscombe is taken from Emma – it’s the name of Frank Churchill’s estate – and the title is a quote from one of her letters “Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked.” Each chapter is headed by a further appropriate Austen quote and these add much to the entertainment as Hill matches his wicked sense of humour to hers. The village is a kind of updating of an Austen village, complete with a Squire up at the Hall, some gentry and their various matrimonial entanglements, a soldier or two and a few rustic characters. Wield’s tentative friendship with the local bookseller provides him with an insider view of the village, while also providing the book with a gloriously Austen-esque romance between two characters who happen to be gay. I know I’ve said this before but Hill was in the vanguard of making gay characters openly central and likeable, rather than figures of ridicule or pity, back in the days when this was still quite a risky thing to do in popular culture. Wieldy’s romance is as delightful as that earlier romance between Lizzie and Darcy, and it’s impossible not to be wholeheartedly hoping for just as happy an ending.
I don’t want to say more about the plot since it’s fun to read it without knowing too much. But this is one that is also perfect for re-reading once you do know what it’s all about, when you can see how cleverly Hill led you astray first time around. In fact, I defy anyone to get to the end and not immediately want to go back to the beginning and read that prologue again! It would work as a standalone, I suppose, but works ten times better if you’ve already grown fond of Wield from the previous books. One of my top two of the whole series, a true picture of perfection complete with wickedness, and as always, highly recommended!
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
October 4, 2010
Another classic from Reginald Hill. What would a mystery be without a murder? The local bobby has disappeared from Enscombe and soon our favorite three, Sergeant Wíeld, Pascoe and The Fat Man, are sucked into a maelstrom of deception and fantasy that boggle the mind. Without giving away too much of the plot, which takes places in a “perfect” little town in Yorkshire (fuctata non perfecta is a theme that runs throughout) the result is “Two whole days, and what have we got? Bodies in the morgue, none. Bodies in the cells, none. Policeman resigned, one. Crimes committed, any number. Citizens willing to bring charges, not a single one!”
If you have not indulged yourself in the pleasures of Hill’snovels, I suggest starting with the book of stories,{Asking for the Moon] which explains how The Fat Man and the Pascoe got together, then Pictures of Perfection, which explains how Wield and Digweed wound up in Enscombe. Digweed puts life in Enscombe into perspective. “Enscombe is very much fuctatus rather than perfectus, I’m glad to say. Perfection is unnatural, Sergeant, because it implies the absence of either development or decline. Haven’t you noticed? It’s the political parties and the religions with the clearest notions of the perfect society that cause the most harm? Once admit the notion of human perfectibility, and the end can be made to justify any amount of pain and suffering along the way. Besides, it would put us both out of work. No crime in the perfect society, and no desire to read about the imperfect past either! So here’s to imperfectionl”
But keep that dictionary handy: solecistically, etiolated, fumarolic, hydriotaphic (the adjectival form of hydriotaphia which is a funeral urn), and exophthalmic to name just a few great words. Lots of illusions to Jane Austen, most of which I suspect went completely over my head. This is great stuff.
If you have not indulged yourself in the pleasures of Hill’snovels, I suggest starting with the book of stories,{Asking for the Moon] which explains how The Fat Man and the Pascoe got together, then Pictures of Perfection, which explains how Wield and Digweed wound up in Enscombe. Digweed puts life in Enscombe into perspective. “Enscombe is very much fuctatus rather than perfectus, I’m glad to say. Perfection is unnatural, Sergeant, because it implies the absence of either development or decline. Haven’t you noticed? It’s the political parties and the religions with the clearest notions of the perfect society that cause the most harm? Once admit the notion of human perfectibility, and the end can be made to justify any amount of pain and suffering along the way. Besides, it would put us both out of work. No crime in the perfect society, and no desire to read about the imperfect past either! So here’s to imperfectionl”
But keep that dictionary handy: solecistically, etiolated, fumarolic, hydriotaphic (the adjectival form of hydriotaphia which is a funeral urn), and exophthalmic to name just a few great words. Lots of illusions to Jane Austen, most of which I suspect went completely over my head. This is great stuff.
February 18, 2009
Start with 'Ruling Passion' and work your way up through 'Pictures of Perfection', for a view of how characters take hold of an author, and grow into fully formed people.
July 14, 2012
Hill's Dalziel & Pascoe novels cover the range from light-hearted whimsy to dark and savage psychological studies. This one starts with what appears to be something straight out of the dark end of the range, but is actually one of the gentler books in the series, a true English village cosy -- though with Hill's own unique slant on things. It's a good book for fans of Detective Sargeant Wield, who not only gets to be the lead character for once, but has some interesting developments in his personal life by the end. No previous knowledge of the series is required, although you'll probably enjoy the book even more if you already know these characters.[return][return]As always, the beautifully crafted language is a delight, and the sly humour had me laughing out loud much of the time. Jane Austen fans should love this homage to her dissection of English village life. This is a mystery book that is well worth reading for the sheer joy of the story, whether or not you can follow the plot the first time around -- and the plot is sufficiently convoluted that I didn't follow it in places. There's more than enough there to make for satisfying subsequent readings, even when the mystery is solved.
January 20, 2021
I'm a great lover of the Dalziel and Pascoe's, but this, appropriately, comes about as close to perfection as any of them do - or at least I have the greatest fondness for it. Reginald Hill having fun is one of my very favourite things to read. I mean, who decides to cheerfully marry crime with Austen? Well, P.D. James, I suppose, but that came much later and didn't work (in my opinion) nearly as well.
It's not exactly the most dramatic detective novel in the world. 'All's well that ends well' isn't the typical summing up of a book in a genre that usually features at least one murder. But in a quieter plot there's space for Hill's humour and ridiculously impressive writing style (I learnt three new words! And not once wanted to hit him over the head with the dictionary I had to look them up in! He never seems like a show-off when he flexes his vocabulary) to be shown to their greatest advantage.
It's not exactly the most dramatic detective novel in the world. 'All's well that ends well' isn't the typical summing up of a book in a genre that usually features at least one murder. But in a quieter plot there's space for Hill's humour and ridiculously impressive writing style (I learnt three new words! And not once wanted to hit him over the head with the dictionary I had to look them up in! He never seems like a show-off when he flexes his vocabulary) to be shown to their greatest advantage.
October 11, 2011
I think this is one of the best mysteries ever written. It's both funny and serious, and no one is murdered. And I love that Hill created a gay policeman who bucks all the stereotypes without being a stereotypical stereotype-bucker (if you know what I mean). Edgar Wield just is who he is, like every other character. Finally, the Jane Austen quotations at the beginning of each chapter capture the timelessness of certain aspects, good and bad, of English rural life. Or maybe just rural life in general. Brilliant.
January 19, 2019
3.5
Hill loved Austen, and it shows in this mystery which draws quite a bit from Austen. It isn't just the use of quotes of her letters to start each chapter, but also in Hill's using a turn of sentence to open roads of meaning. Austen did that too.
The plot concerns a small town, and Hill makes good use of the beginning and ending chapters. The town is full of your standard country strange people with various issues. It is a fun little read.
Hill loved Austen, and it shows in this mystery which draws quite a bit from Austen. It isn't just the use of quotes of her letters to start each chapter, but also in Hill's using a turn of sentence to open roads of meaning. Austen did that too.
The plot concerns a small town, and Hill makes good use of the beginning and ending chapters. The town is full of your standard country strange people with various issues. It is a fun little read.
February 25, 2018
Great, clever writing! The story begins with a journal entry and then a gruesome beginning at the annual Day of Reckoning at the village of Enscombe. Then the story really begins, two days before the Day of Reckoning with the disappearance of a police bobby, the reporting of suspicious characters and strange sightings. Inspector Peter Pascoe and Sgt. Wield are sent to the village only to get mired in backstories, family histories and folklore. Can they filter out the important bits and find out the true story ... and crimes ... that are happening in Enscombe?
There are threads a plenty and soon, Superintendent Dalziel adds his girth and his wisdom to the strange happenings and the layers of truth and falsehood that seem to have infected the seemingly bucolic village.
Keep reading and enjoy a day or two of village life with added spice from the talented author Reginald Hill. This is a true delight to read.
There are threads a plenty and soon, Superintendent Dalziel adds his girth and his wisdom to the strange happenings and the layers of truth and falsehood that seem to have infected the seemingly bucolic village.
Keep reading and enjoy a day or two of village life with added spice from the talented author Reginald Hill. This is a true delight to read.
June 16, 2011
Reginald Hill gets away with things I'd never imagine a mystery writer could and I really admire him for writing a different book every time and not sticking to the rules of detective stories.
I've probably said it after reading at least ten of his books but I think that this is the best so far. The book begins with a description of a bloody shootout in a small village in the Yorkshire Dales and introduces us to a range of local characters in a few pages. Then the book skips back a few days to when the local village policeman vanishes and we wait for time to catch up to the start of the book. Which makes it sound like the book is soem kind of suspense thriller but it doesn't really work that way. Hill doesn't build up the waiting for something to happen element and it's the lack of obvious suspense that makes the book work really well.
Although this is billed, along with the rest of the series, as a "Dalziel and Pascoe" novel this particular episode is really all about Sergeant Wield who takes centre stage for much of the book. I'm a real fan of Wieldy's so this is fine by me.
Another wonderful book from Hill, I'm going to be sorry when I've caught up to date on this series.
I've probably said it after reading at least ten of his books but I think that this is the best so far. The book begins with a description of a bloody shootout in a small village in the Yorkshire Dales and introduces us to a range of local characters in a few pages. Then the book skips back a few days to when the local village policeman vanishes and we wait for time to catch up to the start of the book. Which makes it sound like the book is soem kind of suspense thriller but it doesn't really work that way. Hill doesn't build up the waiting for something to happen element and it's the lack of obvious suspense that makes the book work really well.
Although this is billed, along with the rest of the series, as a "Dalziel and Pascoe" novel this particular episode is really all about Sergeant Wield who takes centre stage for much of the book. I'm a real fan of Wieldy's so this is fine by me.
Another wonderful book from Hill, I'm going to be sorry when I've caught up to date on this series.
March 16, 2017
Enscombe is a lovely village in Yorkshire, where old traditions such as the annual Day of Reckoning, when villagers pay their rents to the local Squire, are still current. But when the local policeman stationed in Enscombe turns up missing, it becomes necessary for Superintendent Dalziel, Chief Inspector Pascoe and Sergeant Wield to explore the lives of the various villagers, some of whom have shocking secrets they want to keep hidden…. I’m really enjoying this series, of which "Pictures of Perfection" is the 14th entry; this one is particularly pleasing because we get to spend a lot more time with Sergeant Wield, who is quite a wonderful character. It is also quite refreshing to see how an incident described in an early chapter turns out in a much later one; be prepared to be surprised! Recommended.
May 2, 2023
Another enjoyable episode in the Dalziel & Pascoe series although this one is a departure from the others I have read to date.
The story is centred around the Yorkshire village of Enscombe and is far more concerned with its inhabitants, history and secrets than the mysteries that make up the rest of the series. This allowed Hill to indulge his humour, human observation and flowery writing style even more than usual. Also he gave Wield centre stage rather than his normal bit part role, and developed his character which was a big plus.
I’ve come late to the series and am reading them in whatever order takes my fancy. I’m glad I didn’t pick this one first as it would have given a false impression of what was to come.
The story is centred around the Yorkshire village of Enscombe and is far more concerned with its inhabitants, history and secrets than the mysteries that make up the rest of the series. This allowed Hill to indulge his humour, human observation and flowery writing style even more than usual. Also he gave Wield centre stage rather than his normal bit part role, and developed his character which was a big plus.
I’ve come late to the series and am reading them in whatever order takes my fancy. I’m glad I didn’t pick this one first as it would have given a false impression of what was to come.
May 25, 2019
My lord! I love Reginald Hill! He is, as one critic described him not merely a wonderful mystery writer but "a great novelist." in the true sense of the word. and 'Word' is the word! His way with words...the obvious joy he has in finding just the right original turn of phrase, the way he plays with description...he never fails to delight. This one, albeit so completely different from Ms. Jane Austen has a sly way of paying tribute to her besides the chapter headings taken from her journals...see if you can find the scene that is a sneaky reference to Pride and Prejudice!
June 4, 2012
This is a delightful fairy tale of a mystery complete with happily-after-ever ending. It becomes apparent early on that the author is playing some sort of enormous joke on his readers, but I doubt you'll guess what the punch line is. At least I didn't.
If you enjoy a literate, intelligent, traditional (but quirky) British whodunit, this should be just your cuppa tea. It's filled with Reginald Hill's trademark humor (even more than usual), and Dalziel, Pascoe, and Wield are all in top form.
If you enjoy a literate, intelligent, traditional (but quirky) British whodunit, this should be just your cuppa tea. It's filled with Reginald Hill's trademark humor (even more than usual), and Dalziel, Pascoe, and Wield are all in top form.
June 7, 2009
First sentence - "It is a truth farily universally acknowledged that all men are born equal, but the family Guillemard, pointing to the contra-evidence of their own absence from the Baronetage, have long been settled in Yorkshire without allowing such pholosophical quibbles to distress or vex them."
December 9, 2016
This is a hard book to write about without spoilers. The title, the epigraph, and the epigraphs to all the chapters come from Jane Austen's letters. I gather she must really have had to rein herself in when she wrote her novels. Examples: "Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked." "How horrible it is to have so many people killed!--And what a blessing one cares for none of them!""I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal." These are only the first three. Pascoe, Dalziel, and Wield, the good the bad and the ugly, play their roles to perfection in this one, and we learn a little more about each of them. The story is set in a village in Yorkshire--almost Brigadoon--but the motto of the seigneurial family of the town is "Fuctata non Perfecta." My Latin dictionary lists "futata" as the preferred form, but I guess it gets fewer laughs. The gist of the motto is something like, "the feigned is preferable to the perfect," although there are many other choices. And "feigned" is what this book is all about. Dalziel is at his loutish best (although he is astonishingly knowledgeable about Biblical quotations), and the locals are very entertaining. Most of the various mysteries (and there are more than a few) left me in the dust. A very entertaining read.
July 17, 2014
Wieldy does some village bobbying in this countryside cozy by Reginald Hill. We are given to understand that on the local squire's Reckoning Day a massacre takes place in a small Yorkshire village--topped off by the shooting of one of our three protagonists (referred to as The Good (Pascoe), The Bad (Dalziel) and The Ugly (Wield)) but we don't know which one, and then the scene shifts back a couple of days so we can see what led up to it all. A missing village constable, a school on the chopping block, a book seller up to something, a painting with a winking girl, a boy with a love for guns and the village beauty, and Wield trying to sort it all. But Hill is tricky and all is not as it seems: Fuctata Non Perfecta.
August 28, 2020
This is my favourite Reginald Hill story and I like it because it doesn't focus on Superintendent Dalziel nor or Chief Inspector Pascoe, nor even, in a way, on crime. Instead, it focuses on the wonderful Sergeant Wield. It's Wieldy's tale from beginning to end. The thing is, I always get the feeling that Reginald Hill smiled and laughed his way through writing this. Yes, it has some serious undercurrents, but it's so joyous. And there's no Ellie Pascoe on its pages, which, to me, is a gigantic bonus.
I have to be honest. Reading this now, twenty five years after its publication (in fact, reading any Dalziel and Pascoe novel) I cringe at some of the non-PC content that spills from Dalziel's mouth, but things are of their time. I can't slate it for that.
I have to be honest. Reading this now, twenty five years after its publication (in fact, reading any Dalziel and Pascoe novel) I cringe at some of the non-PC content that spills from Dalziel's mouth, but things are of their time. I can't slate it for that.
June 1, 2017
Interesting; start with the beginning of the ending, backtrack to lead up to it, then show you how what you thought was happening at the almost end was quite wrong, old chap. I enjoyed being led around by the nose in this one, and was glad to see that someone may finally have found a partner long after giving up hope.
June 14, 2009
This Dalziel & Pascoe story is one of the lighter ones that Hill has told. We see some important development of Wield, and, for one awful moment, I thought we had lost him. I'll be interested to see if Enscombe has importance later on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2016
I read this one 8 or 9 years ago. The rating is based on my memories of it.
November 4, 2020
A Surprise!
It’s been several years since I read a Reginald Hill mystery, but seeing a Dalziel and Pascoe book free on prime reading was a no brainer. The detectives themselves are bit players in this book as the village of Enscombe in Yorkshire takes star billing. From a dark and violent beginning, the tales goes back and forth in time using family history, heritage and intrigue to remind us that the past is not dead, it’s not even past,in the words of Faulkner. Not dark, part romp, part fairytale...read this “mystery” and enjoy
It’s been several years since I read a Reginald Hill mystery, but seeing a Dalziel and Pascoe book free on prime reading was a no brainer. The detectives themselves are bit players in this book as the village of Enscombe in Yorkshire takes star billing. From a dark and violent beginning, the tales goes back and forth in time using family history, heritage and intrigue to remind us that the past is not dead, it’s not even past,in the words of Faulkner. Not dark, part romp, part fairytale...read this “mystery” and enjoy
June 16, 2025
I’ve never read Hill before and was very pleasantly surprised by this quirky, entertaining detective novel. It’s apparently not typical of the Dalziel and Pascoe series, but I’ll definitely give another installment a go…
December 12, 2023
This was an absolute delight!
July 17, 2016
Despite the book opening with a truly terrifying scene in Pictures of Perfection Reginald Hill has given us a slightly gentler read than some others in the series, although don’t be deceived, at its heart are some very black truths along with some almost prophetic happenings!
Two days before the opening in 1980s rural village of Enscombe in Yorkshire, the local bobby (yes as recently as this the local policemen still lived in the villages) goes missing. He didn’t return from his day’s leave and there is no sign of where or why he might have left. Sergeant Wield is called to the scene, he turns up in style and begins the investigation. Not long afterwards and Superintendent Dalziel gets wind that there is something amiss so he and DCI take a visit to lend a hand.
All the while those opening scenes were in my mind but I had little joy in linking this event to the half-truths and misdirection that was being played out in Enscombe by a whole host of delightful characters. We have a beautiful artist is the love object of many of the male inhabitants, the spinster who runs the hall while her father the geriatric squire is regretful that the laws of inheritance have dictated that this should actually go to Guy with his flashy cars and dress sense. Not to be out-done with have the highly religious café owner who serves her delicious cakes with an aside of bible texts, while the vicar is waiting for eviction from the vicarage when it is sold off to make money for the church. One thing the village is in agreement about is that their local school should remain open, with this in mind there is the ubiquitous fund-raising which comes with a plan B, the sale of the village green.
There is so much to delight in within the pages of Pictures of Perfection, from the links to Jane Austen both ostentatious in the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter and slightly more subtle references within the themes themselves, to the moment in history that the book evokes; this was probably the last moments where ‘village life’ could be portrayed in this manner without those who live in such places laughing at the cliché of ‘Olde Worlde Britain’ that it evokes, one where everyone knows each other better than they know themselves often bound by a common enemy or two.
You’ll be pleased and reassured to know with all the periphery views to enjoy within the pages of this novel, there is also a proper plot with a full-blown mystery or two to be solved so my favourite policemen, complete in triplicate; Wield, Pascoe and Dalziel get to business and each in their own way bring pieces of the puzzle back to the police house for examination. Meanwhile the preparations continue around them at the Hall for the ‘Day of Reckoning’, a village tradition where the rents due to the Squire are paid, and it is here that the opening passage is seen from a different perspective. While I never doubted that the trio would solve the mystery of the missing bobby, I did wonder if they would come to a conclusion for the meaning of the Hall’s motto fuctata non perfecta; fear not, all the loose ends, even those in Latin are sewn up, neatly or otherwise!
Two days before the opening in 1980s rural village of Enscombe in Yorkshire, the local bobby (yes as recently as this the local policemen still lived in the villages) goes missing. He didn’t return from his day’s leave and there is no sign of where or why he might have left. Sergeant Wield is called to the scene, he turns up in style and begins the investigation. Not long afterwards and Superintendent Dalziel gets wind that there is something amiss so he and DCI take a visit to lend a hand.
All the while those opening scenes were in my mind but I had little joy in linking this event to the half-truths and misdirection that was being played out in Enscombe by a whole host of delightful characters. We have a beautiful artist is the love object of many of the male inhabitants, the spinster who runs the hall while her father the geriatric squire is regretful that the laws of inheritance have dictated that this should actually go to Guy with his flashy cars and dress sense. Not to be out-done with have the highly religious café owner who serves her delicious cakes with an aside of bible texts, while the vicar is waiting for eviction from the vicarage when it is sold off to make money for the church. One thing the village is in agreement about is that their local school should remain open, with this in mind there is the ubiquitous fund-raising which comes with a plan B, the sale of the village green.
There is so much to delight in within the pages of Pictures of Perfection, from the links to Jane Austen both ostentatious in the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter and slightly more subtle references within the themes themselves, to the moment in history that the book evokes; this was probably the last moments where ‘village life’ could be portrayed in this manner without those who live in such places laughing at the cliché of ‘Olde Worlde Britain’ that it evokes, one where everyone knows each other better than they know themselves often bound by a common enemy or two.
You’ll be pleased and reassured to know with all the periphery views to enjoy within the pages of this novel, there is also a proper plot with a full-blown mystery or two to be solved so my favourite policemen, complete in triplicate; Wield, Pascoe and Dalziel get to business and each in their own way bring pieces of the puzzle back to the police house for examination. Meanwhile the preparations continue around them at the Hall for the ‘Day of Reckoning’, a village tradition where the rents due to the Squire are paid, and it is here that the opening passage is seen from a different perspective. While I never doubted that the trio would solve the mystery of the missing bobby, I did wonder if they would come to a conclusion for the meaning of the Hall’s motto fuctata non perfecta; fear not, all the loose ends, even those in Latin are sewn up, neatly or otherwise!
March 19, 2018
Is it any surprise that my favourite Dalziel and Pascoe book so far so heavily featured Sgt. Wield? None whatsoever. However! The plot in this one was brilliant too, and I'm a sucker for a 'cosy' mystery - my favourite crime shows tend to be those set in little villages, and I've stuck with many a series far beyond my normal attention span just for the little quirks of village life.
The cosy setting contrasted with the ominous beginning really drew me in; possibly would have, even if we didn't get so much of my favourite supporting character... which we did, and 'it were grand'.
So 10/10 would recommend.
And yay - Wieldy!
The cosy setting contrasted with the ominous beginning really drew me in; possibly would have, even if we didn't get so much of my favourite supporting character... which we did, and 'it were grand'.
So 10/10 would recommend.
And yay - Wieldy!
April 9, 2015
This book took me quite a while to read. This was partly to do with me being busy and being tired but also because this book took me a while to get in to.
The book starts in a little Yorkshire village called Enscombe where it is the traditional collecting of the rents day for the wealthy squire which is a good excuse for a village gathering. You then see a killer at large shooting various people. You then go back in time to a few days before the crime and gradually unpiece everything. A poilceman constable Bendish has gone missing and Sergent Wield and DI Pascoe have been sent out to find out what has happened to him.
This was a very different Dalziel and Pascoe novel as it is set entirely in a quaint village and the novel starts with the crime itself. The positives for me were finding out more about sergeant Wield and the usual Dalziel quips. For me Dalziel didn't feature enough in thhe first half of the book and there were so many different characters it took me ages to work out who everyone was! There were some very well drawn characters like the squire, girlie and guy. There were also arguably too many characters who occasionally merged in to another.
The solution was unexpected and parts of the novel made me chuckle but for me it wasn't my favourite Dalziel and Pascoe novel. Maybe if it had been a little more concise I would have enjoyed it more but I have to take my hat off to Reginald Hill for taking a different idea and setting and doing a reasonable job of it.
A solid part of a good series but not the one to start with.
The book starts in a little Yorkshire village called Enscombe where it is the traditional collecting of the rents day for the wealthy squire which is a good excuse for a village gathering. You then see a killer at large shooting various people. You then go back in time to a few days before the crime and gradually unpiece everything. A poilceman constable Bendish has gone missing and Sergent Wield and DI Pascoe have been sent out to find out what has happened to him.
This was a very different Dalziel and Pascoe novel as it is set entirely in a quaint village and the novel starts with the crime itself. The positives for me were finding out more about sergeant Wield and the usual Dalziel quips. For me Dalziel didn't feature enough in thhe first half of the book and there were so many different characters it took me ages to work out who everyone was! There were some very well drawn characters like the squire, girlie and guy. There were also arguably too many characters who occasionally merged in to another.
The solution was unexpected and parts of the novel made me chuckle but for me it wasn't my favourite Dalziel and Pascoe novel. Maybe if it had been a little more concise I would have enjoyed it more but I have to take my hat off to Reginald Hill for taking a different idea and setting and doing a reasonable job of it.
A solid part of a good series but not the one to start with.
February 15, 2016
Andy Dalziel just about edges it from Morse and Frost when it comes to my favourite all time detective so the Dalziel and Pascoe series are always going to get high marks from me. In that context a four star rating here suggests it's not one of my favourite tales. 'Much ado about effing nothing' was Dalziel’s own summary and I suspect Hill knew he was struggling with a rather bloated plot here.
Add in a slightly reduced role for the fat man and a tendency to overdo the fancy word play on Hill's part and you have the reasons for my relatively modest rating.
For all that, Hill can be credited with the creation of some more fine one-off characters, while Wieldy gets a deserved turn in the spotlight this time.
Dalziel and Pascoe often provide the pick of my holiday reading and, while not quite pulling it off this time, it was still an enjoyable read.
Add in a slightly reduced role for the fat man and a tendency to overdo the fancy word play on Hill's part and you have the reasons for my relatively modest rating.
For all that, Hill can be credited with the creation of some more fine one-off characters, while Wieldy gets a deserved turn in the spotlight this time.
Dalziel and Pascoe often provide the pick of my holiday reading and, while not quite pulling it off this time, it was still an enjoyable read.
January 15, 2017
This is not a typical police procedural novel, but it is a fascinating read anyway. Dalziel does not play as central a role in this story as Sergeant Wield and Detective Chief Inspector Pascoe, but all three detectives play important parts. The story takes place in a small village called Enscombe, where the village constable has gone missing. Expecting the worst, Wield and Pascoe investigate the disappearance, but then find other minor crimes being committed in the village. The ending is somewhat of a surprise, but everything is tied up at the end with no loose ends left dangling. As usual with this author's novels, the dialog is realistic, and the characters are believable. The story is light and easy to read. I enjoyed it.
March 8, 2013
Mr. Hill's books are always a bit odd and this one was no exception. It starts with a grisly murder scene and then goes through all the stuff leading up to it. The twist at the end is very nice, in fact it saves the book. The middle part of the story (which started on page 20) was necessary for the ending but not a lot of fun to read. Again, he saves the story, this time with a variety of zany characters, but it is a close call. The entire middle seemed pointless while reading it. While everything was needed for the ending, there was little sense of motion, of progress toward a resolution, to keep me turning pages. Again, the ending saved it. But just barely.
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