About this title: The new Dalziel and Pascoe novel to delight and thrill Reginald Hill fans. Some say that Andy Dalziel wasn't ready for God, others that God wasn't ready for Dalziel. Either way, despite his recent proximity to a terrorist blast in Death Comes for the Fat Man, the Superintendent remains firmly of this world. And, while Death may be the cure for all diseases, Dalziel is happy to settle for a few weeks' care under a tender nurse. Convalescing in Sandytown, a quiet seaside resort devoted to healing, Dalziel befriends Charlotte Heywood, a fellow newcomer and psychologist, who is ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780007252688ISBN:0007252684
Description: Good. Book spine is creased We aim to post all books within 1-3 working days. All orders are fully guaranteed and sent from our warehouse in the United Kingdom Email support for all customers. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780007313235ISBN:0007313233
Description: New. PAPERBACK BOOK-NEW-SHOP SOILED COPY-TRUSTED DEVON (UK) BASED SELLER-IN STOCK-SENT WITHIN 1 WORKING DAY-AVAILABLE BY EMAIL FOR QUERIES-NO QUIBBLE REFUND IF NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED- read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780007252671ISBN:0007252676
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780007252695ISBN:0007252692
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Description: Good. Ships from the UK. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Your purchase also supports literacy charities. read more
Description: Good. Ships from the UK. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Your purchase also supports literacy charities. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780007252695ISBN:0007252692
Description: Good. This book is in GOOD overall condition. It shows signs of having been read and has general light wear to the cover, spine and pages. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780007252671ISBN:0007252676
Description: Good. This book is in GOOD overall condition. It shows signs of having been read and has general light wear to the cover, spine and pages. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780007252695ISBN:0007252692
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Hardback
Publisher: HarperCollins, London
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780007252671ISBN:0007252676
Description: Very Good. Fiction. Hardcover with dust jacket. The new psychological thriller featuring Dalzi el and Pascoe, the hugely popular detective duo and stars of the long-runni ng BBC TV series, following on from the bestselling Death of Dalziel He may have been in a coma but it would take an act of God to put Superintendent 'Fat' Andy Dalziel down for good. In the meantime, He'll settle for a few w eeks' bed-rest. Sandytown, a pleasant seaside resort devoted to healing, se ems just the ticket. And ... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS Country = UNITED KINGDOM
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780007252695ISBN:0007252692
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 624 pages. The new psychological thriller featuring dalziel and pascoe, the hugely popular detective duo and stars of the long-running bbc tv series, following on from the bestselling death of dalziel (Paperback) read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS Country = UNITED KINGDOM
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780007313235ISBN:0007313233
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 624 pages. The new psychological thriller featuring dalziel and pascoe, the hugely popular detective duo and stars of the long-running bbc tv series, following on from the bestselling death of dalziel (Paperback) read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780385666428ISBN:038566642X
Description: Very Good in New jacket. Brand New Hardcover with dust jacket, clean, tight, unmarked, (Fine with Fine Dust Jacket) All orders are shipped by kbooks every business day. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 2008-03-03
ISBN-13:9780007252671ISBN:0007252676
Description: Fine in Fine jacket. First UK edition. All of our first editions are first printings. Dustwrappers are protected with clear archival wraps. We ship via UPS whenever possible-please select 'expedited' shipping. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 03/03/2008
ISBN-13:9780007252671ISBN:0007252676
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 03/03/2008
ISBN-13:9780007252671ISBN:0007252676
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 03/03/2008
ISBN-13:9780007252671ISBN:0007252676
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 03/03/2008
ISBN-13:9780007252688ISBN:0007252684
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
"After barely surviving a terrorist blast Superintendent Andy Dalziel is convalescing at a swanky private clinic in the seaside resort of Sandytown in Yorkshire. He befriends another young visitor to the town, Charlotte (Charley) Heywood, who is the daughter of an old Rugby mate of Dalziel's and a psychologist reviewing the benefits of alternative therapies. They are both keen observers of the people and happenings in the town and record their observations: Andy using a digital audio recorder provided by his doctor and Charley via a series of emails to her sister. As with all fairly closed communities there are a couple of prominent families whose lives seem to impact everyone in the town directly or indirectly and the same is true of Sandytown which is the setting for a soon to be opened alternative healing centre. When one of the town's most prominent citizens is killed in a gruesome way a full police investigation, headed by Dalziel's old partner Peter Pascoe, gears up but Andy and Charley's continuing observations play a key role in the solving of the murder.
This is, more than usually, a review specifically of the audio version of A Cure For All Diseases narrated by Jonathan Keeble. Because, regardless of how good the original content is, Keeble added a truly wonderful element that I don't think could exist in the print version. His portrayal of the two main narrators of the story, ageing male Dalziel and young, somewhat excitable female Charley is truly magnificent and he rounds out the reading with an entire cast of minor players that are equally beautifully depicted. Coming back to my iPod each day became a real treat over the past week or so and I now have a sense of the anticipation people used to get as they 'gathered round the wireless' to hear the latest radio play in the days before television.
The format and, to some extent, the content of this story is actually Hill's homage to Jane Austen but I don't think it matters all that much if you're an Austen fan and can recognise what he's done or not. Far more important is that it provides an interesting, different approach to the standard police procedural. As someone who has lamented the formulaic writing by other well-known authors of late I applaud both the decision to do try something new and the successful execution of that decision. About half of the story is told via the recorded observations of Charley and Dalziel and I thoroughly enjoyed their dual points of view, especially the brave inclusion of a significant narrative voice that wasn't Dalziel or Pascoe. The rest of the story is told via a more traditional narrative but the two forms are pretty seamlessly integrated.
There's a strong undertone of humour through this book that I haven't noticed in the series before (although I've not read a large number of them so maybe it has been present). Both Dalziel and Charley's epistles are full of humour that suits their respective characters: Dalziel's is coarse and reminiscent of a 1970's comedian dripping with barely concealed sexual innuendo while Charley's is full of the biting observations that a modern young woman might share with her friends in an online chat room. I found this added a very natural component to the characterisations and, particularly in the case of Dalziel, provided a layer of credibility to a character that I've struggled to believe in previously. He's still all-seeing, all-knowing Fat Andy that nearly everyone is instantly afraid of, but the humorous monologue provides an insight into what makes him tick and because of it I cringed less and saw him as a more well-rounded character.
The book isn't the fastest paced story you'll find, especially where the two narrative voices overlap and recount the same events from their different perspectives, but the relatively slow revelation of events allowed the myriad of characters to be more fully developed than would otherwise have been the case. Rather than being 'filler' content of the 'a book must have 500 pages' variety this was a highly nuanced building up of a picture of the town and its inhabitants and I was completely captivated. I have to admit the final conclusion bordered on contrived but I forgave this minor lapse in what was otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Hill is to be congratulated for maintaining interest in his long-running series by trying something innovative with this book. I also admire the fact you don't need to be a die hard fan of Dalziel and Pascoe to enjoy the book (although I doubt it hurts if you are). If you're at all keen on audio books I'd highly recommend you relax and let Keeble's narration spirit you away to Yorkshire for a few hours."
"The Dalziel and Pascoe team are my favourite detectives, I love the characters and turn of phrase.....do people really talk like that in Yorkshire? I would like to go there! As always Reginald Hill's story has lots of twists and turns and a surprise at the end."
"The author has taken the last unfinished novel of Jane Austen (Sandition) and set it in 21st century England. Instead of local gentry, sea cures and bathing machines, we find local gentry and development and planning to make "Sandytown" the capital of the healthy holiday.
Hill follows Austen conventions to a point - the heroine finds true love, but the main business of the novel is murder and its investigation by Daziel and Pascoe.
The novel contains its usual facsinating insights into character and motivation, and once again creates an interesting portrait of modern Yorkshire. The playing with Jane Austen's work is just icing on a very delicious cake."
"I wanted some light reading over Christmas so turned to one of my stand by, always enjoy, authors. This was no exception - I really enjoyed the story, the writing and the plot kept me guessing. Not so keen on the use of email as a writing style - I've been irritated by this before (I think Salmon Fishing in the Yemen uses that technique too - I hope it doesn't become too commonplace) but generally a good Hill as you would expect."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
