RIP Reginald Hill, Creator of Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe Series

We here at Criminal Element were saddened to hear of the death of Reginald Hill, most famous for his Yorkshire detectives, Dalziel and Pascoe. Even the name of his first Dalziel and Pascoe novel—A Clubbable Woman—reveals that although the books are classed as traditional British detective novels, they are anything but stodgy. And he has plenty of other non-D&P books to his credit as well.

Hill was a master of both language and characterization, and the Guardian’s obituary quotes both Ian Rankin and Mark Billingham, but we are certain these are only two among scores Hill influenced in his time as a member of the mystery community and continues to influence through his writings.

Dalziel and Pascoe were brought to life in a marvelous BBC series, which is available on DVD. So if you didn’t catch it when it was on, and you’re looking for something to keep you warm on a winter’s night, you might want to give it a shot.

RIP, Reginald Hill, and welcome to Criminal Element’s Hall of Fame.