Dialogues of the Dead by Reginald Hill isbn 0-385-33600-4 Delacorte Press January 2002

The stalwarts of British police procedurals, Dalzeil (pronounced Dale) and Pascoe are back in a new book Dialogues of the Dead. Reginald Hill's new book pits the two detectives against a killer who openly brags about his murders through riddles and a dialogue describing the killing. The first dialogue is written and submitted to a newspaper's writing contest. When a second appears linked to a second death and then a third; Dalzeil and Pascoe andthe Yorkshire police find they're up against a killer they come to call the Wordman. Mr. Hill is quite the prolific author. He was honored at Milwaukee's Bouchercon for his body of work, in series and out. He consistently uses the language to its fullest, no more so than in Dialogues of the Dead where intellect is just as important to solve the crime as action. If you and he will permit me some small, poor wordplay myself, "You won't be buying a lemon from this Limey."

Dialogues of the Dead is currently available.

David Biemann