Distasteful Dalziel
Review of the Grafton Books paperback edition (1987) of the Collins Crime Club hardcover original (1978)

I thought the fifth in the Dalziel (pronounced Dee-Ell) and Pascoe series treated its various distasteful themes of exploitation and violence too lightly. Pascoe is diligent enough in his investigation while it seems as if the odious inspector Dalziel is downplaying what seems like the common sense instincts of the junior detective. In the end Dalziel does come around and the gang of exploiters is arrested in a rather swift and disappointing finish.

I re-read A Pinch of Snuff due to a recent discovery of my old mystery paperbacks from the 1980s in a storage locker cleanout. I was also curious about the precedents for Mick Herron's Jackson Lamb in the Slough House espionage series in the personality of Reginald Hill's Chief Inspector Andy Dalziel, which Herron has acknowledged.

See photograph at https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FZkxI4CXkAAu2sG?format=jpg&name=large
Book haul of the early Dalziel and Pascoe paperbacks, mostly from Grafton Books in the 1980s. Image sourced from Twitter.

Trivia and Link
A Pinch of Snuff was adapted as a separate 3-episode TV mini-series in 1994 before the later and better known TV series of Dalziel and Pascoe (1996-2007). Author Reginald Hill was so disappointed in the adaptation that he did not approve further adaptations with that cast. I could not find an online trailer or posting of the episodes. Information about the miniseries can be found on Wikipedia. ( )

A Pinch of Snuff by Reginald Hill is the fifth book in the Dalziel and Pascoe series of crime novels and was originally published in 1978. It very much brings back echoes of the late 1970s, both in setting, fashion and social behavior. The contrast between the two detectives is very much part of the appeal of the series. Dalziel is crude, tactless and appears to lack any manners, he seems to delight in acting the buffoon but in actuality, he is clever and very much aware of what is going on around him. Pascoe is more of a surface intellectual, empathetic and educated and tends to lead with his feelings and while these two make an excellent combination, the relationship is far from easy.

This particular case involves the pornographic film industry and involves murder as well as the rape of an underage young girl. When Pascoe’s dentist tells him about a film he saw at a private cinema club, he is sure that the film went too far and the woman in the picture was actually beaten or perhaps even killed. Pascoe starts to investigate and suddenly things start to escalate.

A Pinch of Snuff wasn’t an easy read. It’s subject matter of porn, violence to women, and child exploitation were difficult to read about especially as seen through the windshield of the 1970s. I can certainly see the appeal of these detectives as the author adds plenty of sardonic social commentary that kept me interested. One of my reading goals is to read as many of the 100 books that appear on H. R. F. Keating’s 100 Best Crime and Mystery Books so I am happy to be able to tick this one off. ( )

There’s a new club in town, one that shows “blue movies” to a select clientele. All a bit of harmless fun, really, but when Detective Sergeant Peter Pascoe’s dentist suggests that one such film might have included some real violence to a woman, Pascoe feels obliged to follow through; before he can do too much, however, the dentist is accused of statutory rape, the owner of the club is killed and the club itself is wrecked. Somehow all these threads are linked, and Pascoe has to try to unravel them, without much support from Detective Superintendent Dalziel…. The story here is quite intricate and well constructed, with lots of red herrings and other diversions along the way. It was first published in 1984, though, and it’s quite shocking to modern readers to encounter the way domestic violence was treated in those days: basically a “shrug and forget it” from the police, and the community in general. Sensitive readers might be disconcerted, so only a mild recommendation from me. ( )

Pascoe gets a tip that the local private film club may be showing snuff films but Dalziel doesn't seem that interested until the owner of the club is found dead. Several twists and turns before it is revealed Dalziel, as usual, had been following his own agenda and kept it close to his chest. ( )

Up to the usual high standard of the Dalziel & Pascoe series but just shy of the cherry-on-top perfection of my all-time favourites. Reginald Hill's average writing is far better than most other writers' best, however. ( )