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A Candle for Christmas & Other Stories
A fantastic mystery short story collection, the perfect Christmas gift for crime fiction loversA beloved detective dies in a fire
Sherlock Holmes takes a trip to Italy
A disastrous case of mistaken identity
From his well-loved detective duo, DCI Dalziel and DI Pascoe to his own reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, Reginald Hill’s unforgettable characters and unique blend of humour and suspense make him one of Britain’s greatest crime writers. Complete with a foreword by Mick Herron, this collection of short stories showcases the very best of this iconic mystery writer.
Sherlock Holmes takes a trip to Italy
A disastrous case of mistaken identity
From his well-loved detective duo, DCI Dalziel and DI Pascoe to his own reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, Reginald Hill’s unforgettable characters and unique blend of humour and suspense make him one of Britain’s greatest crime writers. Complete with a foreword by Mick Herron, this collection of short stories showcases the very best of this iconic mystery writer.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 26, 2023
46 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Reginald Hill
193 books490 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 27, 2023
4.5
I simply loved this twisty/creepy/Christmasy crime/mystery short story collection.
A Candle for Christmas *****
A Shameful Eating *****
Brother’s Keeper *****
Silent Night *****
The Boy and Man Booker *****
The Italian Sherlock Holmes ***
The Game of Dog *****
The Man Who Defenestrated His Sister *****
Urban Legend *****
Where are All the Naughty People? ****
The Difference ****
On the Psychiatrist’s Couch ****
On the First Day of Christmas ****
I simply loved this twisty/creepy/Christmasy crime/mystery short story collection.
A Candle for Christmas *****
A Shameful Eating *****
Brother’s Keeper *****
Silent Night *****
The Boy and Man Booker *****
The Italian Sherlock Holmes ***
The Game of Dog *****
The Man Who Defenestrated His Sister *****
Urban Legend *****
Where are All the Naughty People? ****
The Difference ****
On the Psychiatrist’s Couch ****
On the First Day of Christmas ****
January 29, 2025
An odd assortment of stories, with some being very crude and creepy and others being more cerebral, A Candle for Christmas, the title story is sort of a mixture of the two. It's solved because of the chief's love of a former mate who meets a nasty end in a conflagration. All is not as it seems in this household whose members have a different view of the Christmas spirit.
February 26, 2024
I had just discovered the Pascoe and Dalziel mystery series at my public library when the author died, so I have never read many stories by author Reginald Hill—two or maybe three at most. I picked up this volume of short stories from my public library as well. It is a posthumous collection of short stories by Hill.
This collection shows how versatile Hill was as an author, as well as how good he was at writing short stories. I like my short stories to have a twist at the end—“O Henry” style in other words—that actually surprises me. Many writers try for a surprise that falls flat. In this collection of Hill stories, there are several that have a surprise twist at the end. Only one failure, in my estimation, and that’s failure may have been my own—possibly I failed to catch a subtle hint as to the meaning underlying the story. Thus, a strong four stars for this collection.
The stories, with my ratings:
* A Candle For Christmas: Three interviews at Christmas time, with Pascal in charge, but Andy Dalziel steering their direction by his manipulations. Andy’s friend has died in a fire that Andy is certain was set by his wife. The wife insists she was a battered wife, and that her contrite husband set himself on fire. Andy’s goal is to prove she is lying. Also, Uncle Andy gives young Rosie Pascal a belated Christmas present, one she had wanted but her mother forbade, using a sneaky manipulation. B+
*A Shameful Eating: A shipwreck results in three men alone in a drifting boat, with a cask of rum but little to eat. They survive but the story omits telling us how, until the ending. Rather a gruesome tale. B
*Brother’s Keeper: A man confesses to a crime committed by his brother. I didn’t understand why, until the final twist. A true O Henry type short story. A
*Silent Night: A ghost story that didn’t make sense to me. Fortunately, it’s short. F
*The Boy and Man Booker: A overly confident writer, who just won a major literary prize, gets several bomb threats. A phone call tells him why. Satire about the literary scene but mainly a tale of revenge. C+
*The Italian Sherlock Holmes: A Sherlock Holmes pastiche, something that normally I detest. This one is fairly well done until the ending, which is a bit muddled. But it is certainly very different in style from the Pascal and Dalziel stories for which Hill is best known. C-
*The Game of Dog: Pascoe plays a game in a pub with some other dog owners—name a human, dead or alive, who they would leave to die in a fire before they rescued their dog. Initially hilarious until a fire occurs at the house of one of the game players. Pascoe puts together, in his head, a perfect murder scheme, but he’ll never prove that the murder occurred, and anyway, he discovers, the (possibly) murdered person was no great loss. A
*The Man Who Defenestrated His Sister: A man lies dead on the pavement. He names his killer, but the story is not simple. Twists and turns that make this a fascinating psychological study. A
*Urban Legend: A short twisty story. An ax murderer. If I say anything more about the plot, I’ll have to put a spoiler tag on it. B+ to A-
*Where Are All the Naughty People?: A child’s view of a life surrounded by graveyards. A paedophile, and an old man’s joke, that changed his life forever. An ending that seemed predictable, with a final twist that was not. Excellent. A+
*The Difference: A short tale about a young warden, who makes friends with a prisoner about to be hanged. C+
*On The Psychiatrist’s Couch: A good one. A serial killer’s monologue to a psychiatrist, with a good twist in the final paragraph. A
*On The First Day of Christmas: A Pascal and Dalziel story about a kidnapped baby. Seems fairly straightforward, the usual humour coupled with a chase scene. But Dalziel adds a reevaluation at the end, changing our understanding of what went before. B+
Thanks to the Greater Victoria Public Library for providing the copy that I read.
This collection shows how versatile Hill was as an author, as well as how good he was at writing short stories. I like my short stories to have a twist at the end—“O Henry” style in other words—that actually surprises me. Many writers try for a surprise that falls flat. In this collection of Hill stories, there are several that have a surprise twist at the end. Only one failure, in my estimation, and that’s failure may have been my own—possibly I failed to catch a subtle hint as to the meaning underlying the story. Thus, a strong four stars for this collection.
The stories, with my ratings:
* A Candle For Christmas: Three interviews at Christmas time, with Pascal in charge, but Andy Dalziel steering their direction by his manipulations. Andy’s friend has died in a fire that Andy is certain was set by his wife. The wife insists she was a battered wife, and that her contrite husband set himself on fire. Andy’s goal is to prove she is lying. Also, Uncle Andy gives young Rosie Pascal a belated Christmas present, one she had wanted but her mother forbade, using a sneaky manipulation. B+
*A Shameful Eating: A shipwreck results in three men alone in a drifting boat, with a cask of rum but little to eat. They survive but the story omits telling us how, until the ending. Rather a gruesome tale. B
*Brother’s Keeper: A man confesses to a crime committed by his brother. I didn’t understand why, until the final twist. A true O Henry type short story. A
*Silent Night: A ghost story that didn’t make sense to me. Fortunately, it’s short. F
*The Boy and Man Booker: A overly confident writer, who just won a major literary prize, gets several bomb threats. A phone call tells him why. Satire about the literary scene but mainly a tale of revenge. C+
*The Italian Sherlock Holmes: A Sherlock Holmes pastiche, something that normally I detest. This one is fairly well done until the ending, which is a bit muddled. But it is certainly very different in style from the Pascal and Dalziel stories for which Hill is best known. C-
*The Game of Dog: Pascoe plays a game in a pub with some other dog owners—name a human, dead or alive, who they would leave to die in a fire before they rescued their dog. Initially hilarious until a fire occurs at the house of one of the game players. Pascoe puts together, in his head, a perfect murder scheme, but he’ll never prove that the murder occurred, and anyway, he discovers, the (possibly) murdered person was no great loss. A
*The Man Who Defenestrated His Sister: A man lies dead on the pavement. He names his killer, but the story is not simple. Twists and turns that make this a fascinating psychological study. A
*Urban Legend: A short twisty story. An ax murderer. If I say anything more about the plot, I’ll have to put a spoiler tag on it. B+ to A-
*Where Are All the Naughty People?: A child’s view of a life surrounded by graveyards. A paedophile, and an old man’s joke, that changed his life forever. An ending that seemed predictable, with a final twist that was not. Excellent. A+
*The Difference: A short tale about a young warden, who makes friends with a prisoner about to be hanged. C+
*On The Psychiatrist’s Couch: A good one. A serial killer’s monologue to a psychiatrist, with a good twist in the final paragraph. A
*On The First Day of Christmas: A Pascal and Dalziel story about a kidnapped baby. Seems fairly straightforward, the usual humour coupled with a chase scene. But Dalziel adds a reevaluation at the end, changing our understanding of what went before. B+
Thanks to the Greater Victoria Public Library for providing the copy that I read.
November 9, 2023
Reginald Hill was one of the best-if not the absolute best- British crime writers. Ultra clever plots, literary,excellent writing,witty, wonderful characters.
These stories (most of which could make a whole novel) are as outstanding as all his production. The Man who... is pure genius,just to name one. Dalziel and co are in several,and to top it all,Mick Herron´s foreword is priceless.
Thank, Mr. Hill. We miss you.
These stories (most of which could make a whole novel) are as outstanding as all his production. The Man who... is pure genius,just to name one. Dalziel and co are in several,and to top it all,Mick Herron´s foreword is priceless.
Thank, Mr. Hill. We miss you.
February 6, 2025
A second and, I believe, final selection of short stories first published in various magazines or crime anthologies, and collected here by Tony Medawar. There are thirteen stories in the collection and all the wonderful variety of Hill’s work is on display – humour, tragedy, mystery and even mild horror. Almost every crime writer seems to have a go at three subjects in their life, and all three appear here – a Holmes pastiche, a solution to the mystery of Jack the Ripper and a tongue-in-cheek look at literary prizes and the egos of those who aspire to them! Hill also wrote several times about the famous Christmas football match that stopped WW1 for a brief moment, and the story he gives us this time is brilliantly done and very moving. We meet a wonderfully twisted serial killer, a doctor with a gruesome way of staying alive after a shipwreck, a woman who wishes she hadn’t decided to research urban legends, a child who wishes he hadn’t decided to play in a graveyard and a man who carries his ambition to become a barrister a little too far. We also get the ultimate treat of three Dalziel and Pascoe stories, one dark, one twisted and one which briefly turns Dalziel, Pascoe and Wieldy into three wise men following a star in search of a baby! Joyous Christmas reading, or for the more daringly unconventional among us, perfect for any time of the year.
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January 20, 2025
Crime fiction may have its origins in the short story (Poe, Conan Doyle) but I don’t love it as a form for the genre, I think because it often relies on clever twists, dark humour, hints of the supernatural rather than the more procedural and character-based stories I prefer. All of that is here—very well done—so I didn’t love every story. But overall this is a very enjoyable collection, including some outings from Dalziel and Pascoe, a Sherlock Holmes story, and one that connected the detective from Trollope’s Eustace Diamonds to *ahem* a well-known Victorian true crime. Clever, sometimes nasty, often funny. Yes, I am a bit behind the season for which many of these were intended, but that’s the luck of the library draw.
December 10, 2024
Reginald Hill is best known as creator of the Dalziel and Pascoe detective duo. This collection of short stories, drawn from various sources and published after the author’s death, covers a variety of styles. Three are with his own detectives and he does a good job of channelling some other writers – Conan Doyle with a Sherlock Holmes and Anthony Trollope with an Inspector Bunfit.
What they all share is some great writing, with engaging characters and some memorable phrases, ‘...a glance at the Pascoes of such classical significance, Christie’s would have needed an export licence to sell it to America.’ – Brilliant!
Despite the title this is not a particularly festive-themed anthology, there’s plenty to enjoy here whatever the time of year. It’s a great read and if you’re new to Hill will have you seeking out more of his work.
What they all share is some great writing, with engaging characters and some memorable phrases, ‘...a glance at the Pascoes of such classical significance, Christie’s would have needed an export licence to sell it to America.’ – Brilliant!
Despite the title this is not a particularly festive-themed anthology, there’s plenty to enjoy here whatever the time of year. It’s a great read and if you’re new to Hill will have you seeking out more of his work.
December 15, 2024
Enjoyed these stories so much. Great to see Dalziel and Pascoe back in a couple and great twists in the others. Fun and a great read. A lovely way to spend a couple of cosy evenings in winter.
June 8, 2024
I am uncertain if I have read any of these short stories by the brilliant Reginald Hill previously, I am a huge fan of his Dalziel and Pascoe series, one of my top favourite pair of detectives of all time. I listened to this on audio, 9 hours long, and there is an insightful introduction from Mick Herron paying homage to the sheer genius of the author, with the outrageous character of Dalziel a gift for any narrator. There are 3 stellar stories featuring them, A Candle for Christmas, The Game of Dog and On the First Day of Christmas. I enjoyed the other stories, including Sherlock in Italy and an arrogantly superior Man Booker prize winner. This is a perfect collection for fans of the author and for readers to introduce themselves to one of the best crime and mystery writers ever.
January 11, 2024
For me, no one writes like Reginald Hill his writing is earthy without being sweary. My daughter bought me this book on my birthday close to Christmas. I sat down to read one story every afternoon with my cup of tea.
I love the characters and the development of the storyline. The endings can sometimes leave you shocked or on a cliff hanger thinking, “What”? Often wondering which way that story could have gone.
He is a master of the short form and I do not know who could replace him but I wish someone would give it a go. In the meantime I will content myself with re readings, snuggled up with a blanket and a dog in the winter time.
I love the characters and the development of the storyline. The endings can sometimes leave you shocked or on a cliff hanger thinking, “What”? Often wondering which way that story could have gone.
He is a master of the short form and I do not know who could replace him but I wish someone would give it a go. In the meantime I will content myself with re readings, snuggled up with a blanket and a dog in the winter time.
December 21, 2024
Rating overall 5
Individual stories ranged from 4 to 5
A very good collection of short fiction by RH.
No stories felt similar for me so it was an easy collection to read from over to cover.
The DaP stories were well written and felt as they do in the novels. The standalone stories were all very enjoyable indeed a couple felt like they could have been expanded at least to novella length the plots were so strong.
Overall solid read and definitely recommend for RH readers who haven’t picked u any of his shorter works before.
Individual stories ranged from 4 to 5
A very good collection of short fiction by RH.
No stories felt similar for me so it was an easy collection to read from over to cover.
The DaP stories were well written and felt as they do in the novels. The standalone stories were all very enjoyable indeed a couple felt like they could have been expanded at least to novella length the plots were so strong.
Overall solid read and definitely recommend for RH readers who haven’t picked u any of his shorter works before.
October 11, 2024
Deeply unpleasant stories, almost all of them, and the prose is strained and appears designed to show Hill as a master of prose, and an academic to boot. I found the stories never permitted me to believe in the characters, or suspend belief, vital for my enjoyment of fiction.
I enjoyed many of the Dalziel and Pascoe adventures. That was Hill as an excellent writer, at home in a genre that suited him.
He should have stayed there.
I enjoyed many of the Dalziel and Pascoe adventures. That was Hill as an excellent writer, at home in a genre that suited him.
He should have stayed there.
December 20, 2024
Like many short story collections, this had some that really hooked me and others that were very mediocre. Not necessarily festive, most just set around or on Christmas.
December 23, 2024
It is an excellent collection of short stories from the late RH.
January 10, 2025
As is usual with short story collections, some were good, some were very good, and some just didn't do it for me. Among the very good were the ones featuring DCI Dalziel and DI Pascoe.
November 16, 2024
Funny, clever selection of Christmas tales. Will definitely hunt more of Reginald hill’s books.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
