🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Reginald Hill
Published in 1973, Ruling Passion is one of the earliest works in the Dalziel and Pascoe story. The novel delves deeper into Pascoe’s psyche than the first two books. Within its pages, Reginald Hill once more introduces Detective Sergeant Pascoe; on a fine morning, Pascoe’s decision to drive down to the village of Thornton Lacey from Yorkshire will leave the detective scarred for life. Taking the drive to meet old friends, the triple murder that greets the Detective Sergeant portends a dark secret; with the crime outside his jurisdiction, Pascoe finds himself stranded, summoned back to Yorkshire by his boss, yet unwilling to believe the involvement of one of his oldest friends in the grisly murder and twice as determined to uncover the true motives hidden behind the crime, It has been said
All Book Series by Reginald Hill
Death Comes for the Fat Man / The Death of Dalziel
Book 21 of 24 · published 2007
A Cure for All Diseases / The Price of Butcher's Meat
Book 23 of 24 · published 2008
Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2022
The Castle of the Demon / The Turning of the Tide
Series opener · book 1 of 21 · published 1971 Pen name · Patrick Ruell
Matlock's System / Heart Clock
Book 4 of 21 · published 1973 Pen name · Dick Morland
Albion! Albion! / Singleton's Law
Book 6 of 21 · published 1974 Pen name · Dick Morland
The Low Road / Death Takes the Low Road
Book 7 of 21 · published 1974 Pen name · Patrick Ruell
Urn Burial / Beyond the Bone
Book 8 of 21 · published 1975 Pen name · Patrick Ruell
There Are No Ghosts in the Soviet Union
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1987
A Candle for Christmas & Other Stories
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2023
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Reginald Hill?
Published in 1973, Ruling Passion is one of the earliest works in the Dalziel and Pascoe story. The novel delves deeper into Pascoe’s psyche than the first two books. Within its pages, Reginald Hill once more introduces Detective Sergeant Pascoe; on a fine morning, Pascoe’s decision to drive down to the village of Thornton Lacey from Yorkshire will leave the detective scarred for life.
Which Reginald Hill series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Dalziel & Pascoe series, the earliest of Reginald Hill's multi-book series: it opens with A Clubbable Woman (1970) and runs to 24 books across 1970–2009, ending with Midnight Fugue (2009). Reginald Hill's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Reginald Hill written?
Reginald Hill has 65 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1970 and 2023. 34 of them belong to 4 named series — the largest being the Dalziel & Pascoe series with 24 books — and 31 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Reginald Hill's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Reginald Hill's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Dalziel & Pascoe (1970–2009, 24 books), Captain Fantom (1978–1979, 2 books) and Dalziel & Pascoe Collections (1979–2022, 3 books), plus 1 more.
How are Reginald Hill's books organised into series?
This guide splits Reginald Hill's 65 books into 4 named series and 31 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Dalziel & Pascoe (24 books, 1970–2009); Joe Sixsmith (5 books, 1993–2008); Dalziel & Pascoe Collections (3 books, 1979–2022); Captain Fantom (2 books, 1978–1979).