Blood Sympathy

This book is an introduction to author Reginald Hill's most unlikely hero, Joe Sixsmith. Joe is a former lathe operator in Luton, middle aged, balding and black, who has been made redundant when the factory in which he worked, closed. A sudden, spur of the moment thought made him invest his redundancy money in a small office and set up in business as a private investigator, without any experience except a love of P.I. movies, tv shows and books. Luck favours the innocent and Joe stumbles into a series of incidents, so bizarre, that they would seem to have been dreamed up in a nightmare. With the help of a new lady friend who was introduced to him by his Aunt Mirabelle as one in a series of likely marriage prospects, he fumbles and stumbles his way around bodies, unsympathetic police constables and gangsters who are determined to retrieve the large quantity of cocaine they are convinced he is hiding. Joe is just so out of his depth that sheer blind ignorance protects him. It's a light, funny read and a most enjoyable one.

Blood Sympathy is nothing like Hill's Dalziel/Pascoe books, which are quite weighty and literary for thrillers (and which I enjoy, though they're not my favorites). Joe Sixsmith is extremely appealing, a bumbler of a detective who trusts to luck to keep him safe and on the trail, and the plot is entertainingly twisty. If you like your mysteries light and modern, this is one you should try.

This is no deep tome but I enjoyed it tremendously--laughed out loud again and again. Hill is so inventive with such wit and a good understanding of human nature. It's a mystery to me why lesser books and writers sell so much more. This is fine writing and great entertainment both, better than 99 percent of the mysteries out there. Lighter than his other series but worthwhile all the same.

This is my first acquaintance with Joe Sixsmith. While I found him to be slightly shallow for a hero, the book was very enjoyable. I look forward to reading others by the same author.