Death of a Dormouse

A very good psychological suspense wherein a woman goes from "dormouse" that is totally subdued to a fighter: for her rights and for a life as she wants to live it. Reginald Hill is one of the best English mystery writers and he shows his stuff here. This work reminds me of Rendell in one of her good psychological mysteries and he is as competant as she is in showing "what makes people tick".

"Death of a Dormouse" is one of the Reginald Hill early mysteries now being reprinted in the "Felony and Mayhem Mysteries." This book is intricately and convincingly plotted and definitely falls into the "page-turner" category. It's hard to put down. Unlike Hill's later books that feature a detective team, "Death of a Dormouse" is the story of a timid and passive woman seriously wronged by her dead husband who has to peel back her twenty year marital relationship in order to reinvent herself and get on with life. The peeling back proves to be extremely dangerous and one unlikely discovery after another about her husband's business and extra-marital activities threaten to violently end her life. The evolution of the heroine into a resourceful and cunning player is as interesting as the extraordinary plot line. This is an excellent read, particularly if you have NOT already read "The Spy's Wife," to which "Death of a Dormouse" owes some of its theme.

I am a fan of Hill's. This is a great read if you like his work, particularly his characterizations. It is one of the few crime novels that I have kept to reread. The only drawback is that you keep wanting to race ahead to outguess him and this detracts from enjoying the journey. I highly recommend it. An added bonus is the very nice Felony & Mayhem presentation.