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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
A skeleton discovered; murder investigation handled without graphic content
Language
Barely any
Dalziel's characteristic earthiness includes mild profanity
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild campus romantic entanglements as subplot
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking typical of the milieu
Emotional Intensity
Barely any
Mild academic intrigue and social satire; no severe psychological themes
What this book is about
The second Dalziel and Pascoe mystery takes the odd-couple detective pair to a Yorkshire college, where the removal of a statue for restoration reveals a skeleton beneath its plinth. The dead woman is identified as a former principal who was assumed to have emigrated years earlier, and Hill uses the academic setting to develop a tightly plotted mystery while sharpening his satirical eye on higher education. An early indicator of Hill's range and intelligence, with Dalziel and Pascoe's contrasting personalities already fully established.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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