Dalziel & Pascoe Collections books in order

Q: "How many Dalziel and Pascoe short story collections are there?"

"There are 3 Dalziel and Pascoe short story collections. These are Pascoe's Ghost (1979), Asking for the Moon (1996), and Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer (2022)."

Q: "Do you need to read the Dalziel and Pascoe novels before the collections?"

"It helps to have some familiarity with the main characters before reading the collections. The short stories assume you know who Dalziel and Pascoe are and how their relationship works, though each story is self-contained."

Q: "What is Pascoe's Ghost about?"

"Pascoe's Ghost is the first collection of Dalziel and Pascoe short stories, published in 1979. It contains several shorter mysteries featuring the detective duo, written between the early novels in the main series."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Pascoe’s Ghost	1979	Reginald Hill	Buy
2	Asking for the Moon	1996	Reginald Hill	Buy
3	Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer	2022	Reginald Hill	Buy

The Dalziel and Pascoe Collections bring together Reginald Hill’s shorter fiction featuring the Yorkshire detective duo. These 3 collections span from 1979 to 2022 and offer a different way to experience the characters. The short story format lets Hill drop Dalziel and Pascoe into tightly focused mysteries without the sprawling subplots of the novels.

Pascoe’s Ghost was the first collection, published in 1979 between the early novels. Asking for the Moon followed in 1996 during the series’ peak years. The most recent collection, Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer, was published posthumously in 2022, a decade after Hill’s death, collecting previously scattered stories for the first time.

These collections work best for readers who already know and enjoy the main series. The stories assume familiarity with the characters and their dynamic, and part of the fun is seeing how Hill adapted his two detectives to the shorter format.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Dalziel and Pascoe short story collections are there?

There are 3 Dalziel and Pascoe short story collections. These are Pascoe’s Ghost (1979), Asking for the Moon (1996), and Dalziel and Pascoe Hunt the Christmas Killer (2022).

Do you need to read the Dalziel and Pascoe novels before the collections?

It helps to have some familiarity with the main characters before reading the collections. The short stories assume you know who Dalziel and Pascoe are and how their relationship works, though each story is self-contained.

What is Pascoe's Ghost about?

Pascoe’s Ghost is the first collection of Dalziel and Pascoe short stories, published in 1979. It contains several shorter mysteries featuring the detective duo, written between the early novels in the main series.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order