Series:

Discworld

Main description:

At long last, Lady Sybil has lured her husband, Sam Vimes, on a well-deserved holiday away from the crime and grime of Ankh-Morpork. But for the commander of the City Watch, a vacation in the country is anything but relaxing. The balls, the teas, the muck—not to mention all that fresh air and birdsong—are more than a bit taxing on a cynical city-born and -bred copper.

Yet a policeman will find a crime anywhere if he decides to look hard enough, and it's not long before a body is discovered, and Sam—out of his jurisdiction, out of his element, and out of bacon sandwiches (thanks to his well-meaning wife)—must rely on his instincts, guile, and street smarts to see justice done. As he sets off on the chase, though, he must remember to watch where he steps. . . . This is the countryside, after all, and the streets most definitely are not paved with gold.

Review quote:

“…[SNUFF is a] lively outing, complete with sly shout-outs to Jane Austen and gritty police procedurals.”

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“A triumphant effort.”

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“Brilliantly complex.”

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“Funny, of course, but with plenty of hard edges; and, along with the excellent lessons in practical police work, genuine sympathy for the ordinary copper’s lot. . . . A treat no fan of Discworld—and there are boatloads of them—will want to miss.”

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“In short, this is as busy and as daft as any other Discworld yarn, which means it is the quintessence of daft. Nobody writes fantasy funnier than Pratchett.”

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“In the history of comic fantasy, Mr. Pratchett has no equals for invention or for range. ”

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“Like Pratchett, [narrator Stephen Briggs] loves the comic rhythm, sound, and very taste of words-just for their own sake. So order up a tuna-spaghetti-jam sandwich (with sprinkles) and be prepared for a wonderful time.”

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“Series followers will delight in this latest entry. . . . Pratchett’s fun, irreverent-seeming story line masks a larger discussion of social inequalities and the courage it takes to stand up for the voiceless.”

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“The humor is sharp and the characters are charming, and the plight of the goblins creates moments of genuine pathos that are the highlight of the book.”

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“Thirty-seven books in and ... Discworld is still going strong...and doing so with undimmed, triumphant exuberance. ”

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“This account of Unseen University’s entry into the world of soccer (or, as they occasionally call it, “foot-the-ball”) pushes past the usual conventions of satire to offer equal parts absurdist philosophy and heartwarming romance....A witty addition to the long-running fantasy series”