This is book number 39 in the Discworld series.
“A lively outing, complete with sly shout-outs to Jane Austen and gritty police procedurals.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
In Terry Pratchett’s delightful New York Times bestselling tale of crime, class, prejudice, and punishment, Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on vacation. But this is Discworld, where nothing goes as planned—and hilarious adventure ensues.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse.
At long last, Lady Sybil has lured her husband, Sam Vimes, on a well-deserved and long-overdue holiday. 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.
The policeman is back on familiar ground when a body is found—the first of many, many corpses—and an ancient crime more terrible than murder is uncovered. Out of his jurisdiction, out of his element, and out of bacon sandwiches (thanks to his well-meaning wife)—Sam must rely on his copper’s instincts, guile, and Ankh-Morpork 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.
The Discworld novels can be read in any order, but Snuff is the 8th book in the City Watch collection and the 39th Discworld book.
The City Watch series in order:
Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed author of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Color of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of more than fifty bestselling books which have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for his young adult novel, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest services to literature was to avoid writing any. He lived in England and died in 2015 at the age of sixty-six.
“Bounding between a wealth of settings and scenarios, Pratchett has forged a wicked roster of heroines and heroes, including several members of ‘the occult community’ and Sam Vimes, a policeman who has risen from the slums of Ankh-Morpork to a dukedom without ditching his street smarts. . . . His first Discworld book may have been a frolic, but his magic has long since been set in strong moral mortar.” — Washington Post
“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.” — Booklist
"A lively outing, complete with sly shout-outs to Jane Austen and gritty police procedurals.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“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.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Series followers will delight in this latest entry as it offers them a chance to catch up with Pratchett’s recurring protagonist while enjoying a tight, fast-paced take on the traditional police procedural novel. As often happens, 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.” — Library Journal
“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.” — Tor.com
“In the history of comic fantasy, Mr. Pratchett has no equals for invention or for range. ” — Wall Street Journal
“A triumphant effort.” — The Independent on Sunday
“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.” — AudioFile Magazine