Cold In Hand
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Review
"Impassioned, at times heartbreaking...[Cold in Hand] confirms Harvey as one of our most accomplished writers in any genre." -- "Sunday Telegraph
""If anyone deserves to nudge Ian Rankin from his post as Britain's bestselling crime writer, it's Harvey." -- "Kirkus Review" --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
""If anyone deserves to nudge Ian Rankin from his post as Britain's bestselling crime writer, it's Harvey." -- "Kirkus Review" --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
Book Description
The new bestseller from Cartier Diamond Dagger winner and Sunday Times bestselling author John Harvey
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
John Harvey's DI Charlie Resnick was last seen in full-length format in `Last Rites' in 1998. I, and I'm sure a lot of other, long-term fans thought that book brought the series to a close. Didn't the title chosen by JH indicate this?
Well, apparently not: `Cold in Hand' (the title comes from another one of Charlie's beloved jazz classics) brings the character back, and it's a very welcome return after JH's last non-series novel - the readable, but slightly lacklustre `Gone To Ground'.
The world has advanced in real time (more or less) so Charlie's near retirement age here. And he's shacked-up with the much younger DI Lynne Kellogg, who'd always longed-for Charlie from afar. Colleagues such as Graham Millington, Kevin Naylor, Keith Devine, and his former boss Jack Skelton have all left the scene, as has one of his beloved cats.
Things are looking much cosier for Charlie on the domestic side, but there's major heartache around the corner...
Lynne Kellogg is caught in the centre of a fatal shooting involving two rival street gangs, and although not seriously harmed she's accused by the murdered girl's family of using their daughter as a human shield.
She's also involved in two other ongoing murder investigations, including that of a young immigrant girl who works in a massage parlour. Tied in with this is a sub-plot involving gun running, and an oily piece of work from SOCA (Serious & Organised Crime Agency) called Daines who has re-entered Lynne's life.
I don't want to give anything away, but this is literally a book of two halves. You would be forgiven for thinking it's not a Resnick novel at all when reading the first part as he's almost a peripheral character - with Lynne Kellogg holding centre stage. SPOILER WARNING: At the end of part one however, there's a tragic twist and Charlie, along with a gorgeous tall black officer called Karen Shields who's brought up from the Met to lead a certain investigation, comes to the fore in part two.
There's a large cast of people in this one, but they're all so well delineated that you're never confused about who's who. And as for the main character, well, in previous books, when Charlie went through a crisis or suffered pangs about asking a lady out we went through it with him. This decent, shambolically dressed man who conjured-up fantastic sandwiches from odd bits left in the back of the fridge was a real, living, breathing human being. And here you're almost reduced to tears as he tries to make sense of a tragedy that occurs (I'm choosing my words carefully here!)
Harvey the master craftsman ties everything up superbly well. It's a most satisfying novel and a very strong entry in the series: I'm sure all Resnick fans will enjoy it. However, in construction it's different from all of the others and at over 400 pages, comfortably the longest. You don't have to have read any previous Resnick novels to appreciate it and I'm convinced any newcomers to the series who read `Cold in Hand' will want to read the entire sequence in order, starting with `Lonely Hearts'.
John Harvey has always been a writers' writer: appreciated by his fellow professionals while never achieving quite the vast readership his skills deserve. This book may finally catapult him right up there with the genre's big hitters.
The good news is it looks very much as though Mr Harvey intends bringing the character back for at least one more novel. Long live Charlie Resnick!
Well, apparently not: `Cold in Hand' (the title comes from another one of Charlie's beloved jazz classics) brings the character back, and it's a very welcome return after JH's last non-series novel - the readable, but slightly lacklustre `Gone To Ground'.
The world has advanced in real time (more or less) so Charlie's near retirement age here. And he's shacked-up with the much younger DI Lynne Kellogg, who'd always longed-for Charlie from afar. Colleagues such as Graham Millington, Kevin Naylor, Keith Devine, and his former boss Jack Skelton have all left the scene, as has one of his beloved cats.
Things are looking much cosier for Charlie on the domestic side, but there's major heartache around the corner...
Lynne Kellogg is caught in the centre of a fatal shooting involving two rival street gangs, and although not seriously harmed she's accused by the murdered girl's family of using their daughter as a human shield.
She's also involved in two other ongoing murder investigations, including that of a young immigrant girl who works in a massage parlour. Tied in with this is a sub-plot involving gun running, and an oily piece of work from SOCA (Serious & Organised Crime Agency) called Daines who has re-entered Lynne's life.
I don't want to give anything away, but this is literally a book of two halves. You would be forgiven for thinking it's not a Resnick novel at all when reading the first part as he's almost a peripheral character - with Lynne Kellogg holding centre stage. SPOILER WARNING: At the end of part one however, there's a tragic twist and Charlie, along with a gorgeous tall black officer called Karen Shields who's brought up from the Met to lead a certain investigation, comes to the fore in part two.
There's a large cast of people in this one, but they're all so well delineated that you're never confused about who's who. And as for the main character, well, in previous books, when Charlie went through a crisis or suffered pangs about asking a lady out we went through it with him. This decent, shambolically dressed man who conjured-up fantastic sandwiches from odd bits left in the back of the fridge was a real, living, breathing human being. And here you're almost reduced to tears as he tries to make sense of a tragedy that occurs (I'm choosing my words carefully here!)
Harvey the master craftsman ties everything up superbly well. It's a most satisfying novel and a very strong entry in the series: I'm sure all Resnick fans will enjoy it. However, in construction it's different from all of the others and at over 400 pages, comfortably the longest. You don't have to have read any previous Resnick novels to appreciate it and I'm convinced any newcomers to the series who read `Cold in Hand' will want to read the entire sequence in order, starting with `Lonely Hearts'.
John Harvey has always been a writers' writer: appreciated by his fellow professionals while never achieving quite the vast readership his skills deserve. This book may finally catapult him right up there with the genre's big hitters.
The good news is it looks very much as though Mr Harvey intends bringing the character back for at least one more novel. Long live Charlie Resnick!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The first half of the book moves at a pace which leaves the reader feeling comfortable and confident that all will be put right by the reliable DI Resnick, brought back to the frontline and the competent, DI Lynn Kellogg, who has quickly achieved promotions. Lynn who has learnt a lot from Resnick when she was a young DC on his team and is now his partner personally.
However, this is snatched away by a totally unexpected event. The pace speeds up in the second part of the novel with the introduction of 2 officers from the Met.
Throughout the novel is the theme of the changes that are taking place in society. There is a reference that stuck in my mind when Harvey states the Sunday church bells were ringing summoning people to ... Homebase, B&Q! More seriously, Mike Ramsden is a voice that Harvey uses to explore changes to Britain in the way of gun crime, gangs, people trafficking and the constant changes that the Police service have to deal with in ensuring political correctness/observance of human rights.
Harvey is excellent at conveying human traits and the description of Resnick's emotions in Part 2 are powerful and heart-rendering.
However, this is snatched away by a totally unexpected event. The pace speeds up in the second part of the novel with the introduction of 2 officers from the Met.
Throughout the novel is the theme of the changes that are taking place in society. There is a reference that stuck in my mind when Harvey states the Sunday church bells were ringing summoning people to ... Homebase, B&Q! More seriously, Mike Ramsden is a voice that Harvey uses to explore changes to Britain in the way of gun crime, gangs, people trafficking and the constant changes that the Police service have to deal with in ensuring political correctness/observance of human rights.
Harvey is excellent at conveying human traits and the description of Resnick's emotions in Part 2 are powerful and heart-rendering.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
John Harvey's latest, Cold in Hand, features Charlie Resnick again in an off-center way.
Although early in the book Resnick accepts to figure as the second in command in an investigation involving the shooting of a youth, events take over and Resnick is reduced to the role of a bystander. From this point of view, Harvey weaves a rich emotional canvas and interesting storylines. As can expected from Harvey, he confronts police procedurals with the contemporary crime scene: senseless youth killings in gang wars, with weapons supplied from Eastern Europe. Harvey has an eye for sociological detail and he records the changes in the population, the neigbourhoods and the police force itself. Alert humorous observations, but also melancholic undertones provide an interesting and intelligent narrative. As in his other books, Harvey subtly suggests a soundtrack from jazz recordings Resnick is listening to.
Here also, Harvey shows that he understands this is perhaps not to everyone's taste, as one of his colleagues puts it to Resnick « You were a miserable old bugger sometimes ..., standing sour-faced over a pint and then off home with your tail between your legs to feed the bloody cats and listen to some old crone moaning on, one of them jazz singers you're so fond of ... ».
A rewarding read and a writer in a class of his own.
Although early in the book Resnick accepts to figure as the second in command in an investigation involving the shooting of a youth, events take over and Resnick is reduced to the role of a bystander. From this point of view, Harvey weaves a rich emotional canvas and interesting storylines. As can expected from Harvey, he confronts police procedurals with the contemporary crime scene: senseless youth killings in gang wars, with weapons supplied from Eastern Europe. Harvey has an eye for sociological detail and he records the changes in the population, the neigbourhoods and the police force itself. Alert humorous observations, but also melancholic undertones provide an interesting and intelligent narrative. As in his other books, Harvey subtly suggests a soundtrack from jazz recordings Resnick is listening to.
Here also, Harvey shows that he understands this is perhaps not to everyone's taste, as one of his colleagues puts it to Resnick « You were a miserable old bugger sometimes ..., standing sour-faced over a pint and then off home with your tail between your legs to feed the bloody cats and listen to some old crone moaning on, one of them jazz singers you're so fond of ... ».
A rewarding read and a writer in a class of his own.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
in control
When I first heard what Harvey had planned for this book, my heart sank a little, but he pulls off the return of our old favourite with some aplomb. Read more
Published 11 months ago by CrimeHead
Prepare for a surprise
What really makes this novel powerful and effective as a crime thriller is a twist that comes just over halfway through. Read more
Published 24 months ago by K. Vadaszffy
A standard police procedural
There's not much to inspire here, to be honest - for my tastes at least.
Harvey is compared with both Ian Rankin and Reginald Hill, but I really don't think he's in the... Read more
Harvey is compared with both Ian Rankin and Reginald Hill, but I really don't think he's in the... Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2010 by johnverp
A masterclass in crime writing
John Harvey's thrillers are always of high quality but this one is exceptional. Ranging from Nottingham down to London ,across to the East Anglian fens and on to Eastern Europe, it... Read more
Published on 18 Sep 2009 by J. H. Bretts
Great!
Loved this crime novel. Fast paced, topical and believable. Sad picture of Britain's current society.
Published on 17 April 2009 by Ms. W. Geddert
A game of two halves
I don't often read Harvey's books and I had thought Charlie Resnick was long gone but now he's returned for what, I suppose, will be one last tour of duty. Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2009 by Michael Watson
A pretty ordinary return
I was very happy to see that John Harvey had turned back to Charlie Resnick, one of the best of recent police procedural heroes.
However this is a poor return. Read more
However this is a poor return. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2009 by Mr. Stephen Edwards
Harvey back on form
Like other reviewers, I found Harvey's previous book 'Gone To Ground' a little lacking, but he's back to his best [and bleakest] here. Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2009 by Duncan
A great read from John Harvey
A great read from John Harvey, I thought the plot was fast paced and I could imagine all the places in Nottingham as well. Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2009 by Andy Capp
Cold In Hand
I read this just after re-reading all the others and I started to wonder part way through if Harvey had written it himself. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2009 by racing cat
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