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Gone to Ground: (Grayson & Walker) [Paperback]

John Harvey
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
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Book Description

17 Jan 2008 Grayson & Walker (Book 1)

Will's first thought when he saw the man's face: it was like a glove that had been pulled inside out...

Stephen Bryan, a gay academic, is found brutally murdered in his bathroom. Will Grayson and Helen Walker, police detectives investigating the case, at first assume that his death is the result of an ill-judged sexual encounter: rough trade gone wrong.

But doubts are soon raised. Bryan's laptop has gone missing - could the murder be connected to a biography he was writing on the life and mysterious death of fifties screen legend, Stella Leonard?

Convinced there's a link, Bryan's sister Lesley sets out to prove that Bryan had uncovered a dangerous truth, and that - desperate to keep it hidden - Stella Leonard's rich and influential family have silenced him.

But soon both Lesley and Helen Walker find themselves victims of the violence that swirls around them, as gradually the investigation uncovers the secrets of a family corrupted by lust, wealth and power.


Frequently Bought Together

Gone to Ground: (Grayson & Walker) + Far Cry: (Grayson & Walker) + Flesh And Blood: (Frank Elder)
Price For All Three: £15.72

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Product details

  • Paperback: 496 pages
  • Publisher: Arrow; First printing of this edition edition (17 Jan 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099489961
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099489962
  • Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 3.2 x 17.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 244,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

Harvey is a master craftsman ... this is classic stuff. (Guardian )

I know of no other crime writer who writes so well, has attracted such unanimously positive reviews, and been so respected by his fellow writers. (Marcel Berlins The Times )

Two new detectives give it extra spice, but the old ingredients are all here - stylish writing, cunning plotting, sharp characterisation, thrills, chills, and lime-sharp twists. (Reginald Hill )

Book Description

The first Grayson & Walker novel, from the master of British crime writing.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars solid craftsmanship from harvey 1 Mar 2007
By JefSom
Format:Hardcover
After the Frank Elder novels, John Harvey now offers police detectives Will Grayson and Helen Walker as the main characters in his latest novel.

The scene is set in Cambridge (and Nottingham), and the crimes are directed against homosexuals. An academic is murdered in his own house, and in town several homophobic attacks have occurred. As a sideline, there's the story of a rich entrepreneur who wants to fend of indiscreet interest in an actress who died years ago.

The storylines are presented in a sober,linear progression and they allow Harvey to excel in fluent dialogues and witty references to actuality and modern lifestyle.

On the whole, the complexity and the torment of the Resnick stories are absent, but also the somewhat bitter undertones of the Frank Elder novels.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that the main character, Will Grayson has two young children and tries to be a good husband.

Harvey subtly weaves in police procedures and scientific investigation, but they don't distract from the absorbing storytelling.

The tone of this novel is lighter and more optimistic. If you loved the other Harveys, you'll find yourself in familiar territory. If you're new to his work, this will make for an entertaining read, but it's not groundbreaking.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars First time Harvey reader is blown away. 28 Jan 2008
By pointone TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
This is the first John Harvey novel I have read so I start from a different position to the other reviewers who are long term fans.

"Gone to Ground" succeeds on many fronts, it is exceptionally well written, the dialogue is absolutely believable, and his descriptions of characters and background are succinct but fully rounded.

Above all it is his character development that impresses, he goes well beyond the needs of the plot to include incidents and background that brings everyone to life.

This is not only a fine crime novel, it is also about the characters, and even the minor ones are rounded out to a reasonable degree.

It would appear the novel represents a shift in Harvey's fiction, a move into new territory that does not always meets the expectations of his existing fans; however that may be it suits this new reader perfectly, I have already ordered his next book "Cold in Hand".
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Gail Cooke TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
As a well known thriller writer said of John Harvey, "He writes the way we all wish we could." More than true. If you haven't given yourself the pleasure of reading a Harvey book, do it now. His prose is spare, his plotting is intricately wrought and quickly paced, his characters sharply drawn, affecting. Harvey's descriptive skill captures minds as well as eyes - can you not see "the ivory lozenge" of a doorbell?

A stand alone British police procedural following his enormously successful Charlie Resnick series, Gone to Ground reunites Will Grayson and Helen Walker (who were introduced in an earlier short story ). They're at the top of Cambridge's Major Investigation Team, and have worked together for three years. Now they're faced with a particularly heinous crime - the fatal beating of Stephen Bryan. This was an act so brutal that "the man's face...was like a glove that had been pulled inside out."

Bryan's lodging had been ransacked but what could a gay teacher have had that was worth murder? He was well thought of, apparently liked by his colleagues. When Grayson and Walker learn that Bryan has recently ended a relationship with former lover, Mark McKusick, they focus on him. A crime of jealousy and passion?

However, it's not long before other events catch their eyes - recent homophobic related gang beatings, threats made to Bryan demanding that he stop working on a book he was writing about Stella Leonard, a ` 50s film star. Bryan's sister, Lesley, a radio newscaster is frustrated by what she considers to be lack of results by police so she begins an investigation of her own. Enter Howard Prince, a zealous real estate broker married to Stella's apparently unstable sister, and Natalie Prince, a relative of Stella's and a young actress who has a tendency to run riot.

Together Lesley and Natalie make some astounding discoveries.

However, for this reader it's not the solving of the crime that lingers but the sheer delight in Harvey's telling which, at times, borders on the poetic. He's a consummate craftsman, a topnotch storyteller.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Struggled to finish it
Read this for my book club, and as a huge fan of Peter Robinson, Peter James and Robert Goddard I expected to enjoy it, but in the end I struggled to finish it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Skaty Katie
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read
Another good read from the Womens Murder Club series. James Patterson at his best
Published on 12 July 2010 by avid reader
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
I eventually got round to reading this novel. I had started reading it a couple of times only to be sidetracked. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2009 by I. H. Robinson
4.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book by John Harvey
I really enjoyed this book by John Harvey. Gone to Ground features the detectives Will Grayson and Helen Walker. Read more
Published on 8 Jun 2008 by Andy Capp
1.0 out of 5 stars Why Oh Why?
This is the book that was described by the Guardian as 'classic stuff'. The author is described by Marcel Berlins of the Times unique, such that he 'knows of no other crime writer... Read more
Published on 9 April 2008 by Paul T Horgan
1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointingly dull
I bought this book on the basis of the author's reputation for plot and realism, only to discover that all the plaudits were undeserved. The plot doesn't amount to much. Read more
Published on 22 Feb 2008 by R. H. Wright
4.0 out of 5 stars "Violence that extreme, it suggests real danger, doesn't it?"
A solid mixture of British murder mystery and police procedural this novel orbits around the life a long-dead b-grade film actress and a modern day murder that at first appears to... Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2008
2.0 out of 5 stars Gone to lunch!
This is not the John Harvey we've come to love and respect. A very unconvincing novel which starts well and quickly falls apart. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2008 by nickyb
4.0 out of 5 stars Masterful crime fiction
This is another deeply satisfying and intelligent thriller by John Harvey. He writes so well, in a distinctive pared down style and even his minor characters are lovingly drawn. Read more
Published on 5 Feb 2008 by J. H. Bretts
2.0 out of 5 stars Not so good
I had been looking forward to this book and must admit I was very disappointed. Perhaps having read the Resnick (5 Stars all) and Frank Elder (4 stars) novels and having no... Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2007 by myrydyn
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