John Harvey's Resnick novels have garnered much praise, so it's strange to say the least that he isn't perhaps as well-known as the likes of Ian Rankin et all. Thankfully that may change has Harvey has notched up a major Crime Writers Award (CWA) award in recent times - but ironically not for a Resnick novel.
Now's The Time contains all the Resnick short stories, and gives the reader the opportunity to know more about some of the minor characters that populated the novels. What's really impressive is the way that Harvey takes the short story format and makes them all compelling, entertaining and satisfying. Unlike many novelists whose efforts at short stories seem somewhat disappointing - Harvey's are fantastic. Maybe it has something to do with also being a poet - but there are no wasted words here; and every story is worth reading. A fine collection.