John Harvey was a writer I felt I ought to have read. It all started a couple of years ago when I used to go to Manchester on the train every week. Huddersfield Station seemed to be full of posters advertising his latest book and proclaiming what a fantastic writer he was. But the publishers would say that, wouldn't they?
Well, the advertising obviously worked on me, because when I was choosing books from Borders at Christmas I spotted the latest John Harvey on the 3 for 2 offer and added it to my selection.
Now that I've finally got round to reading the book, Cold in Hand, my only regret is that I didn't read it sooner. It's an extremely well written police procedural featuring DI Charlie Resnick who lives with his lover, DI Lynn Kellog and it's set mainly in Nottingham, with occasional excursions to London.
What really impressed me about the book was the fact that it didn't just reflect modern day society and crime, it didn't just unravel a puzzle, it dealt beautifully with real emotions and complicated relationships. Oh, and it made me cry... I can't think of any other work of crime fiction that has had that effect on me.
If Stuart MacBride is Ian Rankin with a sense of humour, then surely John Harvey is Ian Rankin with soul. One thing's for sure. Cold in Hand may have been the first book of his that I've read, but it certainly won't be the last!
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