My New Favourite Crime Writer - John Harvey

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!

Until It's Over by Nicci French

In and amongst the tidying and filing, I managed to read another crime novel this weekend, to keep myself sane. It was Until It's Over by the husband and wife writing team, Nicci French. The fact that I managed to read it so quickly is a testimony to its power as a page-turner, given that it was 377 pages long. I had got it in a nice big book club paperback edition from one of my local book discount shops for £2.50, so it was a real bargain.

Until It's Over is a psychological thriller that really does play games with your head. It makes you feel as if one of the main characters is going mad when murders mysteriously happen around her. Why and how are they happening that way? Is she really involved in the killing spree? Does she herself even know whether she is or isn't?

I found the book gripping and the ensemble cast of characters interesting. I'm not quite so sure that the second half worked as well as the first half - I can't go into any more detail without giving away the plot. However I did find the final chapter genuinely moving and, all in all, the book was a satisfying read.