John Harvey – Cold In Hand. British Crime Fiction At Its Best

A fast-paced action thriller, which lulls you into a false sense that all will end well. The twists in the plot not only lend credibility to the book but also make you think. The action takes place in Nottingham and London and does seem authentic and there are some nice turns of phrase. In fact. It’s rather nice to have a provincial town as the centre of the story, although it was pleasing to see the little note at the back about the websites where you can find out bout Nottingham for a more balanced view of the town.

I found the main character sympathetic, not too young and not too old, not too ugly and not too handsome. He lives in the pages as a real person so one gets involved in his story, although I don’t share his passion for jazz. The other characters were well drawn, one could see them and hear their voices. I also liked the light touch John Harvey displayed in his descriptions of the technical side of policing – after all, it’s all about people, isn’t it? He never made that part dominant to the detriment of the characters

So a quick exciting read for a rainy day. I enjoyed this book and will look to buy more thrillers by John Harvey.