What do you think?
Rate this book
Top Hard
As he watches criminals target a French lorry in a layby, Stones McClure thinks his plans might actually come together for once. He's looking forward to a life full of everything he could possibly want - money, cars, a pair of fancy cowboy boots. But things aren't always what they seem. And Stones should know it better than anyone.
It's Nottinghamshire, England, in 1998. Derelict pits, decaying villages, rundown housing estates - all surrounded by vast, historic mansions in country parks known as the Dukeries. And there's no sign of Robin Hood to spread a bit of the wealth around.
In a world full of injustice, among people still haunted by memories of the Miners' Strike, Stones is a man trying to put his old life behind him for good. But survival in this part of the world depends on the Top Hard Rule - you can't trust anyone these days .
Now it's all about to go very wrong for Stones McClure. Someone is definitely out to get him. And most surprising of all, it isn't one of the women in his life...
Told in a unique voice, with a cast of extraordinary characters, 'Top Hard' is an irreverent crime story set in a memorable time and place. In 1998, it was a finalist for the Crime Writers' Association's New Writing (Debut Dagger) Award.
Stephen Booth is the multiple award-winning author of the Ben Cooper and Diane Fry series.
"One of our best story tellers" - Sunday Telegraph
"One of the elite British mystery writers" - Washington Times
"Booth delivers some of the best crime fiction in the UK" - Manchester Evening News
"There are few, if any, contemporary writers who do this as well as Stephen Booth" - Arena Magazine
"Ingeniously plotted and richly atmospheric" - Reginald Hill
It's Nottinghamshire, England, in 1998. Derelict pits, decaying villages, rundown housing estates - all surrounded by vast, historic mansions in country parks known as the Dukeries. And there's no sign of Robin Hood to spread a bit of the wealth around.
In a world full of injustice, among people still haunted by memories of the Miners' Strike, Stones is a man trying to put his old life behind him for good. But survival in this part of the world depends on the Top Hard Rule - you can't trust anyone these days .
Now it's all about to go very wrong for Stones McClure. Someone is definitely out to get him. And most surprising of all, it isn't one of the women in his life...
Told in a unique voice, with a cast of extraordinary characters, 'Top Hard' is an irreverent crime story set in a memorable time and place. In 1998, it was a finalist for the Crime Writers' Association's New Writing (Debut Dagger) Award.
Stephen Booth is the multiple award-winning author of the Ben Cooper and Diane Fry series.
"One of our best story tellers" - Sunday Telegraph
"One of the elite British mystery writers" - Washington Times
"Booth delivers some of the best crime fiction in the UK" - Manchester Evening News
"There are few, if any, contemporary writers who do this as well as Stephen Booth" - Arena Magazine
"Ingeniously plotted and richly atmospheric" - Reginald Hill
- GenresMystery
306 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2011
28 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Booth
56 books677 followersStephen Booth is the author of 18 novels in the Cooper & Fry series, all set around England's Peak District, and a standalone novel DROWNED LIVES, published in August 2019.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
The Cooper & Fry series has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Detective Constable Cooper has been a finalist for the Sherlock Award for Best Detective created by a British author. The Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers most pleasure.”
The novels are sold all around the world, with translations in 16 languages. The most recent title is FALL DOWN DEAD.
A new Stephen Booth standalone novel with a historical theme, DROWNED LIVES, will be published in August 2019:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drowned-Live...
In recent years, Stephen has become a Library Champion in support of the UK’s ‘Love Libraries’ campaign. He's represented British literature at the Helsinki Book Fair in Finland, appeared with Alexander McCall Smith at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in Australia, filmed a documentary for 20th Century Fox on the French detective Vidocq, taken part in online chats for World Book Day, taught crime writing courses, and visited prisons to talk to prisoners about writing.
He lives in Nottinghamshire.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 15, 2013
Set in his native Nottinghamshire, "Top Hard" is a wonderful stand-alone novel by Stephen Booth, better knon for his Cooper and Fry series. Packed with unforgettable characters this is a humorous crime novel. "Stones McClure", the hero, is a loveable rogue you can't help rooting for. Behind the humour though lies the dark truth of the aftermath of the miner's strikes of the mid 80's.
October 25, 2017
Brilliant.
Great book, having read most of Stephen Booths books I was a bit unsure about this one, so glad I made the effort to read it. I know the area well, and there is a lot of good interesting facts in this book, plus the miners strike and the pits etc. I thought Stones was a bit more than a criminal, and it proved to be so. Well done Stephen and keep writing mate.
Great book, having read most of Stephen Booths books I was a bit unsure about this one, so glad I made the effort to read it. I know the area well, and there is a lot of good interesting facts in this book, plus the miners strike and the pits etc. I thought Stones was a bit more than a criminal, and it proved to be so. Well done Stephen and keep writing mate.
September 9, 2012
A jolly good read took me a while to get into at first but then I was busy with not much time to read.
I liked the humour and grew to like the characters, was intersting to read about Nottingham side for a change and quite different from Stevens other books. Well worth publishing.
I liked the humour and grew to like the characters, was intersting to read about Nottingham side for a change and quite different from Stevens other books. Well worth publishing.
March 17, 2021
Early work!
Meh. It’s sort-of good and quite fun, and nice that it’s being shared with Booth’s loyal fans, so, speaking as a completionist, thanks for that.
It’s just not *that* great … I’m glad I read it but it doesn’t have the body, structure and maturity of Cooper and Fry, whom I love with irrational passion. It’s all a bit matey and blokey for me … and yes, I do know that Booth is doing this on purpose, that it’s part of what he’s up to in this period piece.
I just didn’t love it like I love C&F. Sorry, Stephen, readers like me must drive you nuts … I promise to *try* to be more open-minded. :)
Meh. It’s sort-of good and quite fun, and nice that it’s being shared with Booth’s loyal fans, so, speaking as a completionist, thanks for that.
It’s just not *that* great … I’m glad I read it but it doesn’t have the body, structure and maturity of Cooper and Fry, whom I love with irrational passion. It’s all a bit matey and blokey for me … and yes, I do know that Booth is doing this on purpose, that it’s part of what he’s up to in this period piece.
I just didn’t love it like I love C&F. Sorry, Stephen, readers like me must drive you nuts … I promise to *try* to be more open-minded. :)
May 15, 2017
Boring
Very disappointed with this book, quite boring. Different to his other work. I would not recommend this to other people.
Very disappointed with this book, quite boring. Different to his other work. I would not recommend this to other people.
August 19, 2022
Terrible, almost like Stephen didn't write it!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews