Wasted Years

Charlie Resnick #5

by John Harvey

A series of brutal robberies takes Detective Inspector Charlie Resnick back ten years.





To a time when a rash of very similar incidents left him face to face with a frenzied sociopath who nearly brought his life to a premature end - and to a time when his wife ran off with her lover, putting paid to their marriage and leaving him with a psychic wound that still hasn't healed.





Now with the look-alike robberies escalating in violence, Resnick fights to track the men down before they kill, just as he fights to stem the poignant memories that threaten to overwhelm him.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, British Literature, Procedural

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

aka Jon Barton, William S. Brady (with Angus Wells), L.J. Coburn (with Laurence James), J.B. Dancer (with Angus Wells), John B. Harvey, William M. James (with Terry Harknett and Laurence James), Terry Lennox, John J. McLaglen (with Laurence James), James Mann, Thom Ryder, J.D. Sandon (with Angus Wells), Jon Hart

John Harvey (born 21 December 1938 in London) is a British author of crime fiction most famous for his series of jazz-influenced Charlie Resnick novels, based in the City of Nottingham. Harvey has also published over 90 books under various names, and has worked on scripts for TV and radio. He also ran Slow Dancer Press from 1977 to 1999 publishing poetry. The first Resnick novel, Lonely Hearts, was published in 1989, and was named by The Times as one of the 100 Greatest Crime Novels of the Century. Harvey brought the series to an end in 1998 with Last Rites, though Resnick has since made peripheral appearances in Harvey's new Frank Elder series. The protagonist Elder is a retired detective who now lives, as Harvey briefly did, in Cornwall. The first novel in this series, Flesh and Blood, won Harvey the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2004, an accolade many crime fiction critics thought long overdue. In 2007 he was awarded the Diamond Dagger for a Lifetime's Contribution to the genre. On 14th July 2009 he received an honorary degree (Doctor of Letters) from the University of Nottingham in recognition of his literary eminence and his associations with both the University and Nottingham (particularly in the Charlie Resnick novels). He is also a big Notts County fan.

Reviews

[John McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Deb Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a feeling of melancholy throughout this one, true to the title, Wasted Years. Although this is a police procedural, it is even more a character study of Charles Resnick the man. As readers of the first four books in the series know, Resnick and his wife, Elaine, parted company in the recent past, but until this book, we never knew the details of their relationship. This information, along with other details from Resnick's past, offers insights into the man and the policeman that Resnick is at present.

Refreshingly, Resnick isn't one of those police detectives with serious drinking or womanizing issues. Music, jazz specifically, is Resnick's passion. He is a good cop and a decent human being.

This series is well-written and the characters are interesting. A solid choice for an enjoyable reading experience.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this entry refers to two things: a look back at Charlie Resnick's failed marriage, with his hours on the job compounded by his wife's infidelity; and a look back at a case where Charlie confronted a career thief with a shotgun, a tense moment that ended with the criminal going to jail for 10 years -- and in the current day, about to be paroled.

If there is a crime theme to this entry, it's robbery. On the one hand, a group of slick professionals are pulling off bank jobs and baffling a police task force. On the other, there is a sad-sack pair of underclass young men -- Keith, a slightly built car thief, and his domineering partner Darren, who sets up their low-level bank robberies and is growing increasingly violent and unstable.

It turns out that Keith's father is a former rock drummer whom Resnick remembers from his youth, and both of them remember a sultry blues singer named Ruth who was married to the man who is getting out of jail and might become the target of his revenge.

So with both subplots linked through this bridge, everything unfolds with Harvey's usual fine pacing and ear for dialog. Who is behind the mastermind robberies? Will Darren get his comeuppance? And just as importantly, will Resnick's young detective Kevin be able to withstand the lures of one of his witnesses and get back together with his wife?

All in due time, dear readers, all in due time.

[Jo Jenner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy Charlie Resnick and I haven't read these books in order but when a prisoner is about to be released after 10 years Charlie's thoughts go back to ten years previously and the collapse of his marriage as well as his move from uniform into CID.
the story was strong and interesting but I felt the middle section about 10 years previously should have been its own book and it felt like John Harvey didn't have enough material for two separate books so he strung them together to produce this one.
I will read others in this series because I have read better ones but this is one you could definitely afford to miss.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The non-linear timeline made this one more difficult to understand than usual, and it's definitely more about the characters than the police procedural or mystery aspect, but overall it was an enjoyable story.

[Andrew Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would never give any authors work less than 3 stars as I respect the work that goes into a book. This was good in places but found it hard going and struggled to finish it. It's an OK read but not quite for me. It hasn't put me off reading other Charles Resnick books. I'll give him another go.

[Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first John Harvey/Resnick novel. Having vowed to steer clear of formulaic detective novels, I relaxed my rule when I noticed this was set in nearby Nottingham.

What a pleasant surprise it was. Well written, well scripted, good story and solid characters. He manages to give the feeling of the city's dark underbelly through the characters and their circumstances within overplaying it. I suppose the local appeal did play a part as it was set on and around streets and areas I am very familiar with but I do not think this affected a well deserved four star rating.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Philip Jackson reads John Harvey's thriller

Broadcast on:
BBC Radio 7, 1:30pm Monday 19th July 2010
Duration:
30 minutes
Available until:
2:02pm Monday 26th July 2010
Categories:
Drama, Crime

Not for me at this time.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
The detective investigates a series of robberies which echo crimes from the 1960s. Jazz-influenced crime thriller, set in Nottingham

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The complex plot enhances this character study masquerading as a police procedural. I love the Charlie Resnick books...

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read

[John Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good storyline and interesting characters.

[Bruno Menetrier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le britannique John Harvey excelle dans la peinture sociale de l'Angleterre des années Thatcher et l'on retrouve ici l'inspecteur Resnick, grand amateur de jazz et de blues. Deux époques (1981 et 1992), deux séries de braquages, deux enquêtes.

Dans l'univers abondant et varié du polar britannique, John Harvey est l'un de nos écrivains préférés.
Avec la série des enquêtes du policier Charles Resnick, cet auteur qui va aujourd'hui sur ses 90 ans, s'était fait une spécialité de la peinture sociale des années Thatcher dans une ville provinciale du centre de l'Angleterre, Nottingham, dans la région des Midlands.
Les années perdues est la cinquième enquête de Resnick, écrite en 1993, publiée en français en 1998 et rééditée aujourd'hui chez Payot/Rivages pour cette rentrée littéraire de l'hiver 2026.

Charles Resnick est donc l'un des shérifs flics de Nottingham.
D'origine polonaise, il apprécie le jazz, le whisky et les chats.
Le récit va alterner deux époques et deux enquêtes : en 1981, Resnick est encore marié et enquête sur une série de braquages avec un collègue un peu ripoux.
Une série de braquages particulièrement violents et réussis.
Onze ans plus tard, en 1992, Resnick est désormais divorcé mais il a pris du galon, de la maturité, de l'expérience. Et du poids.
Une série de braquages particulièrement violents et réussis met de nouveau la police sur les dents.
Bref, en onze ans la société anglaise n'a guère changé, seuls les hommes ont un peu vieilli.

➔ Les intrigues policières de John Harvey sont surtout le prétexte à une description minutieuse de la société anglaise des années Thatcher. Autant dire que misère et chômage, racisme et violence, sont au cœur de chaque histoire.
C'est la consistance des personnages, secondaires ou principaux, leur authenticité, qui fait la force de ces romans.
Harvey s'intéresse à ses personnages : des personnages épais, denses, fouillés, complexes, qui restent toujours des gens ordinaires. Il fait preuve d'une réelle empathie pour toutes ses créatures, les bonnes comme les mauvaises.
➔ La prose de John Harvey est soignée, il n'y a pas d'autre mot.
C'est une lecture fluide, intelligente et très agréable.
Un peu dans le style du suédois Henning Mankel, pour le côté social et humain, et surtout de son presque compatriote l'écossais Ian Rankin, pour le côté désenchanté et désabusé.
Pas d'effets tonitruants, ni dans l'intrigue ni dans le style, mais une écriture qui se place très très au-delà des polars tgv qu'on n'arrive pas toujours à éviter.
J'avoue tout de même que cet épisode n'est pas mon préféré de la série (je ne sais pas trop pourquoi, peut-être une intrigue moins prenante ou le mélange des deux époques ...). Mais il y en a plein d'autres à découvrir !

[Mark Edlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery series - it is a bit hard to follow the time line in this book as it keeps flipping back and forth between decades. In the course of the book we got some of Resnick's back story (how he met Elaine and where the cats came from). Moves along well. Divine is still a jerk.
No Canadian references
Pharmacy references - mention of Boots for makeup and a prescription for diazepam (why do they always capitalize the generic names?); mention of a truck carrying pharmaceuticals.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up from my book club's trolley last week. I haven't read anything by this author before, but I think I would read another book from this series.

I felt that we got to know a lot about the characters - the author gave little tidbits of information that made them feel more real, such as what they ate at lunchtime. It was a nice easy read, and felt similar to the authors I'm used to. In fact, it reminded me a little bit of a Ruth Rendell book.

[Michael Bellamy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoy John Harvey Resnick Books. This one is no exception. Title taken from one of Resnick's favourite beloved Jazz songs. Resnick and his team solve the major crime , which started 10 years ago,
they also have to deal with a young lad who wants to be a gangster with a gun. This ends badly with the teenager shot dead by the police while robbing a Building society . Evan more wasted years !

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good police procedural novel in the DI. Charlie Resnick series. Slow pace to start and takes awhile to organise the characters in the mind, the book then moves on rapidly. The DC Rains link was difficult to follow and seemed to leave loose ends, otherwise an enjoyable read.

[Lorraine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an ok read, a police story set in the 80's with all the police 'banter' and violence of those times. Set in Nottingham, my home town, so it mentions places I'm familiar with. It may have benefited if I'd read all the previous ones but I'd only read one other Resnick.

[Stephen Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jazz loving copper with a troubled home life. I'd have given another star if Charlie Resnick liked two tone and had a brace of very happy girl or boy friends...

[Hester · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf . Not my thing .

[Sara Aye Moung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series. Gritty but tempered with humour . Looking forward to read the next one

[Marina56 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent writer. I don't understand why he's not more widely known and appreciated.

[Maryjane Nordgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

so many names - so many jumps in time and perspective - almost not worth the effort for a light read

[Aki Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

我們每天死去一點。

[Gary Cupitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasted Years seems a bit harsh, more like a couple of weeks. Definitely not one of the author's best

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems ridiculous to hem in some great writers as only "genre" writers, because they're just so damned good at what they do, but at his heart that is what Harvey is: a crime writer. But what a crime writer! If you want to get a feel for what it was like in England in the 1960s, 1980s (check out the riots in England at the time), and 1990s (all covered in this book), his novels are probably as good a place to go as any "serious" fiction. Harvey has an eye for detail (be it character, dialogue or environment) that reminds me of Balzac or Dickens, but he delivers it with an economy that those two writers would find shocking.

Wasted Years, the fifth "Charlie Resnick," novel is more of the same. Since I'm not reading these in sequence, this particular entry brought me up to speed in such a way that it didn't matter. I learned more about Resnick, his previous marriage, his love of music (jazz, blues), an inability to keep his tie clean. It's Resnick's love of music that creates connections for various characters in the novel. The "wasted years" of the title comes from an old blues song, which effectively works as a refrain throughout the novel. Resnick heard the song sung by a great flash-in-the-pan singer at a club back in 1969 (these club moments seem so authentic, and are great if you're into the history of jazz, blues, and rock), the same place where he would meet his future wife. Zoom forward a bit, and the same singer is married to a hard man -- and a robber that Resnick would take part in arresting. The "arrest" is something of a frame-up by a crooked cop. Zoom forward a bit more, and that same hard man is getting ready to be released, and no one knows if he has revenge list in hand.

Spiraling out from this are a few other stories that are robbery connected. One involves a couple of young idiot robbers, another involves what seems to be a professional bunch of robbers that are proving hard to catch. But the novel’s theme isn't so much robbery -- but betrayal. Harvey sees plenty of them, but not in any accusatory way. We all commit them, live through them, adjust. It's what we do with such moments that make us more (or less) human. On Harvey's crime and punishment canvas, which involves cops & robbers, fathers and sons, husbands and wives (and lovers), this is as compelling as it
gets.

[David Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read John Harvey’s later works I knew he was a great writer. It was this faith that has sustained me through the first four books of his Charlie Resnick series. Charlie is a divorced, forty something, jazz-loving Detective Inspector with the Nottingham police force who solves crimes one plodding step at a time. I say plodding in a good way as he does not make unbelievable jumps in reasonable logic to suddenly solve the case; rather he takes the information at hand and pursues it relentlessly. The Resnick books are just plain old good police procedurals.
The weakness of the first four has been the lack of character depth and the tightness of the plots, but having read his Frank Elder series, I know he developed those writing skills with time. Wasted Years, book five in the series, is where he makes that change. The book itself is 100 pages longer than any of the others, but at the same time less plot points are mixed in. Harvey is telling a very tight story but in a much more realistic and life like way.
In this book we see the juxtaposition of two bank robbery teams, one from 10 years previous and one from today. In the upcoming parole of the original criminal and the beginnings of another career on crime, they all come together with Resnick. We see choices made and consequences meted out, and see how small and simple things can lead to a life, or a lot of Wasted Years.
Could this book have been better, yes, but I am really looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Kirkus 1993 - pretty well says it.

It's 1992, and the scruffy Midlands city where Detective Inspector Charlie Resnick (Off Minor, etc.) lives and works is plagued by a series of well-planned robberies. They remind Charlie of similar happenings ten years back that ended with the jailing of taciturn, icy John Prior--after an encounter that brought Charlie closer to death than he'd ever been. Prior's blues singer wife Ruth became involved with a detective on the case--the sinister Rains. Charlie's marriage also ended about then, and Rains later left the force for greener fields. Now, Prior is about to be released from prison--supposedly a reformed man. Charlie, a passionate lover of jazz and blues, worries about the fate of Ruth, now vanished, if a vengeful Prior catches up with her. But he finds a way to track her, through pathetic small-time crook Keith Nylands, long under the thumb of his vicious onetime prison pal Darren. Keith's alcoholic father Reg, once a talented drummer, knows Ruth's whereabouts. He and Charlie strike a bargain that activates the unflaggingly tense buildup to a surprising climax. A dizzying but never incoherent panorama of broken dreams, brutal street language, bent cops, as well as those struggling to do their jobs and hold their lives together--all of it permeated by Charlie's unsanctimonious probity and clumsy grace. Harvey is truly master of the police procedural for the 90's.

[Christianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime novels don't have to be well written to be enjoyable. I mean if you have a good mystery and some good action, well then, a crime novel can be a good and easy summer beach read. But with the Resnick series, you get it all. Fabulous writing, great characters, and compelling crime stories.

I've been trying to pinpoint what's so good about Harvey's writing, and I'm not sure I can explain it. He uses language deftly to create believable, relatable scenes and moods. I am able to understand complicated characters quickly. All good writers do this; I just don't know how.

Wasted years is the fifth book in the series and my favorite so far. It takes you back into Resnick's past and fills out his character a bit more. With each book you get to know Resnick better, just like building a relationship with a friend over time. I love to get to know characters, which is why I read series, and I miss them when I've read through all the books.

[P.D.R. Lindsay]

Wasted Years is the fifth book in the Charlie Resnik series. John Harvey writes excellent British police procedural novels with tight plots, plenty of motivations and character anguish, and the story races along nicely. Wasted Years is another winner as far as Harvey's fans are concerned.

Here we have a novel which bounces between 'now' and ten years ago because Resnik is reminded of the past as he is part of a team investigating a series of very smart and successful robberies. They seem to be of the same pattern as the robberies done by a group of villains ten years earlier. Is it? Isn't it? And where does ex-copper Rains come into it? Eventually the link is revealed but at personal cost.

A good read for anyone who likes British police procedurals. A good read for anyone wanting a fast paced whodunit.