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Charlie Resnick #8
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In a deeply-textured novel reminiscent of Lynda LaPlante's popular Prime Suspect, John Harvey probes the seamy underside of urban England. A Nottinghamshire police force must move quickly to understand the links between seemingly- unrelated deaths; in the background, the life of a working-class family is changed irrevocably.
303 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
30 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
John Harvey
276 books203 followersaka 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 29, 2018
I am a fan of the Charlie Resnick series but this one is an exception. The story couldn't decide where it was going and it was chock full of too many characters who were extraneous to the plot. It was not that the plot was unpleasant (although it was disturbing) but the way the author approached it. Not one of Harvey's best efforts.
April 25, 2019
Another fine effort by John Harvey, and of course, now I'm so invested in the life of Charlie Resnick and his fellow cops that I spend part of my time worrying over all their futures. At least in Charlie's case, he finally has a girlfriend, a teacher who was dealing with one of the criminals who populate this story.
Since this was written over 20 years ago, perhaps we can forgive the unfortunate title, given the theme that emerges in this complex plot, which I can't tell you about without divulging crucial details.
A particularly strong feature of this entry is Harvey's deep dive into a dysfunctional working class Nottingham family, the Snapes. Norma Snape, a pub cleaner, has been abandoned by the fathers of her children. Her oldest, Shane, has already been in and out of detention and is up to no good. Her youngest, Nicky, is rebellious, a petty thief, and then, something worse. Her daughter is entering her teen years with the wrong crowd and a father who shows up out of nowhere. And Resnick is, in his inimitable way, both a thorn in the family's side and a lifeline to Norma through the misdeeds and calamities of her clan.
After Nicky is arrested for a horrific home burglary gone wrong, a close-to-retirement cop named Bill Aston is assigned to investigate a tragedy that befalls Nicky in detention, and then, something even worse happens to quiet Bill, a lay preacher and a parochial plodder.
In the midst of all this, Charlie is trying his first tentative steps toward his new love interest; his female detective, Lynn Kellogg, is seeing a therapist after her close brush with death in a previous novel; and a new detective, Carl Vincent, who is both black and gay, joins the crew.
The novel concludes with one of the most terrifying, brutal scenes that any of Charlie's constables has to go through, and it brings about a major change in the detective's life.
But all of that is for you to find out, dear readers.
Since this was written over 20 years ago, perhaps we can forgive the unfortunate title, given the theme that emerges in this complex plot, which I can't tell you about without divulging crucial details.
A particularly strong feature of this entry is Harvey's deep dive into a dysfunctional working class Nottingham family, the Snapes. Norma Snape, a pub cleaner, has been abandoned by the fathers of her children. Her oldest, Shane, has already been in and out of detention and is up to no good. Her youngest, Nicky, is rebellious, a petty thief, and then, something worse. Her daughter is entering her teen years with the wrong crowd and a father who shows up out of nowhere. And Resnick is, in his inimitable way, both a thorn in the family's side and a lifeline to Norma through the misdeeds and calamities of her clan.
After Nicky is arrested for a horrific home burglary gone wrong, a close-to-retirement cop named Bill Aston is assigned to investigate a tragedy that befalls Nicky in detention, and then, something even worse happens to quiet Bill, a lay preacher and a parochial plodder.
In the midst of all this, Charlie is trying his first tentative steps toward his new love interest; his female detective, Lynn Kellogg, is seeing a therapist after her close brush with death in a previous novel; and a new detective, Carl Vincent, who is both black and gay, joins the crew.
The novel concludes with one of the most terrifying, brutal scenes that any of Charlie's constables has to go through, and it brings about a major change in the detective's life.
But all of that is for you to find out, dear readers.
January 15, 2009
This book is heart breaking. It's a great Resnick mystery as always, but this one is so much more than that. It's a story of how a family can be completely destroyed, partly from bad choices and partly from bad circumstances. It's a story about gay bashing and male prostitution too. It could leave you feeling completely cold and despairing of the world, were it not for the dedicated, kind (except for Divine), and competent detectives of Nottingham.
One thing I like about these books is that there is no genius on the police force who solves these crimes. These cops, even the beloved Resnick, are just hard workers with good instincts, people who want to do a good job. The crimes are solved with leg work and often a bit of luck. Seems like real life.
One thing I like about these books is that there is no genius on the police force who solves these crimes. These cops, even the beloved Resnick, are just hard workers with good instincts, people who want to do a good job. The crimes are solved with leg work and often a bit of luck. Seems like real life.
September 23, 2021
The book that gave me a taster of John Harvey was a quick read ("Trouble in Mind"), but whetted my appetite for more. Well it's taken me over a year to read my second but I'm pretty certain it won't be that long before I read another one as this was one of those books that had me wholly gripped - the "oh-just-one-more-chapter" sort that has you reading into the wee hours.
The blurb gave little away & in fact is misleading....sorry if this is a spoiler...but an elderly couple aren't actually bludgeoned to death. They are, however, viciously attacked by a fifteen-year-old who then apparently commits suicide. When the officer put on the case is also killed, Resnick takes over.
There's a lot of "setting the scene" type passages here - especially with regard to the family of Nicky Snape - but instead of it feeling like extraneous padding (as it quite often can!), I felt it enhanced the characters credibility & gave them more depth.
The story took a turn I was rather surprised & shocked by & it makes for disturbing...& heart-breaking... reading at times, yet this darkness is balanced nicely by threads of humour which are dotted throughout.
A quote on the back cover says:
"This novel has joy, warmth and extreme violence: the compulsion to turn the page is almost painful"
Yup...I'd agree with that.
The blurb gave little away & in fact is misleading....sorry if this is a spoiler...but an elderly couple aren't actually bludgeoned to death. They are, however, viciously attacked by a fifteen-year-old who then apparently commits suicide. When the officer put on the case is also killed, Resnick takes over.
There's a lot of "setting the scene" type passages here - especially with regard to the family of Nicky Snape - but instead of it feeling like extraneous padding (as it quite often can!), I felt it enhanced the characters credibility & gave them more depth.
The story took a turn I was rather surprised & shocked by & it makes for disturbing...& heart-breaking... reading at times, yet this darkness is balanced nicely by threads of humour which are dotted throughout.
A quote on the back cover says:
"This novel has joy, warmth and extreme violence: the compulsion to turn the page is almost painful"
Yup...I'd agree with that.
January 28, 2018
Charlie Resnick is under pressure as ever with crime in the Nottingham area. Nicky Snape is off the rails when he beats up an elderly couple. His brother is after Gay men and commits a number of savage crimes. His sister Sheena has become involved with a wayward group of girls leading to drugs and violence.
The theme of this book is gay sex and its affects on his own team and his friends. Through it all Charlie appears to have found a new love interest. How long will this last, especially as she does not care for cats.
A good enough crime procedural novel.
The theme of this book is gay sex and its affects on his own team and his friends. Through it all Charlie appears to have found a new love interest. How long will this last, especially as she does not care for cats.
A good enough crime procedural novel.
March 7, 2018
Charlie Resnick tackles several cases including a young boy's apparent suicide in a juvenile Detention Center and the beating death of a longtime Police Officer. The regulars from the series are back as is Charlie's artful sandwiches and his love of jazz. But this one is dark as Harvey explores the social problems in the poor and working class communities of Nottingham. Drugs, drink and violence are a way of life and the tragedies continue to mount. The final act in the book is the most brutal act in this series or any police procedural series I've read and affects one of the recurring characters. It haunts after you've closed the book.
March 29, 2022
I love police procedurals and the British ones tend to be grittier and more realistic than those set in the USA. What I especially appreciated about this novel (the first I've read of John Harvey's Charlie Resnick), and what elevated out beyond the usual offerings in this genre, was the development of each character. They were all so individual rather than the usual cookie-cutter stereotypes often found in crime novels.
This was not a comfortable read, however, exposing the "underbelly" of British society and the racistm, homophobic, and downright ignorant attitudes that exist in some parts, mainly by teenagers that seem to have no aim in life. I loved the vulnerability of Resnick and was glad that Harvey stuck mostly to the various crimes that were going on, and less about the politics within the police force. Although the author--through the voice of his characters--seemed to have quite an opinion about social services and the tendency for certain institutions to protect their own, even when crimes have been committed.
Not a book for the faint-hearted, but I enjoyed it tremendously and found it refreshingly candid.
This was not a comfortable read, however, exposing the "underbelly" of British society and the racistm, homophobic, and downright ignorant attitudes that exist in some parts, mainly by teenagers that seem to have no aim in life. I loved the vulnerability of Resnick and was glad that Harvey stuck mostly to the various crimes that were going on, and less about the politics within the police force. Although the author--through the voice of his characters--seemed to have quite an opinion about social services and the tendency for certain institutions to protect their own, even when crimes have been committed.
Not a book for the faint-hearted, but I enjoyed it tremendously and found it refreshingly candid.
March 15, 2020
I love all the characters in these books, even many of the villains ( in this one, Nicky Snape.J I include Mark Divine, who reminds me of Tony in the early seasons of NCIS. And yay, Resnick has found a girlfriend at last... I hope she’ll be around a while. I love the rumpled Resnick and think all the women in the books should as well.
November 23, 2020
Mystery series - Harvey gets a lot more graphic with the violence and crime in this book. Murder, rape, soccer hooligans and racism make for a lot of moving parts. Resnick finally finds a love interest in the midst of all this carnage.
No Canadian references.
Pharmacy reference - teenagers hanging around outside a Rexall pharmacy
No Canadian references.
Pharmacy reference - teenagers hanging around outside a Rexall pharmacy
March 12, 2022
Nottingham setting - definitely not Robin Hood, Nottingham Castle, Nottingham lace, or an advert for visiting the city. Somehow the author makes this story of deprived families, vicious crimes, and myriad social problems readable, mainly through his characterization of Charlie Resnick and superior writing skills. Reread after many years.
March 1, 2024
Raw and real
This book is tough to read but not for ordinary reasons. It's brilliantly written.The reader feels like a spectator as the police try their best in the worst parts of London. It's brutal, it's sad, it's ridiculous and sublime. If you have the stomach for it, I wholeheartedly recommend it. One of the best police procedurals I've ever read.
This book is tough to read but not for ordinary reasons. It's brilliantly written.The reader feels like a spectator as the police try their best in the worst parts of London. It's brutal, it's sad, it's ridiculous and sublime. If you have the stomach for it, I wholeheartedly recommend it. One of the best police procedurals I've ever read.
February 20, 2020
3.5 stars. This book starts out the same as most other police procedurals but becomes more interesting near the middle. This book which was written more than 20 years ago seems especially dated. I was surprised that the conclusion wasn't more definitive.
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April 8, 2021Very well written
May 9, 2024
Θλιβεροί άνθρωποι, θλιβερή πόλη.
Δεν ξέρω εάν μ'άρεσε ή όχι.
Αντικρουόμενα συναισθήματα
Δεν ξέρω εάν μ'άρεσε ή όχι.
Αντικρουόμενα συναισθήματα
March 27, 2025
從1990年代初開始寫起的芮尼克系列竟然有了「現代感」，不僅涉及了LGBT議題，還新增同志刑警的角色，不知道該說驚嚇還是驚喜。
January 22, 2015
Nicky Snape is a 15 year old tearaway who will steal anything from anyone. He steals his mother's money and his teacher's purse and later on breaks into a house to steal more. When the elderly owner tries to beat him off with an iron rod, Nicky takes it an beats him with it. When the old man's wife tries to stop him, he attacks her.
He is caught because he has dropped the library card from the teacher's purse at the scene. He is taken off to a juvenile facility where he is later found hanging in the bathroom. Resnick's team investigates the death, but the self-serving bureaucracy of the state care institution and its staff keeps them from getting satisfactory explanations. And then the outside officer who is brought in to head the investigation is brutally beaten to death. He is an upstanding citizen, a lay preacher, no known enemies but the killing seems more than a simple robbery gone wrong.
The Resnick books are all about relationships - the dynamics of the increasingly diverse police team (blacks and openly gay officers), the hopelessly damaged Snape family, the growing attraction between Resnick and Nicky Snapes' teacher Hannah. The brutality of the crimes is tempered by the depth of understanding Harvey shows to even the most troubled of his characters. The story is complex and compelling, and the Resnick character continues to grow in this wonderfully written series.
He is caught because he has dropped the library card from the teacher's purse at the scene. He is taken off to a juvenile facility where he is later found hanging in the bathroom. Resnick's team investigates the death, but the self-serving bureaucracy of the state care institution and its staff keeps them from getting satisfactory explanations. And then the outside officer who is brought in to head the investigation is brutally beaten to death. He is an upstanding citizen, a lay preacher, no known enemies but the killing seems more than a simple robbery gone wrong.
The Resnick books are all about relationships - the dynamics of the increasingly diverse police team (blacks and openly gay officers), the hopelessly damaged Snape family, the growing attraction between Resnick and Nicky Snapes' teacher Hannah. The brutality of the crimes is tempered by the depth of understanding Harvey shows to even the most troubled of his characters. The story is complex and compelling, and the Resnick character continues to grow in this wonderfully written series.
September 4, 2016
A fifteen-year-old tearaway is obviously heading for a whole lot of trouble, but when he seemingly commits suicide in a youth detention centre after nearly bludgeoning an elderly couple to death, there just seems to be something more to this than originally meets the eye.
When the senior policeman put in charge of the enquiry into the boys death is then found bludgeoned to death, things start to take on a more sinister feeling and rapidly becoming increasingly complicated. Charlie Resnick is put in charge of the death of the enquiry into the death of a senior officer, whilst his love life takes an interesting turn for the better, even though Hannah Campbell is not a cat lover!
When the senior policeman put in charge of the enquiry into the boys death is then found bludgeoned to death, things start to take on a more sinister feeling and rapidly becoming increasingly complicated. Charlie Resnick is put in charge of the death of the enquiry into the death of a senior officer, whilst his love life takes an interesting turn for the better, even though Hannah Campbell is not a cat lover!
February 27, 2017
Harvey can construct a story (and this one’s good) but is unable to conceal his preferences (jazz _ yawn) and, more annoyingly, his prejudices (straight white English males _ Resnick’s ok because he’s Polish). The hapless Divine only exists as a conduit for Harvey’s bile (how the author must have enjoyed writing the closing pages) but no other white Englishmen emerge very positively either. All a bit sad really, the way some writers seek to parade their ‘right-on’ credentials, distracting from a potentially good read.
June 25, 2009
I wish there was a half-star option.
Harvey's DI Charlie Resnick is as good a character as Ian Rankin's John Rebus or Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander. Less quirky than Rebus, less dour than Wallander, Resnick is tough but humane, makes mistakes but they're not horrific, and isn't an alcoholic (a nice change).
Harvey's DI Charlie Resnick is as good a character as Ian Rankin's John Rebus or Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander. Less quirky than Rebus, less dour than Wallander, Resnick is tough but humane, makes mistakes but they're not horrific, and isn't an alcoholic (a nice change).
March 24, 2017
I just did not trust to read this after some reviews so I chose another book for the challenge with an " "E" in the name of author or title. Have been through some duds this month and did not want to get disgusted after getting past 50 pages so hung it up without really trying it. Reason for no rating.
July 21, 2008
There are a lot of characters, though many of them aren't very well fleshed out (although to be fair, this is in the middle of a series). The twists are signposted well in advance, but it's a readable style, although I won't be rushing to read the rest of the series...
September 19, 2007
Harvey, John-EASY MEAT-VG
Excellent British police procedurals
Excellent British police procedurals
May 7, 2009
Very well written with multiple stories that intertwine - leaves you wanting more.
June 2, 2009
excellent
July 8, 2011
Another good read in the Resnick series. Written in 1996 and deals with a contraversial topic of that time, gay policemen.
June 22, 2012
Love the Resnick novels but sad that I'm getting near the end now.
May 7, 2013
I'd forgotten how much I enjoy John Harvey's Resnick series. Now I want to reread them all.
Read
March 7, 2014Resnick #8
October 25, 2014
Don't normally leave a review, but this is the best Charlie Resnick book I have read so far!!!!
Read
December 22, 2014#8 in my John Harvey binge.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews