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Charlie Resnick #6
Cold Light
Struggling through the daily beat during the Christmas season, police inspector Charlie Resnick investigates a woman's disappearance and realizes that it is linked to a sinister chain of events. Reprint.
370 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
58 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
John Harvey
278 books204 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 43 reviews
January 24, 2016
This was a fastpaced murder and kid knapping mystery. It took place in London England. The character development was wonderful. The suspense was very good. It kept me at the edge of my seat
I recommend this book highly. Enjoy and Be Blessed. Diamond
I recommend this book highly. Enjoy and Be Blessed. Diamond
January 12, 2015
The Charlie Resnick series is one of my favorite British police procedurals. Resnick is a rather gentle, sad, complicated, smart and intuitive man which somehow makes him a great detective and attractive. I have read all the series now - missed this one somehow earlier. They are well-written with fleshed out characters and interesting plot twists. This one hands out subtle clues and doesn't send you down too many rabbit holes. The ending left me desperately trying to recall what happened next! Guess I'll have to head to the library to see if I can borrow the one that will tell me!
November 8, 2017
Cold Light by John Harvey.
Another very good novel in the Detective Inspector Charlie Resnick series set in Nottingham. As expected we find Charlie still living alone, in the formal matrimonial home, with his cats and the occasional jazz music, when he has time to relax. It’s Christmas when Nancy Phelon goes missing following a Christmas Eve dinner and dance. The suspects are four previous boyfriends and Gary James who recently had held her captive in the Housing Department offices where Nancy worked. The leads are thin and seem to lead nowhere, meanwhile DC Lynn Kellog is worried about her father who is possibly suffering from bowel cancer. As ever DC Divine continues his sexual innuendoes and harassment that, quite rightly, inflame Lynn. Is there a link to a previous case in the Bristol area? Then a body is found and another woman disappears. On top off all this there is a possible child abuse enquiry and a taxi driver is assaulted and robbed, all over the Christmas and New Year, which are the holidays for most people.
Charlie Resnick’s character epitomises the sad life of a police officer. Wife left and lives alone, any social life continuously interrupted by the demands of the work. Any chance of a relationship appears doomed and he cannot drag himself away from the house in which he appears as a solitary lodger. His life makes me feel rather sad.
The author does well to portray the empathy between Charlie and his staff and his frost attitude towards the senior officers who seem to spend more time chasing each other and their careers without doing much policing. As with many police procedural novels of this period, a lot of alcohol is involved. I did feel that the story could be enhanced with some better descriptions of Nottingham and its environs.
This is a good but not a memorable story and in my score it is 3.5 to 4.
Another very good novel in the Detective Inspector Charlie Resnick series set in Nottingham. As expected we find Charlie still living alone, in the formal matrimonial home, with his cats and the occasional jazz music, when he has time to relax. It’s Christmas when Nancy Phelon goes missing following a Christmas Eve dinner and dance. The suspects are four previous boyfriends and Gary James who recently had held her captive in the Housing Department offices where Nancy worked. The leads are thin and seem to lead nowhere, meanwhile DC Lynn Kellog is worried about her father who is possibly suffering from bowel cancer. As ever DC Divine continues his sexual innuendoes and harassment that, quite rightly, inflame Lynn. Is there a link to a previous case in the Bristol area? Then a body is found and another woman disappears. On top off all this there is a possible child abuse enquiry and a taxi driver is assaulted and robbed, all over the Christmas and New Year, which are the holidays for most people.
Charlie Resnick’s character epitomises the sad life of a police officer. Wife left and lives alone, any social life continuously interrupted by the demands of the work. Any chance of a relationship appears doomed and he cannot drag himself away from the house in which he appears as a solitary lodger. His life makes me feel rather sad.
The author does well to portray the empathy between Charlie and his staff and his frost attitude towards the senior officers who seem to spend more time chasing each other and their careers without doing much policing. As with many police procedural novels of this period, a lot of alcohol is involved. I did feel that the story could be enhanced with some better descriptions of Nottingham and its environs.
This is a good but not a memorable story and in my score it is 3.5 to 4.
December 4, 2018
This is a detailed and competent police procedural, with generally strong writing. You really get a sense of how law enforcement operates, and the burdens it places on police, both professionally and personally. It's readable, if perhaps a bit overlong.
But it could have been a whole lot better. There are almost thirty characters of consequence, which is a lot for a reader to keep straight, and a number of the side stories end up having no relation to the plot. With that many characters, it is difficult for many of them to be fully developed, and the police people ends up seeming either bland or reduced to a single characteristic.
It's hard somehow not to like Resnick, though I have difficulty figuring out why. He is the usual formerly married police guy with quirks (his are jazz, and food). Like Dell Shannon's Luis Mendoza, he has four cats (all named after jazz musicians). His relationships with women are a mess, and while he is not an abuser, he is also not reliable. One night, he mistakenly books two dates, does not show up for either one (work intervened) and never calls either woman to say he can't make it.
Most things in the book are reasonably good. Unfortunately, the plot is not one of them. There is not an orderly process to resolution, and the ending comes suddenly (though there is some annoying foreshadowing). The perpetrator is a bit of a cliche, and so is the way everything sorts itself out at the end.
I must say that having now read two Harvey books, I sure don;t have any interest in visiting Nottingham.
But it could have been a whole lot better. There are almost thirty characters of consequence, which is a lot for a reader to keep straight, and a number of the side stories end up having no relation to the plot. With that many characters, it is difficult for many of them to be fully developed, and the police people ends up seeming either bland or reduced to a single characteristic.
It's hard somehow not to like Resnick, though I have difficulty figuring out why. He is the usual formerly married police guy with quirks (his are jazz, and food). Like Dell Shannon's Luis Mendoza, he has four cats (all named after jazz musicians). His relationships with women are a mess, and while he is not an abuser, he is also not reliable. One night, he mistakenly books two dates, does not show up for either one (work intervened) and never calls either woman to say he can't make it.
Most things in the book are reasonably good. Unfortunately, the plot is not one of them. There is not an orderly process to resolution, and the ending comes suddenly (though there is some annoying foreshadowing). The perpetrator is a bit of a cliche, and so is the way everything sorts itself out at the end.
I must say that having now read two Harvey books, I sure don;t have any interest in visiting Nottingham.
May 13, 2024
Most book series require the reader to start at the beginning because of the development of characterization. However, with John Harvey's engaging 6th Charlie Resnick novel, "Cold Light," those rules do not apply.
A few minor adjustments to Charlie Resnick have already transpired in previous novels, but reading Cold Light out of sequence will not impair your understanding of this gripping tour de force.
Like other intelligent, page-turning British authors (Susan Hill, Jim Kelly, and Mark Billingham), John Harvey can tell a story using simple prose and sharp dialogue and still keep the reader betrothed to the busy lives of his interesting, three-dimensional characters.
In Cold Light, the issue of domestic abuse abounds with gritty, sometimes harrowing descriptions of two main characters, Gary and Michelle. Even in Harvey's poetic storytelling, the issue may be too complex to read at times. But the fast-paced story keeps you flipping pages to see what will happen next.
And, of course, in every mystery novel, a murder transpires. Amid the usual day-to-day police procedure, Resnick soon fancies himself with the victim's (Nancy) flatmate and friend, Dana Mathison. The interaction between the vulnerable Mathieson and the compulsive Resnick is spellbinding enough to warrant a solid read. The chemistry between both characters in chapter twenty-three is intense and riveting.
Readers might want to begin the journey with "Lonely Hearts," the first Charlie Resnick novel, to understand where Charlie Resnick came from and his complicated background. Be prepared to read the book in one sitting. Recommended.
A few minor adjustments to Charlie Resnick have already transpired in previous novels, but reading Cold Light out of sequence will not impair your understanding of this gripping tour de force.
Like other intelligent, page-turning British authors (Susan Hill, Jim Kelly, and Mark Billingham), John Harvey can tell a story using simple prose and sharp dialogue and still keep the reader betrothed to the busy lives of his interesting, three-dimensional characters.
In Cold Light, the issue of domestic abuse abounds with gritty, sometimes harrowing descriptions of two main characters, Gary and Michelle. Even in Harvey's poetic storytelling, the issue may be too complex to read at times. But the fast-paced story keeps you flipping pages to see what will happen next.
And, of course, in every mystery novel, a murder transpires. Amid the usual day-to-day police procedure, Resnick soon fancies himself with the victim's (Nancy) flatmate and friend, Dana Mathison. The interaction between the vulnerable Mathieson and the compulsive Resnick is spellbinding enough to warrant a solid read. The chemistry between both characters in chapter twenty-three is intense and riveting.
Readers might want to begin the journey with "Lonely Hearts," the first Charlie Resnick novel, to understand where Charlie Resnick came from and his complicated background. Be prepared to read the book in one sitting. Recommended.
August 23, 2009
This was my first Charlie Resnick novel, and I remember being pretty impressed. Harvey's one of the rare genre writers - in this case, crime fiction - who transcends genre. Cold Light in some ways reminds you of Ed McBain's cop novels. The main story, the tragic disappearance of young woman on Christmas Eve, is told from a variety of viewpoints, with numerous side stories that in the end contribute, rather than detract, from the main story. Harvey's eye for detail is impressive. Cold Light takes place in the early 90s, the tale end of Thatcher's England. What a bleak place and time! This is underscored immediately, as a young woman crawls out from underneath her sleeping common law husband. Her life is already sad, even though she's not yet out of her teens. The government housing they live in, with two small children, is freezing and wet. Her husband is abusive and getting worse, as hope is not even a glimmer in his devastated life. Across town there is the near death by beating of a taxi driver, and police detective Charlie Resnick mulls over his jazz collection, but is probably dodging the extreme loneliness of his life. Eventually there is a murder, and it involves that most overused of crime figures, a serial killer. But in Harvey's hands it becomes something new, given his attention to character, dialogue, and setting, making the heartbreak of a lost life that much keener -- and real. This is a reissue (from the Bloody Brits series)of a formerly out-of-print book. It's good to see it back out in ciruclation.
February 4, 2019
A very satisfying police procedural from the master British crime writer, and I don't for a minute mean to damn with faint praise.
In this book, pretty much smack in the middle of the Inspector Charlie Resnick series, our protagonist is confronted with the disappearance of a young woman whom he met briefly after she had a tense confrontation in her social work office with a disgruntled home renter (who of course becomes a suspect). After a Christmas party, Nancy Phelan never gets home, and her incensed father starts a campaign against what he sees as police indifference and incompetence.
In the meantime, as with any good crime novel, the suspects pile up. There is Gary, who grabbed Nancy during the office confrontation; there is Robin, her most recent boyfriend; but then, there is also the similarity of her case to an earlier unsolved kidnapping.
The novel moves along smartly to a satisfying conclusion, and what I particularly like about Harvey is that he doesn't just use his non-guilty suspects as props to advance the plot, but gives them real flesh and blood, and stays with their subplots even after it appears that they aren't the main targets.
Masterful work.
In this book, pretty much smack in the middle of the Inspector Charlie Resnick series, our protagonist is confronted with the disappearance of a young woman whom he met briefly after she had a tense confrontation in her social work office with a disgruntled home renter (who of course becomes a suspect). After a Christmas party, Nancy Phelan never gets home, and her incensed father starts a campaign against what he sees as police indifference and incompetence.
In the meantime, as with any good crime novel, the suspects pile up. There is Gary, who grabbed Nancy during the office confrontation; there is Robin, her most recent boyfriend; but then, there is also the similarity of her case to an earlier unsolved kidnapping.
The novel moves along smartly to a satisfying conclusion, and what I particularly like about Harvey is that he doesn't just use his non-guilty suspects as props to advance the plot, but gives them real flesh and blood, and stays with their subplots even after it appears that they aren't the main targets.
Masterful work.
April 8, 2017
Another satisfying Charlie Resnick novel. We continue to learn more about Charlie and are treated to an interesting story. These books make me happy.
December 26, 2021
I enjoyed it! But I almost abandoned it at first. The book flips back and forth between scenes and characters from paragraph to paragraph. I have a hard time when authors do this from chapter to chapter! But I decided to give it a chance and was able to follow without getting turned around. haha Overall, thought it was well-written. The mystery is nothing majorly new if you read a lot of mysteries but I did like the characters and would read another.
February 25, 2022
Main story revolves around a missing girl last seen at a Christmas bash. Theme throughout the book centres on Nottingham's finest and their love lives. Throw in some troublesome oiks, a young father with a tendency to use his fists on his partner, his children and anyone who gets in his way and you're stoking a pot boiler. All you need is a psychopath popping up and you've got a full deck. Very good book, although the end stopped me giving it 5 stars
November 8, 2020
Mystery series - things get personal for Charlie when a kidnapper hits close to him...and it is not his cats. Good police work triumphs once again although there are few too many coincidences with the lead detective and a previous case.
No pharmacy references
Pharmacy reference - mention of a Canada goose.
No pharmacy references
Pharmacy reference - mention of a Canada goose.
March 21, 2021
It is a very standard plot of the police action after the disappearance of a young woman. What is unusual and interesting that there is no super detective just a bunch of plodding policemen surrounded by a bunch of lower middle class provincial English yobs.
Read
February 4, 2024Depressive, cold, uncommunicative - that's the hero DI Resnick. Wait till I get to the bad guys! Second thoughts, don't bother - I didn't. I couldn't face over 350 pages of this cold, cruel story. It's not my cup of tea any more.
DNF so no rating.
DNF so no rating.
July 23, 2017
3.5 stars. A decent book but 23 years old. I prefer to read mysteries which were written closer to the present. My one criticism is that the ending is rather abrupt.
October 26, 2017
I like this series more and more.
March 11, 2020
I keep hoping Charlie will find a girlfriend. But obviously Dana wasn’t it.
June 8, 2020
On Christmas Eve a young woman is kidnapped (by a murderous psychopath?). DI Charlie Resnick investigates.
September 5, 2020
Resnick can't get a break even at Christmas when an abduction destroys the season's grace. Only 48 hours before the trail runs cold and likely death.
May 13, 2024
I really enjoy this series. Clear writing and interesting characters, particularly the lead Charlie Resnick
August 29, 2024
Mr. Harvey does a great job of setting the scene, but I was unable to fully engage with the characters .
March 27, 2025
這本很好讀，但通俗就意味缺失了一些Harvey本來的幽暗細膩，而且主線支線最後都沒理乾淨，戛然而止。
November 9, 2012
I do really like the fictional Charlie Resnick. Sure he's another loner cop with a fractured personal life and a work ethic that sometimes seems to veer dangerously close to avoidance of the mess of the personal life, but he's also a man who loves his cats, is good to his friends, seems quite attractive to the ladies, and makes a very mean sandwhich.
There is a pool of these good, solid police procedural series coming from a similar time, and I am working my way back through them on occasions. Some of the books are re-reads, some of them are new, all of them are hopelessly out of series order. Which means that each of the books has to work on its own, which they do. Some of the plots are more complex and believable than others, and whilst COLD LIGHT does seem to rely on a few red herrings liberally dotted throughout, there is a good sense of pace, and urgency about the search for a missing young woman. As well done as the sense of rage in her father, and the attraction that builds between Resnick and her flatmate. There's some nice touches of coincidence, that are quite believable in a confined geographical location, there's also some complications in the case, and in the personal that flesh the whole thing out.
I must admit I am quite a fan of the Charlie Resnick series, although I do like most of the books by this author that I've read. Definitely one for fans of solid, believable police procedurals from what is, after all, a pretty large British pool.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
There is a pool of these good, solid police procedural series coming from a similar time, and I am working my way back through them on occasions. Some of the books are re-reads, some of them are new, all of them are hopelessly out of series order. Which means that each of the books has to work on its own, which they do. Some of the plots are more complex and believable than others, and whilst COLD LIGHT does seem to rely on a few red herrings liberally dotted throughout, there is a good sense of pace, and urgency about the search for a missing young woman. As well done as the sense of rage in her father, and the attraction that builds between Resnick and her flatmate. There's some nice touches of coincidence, that are quite believable in a confined geographical location, there's also some complications in the case, and in the personal that flesh the whole thing out.
I must admit I am quite a fan of the Charlie Resnick series, although I do like most of the books by this author that I've read. Definitely one for fans of solid, believable police procedurals from what is, after all, a pretty large British pool.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
December 27, 2014
This series is more character driven than plot driven and I feel that is one of its strengths. The waning days of the Thatcher era in a declining industrial city provide the gritty backdrop for the work of Resnick and the CID. It's nearly Christmas and there is the usual array of minor crimes and domestic violence, but then a young social worker goes missing from a party after having been threatened by a client earlier in the day.
Resnick and his fellow police officers are the sustaining characters, a mixed bag of hard workers, time servers, plods and show offs. The missing young woman, her parents and her roommate are minor figures but all are living breathing, three dimensional. The most vivid are the young couple in abysmal public housing, with two small children, no job in the offing, the woman trying to hold it all together, the young man increasingly angry and frustrated, maybe dangerously so.
The policing is really well done, the scene is set perfectly, and the action, especially at the end is gripping.
And then there are the sandwiches. And the cats. And the music.
Resnick and his fellow police officers are the sustaining characters, a mixed bag of hard workers, time servers, plods and show offs. The missing young woman, her parents and her roommate are minor figures but all are living breathing, three dimensional. The most vivid are the young couple in abysmal public housing, with two small children, no job in the offing, the woman trying to hold it all together, the young man increasingly angry and frustrated, maybe dangerously so.
The policing is really well done, the scene is set perfectly, and the action, especially at the end is gripping.
And then there are the sandwiches. And the cats. And the music.
January 10, 2009
As always with Harvey, this book is well written and lively. Charlie is as quirky and lovable as ever. And you learn a bit more about Charlie's boss Jack Skelton and his failing marriage, which includes some great dialogue.
Life is full of unfinished business. Harvey doesn't hesitate to leave a few loose ends in his books, even though many readers like a nice tidy conclusion. In this book it's the story of Gary James and his girlfriend Michelle. He's a red herring for the main plot and an interesting story in his own right. Even though Gary and Michelle aren't central to the main plot, their characters help paint a picture of life in Nottingham.
I've also been noting thoughout the series that DC Lynn Kellogg is more central to solving many of the crimes than the other supporting characters. The last line of this particular installment made me realize that perhaps she is more important to Resnick than I had previously thought.
Life is full of unfinished business. Harvey doesn't hesitate to leave a few loose ends in his books, even though many readers like a nice tidy conclusion. In this book it's the story of Gary James and his girlfriend Michelle. He's a red herring for the main plot and an interesting story in his own right. Even though Gary and Michelle aren't central to the main plot, their characters help paint a picture of life in Nottingham.
I've also been noting thoughout the series that DC Lynn Kellogg is more central to solving many of the crimes than the other supporting characters. The last line of this particular installment made me realize that perhaps she is more important to Resnick than I had previously thought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2011
Book 6 of the Charlie Resnick series. The writing is getting really good, but I felt Harvey cheated by using a few extensive red herring sub-plots while almost spending almost no time on the real bad guy. Anyways, the positives were some incredible character development story lines, especiallyat the conclusion when Charlie defines his relationship with Lynn, another detective in the department. So the story was okay, the writing a little to loose, but the continuing characters are developed. A great book to have in the series.
A young woman disappears after a Christmas Eve party. Was it the social services client who tore up her office and held her hostage that morning, the boyfriend who she dumped the day before, a drunken participant at the party, or some other person. With the angry father pressuring them for a result and the tabloids writing everyday, Resnick needs some answers. Then the ransom demands shows up, just like last time, when they didn’t get the girl back.
A young woman disappears after a Christmas Eve party. Was it the social services client who tore up her office and held her hostage that morning, the boyfriend who she dumped the day before, a drunken participant at the party, or some other person. With the angry father pressuring them for a result and the tabloids writing everyday, Resnick needs some answers. Then the ransom demands shows up, just like last time, when they didn’t get the girl back.
October 2, 2008
I’m an admirer of John Harvey, as well as a Resnik fan, so it’s not a surprise I liked this very much. The plot revolves around the kidnapping and maybe murder of beautiful women. There are the usual updates on the people at headquarters: Skelton, Naylor, Divine and Lynn, who this time has a big part. And the other cases in which the detectives are involved, especially one dealing with domestic violence, grabbed my interest. The characters are vividly portrayed and through the series one feels attached to them. For instance, I can understand Renik’s appeal to women, though he’s no George Clooney, it’s because the author understands women. I’m reading the series out of order, but I promised myself I’ll reread the books from number one to the last sometime. Still got two missing but I’m hopeful.
July 17, 2012
Another great detective story featuring Charlie Resnick, one of the best developed characters in crime fiction. The setting is christmas Eve and the Seerious Crime division had their usual drunk and disorderlies, break-ins and burgaries with newly wrapped gifts the target, a child abuse case, and, finmally, a missing person. Dana Matthieson had attended a company party, accepted a ride home from her boss, and almost raped when she arrived home and realized her roommate was missing. Nancy Phelan had been missing when the police were notified and parents contacted. On New Years Day a tape arrived at police headquarters asking for a ransom. As usual, several subplots weave through the narrative adding authenticity. When Lynn of the force goes missing, Charlie shifts into high gear to find his friend before she meets the same fate as Nancy.
February 15, 2016
I remember watching and enjoying Resnick on TV many years ago and he is a fine creation, to be fair. But Harvey's PC and MC (musically correct) tendencies rather distract from matters in hand. You see, when Resnick drones on about the jazz greats I'm hearing Harvey drone on about them and I don't really give a stuff because I'm not a jazz fan. This was only an average example of the genre. I felt the plot was predictable, even tedious, and I was ahead of it most of the way.
October 9, 2016
Christmas in Nottingham and a missing person case becomes an investigation of a serial kidnapper and killer. For Charlie Resnick and his team, things get personal. Multiple story lines amidst the various suspects keeps the proceedings moving. There is an sense of tragic lives permeating the story lines with Resnick flawed but a moral center in a tough world. This entire series is highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews