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Nick Belsey #2
Deep Shelter
'Makes the capital as eerie as Le Carré's Berlin' Evening Standard
Monday 10 June, end of a hot day. The city had started drinking at lunchtime and by 3 or 4pm crime seemed the only appropriate response to the beauty of the afternoon...At quarter to five he felt his contribution to law and order had been made. He parked off the high street, sunk two shots of pure grain vodka into iced Nicaraguan espresso and put his seat back. In an hour he'd be off duty, and in a couple more he'd be on a date with an art student he'd recently arrested for drugs possession.
London is steaming under a summer of filthy heat and sudden storms - and Detective Nick Belsey, of Hampstead CID, is trying to stay out of trouble.
But then somebody sets him a riddle. How does a man walk into a dead-end alley and never come out?
And then reappear - to snatch a girl, to dump a body beneath a London skyscraper, to send Belsey a package of human hair.
The answer lies underground, where the secrets degenerating beneath the city's sickly glitter are about to see the light of day.
Praise for Deep Shelter
'Relentless...explosive' Mail on Sunday
'The coolest cop you'll have come across in ages. London through his eyes is as atmospheric as a drawing by Gustave Doré... This demands to be read before the television adaptation' Kate Saunders
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 4, 2013
104 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
Oliver Harris
14 books243 followersOliver Harris's novels to date are The Hollow Man, Deep Shelter, The House of Fame, A Season in Exile - all featuring Detective Constable Nick Belsey - and A Shadow Intelligence, Ascension and The Shame Archive featuring MI6 officer Elliot Kane.
Oliver was born in north London. He has an MA in Shakespeare Studies from UCL, and an MA in creative writing from UEA. His PhD on psychoanalysis and Greek philosophy was published by Routledge in 2016 (Lacan's Return to Antiquity). He currently teaches creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
His Facebook page can be found by clicking here.
Oliver was born in north London. He has an MA in Shakespeare Studies from UCL, and an MA in creative writing from UEA. His PhD on psychoanalysis and Greek philosophy was published by Routledge in 2016 (Lacan's Return to Antiquity). He currently teaches creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
His Facebook page can be found by clicking here.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
September 17, 2024
Oliver Harris writes a mean Hardboiled! The theme of corruption at the highest levels of government started with “The Hollow Man” and follows Belsey in “Deep Shelter”. Belsey is a character resurrected from the American 30s, this detective uses drugs and alcohol in order to function, does things his own way and breaks the law in order to seek justice.
What lays in the underground tunnels of London according to Harris? You have to read this book to find out! Convoluted yet thrilling, the plot is twisty and of course it has this author’s stamp; the elite against the everyday man. There is a fine line between conspiracy theory and reality that permeates throughout this book but the plot was so interesting that it did not bother me at all. Belsey is also one of my favorite characters, he is impulsive, reckless but with heart.
The writing is superb and the plot is so full of twists and turns that you will not see what’s coming.
What lays in the underground tunnels of London according to Harris? You have to read this book to find out! Convoluted yet thrilling, the plot is twisty and of course it has this author’s stamp; the elite against the everyday man. There is a fine line between conspiracy theory and reality that permeates throughout this book but the plot was so interesting that it did not bother me at all. Belsey is also one of my favorite characters, he is impulsive, reckless but with heart.
The writing is superb and the plot is so full of twists and turns that you will not see what’s coming.
April 18, 2017
Ein gut recherchierter und aufgebauter Krimi, der viel bietet: Spannung, Action, Verschwörung, historische Fakten und ein hard-boiled Detective. Für jeden Krimi- und London-Fan ein absolutes Lese-Highlight.
May 2, 2014
To say I was excited to read this book would be an understatement. I joined Twitter just over a month ago and since then my to read list has probably doubled. However few books jumped out at me more than this one. So I was beyond thrilled when the author sent me a copy to review (and signed!). First however I bought book one from Amazon, The Hollow Man which if you haven't read it yet is reviewed on the blog. I absolutely loved The Hollow Man. I finished my review for it by saying that if this book was as good as the first then I would have a new favourite detective in Belsey and a new favourite author in Oliver Harris. Well it wasn't just as good it was better! Belsey is a fantastic creation and one that I loved reading about. I think that Harris's books would work great on TV. I also hope this isn't the last we will see of Belsey, crime fiction fans yet to read The Hollow Man or Deep Shelter should really do so ASAP. Deep Shelter can be read as a standalone but personally I would read book one first.
The book opens with Belsey looking to relax at the end of the day when he ends up in a high speed chase with a BMW. The chase ends with a pursuit to what Belsey knows to be a dead end, a cul de sac next to a Costa Coffee. When Belsey enters the cul de sac however the person he was chasing has vanished. It turns out however that there's a building by the Costa Coffee which leads down to an old bomb shelter. Belsey is on restrictive duties due to events from book one and so asks his new boss, who just happens to be an old flame, Kirsty Craik for a warrant but it is refused.
Now I started this book shortly after reading a Guardian article which Transworld books Tweeted about saying that there should be more clean-cut detectives in crime fiction. Well, I couldn't think of anything worse and what Belsey does is borrow a police car, an axe, some bolt cutters and a torch and goes off to break into the bomb shelter himself. If he was clean cut where would the good bits of the story come from? Sitting around doing the paperwork? As Belsey's living arrangements are a bit dubious he takes a date (of course it's a girl he previously arrested) to the shelter where she proceeds to be kidnapped and Belsey finds himself trapped before emerging in St Pancras library. Belsey then receives emails from someone calling themselves the Ferryman (a Cold War spy) and also finds an old military magazine in the stolen BMW. Other things then happen which have a connection to the Cold War and it becomes clear how the underground tunnels are connected.
What doesn't become clear however is who the Ferryman is and why people connected to the war are being murdered. Belsey and Craik are warned off investigating further and Belsey questions whether it could be some sort of government conspiracy. Now I have to confess at the first mention of the Cold War and spies etc I thought it might be hard for me to follow. I've never read an espionage novel as I just find them too information heavy but the story here was easy to follow and was actually quite gripping. I am a huge Tube nerd and spend most of my time in London underground. I have spent many hours Googling about tunnels underneath the city and about abandoned tube stations and this book has just heightened my desire to learn more.
Belsey is definitely my kind of character. He is just a magnet for trouble and for me he is the best type of character to read about. The other characters are also strong, Craik in particular. Belsey feels like a very unique character, as does the whole story in fact. Harris is a very talented author and has once again spun a very intriguing tale. I am just wondering how he will manage to better this book. It's certainly one of my most favourite crime reads of the past few months and one that I hope crime fiction fans will pick up and read.
The book opens with Belsey looking to relax at the end of the day when he ends up in a high speed chase with a BMW. The chase ends with a pursuit to what Belsey knows to be a dead end, a cul de sac next to a Costa Coffee. When Belsey enters the cul de sac however the person he was chasing has vanished. It turns out however that there's a building by the Costa Coffee which leads down to an old bomb shelter. Belsey is on restrictive duties due to events from book one and so asks his new boss, who just happens to be an old flame, Kirsty Craik for a warrant but it is refused.
Now I started this book shortly after reading a Guardian article which Transworld books Tweeted about saying that there should be more clean-cut detectives in crime fiction. Well, I couldn't think of anything worse and what Belsey does is borrow a police car, an axe, some bolt cutters and a torch and goes off to break into the bomb shelter himself. If he was clean cut where would the good bits of the story come from? Sitting around doing the paperwork? As Belsey's living arrangements are a bit dubious he takes a date (of course it's a girl he previously arrested) to the shelter where she proceeds to be kidnapped and Belsey finds himself trapped before emerging in St Pancras library. Belsey then receives emails from someone calling themselves the Ferryman (a Cold War spy) and also finds an old military magazine in the stolen BMW. Other things then happen which have a connection to the Cold War and it becomes clear how the underground tunnels are connected.
What doesn't become clear however is who the Ferryman is and why people connected to the war are being murdered. Belsey and Craik are warned off investigating further and Belsey questions whether it could be some sort of government conspiracy. Now I have to confess at the first mention of the Cold War and spies etc I thought it might be hard for me to follow. I've never read an espionage novel as I just find them too information heavy but the story here was easy to follow and was actually quite gripping. I am a huge Tube nerd and spend most of my time in London underground. I have spent many hours Googling about tunnels underneath the city and about abandoned tube stations and this book has just heightened my desire to learn more.
Belsey is definitely my kind of character. He is just a magnet for trouble and for me he is the best type of character to read about. The other characters are also strong, Craik in particular. Belsey feels like a very unique character, as does the whole story in fact. Harris is a very talented author and has once again spun a very intriguing tale. I am just wondering how he will manage to better this book. It's certainly one of my most favourite crime reads of the past few months and one that I hope crime fiction fans will pick up and read.
October 2, 2016
Way too many preposterous elements. Set in London, but Nick Belsey seems to be everywhere.
Lacked dramatic element. I just did not care enough about Nick, his boss, his date or his colleagues to give a damn how the plot unfolded. And it unfolded glacially. Oliver Harris is one and done for me.
Lacked dramatic element. I just did not care enough about Nick, his boss, his date or his colleagues to give a damn how the plot unfolded. And it unfolded glacially. Oliver Harris is one and done for me.
January 23, 2018
I'm baffled that Deep Shelter didn't make a much larger splash upon release - it is a Dan Brown-like thrill ride with a highly researched and intelligent underlying mystery. Enter a world where the ground beneath London is absolutely riddled with tunnels, history and secrets (which it really is). Author Oliver Harris weaves a knotty, switch-backing, hi-octane race throughout the darkest, most secrtetive parts of this hidden subterranean world, while simultaenously taking in wealthy criminal geezers, pistol-packing gentry, London's seedy underbelly, and London's dizzy heights.
DC Nick Belsey is modestly corrupt, bends the law whenever it suits him and constantly abuses the power of his badge - but in this book, even more so than in the also-excellent first in series, Hollow Man, we get to like him for it. Here Belsey is using his corner-cutting, excuse-making bullshittery more to save the world than just show off. And we need a hero who can cut off all the corners if the secret beneath London is really going to come out...
There is something of a switch in tone between Hollow Man and this book, however. In book 1 it's all gritty and very grounded in the everyday. Deep Shelter is far more high concept, with Belsey getting pulled into a high-stakes thriller plot. The plot machinery that yanks him in may be a little disconcerting, but don't worry about that - once he's in and detecting his way to the heart of it, you'll be glad it did.
DC Nick Belsey is modestly corrupt, bends the law whenever it suits him and constantly abuses the power of his badge - but in this book, even more so than in the also-excellent first in series, Hollow Man, we get to like him for it. Here Belsey is using his corner-cutting, excuse-making bullshittery more to save the world than just show off. And we need a hero who can cut off all the corners if the secret beneath London is really going to come out...
There is something of a switch in tone between Hollow Man and this book, however. In book 1 it's all gritty and very grounded in the everyday. Deep Shelter is far more high concept, with Belsey getting pulled into a high-stakes thriller plot. The plot machinery that yanks him in may be a little disconcerting, but don't worry about that - once he's in and detecting his way to the heart of it, you'll be glad it did.
September 29, 2016
I loved Oliver Harris's other novel, The Hollow Man, so I was really looking forward to reading the next Nick Belsey story. I wasn't disappointed. Harris's novels, written in a clean, spare style move at breakneck speed carrying you along with their likeable though slightly crooked protagonist. Nick doesn't play by the rules and he always seems to be bucking the system but when he gets his teeth into a case he doesn't let go. What makes this book extra interesting is the level of intricate detail about the London that exists underground. A network of tunnels, weird deserted stations, unused railway lines and storage depots, mainly constructed for some secret Cold War purpose. When Nick decides it would be cool to take a girl down there for a date and feed her stolen champagne, he doesn't realize that someone is watching. When she disappears mysteriously, his quest begins. He hurtles through London and the surrounding countryside on the trail of a shadowy figure who doesn't want to be found. Harris has obviously done his homework because the details about what is or may be underneath the sidewalks of London are absolutely fascinating. Belsey may be crooked but he's clever and always up to the challenge. I found this a smartly written, riveting read.
October 21, 2014
Detective Nick Belsey wird im brütendheißen Londoner Sommer bei der Verfolgung eines Verdächtigen abgehängt und landet in einer Sackgasse. Der Mann ist plötzlich verschwunden und muss genau gewusst haben, dass er an dieser Stelle in Londons unterirdischen Tunneln und Katakomben verschwinden kann. Belsey steigt neugierig in ein Tunnelsystem ein, das sich in mehreren Etagen noch unter den U-Bahn-Linien unter Londons Innenstadt ausbreitet und seit der Zeit des Kalten Krieges verlassen zu sein scheint. Er findet eine üppig ausgestattete Infrastruktur für den Notfall, von der die britische Öffentlichkeit vermutlich nichts weiß. Ein romantisches Treffen mit einer Frau in der verlassenen Unterwelt endet in einer Katastrophe. Die junge Studentin Jemma (mit der ein korrekter Ermittler keine private Beziehung hätte) wird entführt.
Der Täter nennt sich nach einem britischen Spion, kennt Belseys Wege offenbar genauestens und nimmt direkten Kontakt zu ihm auf. Belsey hat es mit einem sonderbaren Kauz zu tun, dessen Spezialwissen über das Bunkersystem Belsey allein nicht gewachsen ist. Durch Belseys Degradierung zum Innendienst sind seine beruflichen Möglichkeiten gerade empfindlich eingeschränkt. Der Sachverhalt klingt aber auch so aberwitzig, dass Belsey als Suspendierter wohl kaum eine Hundertschaft unter die Erde zitieren kann, um nach Jemma zu fahnden. Hilfe verspricht er sich von Tom Monroe, einem Journalisten mit schillerndem Lebenslauf, der Bücher zu Spionagethemen veröffentlicht hat. Monroe macht sich für Belsey unentbehrlich durch seine Kenntnisse über die Nachkriegszeit. Unter dem Deckmantel von Post- und Fernmeldewesen sollte damals ein Leben nach einem möglichen Atomangriff Russlands vorbereitet und unter dem Namen „Able Archer“ eine Krisensimulation veranstaltet werden. Man ging davon aus, dass ein Teil der Bevölkerung überleben und fortan unterirdisch existieren würde. Belsey kämpft nun an allen Fronten: Um Jemmas Leben, gegen den gezielt gestreuten Verdacht, er wäre selbst der Täter, gegen den Geheimdienst, der ihm bereits im Nacken sitzt, und gegen einen Täter, der nichts mehr zu verlieren hat.
Aus dem faszinierenden Setting eines Systems ungenutzter Schutzbunker im Londoner Untergrund entwickelt Harris einen Plot, der sich in der zweiten Hälfte zum spannenden Geheimdienst-Thriller entwickelt. Sein Ermittler Belsey agiert dabei äußerst intelligent und geschickt vernetzt, liefert der Polizeibürokratie jedoch immer wieder Angriffsfläche, um ihn wegen seiner kriminellen Aktionen endgültig aus dem Dienst zu entfernen. Dreißig Jahre nach den Ereignissen, denen Belsey auf die Spur kommt, fand ich einerseits die naive Vorstellung jener Zeit vom Leben nach einem angenommenen Atomschlag höchst interessant, aber auch die Londoner Verhältnisse, wo nahezu jedes Fleckchen der Stadt von Kameras überwacht wird. Für Leser, die sich gern von London und seinen brachliegenden Versorgungssystemen als Schauplatz fesseln lassen, eine unbedingte Leseempfehlung.
Der Täter nennt sich nach einem britischen Spion, kennt Belseys Wege offenbar genauestens und nimmt direkten Kontakt zu ihm auf. Belsey hat es mit einem sonderbaren Kauz zu tun, dessen Spezialwissen über das Bunkersystem Belsey allein nicht gewachsen ist. Durch Belseys Degradierung zum Innendienst sind seine beruflichen Möglichkeiten gerade empfindlich eingeschränkt. Der Sachverhalt klingt aber auch so aberwitzig, dass Belsey als Suspendierter wohl kaum eine Hundertschaft unter die Erde zitieren kann, um nach Jemma zu fahnden. Hilfe verspricht er sich von Tom Monroe, einem Journalisten mit schillerndem Lebenslauf, der Bücher zu Spionagethemen veröffentlicht hat. Monroe macht sich für Belsey unentbehrlich durch seine Kenntnisse über die Nachkriegszeit. Unter dem Deckmantel von Post- und Fernmeldewesen sollte damals ein Leben nach einem möglichen Atomangriff Russlands vorbereitet und unter dem Namen „Able Archer“ eine Krisensimulation veranstaltet werden. Man ging davon aus, dass ein Teil der Bevölkerung überleben und fortan unterirdisch existieren würde. Belsey kämpft nun an allen Fronten: Um Jemmas Leben, gegen den gezielt gestreuten Verdacht, er wäre selbst der Täter, gegen den Geheimdienst, der ihm bereits im Nacken sitzt, und gegen einen Täter, der nichts mehr zu verlieren hat.
Aus dem faszinierenden Setting eines Systems ungenutzter Schutzbunker im Londoner Untergrund entwickelt Harris einen Plot, der sich in der zweiten Hälfte zum spannenden Geheimdienst-Thriller entwickelt. Sein Ermittler Belsey agiert dabei äußerst intelligent und geschickt vernetzt, liefert der Polizeibürokratie jedoch immer wieder Angriffsfläche, um ihn wegen seiner kriminellen Aktionen endgültig aus dem Dienst zu entfernen. Dreißig Jahre nach den Ereignissen, denen Belsey auf die Spur kommt, fand ich einerseits die naive Vorstellung jener Zeit vom Leben nach einem angenommenen Atomschlag höchst interessant, aber auch die Londoner Verhältnisse, wo nahezu jedes Fleckchen der Stadt von Kameras überwacht wird. Für Leser, die sich gern von London und seinen brachliegenden Versorgungssystemen als Schauplatz fesseln lassen, eine unbedingte Leseempfehlung.
June 6, 2014
Oliver Harris is for sure one of the best new and upcoming crime thriller writers. Following on from Hollow Man, the first time we meet the corrupt but strangely likeable Detective Belsey, this novel takes us deep down into the hidden history of London.
I love a novel with a well-researched background. Deep Shelter does not disappoint on this front and I found myself wanting to learn more about the underground tunnels beneath our streets. It starts to become difficult to discern between the fact and fiction and that's when you know you're truly immersed in the world that Harris has created.
Kudos to Harris for creating an interesting protagonist detective. This genre has been regurgitated so many times it's great to see things from a fresh perspective. Nick Belsey drinks, takes pills, sleeps with other officers as well as past offenders, leaves a mess trailing behind him through every case... but still stays one step ahead of the game and solves it in the end. Looking forward to reading more of him in future.
I love a novel with a well-researched background. Deep Shelter does not disappoint on this front and I found myself wanting to learn more about the underground tunnels beneath our streets. It starts to become difficult to discern between the fact and fiction and that's when you know you're truly immersed in the world that Harris has created.
Kudos to Harris for creating an interesting protagonist detective. This genre has been regurgitated so many times it's great to see things from a fresh perspective. Nick Belsey drinks, takes pills, sleeps with other officers as well as past offenders, leaves a mess trailing behind him through every case... but still stays one step ahead of the game and solves it in the end. Looking forward to reading more of him in future.
June 6, 2014
A great new Belsey novel! This time DI Nick Belsey goes undercover underground in more ways than one. As in the first Oliver Harris novel, Belsey is on his own, investigating a disappearance of a young woman, convinced he is the only one who knows what's going on, mainly because, just like before, he too has something to hide. Veering between what is legal and what is wholly unacceptable behaviour for a police officer, he comes very close to the wire to save his own skin and that of the the potential victims of an unknown assailant who hides in the deep crevices of London underground bunkers. If you ever wondered what lies beneath the streets of London, this is just the book for you. It's thrilling, fast and scary at the same time,and I challenge you to put this book down. A perfect holiday novel.
December 7, 2014
Picked this up on the strength of the intriguing blurb as I hadn't read his previous book The Hollow Man.
What a great find! The best crime/conspiracy thriller I've read this year, by miles. Doesn't happen very often but every now and again, a book will come along that's based on such an interesting premise, you know that once you've read it, you'll be Googling yourself silly trying to check out how much is fact and how much is fiction. This is one of those. Honestly, I couldn't put the damned thing down.
Memo to any commissioning editors reading this: do yourself a favour; grab the rights while you still can. It would make an absolutely cracking TV series.
What a great find! The best crime/conspiracy thriller I've read this year, by miles. Doesn't happen very often but every now and again, a book will come along that's based on such an interesting premise, you know that once you've read it, you'll be Googling yourself silly trying to check out how much is fact and how much is fiction. This is one of those. Honestly, I couldn't put the damned thing down.
Memo to any commissioning editors reading this: do yourself a favour; grab the rights while you still can. It would make an absolutely cracking TV series.
April 27, 2020
3.5* An enjoyable book. Liked the character of Belsey even though he is very flawed. The plot is interesting and unique. Looking out for book 3 in this series
October 11, 2020
3.5 I enjoy Nick Belsey
July 17, 2017
Ich ließ mich von den Worten London, Underground und Thriller triggern.
Leider hielt das Buch nicht, was es versprach, und wenn das der neue Stern am britischen Thrillerautorenhimmel ist, will ich die anderen Bücher nicht kennen. Es ist schon recht clever konstruiert, aber über einige Strecken laaaangatmig und dann doch wieder unlogisch. Gut, ich kenne Teil eins der Reihe nicht, aber habe nicht das Gefühl hier viel verpasst zu haben. Ich denke man kommt gut ohne dieses Wissen klar. Womit ich nicht klar komme, ist diese vollkommen unsympathische Bulle Belsy. Seines Zeichen allgemein verwirrten Polizeitaugenichts, mit Drogen- und Alkoholproblem, gestörtem Verhältnis zu Frauen und zum Gesetz. Was blöd ist, so als Polizist. Deswegen kann ich auch in keinster Weise nachvollziehen, dass der Kerl keine Hilfe holt als seine neue Freundin im Bunkersystem zu Anfang des Buches verschütt geht und alles danach aussieht, dass sie nicht in ein dunkles Loch gefallen ist sondern entführt wurde. Unlogisch.
Die Regierungsverschwörungsstory war an sich ganz gut, auch wenn ich die Beweggründe des Bösewichtes nicht verstehe.
Aus meiner Sicht hätte die Story Potenzial gehabt und es wurde eine ganze Menge an unseren "Helden" verschenkt.
Leider hielt das Buch nicht, was es versprach, und wenn das der neue Stern am britischen Thrillerautorenhimmel ist, will ich die anderen Bücher nicht kennen. Es ist schon recht clever konstruiert, aber über einige Strecken laaaangatmig und dann doch wieder unlogisch. Gut, ich kenne Teil eins der Reihe nicht, aber habe nicht das Gefühl hier viel verpasst zu haben. Ich denke man kommt gut ohne dieses Wissen klar. Womit ich nicht klar komme, ist diese vollkommen unsympathische Bulle Belsy. Seines Zeichen allgemein verwirrten Polizeitaugenichts, mit Drogen- und Alkoholproblem, gestörtem Verhältnis zu Frauen und zum Gesetz. Was blöd ist, so als Polizist. Deswegen kann ich auch in keinster Weise nachvollziehen, dass der Kerl keine Hilfe holt als seine neue Freundin im Bunkersystem zu Anfang des Buches verschütt geht und alles danach aussieht, dass sie nicht in ein dunkles Loch gefallen ist sondern entführt wurde. Unlogisch.
Die Regierungsverschwörungsstory war an sich ganz gut, auch wenn ich die Beweggründe des Bösewichtes nicht verstehe.
Aus meiner Sicht hätte die Story Potenzial gehabt und es wurde eine ganze Menge an unseren "Helden" verschenkt.
January 18, 2024
A complicated tale - took me three days to read! - but it will stay in my mind, chiefly for the claustrophobic dreams it engendered ...
January 27, 2016
Brilliant, invigorating clever thriller. The main protagonist is battered and not totally rule abiding police investigator. He is extremely charismatic, classic main character for the genre. The book is as far as you could get from so popular now "Gone girl" type of a thriller with female victim/slash/main heroin/baddy/goody all in one. I never understood all excitement related to this type of thriller. So reading something so different and so traditional, but modern at the same time is very refreshing.
Reading it is like being on a roller coaster with lots of twists and turns and with satisfying ending. Also I enjoyed that the action takes place in London, and London topography plays big role in it. It is always a joy to see the familiar places through someone's else eye.
Overall it is a very entertaining read.
caveat: the rating 5 stars is given only in comparison with other crime/thriller books, not with other works of fiction in different genre. I do not believe the comparison between the genres could be meaningful.
Reading it is like being on a roller coaster with lots of twists and turns and with satisfying ending. Also I enjoyed that the action takes place in London, and London topography plays big role in it. It is always a joy to see the familiar places through someone's else eye.
Overall it is a very entertaining read.
caveat: the rating 5 stars is given only in comparison with other crime/thriller books, not with other works of fiction in different genre. I do not believe the comparison between the genres could be meaningful.
October 20, 2019
Oliver Harris is one hell of a writer for someone so young. His hero is a deeply flawed if a gifted detective whose emotions tend to overpower his logical faculties and land him in deep trouble.
This is a sledge-hammer of a book - superbly researched, well written with smart dialogue and a plot line drags you in all the way to the last page.
Oliver Harris is criminally under-rated and in my eyes, one of the finest crime writer in the business - perhaps in the Top 5 in the world. I just can't wait for his next book.
I wouldn't recommend this book for the average reader who is looking for mindless, non-stop action ala James Bond. However if you are a connoisseur of crime/thriller novels who appreciates great characters, smart dialogues, unusual story line, etc then Oliver Harris is your man.
This is a sledge-hammer of a book - superbly researched, well written with smart dialogue and a plot line drags you in all the way to the last page.
Oliver Harris is criminally under-rated and in my eyes, one of the finest crime writer in the business - perhaps in the Top 5 in the world. I just can't wait for his next book.
I wouldn't recommend this book for the average reader who is looking for mindless, non-stop action ala James Bond. However if you are a connoisseur of crime/thriller novels who appreciates great characters, smart dialogues, unusual story line, etc then Oliver Harris is your man.
October 1, 2016
Irreverent, corrupt, maverick cop, Nick Belsey, investigates the abduction of a female friend in the labyrinth of secret tunnels beneath the heart of London. Belsey is still an interesting character,
but Harris spends way too much time describing in minute detail the geography of downtown London, which is only meaningful to a native Londoner.
but Harris spends way too much time describing in minute detail the geography of downtown London, which is only meaningful to a native Londoner.
April 30, 2018
A disappointing second entry in the Nick Besley series. On the plus side, if you're looking for a procedural with an interesting plot, go for it. Me? I wanted more of Nick Besley's disturbingly plausible dysfunction. His extreme character has been toned down enough to render him simply repugnant rather than interesting.
July 21, 2022
This book was particularly interesting due to the setting in Cold War tunnels beneath London. I lived through the Cold War, working in London so I could definitely relate. Nick Belsey is a flawed character, all the more interesting for it - I struggled a little to keep track of the minor characters but that didn’t distract from a fantastic plot.
October 31, 2021
Audiobook-Rezension:
London Underground ist der zweite Thriller von Oliver Harris um seinen schwierigen Polizisten Nick Belsey.
Bei einer Verfolgungsjagd durch die Straßen London entkommt ihm der Flüchtige auf mysteriöse Art und Weise - im Londoner Untergrund! Belsey folgt ihm in ein ungewöhnliches Tunnelsystem, bei dem schnell klar wird, dass es um einen verlassenen Bunker handeln muss. Er muss die Verfolgung zwar erfolglos abbrechen, überlegt sich aber, der Bunker könne eine coole Location sein, um sein abendliches Date zu beeindrucken - auch wenn es sicher nicht legal ist. Zu dumm nur, dass das Date mit einer Entführung seiner Freundin endet!
Es beginnt ein doppeltes Versteckspiel bei seinen Ermittlungen und Bemühungen, seine Freundin zu retten: Er kann den offiziellen Ermittlern in dem Fall nichts von seiner Beteiligung und den Geschehnissen berichten, um nicht selbst verdächtigt zu werden, und er hat es mit einem Entführer zu tun, der ihm Botschaften und Hinweise schickt, die ihn nach und nach erkennen lassen, dass es um weitaus mehr geht, als um eine Entführung.
Mit Belsey zusammen entdecken wir das unterirdische London jenseits der normalen U-Bahnen: Geheime Tunnel, Kommunikationszentren, Bunkeranlagen - alles verborgen unter dem Deckmantel staatlicher Geheimhaltung, die seit dem Kalten Krieg andauert. Immer wieder entdeckt er neue Zusammenhänge, weitere Schichten eines Geheimnisses, dem auch der Entführer auf der Spur ist.
Der spannende Fall mit dem düsteren Setting passt perfekt zu Nick Belsey, der immer wieder Grenzen der Legalität überschreiten muss, um sich dem Täter und der Wahrheit anzunähern. Die Komplexität des Falls war im Audiobookformat manchmal etwas schwierig, wenn man Pausen beim Hören gemacht hat, aber insgesamt ein beeindruckender und ungewöhnlicher Thriller.
London Underground ist der zweite Thriller von Oliver Harris um seinen schwierigen Polizisten Nick Belsey.
Bei einer Verfolgungsjagd durch die Straßen London entkommt ihm der Flüchtige auf mysteriöse Art und Weise - im Londoner Untergrund! Belsey folgt ihm in ein ungewöhnliches Tunnelsystem, bei dem schnell klar wird, dass es um einen verlassenen Bunker handeln muss. Er muss die Verfolgung zwar erfolglos abbrechen, überlegt sich aber, der Bunker könne eine coole Location sein, um sein abendliches Date zu beeindrucken - auch wenn es sicher nicht legal ist. Zu dumm nur, dass das Date mit einer Entführung seiner Freundin endet!
Es beginnt ein doppeltes Versteckspiel bei seinen Ermittlungen und Bemühungen, seine Freundin zu retten: Er kann den offiziellen Ermittlern in dem Fall nichts von seiner Beteiligung und den Geschehnissen berichten, um nicht selbst verdächtigt zu werden, und er hat es mit einem Entführer zu tun, der ihm Botschaften und Hinweise schickt, die ihn nach und nach erkennen lassen, dass es um weitaus mehr geht, als um eine Entführung.
Mit Belsey zusammen entdecken wir das unterirdische London jenseits der normalen U-Bahnen: Geheime Tunnel, Kommunikationszentren, Bunkeranlagen - alles verborgen unter dem Deckmantel staatlicher Geheimhaltung, die seit dem Kalten Krieg andauert. Immer wieder entdeckt er neue Zusammenhänge, weitere Schichten eines Geheimnisses, dem auch der Entführer auf der Spur ist.
Der spannende Fall mit dem düsteren Setting passt perfekt zu Nick Belsey, der immer wieder Grenzen der Legalität überschreiten muss, um sich dem Täter und der Wahrheit anzunähern. Die Komplexität des Falls war im Audiobookformat manchmal etwas schwierig, wenn man Pausen beim Hören gemacht hat, aber insgesamt ein beeindruckender und ungewöhnlicher Thriller.
February 9, 2020
When DC Nick Belsey chases a suspect in a speeding car one afternoon in a hot London summer it is the start of an investigation that will take him to the heart of a thirty-year old conspiracy. It will take him into a hidden world under the streets of the capital where the ghosts of the cold war and its climate of paranoia still linger.
My expectations for this book were mixed, there are only so many ‘gritty’ urban thrillers you can read before they all start to merge into one. The fact that Nick Belsey, the latest in a long line of maverick cope with messy private lives could have come from central casting didn’t help either.
What lifted this book out of the ordinary was the originality of the subject matter and the way Harris has of finding the grimmest corners of London in which to place his characters. This isn’t the capital that the tourist brochures show you, it’s a city of dark alleys means streets pulsing with the tension of trouble being only a few steps away.
As for the bunkers and tunnels Belsey spends so much of his time racing around, the UK government did build a vast network of bombproof bunkers under London and other cities. The cruel experiment at the heart of the plot has about it just the right mix of paranoia and civil service box ticking to be shockingly believable.
Oliver Harris has pulled off with a neat turn of skill the old, but always effective, trick of scaring his readers with the possibility of what ‘they’ might be doing behind our backs; all for our own good, obviously.
My expectations for this book were mixed, there are only so many ‘gritty’ urban thrillers you can read before they all start to merge into one. The fact that Nick Belsey, the latest in a long line of maverick cope with messy private lives could have come from central casting didn’t help either.
What lifted this book out of the ordinary was the originality of the subject matter and the way Harris has of finding the grimmest corners of London in which to place his characters. This isn’t the capital that the tourist brochures show you, it’s a city of dark alleys means streets pulsing with the tension of trouble being only a few steps away.
As for the bunkers and tunnels Belsey spends so much of his time racing around, the UK government did build a vast network of bombproof bunkers under London and other cities. The cruel experiment at the heart of the plot has about it just the right mix of paranoia and civil service box ticking to be shockingly believable.
Oliver Harris has pulled off with a neat turn of skill the old, but always effective, trick of scaring his readers with the possibility of what ‘they’ might be doing behind our backs; all for our own good, obviously.
September 15, 2018
Ein spannender Thriller mit einen großartigen Setting im Untergrund von London und einer interessanten Geschichte mit vielen Wendungen und Spuren, die bis in den Kalten Krieg zurückführen.
Nick Belsey ist vielleicht nicht der sympatischste Ermittler, den die Krimi-Welt je gesehen hat, aber trotz seiner vielen Kanten und Probleme (Alkohol, Drogen, den Hang, es mit den Regeln und dem Gesetz nicht so genau zu nehmen), ist er mir schon im ersten Buch der Reihe ans Herz gewachsen. Denn, auch wenn es zunächst so scheint: Er ist eben nicht nur an seinem eigenen Vorteil interessiert. Als er seiner Freundin einen mysteriösen Bunker zeigt und sie dort unten von einem mysteriösen Mann, der sich selber nach einem sowjetischen Spion benannt hat, entführt wird, setzt er alles daran, sie wieder zu befreien - koste es, was es wolle.
Der Roman ist sehr gut recherchiert. Viele der Tunnelsysteme, Bunker und Gebäude, die Oliver Harris beschreibt, gibt es wirklich. Das macht die Lektüre des Romans umso interessanter.
Daher hätte es mich nicht gestört, stellenweise noch mehr zu erfahren. Manches Innehalten des Protagonisten und Detail in der Geschichte fiel aber vermutlich zugunsten der Spannung und der Schnelligkeit der Erzählung dem Rotstift zum Opfer. Ich hätte etwas mehr Tiefe und Ausgeruhtheit in solchen Momenten gut gefunden. Daher gibt es 4 von 5 Sternen von mir.
Nick Belsey ist vielleicht nicht der sympatischste Ermittler, den die Krimi-Welt je gesehen hat, aber trotz seiner vielen Kanten und Probleme (Alkohol, Drogen, den Hang, es mit den Regeln und dem Gesetz nicht so genau zu nehmen), ist er mir schon im ersten Buch der Reihe ans Herz gewachsen. Denn, auch wenn es zunächst so scheint: Er ist eben nicht nur an seinem eigenen Vorteil interessiert. Als er seiner Freundin einen mysteriösen Bunker zeigt und sie dort unten von einem mysteriösen Mann, der sich selber nach einem sowjetischen Spion benannt hat, entführt wird, setzt er alles daran, sie wieder zu befreien - koste es, was es wolle.
Der Roman ist sehr gut recherchiert. Viele der Tunnelsysteme, Bunker und Gebäude, die Oliver Harris beschreibt, gibt es wirklich. Das macht die Lektüre des Romans umso interessanter.
Daher hätte es mich nicht gestört, stellenweise noch mehr zu erfahren. Manches Innehalten des Protagonisten und Detail in der Geschichte fiel aber vermutlich zugunsten der Spannung und der Schnelligkeit der Erzählung dem Rotstift zum Opfer. Ich hätte etwas mehr Tiefe und Ausgeruhtheit in solchen Momenten gut gefunden. Daher gibt es 4 von 5 Sternen von mir.
August 14, 2018
(I'd give it 3 1/2 stars, rather than 4, if the system allowed for halves)
Brit writer Oliver Harris and his rules-breaking police detective Nick Bailey are new to me. But glad I met 'em.
For his second book in the series, Harris engages readers with the tale of a, yes, cynical cop who is doggedly determined to solve the mystery of a would-be girlfriend's disappearance. Her vanishing leads him into a wild bit of speculative alternative history -- which bits were real? -- about the creation of an underground London labyrinth designed as a hideaway for government officials and others in case of a nuclear war. And the government's apparent involvement in bringing down a plane full of folks who knew too much about those secret plans.
As the book progresses, Harris piles on the complications in a manner that could easily leave a reader lost in the weeds. And at 423 pages, the book feels about 10% longer than it needs to be. The character development is a bit lacking, too. How'd Bailey get to the place -- emotionally, spiritually -- where he lives now?
Perhaps the first Belsey book, "The Hollow Man," will fill in some of those gaps. It's now on my list.
Still -- a fun ride, with a bit of a London "travelogue" built into the narrative.
Brit writer Oliver Harris and his rules-breaking police detective Nick Bailey are new to me. But glad I met 'em.
For his second book in the series, Harris engages readers with the tale of a, yes, cynical cop who is doggedly determined to solve the mystery of a would-be girlfriend's disappearance. Her vanishing leads him into a wild bit of speculative alternative history -- which bits were real? -- about the creation of an underground London labyrinth designed as a hideaway for government officials and others in case of a nuclear war. And the government's apparent involvement in bringing down a plane full of folks who knew too much about those secret plans.
As the book progresses, Harris piles on the complications in a manner that could easily leave a reader lost in the weeds. And at 423 pages, the book feels about 10% longer than it needs to be. The character development is a bit lacking, too. How'd Bailey get to the place -- emotionally, spiritually -- where he lives now?
Perhaps the first Belsey book, "The Hollow Man," will fill in some of those gaps. It's now on my list.
Still -- a fun ride, with a bit of a London "travelogue" built into the narrative.
December 30, 2024
Detective Belsey is not a good cop. He cuts corners, he steals, he has intimate relationships with people he has arrested. He does drugs. And he just about gets away with it. Chasing a suspect Belsey discovers the entrance to a secret tunnel system under central London which contains stolen booze and a stockpile of drugs. Thinking to exploit the find he returns with his latest girlfriend to celebrate, only to have her disappear apparently kidnapped by The Ferryman. Nick soon finds himself in a race against time which leads him into Cold War secrets that the establishment don't want to see the light of day.
Some books are so awful that they push through the crap barrier and become good. This is one such. The lead character was about as unlikeable as you can imagine; the writing wasn't great and the ideas were a bit mad. But I liked it. The pages kept turning and there were periods when this was unputdownable. There was actually some good research about the system of civil defence and nuclear bunkers put together in Britain in the 1960s and 70s underpinning the story and it was fun. If you want a light read and a bit of excitement, this is worth a shot.
Some books are so awful that they push through the crap barrier and become good. This is one such. The lead character was about as unlikeable as you can imagine; the writing wasn't great and the ideas were a bit mad. But I liked it. The pages kept turning and there were periods when this was unputdownable. There was actually some good research about the system of civil defence and nuclear bunkers put together in Britain in the 1960s and 70s underpinning the story and it was fun. If you want a light read and a bit of excitement, this is worth a shot.
January 4, 2025
“Belsey’s phone rang. It was the CID office, which felt ominous. He let it ring. The chemist contemplated an unopened bottle.
‘The pills are in good condition. Where have they been?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve got to go. I owe you one.’
The chemist nodded. He watched Belsey gather up his merchandise and walk to the door.
‘I’d give you twelve hundred for the lot,’ he said.”
DC Nick Belsey pursues a stolen car. The occupant escapes and disappears underground. Belsey is led into a personal investigation of the network of hidden nuclear shelters under London. Murder, kidnapping and official cover-ups ensue. Belsey finds himself pursued by the police and others in his search for Ferryman and his victim.
Interesting insight into secret London as our hero hunts and blunders his way. Amazing that, after his exploits in The Hollow Man, which I reviewed last month, that Belsey is still a police officer and out of jail. Maybe he won’t be so lucky this time...
‘The pills are in good condition. Where have they been?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve got to go. I owe you one.’
The chemist nodded. He watched Belsey gather up his merchandise and walk to the door.
‘I’d give you twelve hundred for the lot,’ he said.”
DC Nick Belsey pursues a stolen car. The occupant escapes and disappears underground. Belsey is led into a personal investigation of the network of hidden nuclear shelters under London. Murder, kidnapping and official cover-ups ensue. Belsey finds himself pursued by the police and others in his search for Ferryman and his victim.
Interesting insight into secret London as our hero hunts and blunders his way. Amazing that, after his exploits in The Hollow Man, which I reviewed last month, that Belsey is still a police officer and out of jail. Maybe he won’t be so lucky this time...
March 2, 2020
A girl is abducted from an abandoned bomb shelter whilst on a date Detective Belsey in central London, which leads to him being the main suspect unless he solves the crime himself. The book follows Belsey’s investigation into discovering how far the London underground bomb shelters from the war expand and the secrets these tunnels hide underneath London. It’s a very fast paced thriller which had me guessing throughout.
However, I do feel the book was longer than it needed to be, and many of Detective Belsey’s actions were unrealistic and a bit far fetched. The plot twist at the end I also found unbelievable but overall it was quite an entertaining book.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
However, I do feel the book was longer than it needed to be, and many of Detective Belsey’s actions were unrealistic and a bit far fetched. The plot twist at the end I also found unbelievable but overall it was quite an entertaining book.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
December 24, 2021
Brilliant
Deep Shelter is Oliver Harris’ second Detective Nick Belsey book. It is brilliant in a number of ways. First, Belsey himself, very clever, and entirely corrupt in a lot of ways, but an anti hero with a defining moral core. The best I have seen in ages. Second, plotting. The twists keep coming from start to cataclysmic climax. Third the skilled construction where chapters end at a key moment or event. Fourth the range of excellent characters anyone who likes crime fiction has a lot to look forward to
Deep Shelter is Oliver Harris’ second Detective Nick Belsey book. It is brilliant in a number of ways. First, Belsey himself, very clever, and entirely corrupt in a lot of ways, but an anti hero with a defining moral core. The best I have seen in ages. Second, plotting. The twists keep coming from start to cataclysmic climax. Third the skilled construction where chapters end at a key moment or event. Fourth the range of excellent characters anyone who likes crime fiction has a lot to look forward to
May 2, 2021
Another cracking read.
DC Nick Belsen is on restricted duties and enjoying a leisurely end to his shift when a speeding BMW turns his world upside down.
Unconventional in his approach to policing, Nick doggedly pursues secrets lodged deeply in the Cold War, upsetting superiors and even the secret services in his investigations.
Tightly plotted and tense, this is a superior thriller and a real page-Turner. Highly recommended.
DC Nick Belsen is on restricted duties and enjoying a leisurely end to his shift when a speeding BMW turns his world upside down.
Unconventional in his approach to policing, Nick doggedly pursues secrets lodged deeply in the Cold War, upsetting superiors and even the secret services in his investigations.
Tightly plotted and tense, this is a superior thriller and a real page-Turner. Highly recommended.
August 7, 2017
Exciting page turner, with a sympathetic, flawed protagonist (London detective who is more than willing to cut corners, and stray from the straight and narrow), but I'm not sure I was totally convinced by the premise of a child who had survived a nuclear-related accident in the 1980sand who was now trying to bring the incident and its background into public awareness.
July 23, 2018
Three-and-a-half *. In this second book in the series, bad boy detective constable Nick Belsey takes a young woman on a date in one of the supposedly abandoned shelters from World War II. What could possibly go wrong? The woman is abducted, and Belsey ends up chasing a crazed kidnapper throughout the London tunnel system before he blows up half the city. Entertaining.
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