What do you think?
Rate this book
Frank Elder #2
Ash & Bone
Detective Sergeant Maddy Birch will never see thirty again. Nor forty. A lifetime on the force and all she has to show for it is a couple of hundred pounds in the bank and a mortgaged flat in Highgate Borders. When the take down of a violent criminal goes badly wrong leaving both the target and a young constable dead, something doesn’t feel right to Maddy. And her uneasiness is only compounded when she starts to believe someone is following her home.
In Cornwall retired Detective Inspector Elder’s solitary life is disturbed by a phone call from his estranged wife Joanne. Seventeen-year-old Katherine is running wild. Elder’s fears for his daughter are underscored by remorse and guilt for it was his involvement that led directly to the abduction and rape that has so unbalanced Katherine’s life.
Maddy and Elder have a connection. A brief, clumsy encounter sixteen years earlier. Just a quick grope and a cuddle, leading to nothing, but leaving a trace of lingering regret.
In Ash & Bone the unsettled, unhappy Elder is once again persuaded out of retirement. A cold, cold case has a devastating present day impact with sinister implications for the crime squad itself. Elder’s investigation takes place against the backdrop of his increasing concern for his daughter and he must battle his own demons before he can uncover the truth.
In Cornwall retired Detective Inspector Elder’s solitary life is disturbed by a phone call from his estranged wife Joanne. Seventeen-year-old Katherine is running wild. Elder’s fears for his daughter are underscored by remorse and guilt for it was his involvement that led directly to the abduction and rape that has so unbalanced Katherine’s life.
Maddy and Elder have a connection. A brief, clumsy encounter sixteen years earlier. Just a quick grope and a cuddle, leading to nothing, but leaving a trace of lingering regret.
In Ash & Bone the unsettled, unhappy Elder is once again persuaded out of retirement. A cold, cold case has a devastating present day impact with sinister implications for the crime squad itself. Elder’s investigation takes place against the backdrop of his increasing concern for his daughter and he must battle his own demons before he can uncover the truth.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
27 people are currently reading
405 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 6, 2008
I’m so glad I took at last this book. In fact I got the two Frank Elder novels at the same time but since I didn’t like the protagonist very much, I postponed the reading of the second. Well, Elder has not endeared himself to me but I loved the book. It has a cameo by Charlie Resnik, even. In fact Elder is not the only protagonist, he is just one in a great cast. There is Maddy, a forty something DS whose life has little to envy and who is murdered after a third of the novel. After her, Karen, a black gorgeous DCI who heads the investigation in Maddy’s murder. And then Elder who continues with his family problems but helps the police because he worked with Maddy. And the whole police cast, good and bad alike. This is a great book by a great novelist, I’m sorry to have doubted Harvey’s quality.
July 13, 2007
A different Detective in Frank Elder, from Harveys earleir creation Resnick; although Resnick has a cameo in this novel. Again Harvey deals with a Detective who has a dogged approach to his work, an obsessive nature, and enough individual quirks to stop him being cliched.
Again he does less well on the villains than the tainted good guys. Harveys cops are not that far removed from the criminals, but they are more rounded, and more believable. What is less believable is that either Resnick or Elder would be so attractive to women.
Still this is an expertly paced and well written mystery, albeit one that is not too mysterious.
Again he does less well on the villains than the tainted good guys. Harveys cops are not that far removed from the criminals, but they are more rounded, and more believable. What is less believable is that either Resnick or Elder would be so attractive to women.
Still this is an expertly paced and well written mystery, albeit one that is not too mysterious.
March 12, 2023
Loved it. More going back to read the first. (Given as a gift)
March 18, 2018
Ash & Bone by John Harvey is the second book of the Frank Elder mystery series set in late 20th century England. Frank Elder is a retired detective living in Cornwall, still tortured with guilt by the violence inflicted upon his daughter by the criminals he chased in the first book, Flesh & Blood. His estranged wife insists that he do something about their daughter Katherine, who (since she was traumatized) is ruining her life, shacking up with a drug dealer. Frank and Katherine no longer connect with a strong bond, as they did before her abduction and rape - she pushes him away when he tries to help her.
After competent, resourceful female detective Maddy Birch solves a case, surviving a shootout about which she has lingering doubts, she suspects she is being followed. After Maddy is murdered, Frank wants to help in the investigation, because he once had worked with and really liked Maddy.
Frank is persistent at following up clues that others overlook. He continues even when threatened to stop or else harm will come to his family. He unearths a conspiracy of crooked cops that goes back years, and ties into a current drug-dealing case. He boldly forces the guilty parties into a standoff.
I enjoyed both the first and second books of the Frank Elder series much more than the first book of his Charlie Resnick series, Lonely Hearts.
After competent, resourceful female detective Maddy Birch solves a case, surviving a shootout about which she has lingering doubts, she suspects she is being followed. After Maddy is murdered, Frank wants to help in the investigation, because he once had worked with and really liked Maddy.
Frank is persistent at following up clues that others overlook. He continues even when threatened to stop or else harm will come to his family. He unearths a conspiracy of crooked cops that goes back years, and ties into a current drug-dealing case. He boldly forces the guilty parties into a standoff.
I enjoyed both the first and second books of the Frank Elder series much more than the first book of his Charlie Resnick series, Lonely Hearts.
August 12, 2019
Three cases all at the same time as Frank Elder comes out of retirement to help at the Met when an officer is found brutally murdered. Is Maddy Birch's death connected to a recent case where Detective Superintendent Mallory shoots an alleged offender dead, what is his connection to previous stalled investigations. While he is in London Frank's daughter Katherine is arrested in Nottingham on a drug charge but are the arresting officers as straight as they might be? Lots of questions to be asked all round.
Lots of intrigue, chaotic family relationships and some love life for Frank. Oh! and plenty of alcohol consumed.
A good crime novel. Fast pace, characters that are quite believable and plenty of action. And a cameo appearance by Charlie Resnick in Nottingham.
Lots of intrigue, chaotic family relationships and some love life for Frank. Oh! and plenty of alcohol consumed.
A good crime novel. Fast pace, characters that are quite believable and plenty of action. And a cameo appearance by Charlie Resnick in Nottingham.
January 6, 2013
Sometimes you can jump into a series at someplace other than the beginning and feel right at home. That was my experience with Ash and Bone. Harvey is skilled enough to fill in background information unobtrusively and at the point when the reader needs it (as opposed to dropping a clunky recap of the protagonist’s life, loves, and proclivities into Chapter 2).
In this second book in the series, retired Detective Inspector Frank Elder is called back from the hinterlands of Cornwall by double trouble: his daughter, the victim of a horrible crime from the previous book, is off the rails and shacked up with a possible drug dealer, and a detective sergeant Frank used to work with has been murdered.
Frank is recruited by a cold case unit that employs retired cops to look at cases that are going nowhere. He’s asked to look at the detective sergeant’s murder investigation, which has stalled because of an almost total lack of evidence. The investigation leads back into the recent past, and then the more distant past, as Frank and the investigative team try to figure out why and by whom the detective was killed. Years of wrongdoing, much of it by dirty cops, seems to have come to a head and given the good guys a chance to put away multiple bad guys. In the meantime, Frank is also trying to rescue daughter Katherine from her drugs-and-boyfriend trouble and repair their relationship. In the process, he discovers the depth of the damage caused by the unspeakable crime of which she was a victim.
The plots and subplots wind around, flirt with each other, and are wrapped up nicely at the end. In multiple threads of the story, Harvey illustrates how people who act purely out of self-interest can devastate the lives of those around them.
Harvey’s other series character, Charlie Resnick, appears late in the book and plays a part in the investigation. Since I haven’t read the Resnick books, I’m not sure if that’s a natural outgrowth of the story or an effort to get Resnick fans to jump to the Elder series.
Harvey’s characters are interesting and his dialogue feels real. I must confess that I’m a sucker for most things English, and I found that Harvey’s locations and details about life in the UK hit the spot. The story moves forward a little slowly, partly because there’s a lot of dogged police work involved and partly because of the father-daughter angle, and it was never clear to me how the murderer managed to leave almost no evidence at the crime scene. But all in all, this is a satisfying read, and I look forward to reading Harvey’s other books.
In this second book in the series, retired Detective Inspector Frank Elder is called back from the hinterlands of Cornwall by double trouble: his daughter, the victim of a horrible crime from the previous book, is off the rails and shacked up with a possible drug dealer, and a detective sergeant Frank used to work with has been murdered.
Frank is recruited by a cold case unit that employs retired cops to look at cases that are going nowhere. He’s asked to look at the detective sergeant’s murder investigation, which has stalled because of an almost total lack of evidence. The investigation leads back into the recent past, and then the more distant past, as Frank and the investigative team try to figure out why and by whom the detective was killed. Years of wrongdoing, much of it by dirty cops, seems to have come to a head and given the good guys a chance to put away multiple bad guys. In the meantime, Frank is also trying to rescue daughter Katherine from her drugs-and-boyfriend trouble and repair their relationship. In the process, he discovers the depth of the damage caused by the unspeakable crime of which she was a victim.
The plots and subplots wind around, flirt with each other, and are wrapped up nicely at the end. In multiple threads of the story, Harvey illustrates how people who act purely out of self-interest can devastate the lives of those around them.
Harvey’s other series character, Charlie Resnick, appears late in the book and plays a part in the investigation. Since I haven’t read the Resnick books, I’m not sure if that’s a natural outgrowth of the story or an effort to get Resnick fans to jump to the Elder series.
Harvey’s characters are interesting and his dialogue feels real. I must confess that I’m a sucker for most things English, and I found that Harvey’s locations and details about life in the UK hit the spot. The story moves forward a little slowly, partly because there’s a lot of dogged police work involved and partly because of the father-daughter angle, and it was never clear to me how the murderer managed to leave almost no evidence at the crime scene. But all in all, this is a satisfying read, and I look forward to reading Harvey’s other books.
August 27, 2007
ASH & BONE (Police Procedural–England-Cont) - G
Harvey, John – Standalone
William Heinemann: London, 2005- Hardcover
Detective Inspector Frank Elder is retired and living in the wilds of Cornwell when he is asked to come out of retirement and investigate the death of a former colleague and, briefly, lover. At the same time, his ex-wife asked him to find their daughter who had been kidnapped and raped as a child and now has run away.
*** Usually I rave over Harvey's books, but this seemed comparatively flat to me. There was not much character development and while the story wasn't bad, I didn't feel involved in it. I did, however, appreciate the brief appearances of Charlie Resnick, Harvey's best-known character. This was enjoyable, but not his best.
Harvey, John – Standalone
William Heinemann: London, 2005- Hardcover
Detective Inspector Frank Elder is retired and living in the wilds of Cornwell when he is asked to come out of retirement and investigate the death of a former colleague and, briefly, lover. At the same time, his ex-wife asked him to find their daughter who had been kidnapped and raped as a child and now has run away.
*** Usually I rave over Harvey's books, but this seemed comparatively flat to me. There was not much character development and while the story wasn't bad, I didn't feel involved in it. I did, however, appreciate the brief appearances of Charlie Resnick, Harvey's best-known character. This was enjoyable, but not his best.
August 26, 2013
I read through all the Charlie Resnick books so I thought I'd give the Frank Elder series a go. :-) I'm glad I did (I was pretty sure I would be)I liked Frank even better than Charlie! There was more action, less sandwich making and jazz contemplating in the this series, making it much more my taste. Frank had issues, but nothing that would make it seem unrealistic for him to be as effective a cop as he was. It was nice seeing some of the characters from the Resnick books, including Charlie himself. I love when authors write different series, but allow their characters to rub elbows on occasion.
July 20, 2012
Second of new series by John Harvey. The new protagonist is Frank Elder a retired Detective Inspector living in Cornwall. When he gets a call from his estranged wife telling him that their daughter is "running wild." In London, police storm a known drug dealer's residence and Maddy Birch, Detective Sergeant, is forced to shoot and kill the suspect. Later, she senses she is being followed. Maddy and Frank had a past relationship and he is called in from retirement to help solve her death. He discovers a cold case still has devasting impact.
January 8, 2010
A crime detective story. At first it was difficult to figure out who the main protagonist was - just as I was getting interested in one character he got killed off! A good read from beginning to end; however I have to say that it was not one that I couldn't put down. I'll read more from this author, though.
August 17, 2010
Called in to consult on a murder investigation, retired former policeman Frank Elder leaves his self-imposed exile in Cornwall to go to London to work on the case. Perfectly acceptable crime novel that is well written but Frank and this series are just not in the same league as the author's previous works featuring Charlie Resnick and the Nottingham police force.
September 10, 2012
My first John Harvey book. The insight into British police life and crime is quite interesting. Harvey develops characters carefully and deeply, most important that of his main character investigator Frank Elder. Eminently readable and satisfying.
July 27, 2013
Two story in one book. A police story.
Frank Elder is the main actor and Karen Shield is the heroin.
Maddy Birch whom the first case related.
Katherine was involved in the 2nd case.
Case solved and closed.
Frank Elder is the main actor and Karen Shield is the heroin.
Maddy Birch whom the first case related.
Katherine was involved in the 2nd case.
Case solved and closed.
May 29, 2010
This was a good read, and an enjoyable read. The old detective still has what it takes to help solve a mystery.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
Read
August 11, 2011I have read the Frank Elder trilogy, very good....can't wait to start Harvey's Charles Resnick series...11 books...
April 16, 2024
Visit JetBlackDragonfly (The Man Who Read Too Much) at www.edenthompson.ca/blog
Ash and Bone is the second in the Frank Elder series by John Harvey. Frank is a retired Nottinghamshire Police Detective Inspector. He remains in touch with his friends on the force, as he was just brought in as civilian consultant in the first book Flesh & Blood.
Maddy Birch is a female officer attached to the SO7 Serious and Organized crime unit, part of a tactical firearms team raiding the warehouse home of a criminal kingpin. Detective Superintendent Mallory is in charge of the operation. The target is involved with armed robbery, extortion, money laundering, drugs, conspiracy to murder, with a dozen arrests and only one conviction - he must know the right people to remain so safe. In the action of the raid, he is fatally shot and Mallory is the hero, it's time for the unit to celebrate. Mallory seems always there to receive the accolades.
Maddy is plagued by doubt he was shot in self defense, something is not right. She is commended in the resulting inquiry but cannot raise questions, she is outside the old boys club. She also begins to feel stalked, perhaps her flat broken into, but, she's not sure enough to report it.
It's been three years since Elder retired and his marriage to Joanne ended, but they come together to help their daughter Katherine after the horror of her kidnap at the hands of a deranged psychopath in the first novel. She may never be the same, and having a new boyfriend doesn't quell their fears, as he seems a controlling dirtbag. Her arrest for heroin possession is alarming, but not surprising given what she has been through.
As a newcomer, and a black female, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Shields is also made to feel an outsider when she joins the high profile case of a Nottinghamshire police officer being assaulted and killed. When Elder reads of the death in the newspaper, and remembers the officer from his own past, he contacts the SCD1 Homicide team. Karen and Elder form a tentative partnership, growing into friendship, with perhaps a kiss of possibility there.
While they begin interviewing past lovers, friends, and colleagues on the force, another female officer begins to feel stalked, her home broken into - there is a sexual predator ramping up his activity.
We are not forgetting the initial case, where Mallory killed criminal James Grant. Shields and Elder's investigation is about to turn up a history of buried secrets, involving the underworld, robberies, and young girls.
Ash and Bone is another top crime novel from John Harvey. It is best to read them in sequence, as the characters continue to build. A pleasure to read as there are so many layers, with great rounded characters, even down to the hapless young DC's. Maureen Prior and Charlie Resnick also have cameos, and Joanne has a larger role.
This novel is more procedural than the last, but offers a tight puzzle for crime fans.
Recommended.
Ash and Bone is the second in the Frank Elder series by John Harvey. Frank is a retired Nottinghamshire Police Detective Inspector. He remains in touch with his friends on the force, as he was just brought in as civilian consultant in the first book Flesh & Blood.
Maddy Birch is a female officer attached to the SO7 Serious and Organized crime unit, part of a tactical firearms team raiding the warehouse home of a criminal kingpin. Detective Superintendent Mallory is in charge of the operation. The target is involved with armed robbery, extortion, money laundering, drugs, conspiracy to murder, with a dozen arrests and only one conviction - he must know the right people to remain so safe. In the action of the raid, he is fatally shot and Mallory is the hero, it's time for the unit to celebrate. Mallory seems always there to receive the accolades.
Maddy is plagued by doubt he was shot in self defense, something is not right. She is commended in the resulting inquiry but cannot raise questions, she is outside the old boys club. She also begins to feel stalked, perhaps her flat broken into, but, she's not sure enough to report it.
It's been three years since Elder retired and his marriage to Joanne ended, but they come together to help their daughter Katherine after the horror of her kidnap at the hands of a deranged psychopath in the first novel. She may never be the same, and having a new boyfriend doesn't quell their fears, as he seems a controlling dirtbag. Her arrest for heroin possession is alarming, but not surprising given what she has been through.
As a newcomer, and a black female, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Shields is also made to feel an outsider when she joins the high profile case of a Nottinghamshire police officer being assaulted and killed. When Elder reads of the death in the newspaper, and remembers the officer from his own past, he contacts the SCD1 Homicide team. Karen and Elder form a tentative partnership, growing into friendship, with perhaps a kiss of possibility there.
While they begin interviewing past lovers, friends, and colleagues on the force, another female officer begins to feel stalked, her home broken into - there is a sexual predator ramping up his activity.
We are not forgetting the initial case, where Mallory killed criminal James Grant. Shields and Elder's investigation is about to turn up a history of buried secrets, involving the underworld, robberies, and young girls.
Ash and Bone is another top crime novel from John Harvey. It is best to read them in sequence, as the characters continue to build. A pleasure to read as there are so many layers, with great rounded characters, even down to the hapless young DC's. Maureen Prior and Charlie Resnick also have cameos, and Joanne has a larger role.
This novel is more procedural than the last, but offers a tight puzzle for crime fans.
Recommended.
December 18, 2018
Fantastic crime novel. I'm one of those people that can guess the end of books, drives me nuts... but when you find a book that surprises you, and then takes away the surprise by revealing something you thought would be a surprise (who's the killer?), and then surprises you in a different way...it makes reading so much more enjoyable. No high drama here, just people doing their work and solving a mystery in a way that seems realistic and relatable. I couldn't find a copy of Flesh and Blood, so this is the first John Harvey I've read, but I loved it and would recommend it to fans of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Michael Connelly.
April 13, 2019
This is the second book in the series and, although it would make sense as a read alone, a lot of the back story from the first book helps this one make more sense.
I’ve read both books and am still not sure what I think about Frank Elder - a retired police officer who now consults with The Met (in this book). I can’t really get a mental image of him.
The story goes along though and a couple of cases seem to be mixed together. There’s no real twist and the suspects are proven to be the ones who committed the crimes.
I’ve read both books and am still not sure what I think about Frank Elder - a retired police officer who now consults with The Met (in this book). I can’t really get a mental image of him.
The story goes along though and a couple of cases seem to be mixed together. There’s no real twist and the suspects are proven to be the ones who committed the crimes.
May 29, 2019
A police procedural, well done, but with the usual DI with family problems. Only difference in this case is he's retired and living an isolated life in rural Cornwall. He is asked to assist in a murder, the solving of which has become stuck, but a cold case. The story then moves on with suggestions of police corruption, not only in one but two forces. However, Line of Duty it isn't. Just a sort of troubleshooter with a grand office and access to the levers if power. Enjoyable however.
September 5, 2020
Frank Elder has been through so much, but he's solid at the core. Those around him are damaged and these injuries stay with Elder, eating at him, nagging at his peace of mind, leaving an unquiet of his soul. Poor poor Katherine and another, who I thought would show up in Frank Elder #7. Harvey's characteristic red herring that can't be identified, the two strong lines of inquiry can't be questioned.
July 8, 2021
So it was a thriller and I did not want to leave this as a DNF. But it’s very clearly written before the #Metoo movement—it was clearly ok and expected to make passes and sleep with coworkers on the police force as just part of the job. Is it really that bad? And the whole premise of the rapes just seemed to me to be this authors male fantasy. It was too much, too violent, too obvious.
July 8, 2019
I liked the first half of the book more than the second. Too many characters maybe.
The MC did not come to life for me, he seemed rather listless and obscure.
Plotting was good and there is some suspense. Probably won't read more
books in this series.
The MC did not come to life for me, he seemed rather listless and obscure.
Plotting was good and there is some suspense. Probably won't read more
books in this series.
October 15, 2019
Enjoyable crime drama with human interest. No great twists (except the last few pages) but enjoyable nevertheless. Frank and Karen are likeable characters although I feel there may be more to learn about Karen (maybe?).
June 11, 2017
Nice easy read. The plot was a little dull and straight forward. Worth a read to pass the time but not one I'd recommend to regular crime readers.
July 4, 2017
Another enjoyable read from Mr Harvey.
September 9, 2017
Intricate plot, at times disturbing
March 16, 2019
Lots of twists and sub plots to keep the interest going, plus a little romance .
I am glad Frank Elder is out of retirement, I shall be looking for more in this series.
I am glad Frank Elder is out of retirement, I shall be looking for more in this series.
June 7, 2019
Abandoned. 1.5 stars
October 2, 2019
This is a great series; only 4 books but all well worth the time. Tempting to try the Resnick series as well...but in any case, highly recommend this as an intro to prolific author John Harvey.
October 23, 2019
I read it five years ago and I don't remember a single thing about it. Not a good sign.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews