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Ruth and Simon reluctantly agree to let their young teenage daughter, Heather, go off on a camping holiday in Cornwall with her best friend, Kelly, and her family. While on a vacation of their own, they get the news that both girls have gone missing. Kelly is found alive, but, after several days of searching, Heather's body is discovered inside some old mine workings. Although the police detective leading the investigation harbours suspicions of foul play, the verdict is that the death was accidental. The emotional strain of Heather's death ruins Ruth and Simon's marriage. After the divorce, Ruth moves from London to Cambridgeshire, where she remarries and has another child - a daughter, Beatrice. But when Beatrice is close to the age Heather was when she died, she too mysteriously disappears ... Helen Walker (of Harvey's 2008 novel Gone to Ground ), one of the officers involved in the investigation, travels to Cornwall to seek connections between Beatrice's disappearance and Heather's death. Will Grayson (also of Gone to Ground ), the officer leading the enquiry, is torn between his fears that a recently paroled child-abuser might be responsible and his growing suspicions that someone closer to home might have taken Beatrice. With the stakes impossibly high and time running out, Helen and Will draw closer to their quarry while the truth seems to slip further into the distance.
517 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2009
10 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
John Harvey
278 books203 followersaka Jon Barton, William S. Brady (with Angus Wells), L.J. Coburn (with Laurence James), J.B. Dancer (with Angus Wells), John B. Harvey, William M. James (with Terry Harknett and Laurence James), Terry Lennox, John J. McLaglen (with Laurence James), James Mann, Thom Ryder, J.D. Sandon (with Angus Wells), Jon Hart
John Harvey (born 21 December 1938 in London) is a British author of crime fiction most famous for his series of jazz-influenced Charlie Resnick novels, based in the City of Nottingham. Harvey has also published over 90 books under various names, and has worked on scripts for TV and radio. He also ran Slow Dancer Press from 1977 to 1999 publishing poetry. The first Resnick novel, Lonely Hearts, was published in 1989, and was named by The Times as one of the 100 Greatest Crime Novels of the Century. Harvey brought the series to an end in 1998 with Last Rites, though Resnick has since made peripheral appearances in Harvey's new Frank Elder series. The protagonist Elder is a retired detective who now lives, as Harvey briefly did, in Cornwall. The first novel in this series, Flesh and Blood, won Harvey the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2004, an accolade many crime fiction critics thought long overdue. In 2007 he was awarded the Diamond Dagger for a Lifetime's Contribution to the genre. On 14th July 2009 he received an honorary degree (Doctor of Letters) from the University of Nottingham in recognition of his literary eminence and his associations with both the University and Nottingham (particularly in the Charlie Resnick novels). He is also a big Notts County fan.
John Harvey (born 21 December 1938 in London) is a British author of crime fiction most famous for his series of jazz-influenced Charlie Resnick novels, based in the City of Nottingham. Harvey has also published over 90 books under various names, and has worked on scripts for TV and radio. He also ran Slow Dancer Press from 1977 to 1999 publishing poetry. The first Resnick novel, Lonely Hearts, was published in 1989, and was named by The Times as one of the 100 Greatest Crime Novels of the Century. Harvey brought the series to an end in 1998 with Last Rites, though Resnick has since made peripheral appearances in Harvey's new Frank Elder series. The protagonist Elder is a retired detective who now lives, as Harvey briefly did, in Cornwall. The first novel in this series, Flesh and Blood, won Harvey the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2004, an accolade many crime fiction critics thought long overdue. In 2007 he was awarded the Diamond Dagger for a Lifetime's Contribution to the genre. On 14th July 2009 he received an honorary degree (Doctor of Letters) from the University of Nottingham in recognition of his literary eminence and his associations with both the University and Nottingham (particularly in the Charlie Resnick novels). He is also a big Notts County fan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 10, 2018
Ruth, once married to Simon Pierce and living in North London when their daughter Heather goes missing while on a camping holiday in Cornwall with her friend Kelly. Her body is found in disused mine workings. The local Di Cordon has never given up his concern that there was more to the case than his superiors would believe, he is supported only by the coroner who gives an open verdict. The case is shelved and put away. Meanwhile Ruth's relationship breaks down and there is a divorce. She later meets and marries Andrew a school head, and moves to Cambridgeshire. A daughter Beatrice is born and then there is a dramatic twist when the girl goes missing.
DI Will Grayson and DSgt. Helen Walker start the investigation, meanwhile a convicted paedophile is released from prison and immediately DI Grayson is harassing him about past cases. All this leads the pair on a trail to discover the girl and what may have happened in the past.
A well written novel that has enough suspense, drama and twist to keep crime fans on their toes. You can like or hate the detectives as the story progresses. The villains elicit little sympathy and you hate them more and more.
A good 4 star book.
DI Will Grayson and DSgt. Helen Walker start the investigation, meanwhile a convicted paedophile is released from prison and immediately DI Grayson is harassing him about past cases. All this leads the pair on a trail to discover the girl and what may have happened in the past.
A well written novel that has enough suspense, drama and twist to keep crime fans on their toes. You can like or hate the detectives as the story progresses. The villains elicit little sympathy and you hate them more and more.
A good 4 star book.
February 8, 2011
Nothing cannot compare to the loss of a child, especially in a violent and mysterious way. After much convincing they finally agree their 12 year old daughter can go on a vacation with a friend, only to have her never return. Flash forward 15 years and their marriage is destroyed as each partner has handled the loss in their own way. For Ruth that meant a new marriage and a new daughter. Now this girl has gone missing, and Ruth’s worst fears has come true.
The plot moves along nicely and we get to see two new detectives in the John Harvey world enter the scene. The dedicated, yet determined family man, plus his hard living partner who brings out his paternal worries. But at its heart this is a story of loss and how we all experience it on our own terms. Ruth still speaks with her first daughter and is fully convinced that no one else can fully understand her loss. Though a tragic circumstance, it is this attitude that directs her life for better, and definitely for worse.
It is this ability to delve into the emotions of the crime that sets Harvey apart. The police investigate and chase after a recently released pedophile in good faith, but the true repercussions of the events are in the core relationships. Like any real crime, the interesting bit is the people and not so much the events. A lot of modern crime fiction loses sight of that and the events overshadow the heart. It is this harmony of the perpetrator, victim, and investigator that creates a fully fleshed out symphony. It is this interlaced jazz composition that Harvey is one of the best.
Enjoy this standalone, and then seek out his previous series featuring Charlie Resnick and (one of my absolute favorites) Frank Elder.
The plot moves along nicely and we get to see two new detectives in the John Harvey world enter the scene. The dedicated, yet determined family man, plus his hard living partner who brings out his paternal worries. But at its heart this is a story of loss and how we all experience it on our own terms. Ruth still speaks with her first daughter and is fully convinced that no one else can fully understand her loss. Though a tragic circumstance, it is this attitude that directs her life for better, and definitely for worse.
It is this ability to delve into the emotions of the crime that sets Harvey apart. The police investigate and chase after a recently released pedophile in good faith, but the true repercussions of the events are in the core relationships. Like any real crime, the interesting bit is the people and not so much the events. A lot of modern crime fiction loses sight of that and the events overshadow the heart. It is this harmony of the perpetrator, victim, and investigator that creates a fully fleshed out symphony. It is this interlaced jazz composition that Harvey is one of the best.
Enjoy this standalone, and then seek out his previous series featuring Charlie Resnick and (one of my absolute favorites) Frank Elder.
October 26, 2021
SPOILER ALERT
I didn't get the significance of the title "Far Cry", but the reference in the novel is of a jazz piece from the album of the same title, by Eric Dolphy, on sax that DI Cordon favors. A melancholy piece, and perhaps commenting on the atmosphere of the story. While the plot is interesting the book could easily been 100 pages shorter, I thought the story dragged. It is a police procedural. The story involves missing children and pedophilia; a depressing subject. From the beginning incident of two girls who go missing during a fret: one found alive, the other dead on a shelf in a abandoned, deteriorating engine house, on the Cornwall coast, to a missing girl thirteen years later. The focal point: the mother of the dead girl Heather, and the missing girl, Beatrice, 13 years later, are one and the same.
Simon and Ruth Pierce allow their daughter to accompany her friend's family, the Effords, on a 10-day vacation. Alan, the father, against his better judgement allows the girls to go to a remote beach with dark getting close, along with the 14-year-old son, Lee. When the girls give Lee a hard time he leaves them to his friends. As the fog moves in the girls become lost. Kelly is found by a hermit who takes care of her until the following morning, thus saving her life. The loss of Heather brings Ruth and Simon's marriage to an end. Simon doesn't believe that Ruth grieves properly. He is bereft and seeks help from various groups ending up possessed with internet group, some rather dicey, and finally falling into the depths of despair. At the same time several other girls have been abducted: Christine Fell, Janine Prentiss and Rose Howard. DI Trevor Cordon leads the investigation. Christine and Janine experience sexual assault and are then released. Rose has never been found. Martina Jones when abducted is found and her abductor is caught and jailed for three years, then released. Cordon is infuriated and believes that Mitchell Roberts was also responsible for the other girls. He doesn't believe the brutal assault of Martina was the first and only by Roberts, and there had to be earlier ones. He pursues Roberts.
Ruth on the other hand moves to Cambridge, meets another man, Andrew Lawson, marries and has another daughter, Beatrice. When Beatrice is ten, she disappears. At this juncture Will Grayson and Helen Walker enter the story. As one suspect after another is investigated, it is finally Simon, who has basically lost it, and wants to teach Ruth a lesson in loss, has taken Beatrice and is holding her in an abandoned house. She is returned safely. As Helen pursues the possibility of Roberts being a possible suspect she travels to Cornwall to interview Cordon who has been shunted off to an easier venue. Their investigation leads back to the Effords and Lee, who confesses that he had found Heather and in a scuffle with her she falls, hits her head and he hides her until he can put in the engine house. Interviewing the earlier victims leads to the identity of Roberts as the perpetrator, but he has done a runner. He eventually goes after Lorraine and Grayson's children one night. She goes after him with all the passion of a mother protecting her children and clubs him with a wine bottle, stabs him, and them pushes him down the stairs as he follows her. At this point one is providing a standing ovation. He is captured and survives so Lorraine is found acting in self defense.
The story is obviously more complex and strung out than this, but much is extraneous, beyond the countless steps of analyzing the evidence. I like these characters but the story was too long and slow. There is a social commentary throughout involving consensual rough sex that Helen Walker engages in, and her colleagues are aware of, against the issue of precocious teenagers, who are sexually active and then when abducted brutally assaulted. Some of the descriptions are graphic and degrading.
I didn't get the significance of the title "Far Cry", but the reference in the novel is of a jazz piece from the album of the same title, by Eric Dolphy, on sax that DI Cordon favors. A melancholy piece, and perhaps commenting on the atmosphere of the story. While the plot is interesting the book could easily been 100 pages shorter, I thought the story dragged. It is a police procedural. The story involves missing children and pedophilia; a depressing subject. From the beginning incident of two girls who go missing during a fret: one found alive, the other dead on a shelf in a abandoned, deteriorating engine house, on the Cornwall coast, to a missing girl thirteen years later. The focal point: the mother of the dead girl Heather, and the missing girl, Beatrice, 13 years later, are one and the same.
Simon and Ruth Pierce allow their daughter to accompany her friend's family, the Effords, on a 10-day vacation. Alan, the father, against his better judgement allows the girls to go to a remote beach with dark getting close, along with the 14-year-old son, Lee. When the girls give Lee a hard time he leaves them to his friends. As the fog moves in the girls become lost. Kelly is found by a hermit who takes care of her until the following morning, thus saving her life. The loss of Heather brings Ruth and Simon's marriage to an end. Simon doesn't believe that Ruth grieves properly. He is bereft and seeks help from various groups ending up possessed with internet group, some rather dicey, and finally falling into the depths of despair. At the same time several other girls have been abducted: Christine Fell, Janine Prentiss and Rose Howard. DI Trevor Cordon leads the investigation. Christine and Janine experience sexual assault and are then released. Rose has never been found. Martina Jones when abducted is found and her abductor is caught and jailed for three years, then released. Cordon is infuriated and believes that Mitchell Roberts was also responsible for the other girls. He doesn't believe the brutal assault of Martina was the first and only by Roberts, and there had to be earlier ones. He pursues Roberts.
Ruth on the other hand moves to Cambridge, meets another man, Andrew Lawson, marries and has another daughter, Beatrice. When Beatrice is ten, she disappears. At this juncture Will Grayson and Helen Walker enter the story. As one suspect after another is investigated, it is finally Simon, who has basically lost it, and wants to teach Ruth a lesson in loss, has taken Beatrice and is holding her in an abandoned house. She is returned safely. As Helen pursues the possibility of Roberts being a possible suspect she travels to Cornwall to interview Cordon who has been shunted off to an easier venue. Their investigation leads back to the Effords and Lee, who confesses that he had found Heather and in a scuffle with her she falls, hits her head and he hides her until he can put in the engine house. Interviewing the earlier victims leads to the identity of Roberts as the perpetrator, but he has done a runner. He eventually goes after Lorraine and Grayson's children one night. She goes after him with all the passion of a mother protecting her children and clubs him with a wine bottle, stabs him, and them pushes him down the stairs as he follows her. At this point one is providing a standing ovation. He is captured and survives so Lorraine is found acting in self defense.
The story is obviously more complex and strung out than this, but much is extraneous, beyond the countless steps of analyzing the evidence. I like these characters but the story was too long and slow. There is a social commentary throughout involving consensual rough sex that Helen Walker engages in, and her colleagues are aware of, against the issue of precocious teenagers, who are sexually active and then when abducted brutally assaulted. Some of the descriptions are graphic and degrading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2017
Interesting twist at the end, but random other "mysteries" within the storyline that didn't really fit. Love the main characters and their backstory, so a little sad that there are no more books in this series.
"Ruth and Simon Graham’s rare romantic break is shattered by devastating news: their daughter, Heather, on holiday in Cornwall with a friend’s family, has disappeared. The loss is more than they — or their marriage — can bear. But time does heal, and slowly Ruth builds a new life for herself, a new husband, Andrew, even a second daughter, Beatrice. The chances that history should repeat itself are next-to-impossible — that is until, years later, a desperate phone call launches D.I. Will Grayson and his partner, D.S. Helen Walker, into an investigation which will test their professional and emotional resources to the very limit. Yet as Grayson becomes increasingly obsessed with a recently-released child abuser and Helen is drawn deeper into a destructive love affair with a married colleague, there is a real danger that their most testing investigation yet will slip fatefully through their hands."
"Ruth and Simon Graham’s rare romantic break is shattered by devastating news: their daughter, Heather, on holiday in Cornwall with a friend’s family, has disappeared. The loss is more than they — or their marriage — can bear. But time does heal, and slowly Ruth builds a new life for herself, a new husband, Andrew, even a second daughter, Beatrice. The chances that history should repeat itself are next-to-impossible — that is until, years later, a desperate phone call launches D.I. Will Grayson and his partner, D.S. Helen Walker, into an investigation which will test their professional and emotional resources to the very limit. Yet as Grayson becomes increasingly obsessed with a recently-released child abuser and Helen is drawn deeper into a destructive love affair with a married colleague, there is a real danger that their most testing investigation yet will slip fatefully through their hands."
June 24, 2017
Very interesting story of the investigation into the disappearances and/or deaths of young girls a number of years apart. One 12-year-old girl got lost in the very dense fog on the Cornwall coast and separated from her friend. The friend was rescued, but the lost girl was later found dead in an abandoned mining building. Her mother and father were devastated, and later divorced. 10+ years later another girl of about the same age disappeared, seemingly without a trace. This girl was the daughter of the same mother as the earlier case, although she had remarried. The book concerns itself with attempting to show connections between the 2 cases (along with some other earlier, similar cases) and try to find and rescue the girl if possible. The primary detective involved shows a fixation on the cases that threatens to derail the whole investigation. Suspense was maintained at a high level throughout, making this a very engrossing read.
July 26, 2018
I think this is a stand-alone novel from John Harvey, although I'd definitely be interested in reading more about DI Will Grayson and Detective Sergeant Helen Walker in Cambridge, England. There are 3 different plot lines over the course of about 13 years and Harvey does a great job at weaving them together. Thirteen years ago, a young girl and her friend disappear during a trip to the beach. While one of the girls is later found alive, the other appears to have fallen into a mine shaft. This storyline is interwoven with the abduction of several young girls over the course of 10-20 years and the most current storyline of the disappearance of a 10-year-old girl who just happens to be the mother of the girl who fell down the mine shaft. Some usage of British terms and British speech patterns can be confusing but it doesn't get in the way of a great story.
January 19, 2019
This is an excellent crime novel which follows Gone to Ground, Harvey’s earlier book featuring Will and Helen as two British police investigators. This one focuses on a couple who allow their daughter to go off on a camping holiday in Cornwall with her best friend and family. A compelling read which I couldn’t read fast enough!
May 15, 2019
Really better than 3 stars in many ways but the “small child in deadly peril” theme is hard to read. If it had been a little less unrelenting I might have managed, but it wasn’t and I couldn’t.
Interesting and sympathetic characters for the most part, even the bad guys. I’ll be checking out other books from this author, but I will pay attention to the subject matter before I crack one open.
Interesting and sympathetic characters for the most part, even the bad guys. I’ll be checking out other books from this author, but I will pay attention to the subject matter before I crack one open.
July 31, 2023
I think that I had read this some time ago as the plot seemed familiar. It is rather long and not nearly as good a police procedural as some of his other books. Not a particular fan of DI Will Grayson or DS Helen Walker either ! Having been critical I will also admit to reading it at breakneck speed, it was hard to put down which is proof of good crime writing.
May 15, 2022
Gripping, moving, most empathetic with all kinds of characters, this is a very good piece of writing indeed.
I just feel very sad I now have read practically all of Harvey's books. Those who do not know him yet are lucky!
I just feel very sad I now have read practically all of Harvey's books. Those who do not know him yet are lucky!
April 5, 2023
I was unable to finish this book, not because I thought it was not good, but because perhaps it was too good, in that I over-identified with the mother of the missing girl. I found it just too painful to continue.
August 17, 2017
Enjoyed this book. Kept me guessing for a while.
February 27, 2020
Predictable in places and a rushed ending which always spoils things for me. But I did enjoy it, it’s a slow read, not as fast paced and action packed as I like.
June 8, 2021
Enjoyed the book although I felt it took a long time to get to the point of the story. Will look at reading some more of his
June 23, 2021
Personal life of some of the characters, while necessary to flesh them out, goes into too much detail at times, slowing the pace of the story. Otherwise, a very good read.
January 30, 2024
John Harvey writes riveting detective thrillers. Evocative in their setting and harrowing in their subject matter. He documents locations and places I know well and have lived in. Rattling good yarn.
July 4, 2024
A good solid detective crime thriller with a decent amount of twists. Likeable and well developed characters.
July 8, 2020
3.75*
June 4, 2009
First Sentence: Ruth sets down her cup, crosses the room and opens the drawer.
Ruth Pierce’s daughter, Heather, and her friend disappeared during a foggy Cornwell night in 1995 while on holiday with her friend’s family. The friend was found bruised but alive, while Heather was found dead. The death was ruled “open” as it was impossible to tell whether it was accidental or murder. Now Ruth has a new daughter, Beatrice, by her second marriage. She still finds it hard enough coping with the loss of Heather. Then Beatrice disappears. Mitchell Roberts was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl. How he’s been released. Will doesn’t believe it was a single incident and does believe Roberts will rape again.
Harvey took a very difficult, painful and emotional subject, tuning it into a thoroughly compelling book. His emotions were honest but he managed to avoid going over the top with them.
His characters are diverse and believable. Grayson strays from the normal police protagonist in that he is married with two children. His marriage may not be perfect, but it’s working and his wife, Lorraine, is as well-drawn as Grayson. His partner, DS Helen Walker, fills the more traditionally male role of being unable to sustain a relationship. But the partnership of the two characters works.
Harvey is very good at suspense. He knows how to start with small things and ratchet the tension up bit-by-bit. He doesn’t use tricks, cliff-hangers or portents; just really good writing.
In spite of that, I found the story predictable and definitely could have benefited with some serious editing. At 500 pages, it was too long. Not because the story dragged, but it lacked the crispness and solid feel of his other books.
I shall always love Harvey’s writing and do still recommend this book, but if I had to choose, I’d advise reading his Resnick or Frank Elder or some of his standalone books to really experience the quality of his writing.
FAR CRY (Pol. Proc-DI Will Grayson-England-Cont) – G+
Harvey, John – 2nd in series
William Heinemann, 2009, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 9780434016921
Ruth Pierce’s daughter, Heather, and her friend disappeared during a foggy Cornwell night in 1995 while on holiday with her friend’s family. The friend was found bruised but alive, while Heather was found dead. The death was ruled “open” as it was impossible to tell whether it was accidental or murder. Now Ruth has a new daughter, Beatrice, by her second marriage. She still finds it hard enough coping with the loss of Heather. Then Beatrice disappears. Mitchell Roberts was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl. How he’s been released. Will doesn’t believe it was a single incident and does believe Roberts will rape again.
Harvey took a very difficult, painful and emotional subject, tuning it into a thoroughly compelling book. His emotions were honest but he managed to avoid going over the top with them.
His characters are diverse and believable. Grayson strays from the normal police protagonist in that he is married with two children. His marriage may not be perfect, but it’s working and his wife, Lorraine, is as well-drawn as Grayson. His partner, DS Helen Walker, fills the more traditionally male role of being unable to sustain a relationship. But the partnership of the two characters works.
Harvey is very good at suspense. He knows how to start with small things and ratchet the tension up bit-by-bit. He doesn’t use tricks, cliff-hangers or portents; just really good writing.
In spite of that, I found the story predictable and definitely could have benefited with some serious editing. At 500 pages, it was too long. Not because the story dragged, but it lacked the crispness and solid feel of his other books.
I shall always love Harvey’s writing and do still recommend this book, but if I had to choose, I’d advise reading his Resnick or Frank Elder or some of his standalone books to really experience the quality of his writing.
FAR CRY (Pol. Proc-DI Will Grayson-England-Cont) – G+
Harvey, John – 2nd in series
William Heinemann, 2009, UK Hardcover – ISBN: 9780434016921
July 26, 2011
One of the biggest mistakes Ruth and Simon Pierce make is their decision to let their daughter Heather accompany her friend Kelly on a camping trip with Kelly’s family. The two girls decided to wander off by themselves and it was sometime before either girl was located. Kelly had been rescued by a strange man who lived alone but he had kept her safe until she was returned to her family.
After days and days of searching, Heather’s body is finally found inside some old mine workings. The death appears to be suspicious but after investigation is eventually ruled accidental. The only thing that Simon and Ruth had to cling to was a tattered post card from Heather revealing what a wonderful time she was having. This is a card that Ruth will refer to many times over the years since Kelly's death.
The loss of their child pulled Simon and Ruth in different directions. Both handled their grief in different ways and eventually the two divorced and went their separate ways. Ruth remarried and eventually had another daughter.
Life went smoothly for awhile for Ruth and her new husband but then Beatrice, Kelly’s half sister vanishes. Once again, Ruth is plunged into despair and fear for the daughter.
DI Will Grayson and his partner Helen Walker leave no stone unturned in their search for Beatrice. The two review the case of Ruth’s daughter Kelly and attempt to find some clues that might have been overlooked at that time that could be a help in finding Beatrice before it is too late.
DI Grayson also is keeping a sharp eye on a Mitchell Roberts, a creep who has been released from prison too soon according to Grayson. Roberts has already taken up his old habit of hanging around schoolyards.
Grayson and Walker also appeared in Harvey’s previous novel “Gone to Ground”. Far Cry is a thriller that keeps the reader on edge to the very end.
After days and days of searching, Heather’s body is finally found inside some old mine workings. The death appears to be suspicious but after investigation is eventually ruled accidental. The only thing that Simon and Ruth had to cling to was a tattered post card from Heather revealing what a wonderful time she was having. This is a card that Ruth will refer to many times over the years since Kelly's death.
The loss of their child pulled Simon and Ruth in different directions. Both handled their grief in different ways and eventually the two divorced and went their separate ways. Ruth remarried and eventually had another daughter.
Life went smoothly for awhile for Ruth and her new husband but then Beatrice, Kelly’s half sister vanishes. Once again, Ruth is plunged into despair and fear for the daughter.
DI Will Grayson and his partner Helen Walker leave no stone unturned in their search for Beatrice. The two review the case of Ruth’s daughter Kelly and attempt to find some clues that might have been overlooked at that time that could be a help in finding Beatrice before it is too late.
DI Grayson also is keeping a sharp eye on a Mitchell Roberts, a creep who has been released from prison too soon according to Grayson. Roberts has already taken up his old habit of hanging around schoolyards.
Grayson and Walker also appeared in Harvey’s previous novel “Gone to Ground”. Far Cry is a thriller that keeps the reader on edge to the very end.
February 13, 2017
This is for fans of police procedurals - a page turner, interesting, clever and engaging. It was just a tad too drawn out in my view.
March 30, 2013
This is the first book I have read by John Harvey. I did like it and would read another of his books. All the characters are believable. The character of DI Will Grayson was good.
Ruth and Simon’s daughter, Heather, is asked to go on holiday to Cornwall with her best friend and her family. While she is away they decide to go to France for a few days on their own. Whilst there they receive a call that every parent must dread – their daughter is missing. The friend is found alive, but their daughter is eventually discovered dead in a disused mine shaft. Was it an accident or not?
Fast forward quite a few years and Ruth and Simon are divorced, their marriage couldn’t cope with the strain of losing their only daughter. Ruth has remarried and now has another daughter. One day the two of them bump into her ex-husband Simon in the street and he tells them he lives close by. Then Ruth’s daughter Beatrice disappears on her way home from a music lesson. Is history repeating itself? Drop a recently released child abuser into the mix and you have the makings of a very good plot.
I didn’t see the necessity for the one sex scene, it didn’t seem to tie in with the rest of the story.
Ruth and Simon’s daughter, Heather, is asked to go on holiday to Cornwall with her best friend and her family. While she is away they decide to go to France for a few days on their own. Whilst there they receive a call that every parent must dread – their daughter is missing. The friend is found alive, but their daughter is eventually discovered dead in a disused mine shaft. Was it an accident or not?
Fast forward quite a few years and Ruth and Simon are divorced, their marriage couldn’t cope with the strain of losing their only daughter. Ruth has remarried and now has another daughter. One day the two of them bump into her ex-husband Simon in the street and he tells them he lives close by. Then Ruth’s daughter Beatrice disappears on her way home from a music lesson. Is history repeating itself? Drop a recently released child abuser into the mix and you have the makings of a very good plot.
I didn’t see the necessity for the one sex scene, it didn’t seem to tie in with the rest of the story.
June 15, 2010
I truly love John Harvey mysteries. They are among the best of the British police procedurals and in each of the series, from Charlie Resnick and Frank Elder to D.I. Will Grayson, the characters are sympathetic and fully drawn. The stories develop in their own time, but with no wasted words and misjudged feints. The fog of the Cornwall coast feels as real as yesterday's weather report and the miserable lives behind the crimes can get a good man down, if he doesn't take good care. In this particularly strong offering, Harvey introduces us to two crusty male detectives who insist on fuller investigations than their colleagues, and bear their emnity for it. A female assistant D.I. is so clearly ready for more that we fear her professionalism may become compromised while she struggles to fill the gaps in her life. Harvey patiently wraps us in strands from several cold and current cases. No need to read this in conjunction with any of Harvey's others, but you'll probably want to, simply because Harvey makes you feel you spent a week away.
February 25, 2024
Far Cry by John Harvey is the second book of the Will Grayson & Helen Walker mystery series set in contemporary England. Ruth and Simon allow their daughter Heather to go on a camping trip in Cornwall with a friend's family, while they have a vacation in Paris. It's the last time Ruth and Simon are truly happy; Heather goes missing (is later found dead). Ruth and Simon split up; Ruth remarries; history repeats itself.
Detective Inspector Will Grayson & Detective Sergeant Helen Walker investigate not only the current missing-girl case, but several in the past as well. They follow up old evidence to link the cases; interview families of the missing girls and women who survived their abductions. They wonder if a convicted pedophile, recently released from prison, is the culprit. For Will & Helen it's a long, exhausting slog to finally reach the truth; for the reader it's a fascinating description of dogged, persistent criminal detection.
Detective Inspector Will Grayson & Detective Sergeant Helen Walker investigate not only the current missing-girl case, but several in the past as well. They follow up old evidence to link the cases; interview families of the missing girls and women who survived their abductions. They wonder if a convicted pedophile, recently released from prison, is the culprit. For Will & Helen it's a long, exhausting slog to finally reach the truth; for the reader it's a fascinating description of dogged, persistent criminal detection.
July 25, 2012
Far Cry by John Harvey is the tale of the unbelievable horror of having two children abducted by strangers at separate times. The first occurs While Ruth and Simon Pierce are on holiday in Rome gets news that their daughter Heather on a trip to Cornwall is missing. The two girls had been climbing down rocks to the sea when a terrible fog arose and the two girls could not see. Kelly the daughter of the vacationing family was found safe, but Heather was found two days later at the bottom of a ravine. Years pass but the marriage can't survive. Ruth remarries and has another daughter Beatrice when she goes missing from the friend's home whose wife gives piano lessons. DI Will Grayson and his partner DI Hellen Walker begin an investigation that tests their professional and emotional resources.
February 29, 2016
The book is average at best. I never had a feeling of the narrative being too gripping. It's not very dull which is a plus. The author has obviously aimed at a mass audience.
The sympathy of the author towards the mother who is indecisive and fairly irresponsible was irritating. Her characterization was worse than her little girls and her 'I'm-such-a-victim' routine is revolting. The climax is a big let down for I was expecting something much more intelligent from the plot. Also, the desire to keep an optimistic ending took away substantially from the book which I initially thought could rouse sympathy for victims and their families.
I do not expect documentaries out of novels, but bolder plots, definitely. At least when it comes to sensitive issues.
The sympathy of the author towards the mother who is indecisive and fairly irresponsible was irritating. Her characterization was worse than her little girls and her 'I'm-such-a-victim' routine is revolting. The climax is a big let down for I was expecting something much more intelligent from the plot. Also, the desire to keep an optimistic ending took away substantially from the book which I initially thought could rouse sympathy for victims and their families.
I do not expect documentaries out of novels, but bolder plots, definitely. At least when it comes to sensitive issues.
June 19, 2016
The tough subject of child abuse wasn't the problem with this book. It was just badly written. The author has an infuriating habit of writing at times in sentence fragments, like a series of bullet points when he's describing something. Generally the use of language is pretty sloppy. Not enough thought went into composition and the wrong word is used on occasions.
The characters are wafer thin and completely forgettable. I felt the reactions and behaviour, particularly of the children was stereotypical.
Thank heaven for the narrator, Peter Grady, who's convincing rendition of a range of regional accents breathed a little life into his otherwise sterile tale.
The characters are wafer thin and completely forgettable. I felt the reactions and behaviour, particularly of the children was stereotypical.
Thank heaven for the narrator, Peter Grady, who's convincing rendition of a range of regional accents breathed a little life into his otherwise sterile tale.
June 28, 2009
My first John Harvey novel that I have read. I enjoyed it. Not the fast paced reads that I frequently enjoy but a good believable tale that any parent would find disturbing. A mother that not only loses a child but finds that her latest daughter in a more recent marriage also goes missing. with the help of detective inspector Will Grayson, the police try to locate the missing girl which somehow ties in to the child that was lost some 13 years earlier. Whit twists and mysterious characters, John Harvey ties everything together wonderfully.
July 21, 2010
A good book from an excellent writer but I had some issues. First, I hate it when a detective is sure a criminal has does something else wrong and becomes obsessed with finding it. The certainty is not based on fact but on the detective's instinct/intuition. Second, the guilty until proven innocent approach of all the policemen in this book annoyed me. Third,the author had so many threads going for at least half of the book that each chapter was different people and places. Still it was an excellent British procedural.
February 25, 2016
Definitely the best of the two Grayson novels, this is a well-paced and well-crafted book dealing with different timeframes and even with a touch of the supernatural which does not however, detract from the seriousness of the subject matter, such is Harvey's skill as a writer. All the characters are believable and well-drawn and contribute to the tension as the complex story unfolds. And the finale is by no means predictable or disappointing. A thoroughly enjoyable read, with all the twists and turns and sensitivity that Harvey brings to the page.
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