Lonely Hearts (the series) by John Harvey

Recommended by Irene

FIC Harvey

A chance encounter with an avid mystery reader introduced me to John Harvey, particularly the Charlie Resnick series. Beginning with Lonely Hearts, the series runs for 10 books and then stops when the author moves from Nottingham, the setting for the Resnick novels. Charlie Resnick is a middle-aged, overweight, divorced and disillusioned cop who would rather eat delightfully innovative sandwich combinations and listen to jazz than sully himself with the seamy underworld of local crime. Charlie, himself, evolves as a three dimensional character as we follow him through some of the most originally contrived situations imaginable.

In Lonely Hearts the only obvious connection between the murders of two women is that they used a lonely-hearts column to meet men. Nothing more to go on... John Harvey is a poet first, and it shows in his use of vocabulary. His uplifting words that skillfully describe place and person give the reader so much more than just a story.
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