Darkness, Darkness by John Harvey

Darkness, Darkness
John Harvey

Pegasus Crime

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“Full of gritty detail and realism. . .”

Detective Inspector Charlie Resnick is an old-fashioned cop in the new world of policing. Ambition, politics, and making the right moves has replaced solid police work in Charlie’s mind. He accepts the inevitable and begins to ease into retirement.

DI Catherine Njoroge, a former colleague, asks Charlie to help with a difficult case. Human remains have been discovered buried in a village undergoing demolition. Identified as Jenny Hardwick, a rising star in the local labor movement, the discovery of her body touches upon past incidents from Charlie’s career. The British Coal Miners’ Strike of 1984-85 divided the nation and tore whole communities apart. Police tactics and strategy of the time are being examined in a new light, with the potential to cause the police huge embarrassment. Catherine’s superior warns her to put the matter of Jenny Hardwick’s death to rest a.s.a.p., and Catherine thinks Charlie’s experience in the dispute will prove useful.

Jenny disappeared shortly before Christmas 1984, leaving her husband and three children. As Charlie and Catherine investigate, it appears the issue of Jenny’s death is far from clear cut. With Catherine becoming increasingly distracted by personal matters, Charlie has to confront his own past before a resolution can be found to this, his last case.

The twelfth and last Charlie Resnick book offers a gripping story of the dark and desperate days of the coal miner’s strike and the divided loyalties that cast a long shadow into the present day. Full of gritty detail and realism, it’s sure to please all followers of British detective fiction.

Reviewer: Cindy A. Matthews