Darker Shade of Blue

Starred review from December 5, 2011
The 18 crime stories in this sterling collection show Harvey, winner of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for sustained excellence, at the top of his game. His best-known character, Nottingham Det. Insp. Charlie Resnick, appears in four selections, but the strongest are the seven featuring PI Jack Kiley, an ex-cop and ex-professional footballer. In “Truth,” an exemplar of the short story form, former police officer Dave Marshall, now working as a contractor, asks Kiley to intervene with his wife, who’s been posting signs around London accusing Marshall of abandoning his family and warning prospective clients to steer clear. While Kiley accepts the job, he carries it out in a way that’s consistent with his moral sense, though the ending makes clear that there are limits to his ability to set the world right. Readers will hope Harvey eventually features Kiley in a novel. Agent: David Forrer at Inkwell Management.