Hard Light

February 15, 2016
Last seen in 2012’s Available Dark, photographer Cass Neary is a wreck in Hand’s loosely plotted third outing for the middle-aged, rock and roll–loving alcoholic and depressive druggie. Having escaped mysteriously from a reunion in Iceland with long-ago boyfriend Quinn, Cass lands in gritty North London with only a backpack, her Konica SLR, random uppers, some cash, and one fake and one genuine passport. From there she stumbles from one squalid flat to another, encountering weirdo after weirdo, expecting Quinn at every turn. Instead, she discovers a body—that of Poppy, a former punk singer, followed by other, possibly related bodies. Later, she winds up in a dilapidated Cornwall farmhouse, where she meets a number of folks with creepy connections to Poppy. Along this dubious route, Cass conveys an expert’s knowledge of the 1970s East Village punk scene, Iron Age rituals, Paleolithic icons, and the intricacies of photography and film noir. Somehow it all adds up to a gripping, if unlikely, tale. Agent: Martha Millard, Martha Millard Literary Agency.

February 15, 2016
Hand explores the darker side of the human psyche in this gripping urban suspense novel, a sequel to Available Dark (2013). Ex-punk photographer Cass Neary alights in Heathrow with a stolen passport and a single cryptic clue about where she might meet her erstwhile and unpredictable lover, Quinn O'Boyle. While waiting for Quinn to surface from whatever has sent him underground, Cass becomes involved with a cluster of beautiful, wounded people: Krishna, a troubled singer; Adrian, a top-hat-wearing mystery man who lives in a shabby Victorian squat; Mallo and Morven, movers of illegal antiquities; and Poppy Teasel, a former famous groupie who is dying of cancer. All of these people, strangely, prove to be closely connected by a terrifying experimental film, a burned-down castle, ancient Paleolithic artifacts, and some rather nontraditional ideas of family, so when some of them turn up murdered, Cass has to figure out whether their deaths are a result of past secrets--or some more recent threat. One of the strengths of Hand's mystery is her incredible rendering of the dark side of London. Masked in snow, as it is here, the city itself seems to become a character of great menace as Hand describes its troubling punk-era history, its shady corners filled with drugs, and its labyrinthine streets. The novel loses a bit of steam when the setting relocates to barren Cornwall. The other great strength is Cass herself. Addicted to drugs and alcohol, she nevertheless has great street smarts and an even better artistic eye. She will do what she has to do to get by, and she's seen the worst side of humanity, but she still maintains a sense of compassion that elevates the mystery and increases its resonance. A must for fans of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy and Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike novels.

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Starred review from April 1, 2016

Award-winning, genre-spanning author Hand uses her worldbuilding skills to spin a new Cass Neary story (after Generation Loss and Available Dark). This time the photographer and adventuress is roaming the streets of London, experiencing both high (in every sense of the word) and low society. Hand writes about both sides of the lane expertly, dispensing art, photography, and rock music tidbits throughout the narrative. We see Cass soften just a little and even grudgingly accept "new" technologies such as smartphones and digital photography, but fans of the edgy, druggy, rough-and-tumble antiheroine will not be disappointed--she's still got plenty of attitude. Quinn, her long-lost outlaw lover, has sent her to London on a sketchy passport, promising to meet her there. When he doesn't show, Cass's street instincts kick in and she bunks with a ragamuffin singer (think Amy Winehouse) and meets her spooky friends. Cass's nosing around lands her in hot water with an art (drug) dealer and then the race is on. Running from danger, she encounters former groupies, witchy hermits, scary street people, a lost underground film, and a possible protegee. Quinn even appears briefly, though he is more a MacGuffin than character in this story. VERDICT This great adventure story starring a troubled but intriguing protagonist will please Cass fans, those who like their kick-ass heroines north of 22, and readers who fancy a walk on the wild side. [See Prepub Alert, 10/19/15; "Editors' Spring Picks," LJ 2/15/16; library marketing.]--Liz French, Library Journal

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