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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kurtz is Tougher Than Tough, July 15, 2004
This is the 3rd book in Dan Simmons' ultra-hardboiled Joe Kurtz series a private investigator series that is perfect for lovers of gritty, violent and somewhat dark thrillers. An important point before moving any further into this review, I would recommend reading the first two books in the series, HARDCASE and HARD FREEZE first. Numerous references are made to characters and events from the first two books and if you haven't read them, it could become very confused. Simmons also tends to assume that the reader is aware of Kurtz's personal history throwing in references to earlier books that explain why he has taken the actions that he did. I see this as a bit of a weakness as far as the book is concerned; it doesn't cater very well for people who are new to the series. Things don't start well for Joe Kurtz in HARD AS NAILS although when you consider that he is shot in the head, I suppose you could say that the fact that he survived suggests he was actually lucky. Anyway, the wound he receives and the resultant headache are used time and again throughout the story to emphasize just how tough he is. Joe Kurtz is the kind of character who makes you feel tired just reading about him at the best of times, but Simmons puts him through such extreme pain that by the end I was completely exhausted. The force driving Kurtz forward is his desire to find out who shot him and why. With almost manic determination he begins his hunt, but getting in his way is not one but two mafia dons, past adversaries Angelina Farino Ferrara and Toma Gonzaga. Both of them have had reason in the past to attempt to have Kurtz killed but this time they have sought him out to ask him to help them with a problem. Their problem is that someone is killing their junkie customers and dealers and then phoning with the details of the location as confirmation. The mafia is then stepping in and cleaning up the killer's mess, afraid that word will get out and the customers will be scared off. They want Kurtz to identify the killer for them so they can rid themselves of this threat to their profitability. It's a highly improbable premise, as is the suggestion that the best solution that 2 mafia families can come up with is a man who has been a thorn in their sides for years. A couple of interesting minor characters are introduced in the course of the investigation. Firstly, Joe is reunited with an old flame and now a police officer, Rigby King. She provides the first glimmer of romance in the series and also evokes the first indication of some sort of human emotion out of Kurtz. She also provides him with a partner (of sorts) during his investigation - someone he can talk to and bounce ideas off of. Up until this book, he has been the ultimate loner, living by the creed of looking out for number one at all times. Secondly, we meet the killer. Known to us as The Dodger we're made privy to a few of his executions and the thoughts going through his head before, during and after he carries them out. It is clear that he's a heartless, soulless killing machine who is frighteningly efficient at his job. We know he's working for a master, but we don't know who that is, providing us with the number 1 mystery of the book. The story charges ahead at breakneck speed building from an action-packed opening to an outrageous battle towards the end. I got the impression that Dan Simmons tried to jam every thriller plot device he could think of into the book and, while it succeeds in providing a very entertaining thriller, I thought it lost the edgy dangerous appeal that had been built so effectively in the first two books of the series. While Dan Simmons has moved the Joe Kurtz series away from the bleak, desperate tone that shrouded the first two books and has opted for a more high-octane thriller with HARD AS NAILS, I'm a sucker for fast-paced thrillers and this book is certainly that in my opinion. It's exciting, it's suspenseful and Kurtz is still one of the meanest, toughest guys ever to have graced the pages of a hardboiled novel.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hardcore, Two-Fisted, Take-No-Prisoners Fiction, October 2, 2003
These are just some of the descriptions used in reviews for the Joe Kurtz series. And I have to agree. Not since Donald Westlake's (aka. Richard Stark) Parker series have I enjoyed reading crime fiction so much. Dan Simmons knows how to, excuse me here ladies, grab you by the balls and take you on a ride. In his latest entry in this series Mr. Simmons puts Kurtz in a bad position from the beginning. Within the first three pages Kurtz is shot in the head, along with his parole officer, and has to deal with a migraine, caused by a concussion, for damn near the rest of the book. Kurtz isn't given a break by any means after being shot. He's blamed for the shooting of the parole officer, has to deal with a family member, is threatened by the mob, chased by a psychopath and has to worry about the Dane. We also get a look at Joe's past in this book, through an ex-girlfriend who also happens to be a cop investigating him, and his feelings for his daughter become more apparent. If you've read the other books in this series I can't recommend this one enough. If you haven't you should really start with Hard Case. You could read and understand this book without reading the others but I don't know why you'd want to.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent mystery, interesting protagonist, lots of blood and guts, July 9, 2007
Thus far, I'm a fan of Joe Kurtz's. He's the "private investigator" in this series from Dan Simmons, and this is the third book in said series. I did not realize that I'd begun the series out of order, reading Hard Freeze (A Joe Kurtz Novel) first, when I should have read Hardcase (A Joe Kurtz Novel) first. Oh, well.
If you've never read any books from this series, here's what you need to know about Kurtz: he's recently out of prison, where he served time for a crime he DID commit; he's about as cool and distant a guy as you can find; he's wickedly smart about many things, almost unbearably stupid about others; he's smart, quick, and witty (mostly keeps that wit to himself, though); he's got a sense of morality he doesn't want to own up to, but which manages to drive him nonetheless.
In this particular book, he's been given a few days to get himself off the hook with a particularly violent crime boss, Toma Gonzaga. Gonzaga is an interesting character himself, one of very few (maybe the only one) gay crime bosses in fiction, and he wants to kill Kurtz. He'll cancel the hit on Joe, however, if Joe finds out who's slaughtering Gonzaga's dealers and runners. As you can imagine, Joe then has a really strong interest in finding the party responsible. If he doesn't, it's highly likely that he'll be dead by Halloween.
Joe's also recovering from a shooting where he and his parole officer were both injured, she more seriously than he. And he's trying to solve a mystery that same parole officer tried to get his help with. And did I mention that he's also trying to help a female crime boss locate the same individual Gonzaga's charged him with finding?
Yep. Lots on his plate in this one. And he's barely walking through most of it, dealing with the effects of a concussion and further damage inflicted on him but other nefarious characters.
The Kurtz/crime boss interactions are interesting and funny. In particular, his interactions with the female crime boss made me smile and roll my eyes a bit.
Lots of violence in this one, as in the second novel. Also, the reason I'm giving this one only 3 stars is that I knew almost immediately when a particular character was introduced that he/she would end up being the primary baddie. Bummer.
Joe's not one of those protagonists who always gets things right. He screws up--a LOT--and he's often on the very cusp of getting tossed back in prison for violations.
He loves people, but he hasn't any desire to admit that or to ever mention his feelings. He may have a daughter, but he'll be damned if he'll even let anyone else raise the possibility. He may still love a childhood sweetheart, but ditto on the "no way am I admitting that" thing.
Personally, I like him as a character. He reminds me a little of Andrew Vachss' Burke, if you've read any of his stuff. They're not similar in background, necessarily, although both of them are the product of (at the very least) irregular and damaging childhoods. It's just that professed and determined cold distance that they both share.
If you like violence, humor, and a certain coolness in your protagonists, pick this one up.
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