Product Description

Fifteen years ago, Susan Blacklock disappeared. Although Detective Inspector Frank Elder has taken early retirement, the case still plagues his mind. Prime suspects, Shane Donald and Alan McKeirnan, were convicted a year later of the brutal rape and murder of a young girl, and now that Shane has been granted parole, Elder feels compelled to revisit the past. Then Shane disappears and another young girl is murdered. Elder's involvement is now crucial. Taunted by postcards from the killer, an increasingly desperate Elder battles to keep his estranged family from being drawn into the very heart of the crime...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #149156 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 462 pages

Review
"'A gripping and powerfully atmospheric thriller from a writer at the very top of his game. It's quite simply the best thing Harvey's written yet' Mark Billingham

Independent
‘his unpredictable mixture of tenderness and cruelty is frightenly well delineated... [has] a depth few works of crime fiction attain’

Christmas Books, The Times
‘The British cop novel at its very best.’

Customer Reviews

A gripping read
Never having heard of this author before, I happened across 'Ash and Bone' in a second hand bookshop. A quick read of the back cover mentioned that 'Ash and Bone' picked up where 'Flesh and Blood' left off. I replaced 'Ash and Bone' on the shelf and made a note to buy 'Flesh and Blood' as soon as I could.
This was money well spent. The author skilfully develops the various parts of the plot. What begins as Frank Elder's fresh investigation into the disappearance of Susan Blacklock 15 years ago suddenly sees him drawn into the investigation of some new crimes.
After the first few chapters this book was very difficult to put down. There are many surprises along the way.
My only criticism is the rather abrupt end - it's just like those gripping television dramas where the end credits roll and you think 'but what happened to so and so,' or 'what happened next.' Don't let that put you off though.
A fantastic read - I can't wait to read 'Ash and Bone' now.

Flesh and Blood, John Harvey
I bought this book largely because it won the CWA Silver Dagger last year, and I was keen to catch up with a writer with such a large reputation. The start of a new series, an award winner too, I thought: a great place to start. All true. Flesh and Blood is a fantastic crime novel, and a very worthy winner of the award. I'd previously thought it was a sort of "consolation prize" for never having won a Dagger before, despite bucketloads of lavish praise. It's still possible that for the judges that may have been a factor, but this book is an excellent crime novel in its own right, completely ignoring Harvey's reputation.

Retired policeman Frank Elder is a great new protagonist. Like the best fictional policemen, he fits the mould perfectly and yet has touches of originality to him that make him nicely distinct. I'll be glad to read the second book when it comes out next month. I'll be glad, indeed, to go back and read Harvey's previous Charlie Resnick series (in fact, i ahve already started snapping them up), because he's clearly a master at writing about crime and criminals, creating atmosphere, and plotting. All those virtues are exhibited plentifully here.

Flesh and Blood is a gripping, superbly written, atmospheric and mature crime novel. (Very similar to Peter Robinson in some ways, but I can imagine Harvey being even better.) Give it a read.

A different kind of Hero
Not your typical detective thriller...this story worked because it really takes you into the mind of its wholly convincing characters, not least Detective Frank Elder, a middle aged, somewhat manic depressive, miserable old git determined to close the door on the past. There is no sentimentality in this tale, exemplified by the brutal, nasty finale - life's a bitch and Elder knows it.