well, in my opinion, the story was quite simple and could have been deliciously told - instead, what we have is a roundabout way of telling one underlying story, that is at the same time overlapping with multiple other threads, most of which don't add to the main plot. Sure, this could be character-building, and guess the depiction is suitable - just not my cup.At the end of the day, you're supposed to empathize or identify with the characters - if not with the "real" you, then at least some part of the "wishful" you, but I found the characters too jarry and forced loners. Even Resnick himself was difficult to understand. What does he really want, what drives him, why is he doing all he does, who is he to himself... questions I'm sure some other readers can deduce answers to from this book or the series this book is a part of. I couldn't figure out much. There's no whodunit here, no mystery here, no police procedural tale, no character-study except for confused people most of whom are too taken up with what they are doing at a particular point in time to make any consistent image eventually.I realize the characters depicted here are not good conversationalists, but this is not a television show script where they need to behave like they are. This is the story in book form where the reader can be told a little more than just what people speak, where surely a little more explanation and background could have been built around them.Just not to my taste.
What do You think about Rough Treatment (1997)?
I have a theory that a nation's character can be expressed through its detective stories. American thriller usually have lots of blood; Swedish procedurals revolve around bizarre sex and British police dramas often feature unhappy, middle-aged detectives operating in gray, drab cities. That's certainly the case with this book, second in a series. I didn't catch the first and having read this one had no particular desire to continue with the series. Inspector Resnik is middle-aged, depressed at having been deserted by his wife, poorly dressed but also very bright and observant and scrupulously honorable. I can anticipate the way this series will develop. In this book, Resnik has the opportunity to sleep with a gorgeous young realtor who throws herself at him for some unknown reason. Of course, he's unwilling to respond. I guess each volume of the series will feature another mystery solved while Resnik himself grows ever more lonely and tormented. One problem with this book is that nothing very major seems to be at stake. There's some drug smuggling and some burglary but so what? No murders, no blood, no crazed fanatics trying to destroy the world .. so why bother? We see a bunch of honest, British coppers plodding their way through the drab streets of a Midlands city solving a bunch of burglaries? If you don't fall in love with the characters, and I didn't, seems like too much effort to be worth it.
—Alan
