Read Still Waters (1997)

Online Book

Author

John Harvey

Genre

Middle Grade & Children's

Series

charlie resnick

Rating

3.89 of 5 Votes: 5

Your rating

ISBN

0805041494 (ISBN13: 9780805041491)

Language

English

Publisher

henry holt & company

Shops

Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

Free Online

Still Waters (1997) - Plot & Excerpts

John Harvey's books featuring Charlie Resnick and his crew continue to get better and better. I find it interesting through nine novels featuring these characters how Harvey leaves some threads unfinished and sometimes strangely not mentioned as often as one would think. One favorable aspect of this, though, is to suggest in his novels, as in real life, that some offenses simply are never solved. Harvey also has an excellent practice of weaving his novels of characters that while touching each other, are not always integral to the main story. I assume it is a way to bring further life to his stories. And like Jo Nesbo, his characters also continue to carry their scars and experiences throughout, unlike other novelists who create characters that can never be touched or damaged by their fictional exploits. Lastly, it's going to be interesting to see how he wraps all these characters up with his final book supposedly dealing with Charlie Resnick. It has been very interesting following one of his characters and the development of this character - but no further will be mentioned to avoid spoilers.

Harvey, John. STILL WATER. (1991). ***.tThis is the ninth novel in Harvey’s Inspector Resnick series of police procedurals set in Nottingham. It starts off with a young woman’s body being found in the still water of a city canal. She had obviously been beated to death and then dumped. Police suspect a serial killer is on the loose, since there have been several similar murders in the last few years. Serial killings are handled by the Serious Crime Unit – not Resnick’s job. When the next body is found, however, he has to get involved – the body was that of his girlfriend’s friend. There are a few other crimes solved along the way, but this novel addresses spousal abuse and the roles of the abused and the abuser. There is a lot of build-up in this novel that ultimately telegraphs the ending.

What do You think about Still Waters (1997)?

Story and character development still good, but he needed a better editor. For example, in Chapter 2, he says, "Still Resnick had prevaricated." In the context that follows, I think he meant "procrastinate." Also, in Chapter 4 he refers to the habits that nuns wear as "liturgical habits" -- only priests would wear what could be called liturgical habits, since only priests can conduct liturgical practices, e.g., saying Mass, giving Communion, etc. A better term for what nuns wear (or used to wear) would be "religious" habits.
—Meg Lynch