Author | Dan Simmons |
---|---|
Publisher | Minotaur |
Publication date | October 13, 2003 |
ISBN | 0-312-30528-1 |
Hard as Nails is a 2003 novel by American writer Dan Simmons. [1] It is the third of three hardboiled detective novels featuring the character of Joe Kurtz.
The novel begins shortly after a near-death experience when Kurtz was shot in the head. As the pain begins to subside, he remembers details from the shooting, including that he was not alone when it happened: his parole officer had been at his side. Meanwhile, crime is ramping up, and soon, Kurtz finds himself in a remote mountainous region with numerous criminals hunting him down for his past wrongs, though he finds himself wondering whether the criminals were after him or his parole officer. [2] [3]
Hard as Nails received mixed reviews from critics. Kirkus Reviews referred to the novel as a "page turner", [2] while Publishers Weekly called it a "disappointing mishmash" with "a climax that's well-nigh incomprehensible". They further wrote, "Any one, or two, of these plots would have made for a suspenseful mystery. Why Simmons insists on cramming them all into a 288-page novel is a mystery in itself. Surely he can't lack the courage of his fictional convictions? Unfortunately, it seems that way, and with so much going on, the novel lapses into a welter of absurdities." [3]
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