Hard as Nails (novel)

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Hard as Nails
Hard as Nails (novel).jpg
Author Dan Simmons
PublisherMinotaur
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]

Publication history

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References

  1. "Hard as Nails" . Booklist . September 1, 2003. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Hard as Nails". Kirkus Reviews . September 1, 2003. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "HARD AS NAILS: A Joe Kurtz Novel by Dan Simmons". Publishers Weekly . September 15, 2003. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2024.