Hard as Nails (novel)
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| 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]
Publication history
[edit]- Simmons, Dan (2003). Hard as Nails: A Joe Kurtz Novel. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-30528-4.
- Simmons, Dan (2017). Hard as Nails. ISBN 978-0-316-40471-6.
References
[edit]- ^ "Hard as Nails". Booklist. September 1, 2003. Archived from the original on September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "Hard as Nails". Kirkus Reviews. September 1, 2003. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "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.
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