Customer Reviews

Key Death (A Nicholas Colt Thriller)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I discovered the Nicholas Colt detective series a few months ago, and have really enjoyed them all. This is the fifth (I think) and it has more in common with the earlier books than Snuff Tag 9 (A Nicholas Colt Thriller), which was more of an out-and-out all-action romp.
Key Death is instead a procedural investigation, sprinkled with the author's typically quirky moments of offbeat humour (killer zombies haunt Colt's dreams); a far-fetched plot contrivance or two which Hardin carries off with aplomb (wait until you get to the deep sea rescue, you'll see what I mean), and some genuinely edge-of-the-seat scenes where Colt looks to have really bitten off more than he can chew. He bounces from one dire situation to the next and frequently finds himself looking down the wrong end of a gun barrel. This time around, there's even a toe-curling episode where the violence gets mixed with sex in the worst possible way - and Colt's on the receiving end...
In the great traditional of American gumshoes, Colt hits the booze too hard, passes out in cheap motels and barely keeps his story straight when he falls foul of the law. He takes on the wrong cases for the right reasons and meets his personal demons head on. In Key Death there's a much bigger mystery wrapped around the investigation he's pursuing, and if you pay attention then it's possible to pick up most of the clues as the action rips along. The frantic finale had me wincing in sympathy as Colt literally rips himself apart to save his skin...

Key Death is an easy read; fast-paced but with a enough plot and character development that it's a satisfying read. The chapters are short and you don't get bogged down with background on the incidental characters -- although that does mean they feel a little like film extras, there to move the plot along but entirely dispensible.
It kinda reminds me of the Travis McGee series (The Deep Blue Goodbye: Introduction by Lee Child: Travis McGee, No. 1), or the earlier adventures of Matt Scudder (Sins of the Fathers (A Matt Scudder Mystery)), although Colt is never as darkly depressive or out of control as Scudder.
Loved the tip of the hat to JLB, too, when Colt uses 'Clete Purcel' as a nom de plume. Thinking about it, Colt's drinking habits are starting to resemble Clete's...
A refreshingly entertaining chunk of up-to-date, hard-boiled crime fiction.
8/10

As a reader who generally pecks away leisurely at a book before bedtime, I can usually make a book last at least a few weeks. Once in a while though I'll come across one that's so much fun I'll rip through it in a few days. More so if the sun allows for some garden reading time.
These books I like to refer to as "fast reads" and Key Death, the first Jude Hardin book I've encountered is certainly firmly within this category.
I was drawn in by the synopsis and a few glowing comments from various crime writing alumini and, gladly, my instincts were reliable.

The novel revolves around the colourful, if not entirely believable, private investigator (although, having had his license revoked, is now working off the books) and retired world class rock guitarist (well, it's original!) with a partially crippled left hand, Nicholas Colt. Oh, he's also an ex-heroin addict and, seemingly, borderline alcoholic. Unusally, given all this, he seems to have a relatively happy family life which, again, is quite unusual in the detective genre.

Colt is hired by a terminally ill client to investigate the unsolved death of her wayward father for the sake of closure and, needing the money, he heads off to Miami to look into it. Of course, nothing is ever simple, and within hours he's up to his neck (in one particularly outrageous plot contrivance, quite literally) in trouble encountering a whole host of shady characters including murderers, pornographers, fanboy lounge singers and, always lurking in the background "The Zombie", a serial killer whose modus operadi is to remove the top of his victims skulls, scoop out the brains and them glue them back together for the police to find.

What he does with the brains...well, you'll have to read it to find out.

It's a relatively short book and so packed with incident that it never gives you the slightest chance to get bored or read anything else until it's all over and done. As I mentioned above, some of it skids towards the line of credibility and then rolls and flips its way right over it but, sometimes, its fun to just suspend your disbelief and roll with these things. While gritty realism is all good and well, it's also nice to have some pure escapism in colourful locations with larger than life characters from time to time too.

Key Death's main purpose is to entertain and it does so magnificently. It's not great art but it is a great slice of pulp thriller fun and, if that's what you're after then you won't be disappointed!

Having looked up his other works it appears there are another five in the series and they all sound rather exciting so I predict a small Kindle spree coming on!

A very good read. Once you get into it is difficult to put it down. wpuld recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.

A little bit pat and some of the characters were a little bit to take too seriously and the escape with the aid of Dolphins was stupid.

Really enjoyed this book and read it in just over a day as I couldn't put it down. Each chapter leaves you wanting more. The only downside was a bit of a predictable ending but that is only a minor negative. Definitely recommend reading this if you like crime thrillers.

Nicolas Colt, a (presently suspended for a drug offence) private investigator, was terrified in childhood by a zombie film and suffers nightmares throughout this story.
Not that he hasn't other things to contend with. An injured hand stopped his career as a guitarist and he does seem prone to injury and accident. Trying to find who shot the father of a dying woman he finds himself deep in an investigation of a 'zombie' killer and more luck than judgement saves his life on several occasions.
Nicolas Colt is an engaging hero and the story is, mostly, great fun; witty and not over-predictable, though I did guess the ultimate villain near the beginning. There are a couple of disturbing scenes, both of which put the hero in grave danger, but he himself conveys a mood of optimism throughout.
The actual killer is evil indeed, much more so than the film zombies, but you can understand Nicolas's nightmares.
First I've read in this series but I'd pursue it for the character.

Found this book to be very thrilling. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend this author to all my friends

I did enjoy reading this book although it was quite a short story which was a good easy read although it not the type of book I would normally pick to read.

Whilst I enjoyed the storyline I didn't think the writing was all that good. A bit too flippant for my liking. Definately not on a par with the likes of John Connolly, Michael Connolly etc. Having said that it won't put me off trying another of his novels.

Good book ,I've not read any of these but will look up his others characters were real and the story fast pased