Rating: 
Summary: Recommended
Review: Dan Simmons is a highly versatile writer. He got his start in horror, writing a few very well received novels; he then wrote a saga considered by many to be some of the finest sci-fi written in the past twenty years. Hard As Nails, his latest book, is his third crime novel in a series about a convicted felon working as a private detective. Although some professional critics panned it (Publishers Weekly), Amazon.com's reader reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and I agree with them wholeheartedly. Joe Kurtz, the felon, is a very interesting character. First, his felony conviction was neither accident nor mistake, nor did he 'see the light' once he left prison. Kurtz is a good guy only in the sense that the people he's fighting are more a detriment to society than he is. Second, Kurtz has very pronounced sociopathic tendencies, which he recognizes and disregards. Third, Kurtz has read almost all of the major Western philosophers while in jail, and frequently references them. The other characters that populate the book are equally well drawn and interesting. The plot of the book is nothing shockingly innovative, but it ties many surprisingly diverse elements together to form one solid plot structure, and the ending is unexpected and satisfying. The pace never slows down enough to lose the reader's interest, but it doesn't stay too fast paced to be believable. Simmons is very readable, and it very easy to find two hours it takes to read the book cover to cover. Nothing is forced, nothing is unnecessary, and the book is well worth reading. I would recommend this book to everyone, regardless of whether they usually like crime fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice and Hard
Review: Hard As Nails begins with Kurtz being shot in the head. The bullet ricochets off his skull, leaving a non trivial wound and landing Kurtz in the hospital. Following the grand tradition of tough men everywhere, Kurtz takes the macho penchant of ignoring pain to new limits after waking from his coma and escaping from the hospital. The shoot-out occurred in a dark parking garage and Kurtz did not see his assailant. He is determined to find out who tried to kill him. At the same time, he his hired by two rival mafia bosses to find a serial killer who is murdering their favorite drug dealers and users. Simmons weaves these and other plots intricately together and follows them to an explosive conclusion. Being the third time around, Hard As Nails lacks the brutal impact of the first novel, which was the literary equivalent of a kick in the nuts. However, the series appears to be maturing. We start to see a softer side of Kurtz in this novel and greater development of him as character with a entire life's history behind him. We glimpse his past as an orphan. An old girlfriend, Rigby King, is introduced and plays a major role in this novel. There also hints of future developments (for possible new novels?), as Simmons is clearly reviving an emotional connection with Rigby as well as introducing another major crime boss, Baby Doc, which would be a welcome break from all the time spent on the Farino and Gonzaga families in the last three books. One aspect of this novel that really shines his Simmons' impecable ability to capture the feel of a location. Simmons always takes great care to do research for his books, often traveling to locations and taking detailed notes. His skill with setting shines here, treating the city of Buffalo, NY as a character just as important as Kurtz himself. He paints Buffalo as a dying city. The march of progress has left it and its old industries behind. There are pockets of money and life that Simmons describes with real feeling and skill, but he is more concerned with the abandoned and forgotten places where low-lifes, indigents, and criminals live and work. Simmons won't do the Buffalo tourist trade any favors with this novel, but it stands as a fascinating look at a crumbling American city. Although a fast and fun read, Hard As Nails is not Dan Simmons at his best. But it is a fine example of what Dan Simmons does best--take any genre and fulfill all its expectations with enough skill and literary prowess to make it a cut above most other books in that genre.
Rating:
Summary: Nice and Hard
Review: Hard As Nails begins with Kurtz being shot in the head. The bullet ricochets off his skull, leaving a non trivial wound and landing Kurtz in the hospital. Following the grand tradition of tough men everywhere, Kurtz takes the macho penchant of ignoring pain to new limits after waking from his coma and escaping from the hospital. The shoot-out occurred in a dark parking garage and Kurtz did not see his assailant. He is determined to find out who tried to kill him. At the same time, he his hired by two rival mafia bosses to find a serial killer who is murdering their favorite drug dealers and users. Simmons weaves these and other plots intricately together and follows them to an explosive conclusion. Being the third time around, Hard As Nails lacks the brutal impact of the first novel, which was the literary equivalent of a kick in the nuts. However, the series appears to be maturing. We start to see a softer side of Kurtz in this novel and greater development of him as character with a entire life's history behind him. We glimpse his past as an orphan. An old girlfriend, Rigby King, is introduced and plays a major role in this novel. There also hints of future developments (for possible new novels?), as Simmons is clearly reviving an emotional connection with Rigby as well as introducing another major crime boss, Baby Doc, which would be a welcome break from all the time spent on the Farino and Gonzaga families in the last three books. One aspect of this novel that really shines his Simmons' impecable ability to capture the feel of a location. Simmons always takes great care to do research for his books, often traveling to locations and taking detailed notes. His skill with setting shines here, treating the city of Buffalo, NY as a character just as important as Kurtz himself. He paints Buffalo as a dying city. The march of progress has left it and its old industries behind. There are pockets of money and life that Simmons describes with real feeling and skill, but he is more concerned with the abandoned and forgotten places where low-lifes, indigents, and criminals live and work. Simmons won't do the Buffalo tourist trade any favors with this novel, but it stands as a fascinating look at a crumbling American city. Although a fast and fun read, Hard As Nails is not Dan Simmons at his best. But it is a fine example of what Dan Simmons does best--take any genre and fulfill all its expectations with enough skill and literary prowess to make it a cut above most other books in that genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Simmons at his best
Review: I am a big Dan Simmons fan - he is by far my favorite author and he has captivated me for many years. From 'Summer of Night' through 'Ilium', he masters genres like a pro. The Joe Kurtz series is a wonderful idea, and I enjoyed the first 2 books in the series a lot. However, with 'Hard as Nails', Simmons stumbles. I found quite a few plot holes and grammatical errors as I read the book, which I normally overlook, or (quite honestly) tend not to notice. However, when Simmons refers to the character Rigby King as "Ridley" at one point, I have to say I was a little concerned with my favorite author. Perhaps he rushed the book or perhaps he didn't have a good editor. Nonetheless there were a couple of points where his narrative contradicted what happened previously. It dragged me back to reality, and spoiled the book for me. Also, SPOILER ALERT, if you read the 2nd book in the Kurtz series, there is a very similar resolution at the end of the novel. Kurtz' ass is saved by the exact same character who saved him in book 2. Repetition of plot resolutions do not amuse me! It felt forced, and even though it does not technically qualify, it felt like a Deus Ex Machina. I love Simmons and will read everything he writes. I just wish this book were better. As it stands, though, a middling Simmons novel is still better than most anything else! in keeping with Simmons' style, I refuse to proof-read my email, so let the typos fly, baby! -newfers
Rating:
Summary: Kurtz is back!
Review: I recommend Dan Simmons' latest Kurtz thriller. Kurtz is one of my favorite on-the-edge-of-society people. This time he's in hospital with one hellatious headache while his respected parole officer, Peg O'Toole, lies nearby in a coma after both of them were ambushed in a parking garage. Kurtz is left wondering about the photos of an abandoned amusement park she showed him. While Kurtz is recovering he is visited by a) an ex-military type in a wheelchair & his Vietnamese partner; b) Peg O'Toole's fiance who is a bigshot in security & c) Detectives Kemper & King from the Buffalo Police Dept. While Det. King & Kurtz go way back to their orphanage years, there appears to be no love lost between them, or is there? Buffalo's shady characters are back as well...the gay don Gonzaga & the female don-in-waiting Angelina F/F. Someone is slaughtering their heroin dealers & addicts, leaving globs of blood all over the place & carting off the bodies. Why? Kurtz's side-kick Arlene is back at her desk, chain-smoking & making good money with her dot coms & in HARD AS NAILS she proves her mettle.
Rating:
Summary: Kurtz is back
Review: I wouldn't want to be Joe Kurtz. In the span of a year, he's been released from prison, beaten to a bloody pulp dozens of times, waltzed with death on more than one occasion, has outsmarted different hitmen and killers, has been able to unite with the mob, and now, in his new outing, he survives a gunshot wound to the head. But this might very well be Kurtz's most challenging outing yet. Because in Hard As Nails, Kurtz is beaten up so many times that you're left wondering how this guy can possibly still be standing. The book opens with the event that leaves Kurtz in a coma for a few days. After surviving that gunshot wound to the head, and after having saved his parole officer from death, Kurtz is determined to find the man who nearly killed him. To do so, he'll need to unite with the two leading mob families and his regular troupe (like his secretary Arlene and a hitman called The Dane) of hired hands. Kurtz stumbles on a story that is worthy of Hollywood, one that involves a family of ex-CIA operatives, a dead boy who might not be dead and, to top it all off, a crazy old man in a wheelchair and his Asian help. Let me assure you that Kurtz has more than enough to keep himself busy. Hard As Nails is the third Joe Kurtz novel Dan Simmons has written. And this might very well be the weakest. It seems that Kurtz has lost his bite and sarcastic edge. His witty comments are sparse and his erratic personality is almost nonexistant this time around. Often, Kurtz takes a backseat to let other characters come to the forefront. And yet, in the end, Hard as Nails still works. Simmons is a very talented author who knows how to write a plot that will keep readers entertained. Written in short chapters, Hard as Nails is a fast read that offers much fun. You won't believe any of it (in this one, Kurtz is presented as a superman-like figure who has more lives than a cat) but you'll still have fun turning the page just to see what Kurtz will do next.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed hero, unflawed writing!
Review: Joe Kurtz, ex PI, ex con is one of the most interesting antiheros currently being written about. Simmons blends the atmosphere and mood of western New York into a modern noir canvas, and Kurtz and his former lover Rigby inhabit that world in a gray area of law and order that is both disturbing and realistic. Even after getting shot in the head, Kurtz displays the almost herculean toughness that would make Spenser wince - hence the title. The plot moves from place to place with a randomness that seems incongruous, but ultimately is very satisfying in the end. One of the best mystery/detective novelists working today. I highly reccommend going to Simmon's back list and catching up with the rest of his fans. He seldom has disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Hardcore, Two-Fisted, Take-No-Prisoners Fiction
Review: These are just some of the descriptions used in reviews for the Joe Kurtz series. And I have to agree. Not since Donald Westlake's (aka. Richard Stark) Parker series have I enjoyed reading crime fiction so much. Dan Simmons knows how to, excuse me here ladies, grab you by the balls and take you on a ride.
In his latest entry in this series Mr. Simmons puts Kurtz in a bad position from the beginning. Within the first three pages Kurtz is shot in the head, along with his parole officer, and has to deal with a migraine, caused by a concussion, for damn near the rest of the book.
Kurtz isn't given a break by any means after being shot. He's blamed for the shooting of the parole officer, has to deal with a family member, is threatened by the mob, chased by a psychopath and has to worry about the Dane.
We also get a look at Joe's past in this book, through an ex-girlfriend who also happens to be a cop investigating him, and his feelings for his daughter become more apparent.
If you've read the other books in this series I can't recommend this one enough. If you haven't you should really start with Hard Case. You could read and understand this book without reading the others but I don't know why you'd want to.
Rating:
Summary: The best Kurtz novel yet
Review: This is Simmons' third Joe Kurtz novel and they just keep getting better and better. These pulp style 'detective' novels are reminiscent of Chandler and others. However Simmons takes the genre to an all new level. From page one you are drawn in and eagerly wanting to turn that next page but never wanting the book to end. Each of the novels builds on the last but they grow with each new story. Start at the beginning of the series, you'll be glad you did. I can never recommend the books enough times. For anyone who wants a novel that will keep you guessing from the first page to the last, these are the ones you want. I didn't see the end coming in this one it sure was quite a surprise! Buy this book, you'll be glad you did!!
Rating:
Summary: The best Kurtz novel yet
Review: This is Simmons' third Joe Kurtz novel and they just keep getting better and better. These pulp style 'detective' novels are reminiscent of Chandler and others. However Simmons takes the genre to an all new level. From page one you are drawn in and eagerly wanting to turn that next page but never wanting the book to end. Each of the novels builds on the last but they grow with each new story. Start at the beginning of the series, you'll be glad you did. I can never recommend the books enough times. For anyone who wants a novel that will keep you guessing from the first page to the last, these are the ones you want. I didn't see the end coming in this one it sure was quite a surprise! Buy this book, you'll be glad you did!!
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