Rating: 
Summary: Hard-Boiled To the Max
Review: If you're after a hard-boiled mystery / thriller with violence galore, then this is the book for you. It's about Joe Kurtz, a ruthless, tough, near-psychotic private investigator who has just been released from prison after serving an eleven-year sentence for a brutal murder. He's trying to pick his life up again using contacts he made in prison. The fact that he isn't allowed to work as a PI, own a gun and is still on parole doesn't deter him in the slightest. He is also carrying a bounty on his head after making some enemies in prison. There seems to be no end of takers willing to try to cash in. The job that Joe is pursuing is an investigation into the disappearance of an accountant to a local mafia boss. On top of that, the trucks used by the family to smuggle electronic goods, keep getting hit and destroyed. Joe offers his service to find the accountant and solve the problem. The problem with offering himself for the job, however, is that he has knowingly walked into a pit of vipers and must try to keep one step ahead of the game to survive. Joe occasionally shows a touch of remorse before killing someone, but whether it's because he is taking a life or because of the hassle in having to clean up afterwards is never made clear. He is a character who is totally loyal to friends and family, yet deadly ruthless to his enemies. The actual storyline is compelling, if dark and desperate. From the first page, I was drawn in and hooked so the pages simply flew by. It's a hectic, tension-filled story that doesn't fail to entertain.
Rating:
Summary: A decent successor to Parker
Review: In Hardcase, Dan Simmons writes his version of a Parker novel. The Parker novels are a series of books by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake) featuring a tough and stoic thief. In Hardcase, Simmons features a tough and stoic ex-private eye named Kurtz. Even the dedication of the book makes it clear who's steps Simmons is following in. The novel itself is a fast and fun read with the same cool attitude that Stark/Westlake has perfected. Kurtz, out of prison after a term for killing his lover's murderer, gets mixed up with the Buffalo mob in his attempt to get back on his feet. Kurtz is not a nice guy, but the people he opposes are far more unpleasant. For Simmons, an accomplished writer of some rather sophisticated books (such as the Hyperion books), this novel must be a quick diversion. While fun, this book is also not very original and Kurtz sometimes pales next to Parker (I imagine if the two met, it would not go well for Kurtz). Nevertheless, it is good enough that I will continue to read these books, of which there will be at least one more.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun read!
Review: It seems like Dan Simmons had a lot of fun writing this one. I've been a fan of all of his works regardless of writing style and this one was just a lot of fun. Harsh, cold, terrifying but entertaining witha likable protagonist (who is almost an anti-hero). Pick it up if you like a fast read and like to laugh.
Rating:
Summary: A case of the hard-boiled blues
Review: Joe Kurtz loves the blues. He's an ex-con detective without a license to practice. A man with a code but with no scruples. He does what needs to be done, but doesn't worry about getting dirt on his shoes or blood on his hands. "Hardcase" is Dan Simmons' first all-out hard-boiled dectective novel. He's written long, involved horror novels exceedingly well ("Carrion Comfort" and "Summer of Night") science fiction sagas to rival the best ever written (the "Hyperion" quartet) and historical fiction ("The Crook Factory") that is gripping and fun to read. This book will definitely hold you in its grip if you let your eyes come anywhere near the first sentence. It's fast and furious and fun to read. It's sort of like using a paint-shaker as a rocking chair. But is it Simmons at his best? No, probably not. "Hardcase" doesn't possess much of the poetry and density of the Hyperion books, the beauty and wonder of "Summer of Night" or the rich characterization of "Carrion Comfort". It's a pretty good book, one that wears all of its high-octane charms right out on its bullet-hole-strewn sleave, and I probably liked it a little more than his last one, "Darwin's Blade." But I'd have to say I'm still waiting for another really great book from Dan Simmons. I know he's got quite a few more in him.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Cool Character Is Created After Jack Reacher.
Review: Not finish yet, but so far, a very good reading. A quite pleasure after Lee Child's Jack Reacher(while the latter might not be read by me anymore due to too much pretensious writing.) Mr. Simmons' Kurtz could be developed into a series like "Spencer" or "Jack Reacher" series, but I would strongly recommand not to do so since Mr. Simmons is such an all angled, rare talented versatile writer who should entertain himself and the readers with more independently created interesting characters in different trades.
Rating: 
Summary: I'd rather go to the dentist...
Review: Owner and lover of every book Dan Simmons has ever published except this one...What a disappointment. It's a shame because the book is based in Buffalo (my original hometown). Kurtz is completely unlikable, character development is practically non-existant, the plot is shallow and the ending completely predictable. Absolute waste of time....
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment.
Review: Really hate to give a bad review to one of my favourite authors, but this book is poor. One can only hope that this slim offering was an indifferent attempt to meet publishing deadlines.
Rating:
Summary: Great debut for Simmons in yet another "genre"!
Review: Simmons can write...no matter the label you want to put on his fiction, it still proves to be as good as it gets. His debut in the "horror" genre won the Bram Stoker Award; his debut in the "fantasy" genre won the World Fantasy Award; his debut in "science fiction" won the Hugo Award, so should one be surprised if he wins the Edgar as well? HARDCASE is an excellent hard-boiled crime novel with a top caliber "hero" in the ultra-violent Joe Kurtz. Put in a situation where most would cower, Kurtz does what must be done in order to survive and conquer. Filled with great characters and as many twists as a pretzel, this is grim and gritty as it should be.
Rating: 
Summary: okay toss off by sci fi giant
Review: Simmons is a major sci fi author. His Hyperion series is first rate. This entry into the "mystery" genre is merely okay. The plotting is solid, and the relatively short book roars along at breakneck pace. Plenty of violence and dark motivations for a cast of underworld characters makes this a pretty good read. Lead character, Kurz, is a bitter, violent tough guy. The tough-guy dialogue strays across the line into plain silly from time to time, and nowhere is the motivation for his assistant, Arlene, to maintain her status as Kurz's door mat ever explained. All in all, this is a violent little piece of literary fluff from a big hitter. Not a bad read, but nothing to compare to his major works.
Rating:
Summary: Warning: Craftsman at work
Review: Simmons will always be an author i respect. first, because he wrote the Hyperion series. and second, because after giving birth to such an amazing body of work, he packed up his bags, waved good-bye to his fans, and followed his whims and wants as he very well pleased. few authors today even attempt such a coup. even fewer can get away with it, and still get published. that said, i didn't enjoy Hardcase nearly as much as i wanted to. i was expecting a literary equivalent of the movie 'Payback' - which, in my opinion, is one of Mel Gibson's best roles, in his later years anyway. and for the most part, that is how Hardcase feels in the beginning. yet at some point in the story, everything starts to feel just a little _too_ contructed; Kurtz keeps one-upping the thugs and suits that are after him, and you begin to wonder just how foolish everyone else is as compared to him; and in the very end, there's so many twists and turns - you almost expect the theme from Mission Impossible to ring up, and everyone to rip of their faces and reveal their true selves! for the sake of brevity: you can taste Simmons' fine sense of craftsmanship behind this novel, and that alone puts it above and beyond many of its kindred. that very craftsmanship, however, starts to feel a bit too polished, as if in his attempt to fulfill the genre, Simmons overdid the construction of its basic elements. so the book gets 3 stars, while i still have 5 on hold for Simmons, cause i know that SOB will keep writing no matter what!
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