Cold Hands

I've read all the John Niven books over the years - loving their darkness and the grimy feeling that you get as you read them. Recently I realised that this one had been missed out (first published in 2012) so I bought it.324 pages split into 43 chapters. Also worth noting that this edition has a fairly large font size so I was expecting a quick paced, easy to read thriller.It's a fascinating start with a man convincing himself into writing his account of an event which was clearly life changing.From this point onwards the tension starts to build up, we know that something bad has happened on many levels and we are led to believe that everything is now catching up with our narrator. Donnie's life is seemingly perfect but someone is out to make sure he loses everything.The narrative flips between the privileged existence of the present day in Canada and his tough world as a teenager in a poor Scottish town. Contrasts and half lies carry the first half of the book then everything starts to quickly get much darker as secret gradually begin to emerge.The plot is cleverly structured with different strands blending in together, mostly narrated by the main character. We know from the start that he is writing this so there is one inevitable part of the ending but anything else could happen to anyone and the the tension is huge.John Niven never skims over the gore and there is plenty of that here.This book is clever and engaging all the way through with an ending that kept me stuck to my seat until it was over.

Not a regurgitation of a Misery horror, I'm happy to say, yet a horror nevertheless, gripping, with plenty of twists and turns.I very much enjoyed the novel, having only read one by this author previously. I will certainly recommend it to others.However, just a word to the author: There are two pints to the quart and four quarts to the gallon. Donnie/William should have been picturing 7quart jugs and one pint when visualising the amount of blood required to save him.

A terrific full-on ride for thiller lovers from John J Niven. Aspiring screenwriter Donald Miller lives in affluent small-town comfort with his wealthy wife and their young son. As the big snows of a massive Canadian winter loom, the family dog goes missing. Niven hauls us from the vast freeze of present-day Canada back to a different kind of chill, the claustrophobic desolation of Donald's childhood in 1980s Scotland, the repercussions of which Donald still has to live with. Niven writes with perception, wit, a great ear for street dialogue and a terrific pace, piling on the thrills and a number of original and (be warned) violent scenes. Ironically, it's the piling on of the tension towards the end that just stopped me giving Cold Hands the full five stars. The denouement is too drawn out. But this is a small criticism of a memorable well-written thriller that deals with serious themes.

This is Mr Niven's first attempt at a mainstream thriller and a very good attempt it is too. It reminds me in this respect of Crime by Irvine Welsh. The plots are not at all similar, but both writers bring enough of their hip/alternative ways to make these books a bit different from the rest of the crime/thriller genre books that abound.At times, a bit too near the knuckle with the graphic depictions of violence, but I suppose this was necessary given the subject matter (can't look at a fibre-glass fishing rod without my eyes watering anymore). Fairly deep and thought-provoking on the subjects of revenge and rehabilitation, but also a page-turner at the same time.

A gripping, nasty, clever thriller. Kept me on the edge of my seat right to the end. The premise of this book is what makes it so great, John J. Niven has succeeded in creating a real moral conundrum at the heart of an exciting story. Without wanting to give too much away it's very hard to pinpoint just where our sympathies should lie. The bad news is that the way plot develops is pretty predictable - I'd pretty much guessed whodunnit from the very start of the book - but the good news is, you very likely won't care. This book's strength lies in an intelligent and sympathetic portrayal of an unspeakable act. It gets pretty gritty at points, at some places in the book I didn't want to read on because it was too distressing but I'm glad I did.

Very much enjoyed John Niven's shift into thriller mode, signified here by the addition of a middle initial. His protagonist has moved from Scotland to Canada, but can't escape his past - with brutal and terrifying consequences. Really enjoyed the set-up, and the rapid increase in tension makes it a real page-turner.The final third - a Misery-style confrontation - was perhaps a bit too drawn out for my liking, but this seems to be a trend in Hollywood movies, and ironically that may prove to be an asset when this book is turned into a film - which it surely will be.Overall, maybe not as stunning a read as Kill Your Friends, but as good a thriller as I've read this year, and thoroughly enjoyable. Will certainly buy more from John Niven, with or without the "J".

I bought this on the strength of a review that described this an an 'unputdownable' thriller. For me the plot was a highly derivative and familiar re-working of the screenplays for Fatal Attraction, The Shining and Halloween-meets-Trainspotting mixed with a docu-drama life of the Bulger killers. Basically, deserving Scottish victim is stalked by deranged vengeance-seeker who continually resurrects while innocents fall by the wayside in the snow. So why the 4 stars? Because it's a very well written example of it's genre and I couldn't put it down either!

I read this all in one go! A very enjoyable book. I would be very surprised if this wasn't filmed at some point - although I'd hope by a good director who could capture the intelligent musings on justice and retribution which lift this beyond the usual. Almost as sick as Mo Hayder in parts - and I mean that as a compliment. It's a pleasure to follow John J Niven as he becomes better and better.