Best of
Hard-Boiled

2017

A Good Bunch of Men: A Dickie Floyd Detective Novel


Danny R. Smith - 2017
     What, then, could render two veteran homicide detectives speechless as they stand over their latest victim? Tightly-wound Dickie Jones and his smart and cocky partner, Matt “Pretty Boy Floyd” Tyler, find themselves entangled with gang members and a sexy drug dealer as they uncover a nefarious plot rife with greed, sex, and betrayal. Can law enforcement’s “odd couple” survive fights, shootouts, and a sniper who wants them dead? What about their wives, and their captain, all of whom have had it with them both? A Good Bunch of Men will have you laughing, gasping, and craving the next in the Dickie Floyd Detective series. *** “Finally, someone wrote it the way it should be written and added a few twists along the way. Real page turner.” – J. Sheehy “I was totally blown away. Unable to put the book down. Anyone with law enforcement experience MUST read this book.” – JZ “There's nothing like authenticity to set a book apart.” – Jackson “This work of fiction will take you into the heart of a homicide investigation, with its many twists and turns. Excellent character development and the story is a page-turner.” – A. Argott “If you want to know how murders are truly investigated and solved, and how homicide detectives think, walk, and talk, then A Good Bunch of Men is for you.” – J. Knight “This book gets you behind the yellow tape of a murder scene and investigation. You will feel as though you're living the life of a homicide investigator.” – Cliff Yates “I've read a lot of law enforcement type stories, and this is probably the best one yet. The author obviously writes from experience.” – George B. “But once in a while, an author comes along who has not only been there and done that, but comes to the table with an eye for plotting, dialogue, and intrigue. And when that happens, one can celebrate their literary blessings.” – Dean Scoville, Author of A Gun, A Badge, and An Attitude. “Dickie Floyd belongs on the bookshelf of every Joseph Wambaugh and Michael Connelly fan. Wambaugh and Connelly write about LAPD. The author has written the quintessential LA County Sheriff's Department novel.” – Phil “Crime, fights, guns, with laughs and a dash of booze mixed in give us an inside look at the life of homicide detectives.” – Richard Powers

The Preacher: Aces and Eights: A Preacher Thriller


Ted Thackrey Jr. - 2017
     The Preacher, the ex-priest and Vietnam vet turned professional gambler, is playing in the highest stakes poker game ever dealt. His opponents are mobsters, arms dealers and terrorists. The jackpot is an atomic bomb. And if he loses, the entire city of Las Vegas will be dealt the Dead Man's Hand. "The Preacher is distinctive and unique...with doses of subtle and sarcastic humor." Bookgasm "This is a book that has a lot going for it. It has a noirish sensibility and some darn good writing." Bill Crider, the Anthony and Derringer Award-winning author of Outrage at Blanco

A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing


Tim Weed - 2017
    A high altitude lake is the point of departure for these stories of dark adventure, in which fishing guides, amateur sportsmen, teenage misfits, scientists, mountaineers, and expatriates embark on disquieting journeys of self-discovery in far-flung places.

With the Right Enemies


Rob Pierce - 2017
    He survives by being uglier, hurting people for money, hurting people because he likes hurting people. When he’s hired to track down Dust and bring back the money he stole, keeping Dust alive isn’t a priority. Neither is keeping anyone else alive, even people he loves. Vollmer’s killed people he loves before. “With The Right Enemies” is the bullet-drenched follow-up to “Uncle Dust,” Rob Pierce’s acclaimed debut novel about a bank robber’s disastrous fling with domestic life. "Rob Pierce is one of the more imaginative literary voices in our new emerging era of noir." -- James Grady, Six Days of the Condor"A detailed and empathetic portrait of a personal struggle with demons we may not all face directly, but which always lurk beneath our carefully calculated covers. Pierce rips off that lid and exposes the common darkness of all our souls, whether we want to admit it or not." -- Will Viharo, Hard-boiled Heart, Love Stories Are Too Violent For Me"Full of grit and realism, Uncle Dust pulls no punches. Dustin is one of the most memorable characters to emerge from this genre since Richard Stark’s Parker. Flawlessly executed, Uncle Dust should move to the top of your list if you are a fan of hard crime/noir fiction." -- Greg Barth, Everglade, Road Carnage, Suicide Lounge"…dark as hell and exceptionally engrossing. Uncle Dust takes a bold step in separating noir from its mystery/suspense antecedents, to show us what the life of a blue-collar criminal might just be like. Read this one, and be glad you don’t have an Uncle Dust." -- Nick Mamatas, I Am Providence, The Last Weekend"One of the best noir and crime novels of the past five years. Pierce has done a masterful job of playing high drama and low stakes where the heart of the story isn't about the big heist, or the big show down, or the fight scenes, but of the complicated nature of being a criminal, and a creature of violence, but not a simple caricature. A fantastic read for fans of cynical, dark, and yet hopeful tales of people who pay for their mistakes and have to keep the change." -- Jason Ridler, A Triumph For Sakura, Blood and Sawdust