Books published by Brash Books

The first novel in the unforgettable, long lost series by Ralph Dennis is finally back in print... after being coveted for years by collectors of the very best in hardboiled fiction. Includes an Introduction by Joe R. Lansdale.

For years, original copies of Ralph Dennis' Hardman novels, one of the best crime fiction series ever written, were the Holy Grail for collectors because they were nearly impossible to find and very pricey. But those days are over. Hardman is back! "The Hardman books are by far the best of the men's action-adventure series." Mother Jones MagazineIt's Atlanta, 1974. Ex-cop Jim Hardman and his drinking buddy Hump Evans, an ex-NFL player, will do just about anything short of a felony to make a buck...but even that rule is flexible. "Among the best series books around." Philadelphia Daily NewsIn their sixth adventure, Hardman steps into the middle of a bar fight and stumbles into a deadly but lucrative job -- protecting a guy who is next-in-line for a massive inheritance from being murdered by professional assassins. But as the body count rises, and killers just keep on coming, it becomes clear to Hardman that the motive is more than money... and that he may be fighting an adversary who will never stop, even after death. "Ralph Dennis has mastered the genre and supplied top entertainment." The New York TimesThis new edition includes an Afterword from author Cynthia Williams, who was one of Ralph Dennis' students.

Retired pro football star Ed Cross did most of his scoring between bed posts with other player's women, including Hump's ex-girlfriend. That was bad enough. Hump goes looking for blood... and finds it. Cross is murdered and Hump becomes the prime suspect.

The fourth novel in the series. A small-town farmer hires Hardman to find his teenage daughter who ran off to Atlanta to become a model...and ended up a hooker.

The third book in the acclaimed Hardman series. Jim Hardman is hired to find Peggy Holt, a drug dealer, stripper, and serial seductress who has kidnapped her six-year-old daughter from her ex-husband.

First there was Max Allan Collins' legendary graphic novel...then came the Academy Award winning movie and his bestselling screenplay novelization. Now Collins presents an epic new novel, combining and expanding upon all that came before, to create the ultimate version of his unforgettable story.

"One of the best fictional detectives conjured up in years," Library JournalBLANCHE ON THE LAMBarbara Neely's Smart, Sassy and Groundbreaking Crime NovelWINNER OF THE AGATHA, ANTHONY & MACAVITY AWARDSBlanche White is a plump, feisty, middle-aged African-American housekeeper working for the genteel rich in North Carolina. But when an employer stiffs her, and her checks bounce, she goes on the lam, hiding out as a maid for a wealthy family at their summer home. That plan goes awry when there's a murder and Blanche becomes the prime suspect. So she's forced to use her savvy, her sharp wit, and her old-girl network of domestic workers to discover the truth and save her own skin. Along the way, she lays bare the quirks of southern society with humor, irony, and a biting commentary that makes her one of the most memorable and original characters ever to appear in mystery fiction."Blanche not only solves the crime, but exhibits familiar foibles and strengths, believes in kitchen-table wisdom, and possesses a wicked sense of humor," Ms. Magazine "A quirky mystery debut that pits Blanche against a Faulknerian cast of oddballs who may be trying to kill each other off to claim a southern fortune," Kirkus Reviews"Endlessly entertaining," Publisher's Weekly"The uproarious Blanche White, the Southern housekeeper who knows her own mind, opened doors to the nuances of black life for readers and writers alike. Barbara Neely is a trailblazer," Naomi Hirahara, Edgar Award-winning author

What happens when a hard-drinking, middle-aged PI teams up with a strong-willed 14-year-old searching for her lost dog? Find out in Dick Lochte's suspense masterpiece - and one of the most acclaimed crime novels ever.

When you dig your own grave, it always ends up ragged and shallow.Career criminal Longview Moody, on the run from killers, assumes his dead, twin brother's identity as the new Chief of Police of a Texas town that's being terrorized by a Mexican drug cartel. To pull off the deadly deception, Longview desperately works to become the kind of cop and man that his brother was. But when the two lives he's living converge, he's forced to embrace the violence within him to get justice...and vengeance. PRAISE FOR "DEAD MAN'S BADGE""It's terrific. It's lean and smart and very good. I say, check it out." Joe Lansdale"Brutal, vivid, and unforgettable...a modern-day western morality tale in crime-novel wrapping with a blood-red bow. This one will haunt you." Lee Goldberg, #1 NY Times bestselling author"Robert Dunn unloads both barrels - Dead Man's Badge is a fast, furious shootout from beginning to end. This tale of corrupt cops, cartel killers, and one bad guy just trying to make good, lingers like gun smoke. Bloody, dark, and pistol-whip smart, it's Border noir at its best." J. Todd Scott, author of THE FAR EMPTY"Riveting thriller about coming back from the dead, revenge and redemption. The pages fly by even faster than the bodies pile up. DEAD MAN'S BADGE establishes Robert E. Dunn as a formidable new name in hard-boiled fiction." R.G. Belsky. author of YESTERDAY'S NEWS