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2021 Shamus Award for Best Original PI Paperback (nominee)
The long-lost, never-before-published, thirteenth novel in the legendary Hardman series
Jim Hardman will do just about anything for a buck, short of a felony, though he has been known to push the line. It's a career choice that takes a big toll on his soul and leads him to a shocking discovery that breaks his heart. That's when a high-powered lawyer hires him to go to London to find the missing heir of a wealthy Georgia industrialist. The timing is perfect for Hardman, who is eager to escape his personal pain. But misery of a different sort is awaiting him in England, where he becomes embroiled in an ugly case of embezzlement and murder that follows him back to Atlanta...and that will have a devastating impact on his life.
Includes an Afterword by Lee Goldberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author of True Fiction and Lost Hills
Praise for the "All Kinds of Ugly" and the Hardman series:
"Ralph Dennis was a master of believable action and surprising heart, with characters who could dish out the tough guy banter with the best of them. 'All Kinds of Ugly' is a beauty, though; a pure distillation of grade A, hardboiled pulp that dares to reach for more." Mystery Scene Magazine
"Fans of Dennis will welcome the author's previously unpublished, hard-hitting 13th and final book featuring unlicensed Atlanta PI Jim Hardman. His strong prose and well-paced storytelling place him alongside the likes of George V. Higgins and Ross MacDonald." Publishers Weekly
"Expert writing, plus good plotting and an unusual degree of sensitivity. Ralph Dennis has mastered the genre and supplied top entertainment. " The New York Times
"Gritty writing? Tough talk? Gripping action? Yes, yes and yes." The Daily Oklahoman
"The Hardman novels capture the city of Atlanta; it's class divide, social structure, racial tensions and corruption - issues such as gentrification, old money and the criminal underbelly. All Kinds of Ugly changes direction in unexpected and original ways several times, but most of all the femme fatale, Anna, is a complex take on the form, a fully rounded woman who makes the novel tick." NB Magazine UK
"The Hardman books are by far the best of the men's action-adventure series." Mother Jones Magazine
"Ralph Dennis is an underappreciated master. His Hardman series is one of the finest in the P.I. genre." Robert Randisi, founder of the Private Eye Writers of America
Genre: Mystery
Jim Hardman will do just about anything for a buck, short of a felony, though he has been known to push the line. It's a career choice that takes a big toll on his soul and leads him to a shocking discovery that breaks his heart. That's when a high-powered lawyer hires him to go to London to find the missing heir of a wealthy Georgia industrialist. The timing is perfect for Hardman, who is eager to escape his personal pain. But misery of a different sort is awaiting him in England, where he becomes embroiled in an ugly case of embezzlement and murder that follows him back to Atlanta...and that will have a devastating impact on his life.
Includes an Afterword by Lee Goldberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author of True Fiction and Lost Hills
Praise for the "All Kinds of Ugly" and the Hardman series:
"Ralph Dennis was a master of believable action and surprising heart, with characters who could dish out the tough guy banter with the best of them. 'All Kinds of Ugly' is a beauty, though; a pure distillation of grade A, hardboiled pulp that dares to reach for more." Mystery Scene Magazine
"Fans of Dennis will welcome the author's previously unpublished, hard-hitting 13th and final book featuring unlicensed Atlanta PI Jim Hardman. His strong prose and well-paced storytelling place him alongside the likes of George V. Higgins and Ross MacDonald." Publishers Weekly
"Expert writing, plus good plotting and an unusual degree of sensitivity. Ralph Dennis has mastered the genre and supplied top entertainment. " The New York Times
"Gritty writing? Tough talk? Gripping action? Yes, yes and yes." The Daily Oklahoman
"The Hardman novels capture the city of Atlanta; it's class divide, social structure, racial tensions and corruption - issues such as gentrification, old money and the criminal underbelly. All Kinds of Ugly changes direction in unexpected and original ways several times, but most of all the femme fatale, Anna, is a complex take on the form, a fully rounded woman who makes the novel tick." NB Magazine UK
"The Hardman books are by far the best of the men's action-adventure series." Mother Jones Magazine
"Ralph Dennis is an underappreciated master. His Hardman series is one of the finest in the P.I. genre." Robert Randisi, founder of the Private Eye Writers of America
Genre: Mystery
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