In 1930s East Texas, fourteen-year-old Amelia Laxault's father insists she marry Arnold Critchin, a local boy who assaulted her on their first date. When Arnold's alcohol-fueled brutality devastates their family, his ineptitude with crops destroys their farm, and his poorly run moonshine business lands him in prison, Amelia struggles to feed her four children as the Depression worsens and a secret from her past looms large.
Three hundred miles away, Lucious Tremaine tangles with a white police officer. Fleeing to Houston, a second altercation leaves him with a gunshot wound. Desperate and weak, he makes his way into the backwoods.
As Lucious encounters increasing obstacles and Amelia's challenges escalate with Arnold's return from prison-and a visit from her first love, who is now the local sheriff- an explosion looms. Will Lucious make it to Houston? Can Amelia save her children from both starvation and Arnold's increasing, vengeful violence? As the odds stack up and the food runs out, Amelia must summon all her courage, strength, and ingenuity to attempt to save her family.
Genre: Mystery
Three hundred miles away, Lucious Tremaine tangles with a white police officer. Fleeing to Houston, a second altercation leaves him with a gunshot wound. Desperate and weak, he makes his way into the backwoods.
As Lucious encounters increasing obstacles and Amelia's challenges escalate with Arnold's return from prison-and a visit from her first love, who is now the local sheriff- an explosion looms. Will Lucious make it to Houston? Can Amelia save her children from both starvation and Arnold's increasing, vengeful violence? As the odds stack up and the food runs out, Amelia must summon all her courage, strength, and ingenuity to attempt to save her family.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"Hard Times by Les Edgerton paints a vivid, heart-rending story of rural America and a valiant woman's desperation. Impossible to put down. A courageous masterpiece!" - Jack Getze
"Hard Times is a literate, unadorned read, as harsh and sharp as an ice pick wound, but ultimately inspiring due to its heroine's strength and determination. Loved it." - Joe R Lansdale
"Hard Times is the best country noir I've read in a long while. A knife-edged, cold-eyed story of love and hate at their most visceral, it's worthy of a place of pride on the shelf next to William Gay and Daniel Woodrell." - Scott Phillips
"With Hard Times, Les Edgerton has accomplished what few writers can: He's created a time and a place, depression era Texas, and populated it with characters so real they explode off the page. In this heart-wrenching gem of a book, Edgerton once again proves his masterful touch creating characters on the margins of society, often forgotten, almost always dismissed. Hard Times has the heart and soul of a novel you'll want to read more than once." - Charles Salzberg
"Hard Times is a literate, unadorned read, as harsh and sharp as an ice pick wound, but ultimately inspiring due to its heroine's strength and determination. Loved it." - Joe R Lansdale
"Hard Times is the best country noir I've read in a long while. A knife-edged, cold-eyed story of love and hate at their most visceral, it's worthy of a place of pride on the shelf next to William Gay and Daniel Woodrell." - Scott Phillips
"With Hard Times, Les Edgerton has accomplished what few writers can: He's created a time and a place, depression era Texas, and populated it with characters so real they explode off the page. In this heart-wrenching gem of a book, Edgerton once again proves his masterful touch creating characters on the margins of society, often forgotten, almost always dismissed. Hard Times has the heart and soul of a novel you'll want to read more than once." - Charles Salzberg
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