Dark Ride

(Paperback)

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Description

Sometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you need

Twenty-one-year-old Hardy Hardly Reedgood-natured, easygoing, usually stonedis drifting through life. A minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park, he avoids unnecessary effort and unrealistic ambitions.

Then one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench. Hardly checks if theyre okay and sees injuries on both children. Someone is hurting these kids.

He reports the incident to Child Protective Service.

That should be the end of it. After all, Hardly's not even good at looking out for himself so the last thing he wants to do is look out for anyone else. But he's haunted by the two kids, his heart breaking for them. And the more research he does the less he trusts that Child Protective Services understaffed and overworkedwill do anything about it.

That leavesHardly. He is probably the last person youd ever want to count on. But those two kids have nobody else but him. Hardly has to do what's right and help them.

Gradually, with assistance from unexpected allies, he develops investigative skills and discovers hes smarter and more capable than he ever imagined.

But Hardly also discovers that the situation is more dangerous than he ever expected. The abusive father who has been hurting these children isnt just a lawyerhe also runs a violent drug-dealing operation. The mother claims she wants to escape with the kidsbut Hardly isn't sure he can trust her.

Faced with a different version of himself than he has ever known, Hardly refuses to give up. But his commitment to saving these kids from further harm might end up getting the kids, and Hardly himself, killed.

Reviews

"DARK RIDE is Lou Berney at his best. This story of a disaffected scare actor at a theme park who finds his purpose in the defense of two abused children is both thrilling and heartbreaking but ultimately life affirming. The story of a man who finally stands for something after a lifetime of falling for anything will haunt you. " S.A. Cosby, New York Times bestselling author of RAZORBLADE TEARS and BLACKTOP WASTELAND

"DARK RIDE is a remarkable book written by Lou Berney, a storyteller I admire as a writer and cherish as a reader. DARK RIDE effortlessly grabs you and does not let you go until the final page. I didn't want this book to end and it stayed with me long after I finished reading it. Lou Berney is a magnificent writer with talent to burn. Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of THE CARTEL and CITY ON FIRE

Poor Hardly Reed! There he is, just peacefully floating through life on a marijuana cloud, working in a rundown amusement park, when he encounters two kids he suspects are being abused. For once in his life he realizes he cant stand by and do nothing. Obsession leads him down a heart-wrenching and twisting path, populated by a richly drawn cast of weird and lovable characters and dangerous scenarios. DARK RIDE is moving, deeply involving, funny, breathless, and I loved every single page of Hardlys harrowing journey from stoner to sleuth. Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of LAST GIRL GHOSTED and CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45

"DARK RIDE is a brilliant book from a master storyteller. Sometimes the hero you need is the person you least expect and Berney's novel takes you on a remarkable journey where you witness an unlikely stoner become the hero two children in trouble need." T.J. Newman, New York Times bestselling author of FALLING

Author Bio

Lou Berney is the author of two previous novelsWhiplash River, nominated for an Edgar Award, and Gutshot Straight, nominated for a Barry Award-as well as the collection The Road to Bobby Joe and Other Stories. A television and film screenwriter, he also teaches writing at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University.