The Innocents

Mystery & Suspense, Hard-Boiled, Police Procedural, Thrillers
Cover of the book The Innocents by Richard Barre, Down & Out Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Richard Barre ISBN: 1230001057195
Publisher: Down & Out Books Publication: April 30, 2016
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Richard Barre
ISBN: 1230001057195
Publisher: Down & Out Books
Publication: April 30, 2016
Imprint:
Language: English

There are seven of them. Children — innocents — whose long-buried remains are uncovered by a flash-flood. No one knows who could have committed such a crime. Clues are scarce, and with the media turning the story into a law enforcement nightmare, time is short. Only Wil Hardesty, a private eye who has more in common with the case than anyone knows, is willing to push hard enough — and dig deep enough — to find the cruelest of killers. The killer of The Innocents...

Praise for The Innocents …

"Author Richard Barre kicked off his Wil Hardesty series with this smart, psychologically nuanced first novel, which garnered a 1996 Shamus Award. The plot is gripping, the dialogue sharp, and the villains very villainous indeed, but the character of Wil Hardesty is what separates this mystery from the rest of the pack. More than just another private-eye-with-a-troubled-past, Hardesty is both complicated and flawed, a very real human who brings a lifetime's worth of pain, passion, and guilt to bear on solving this crime." — Publishers Weekly

"Sober, understated, intense." — Kirkus Reviews

"Up-close and personal narrative … nicely convoluted plot." — Library Journal

"Crisp, street-smart dialogue; a likable protagonist; and very nasty villains … a solid debut." — Booklist

"Impressive." — San Francisco Examiner

"Excellent … the writing is so good." — The Oregonian

"Walking in the shadows of everyone from Ross Macdonald to Lawrence Block, Barre still manages to find something original to say. The book's strength comes from the chances it takes … fresh characters … clever plot twists." — Chicago Tribune

"Hardesty is remarkably evolved as a character in his first outing. [He] could be you or me or a neighbor, a person trying hard to survive a few of life's dirtier tricks. He has stature." — The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

"Barre delivers … an engrossing mystery that moves quickly in prose that is as sleek and muscular as its protagonist. This first outing easily handles, then transcends, the genre requisites for a lively, intense read. Reserve a long evening for this one … it delivers the tension and pace that readers demand." — Santa Barbara News Press

"One of the best mysteries of the year." — Firsts Magazine

"The Innocents is a truly powerful and moving novel, going beyond the private eye genre as only the best authors do. Let's hope that is only the first of a long and significant series." — Otto Penzler, Mysterious Press

"Barre is a skilled writer, an uncanny observer and comes equipped with an uncommonly good ear for dialogue. Wil Hardesty, is a most welcome addition to the pantheon of private detectives." — Ross Thomas, author of Out on the Rim

"A truly powerful and moving novel … an intriguing world of mystery, deceit and murder. Richard Barre is a skilled writer and The Innocents is a gripping story." — Michael Connelly, author of The Fifth Witness

"A great read. Barre has a great command of all the elements — plot, character, and individual scenes. I suspect and hope that Wil Hardesty will be around crime fiction for many novels to come." — James Crumley, author of Dancing Bear

"Will Hardesty is a man with a lot of pain and a lot of pride, a man with a mission: a man you should meet. In a world of fake and fabrication, The Innocents is the real thing." — Stephen Greenleaf, author of False Conception

"The Innocents is a powerful novel … of action and suspense that is, in the end, a voyage of self-discovery." — Michael Collins, author of Crimes and Misdemeanors

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

There are seven of them. Children — innocents — whose long-buried remains are uncovered by a flash-flood. No one knows who could have committed such a crime. Clues are scarce, and with the media turning the story into a law enforcement nightmare, time is short. Only Wil Hardesty, a private eye who has more in common with the case than anyone knows, is willing to push hard enough — and dig deep enough — to find the cruelest of killers. The killer of The Innocents...

Praise for The Innocents …

"Author Richard Barre kicked off his Wil Hardesty series with this smart, psychologically nuanced first novel, which garnered a 1996 Shamus Award. The plot is gripping, the dialogue sharp, and the villains very villainous indeed, but the character of Wil Hardesty is what separates this mystery from the rest of the pack. More than just another private-eye-with-a-troubled-past, Hardesty is both complicated and flawed, a very real human who brings a lifetime's worth of pain, passion, and guilt to bear on solving this crime." — Publishers Weekly

"Sober, understated, intense." — Kirkus Reviews

"Up-close and personal narrative … nicely convoluted plot." — Library Journal

"Crisp, street-smart dialogue; a likable protagonist; and very nasty villains … a solid debut." — Booklist

"Impressive." — San Francisco Examiner

"Excellent … the writing is so good." — The Oregonian

"Walking in the shadows of everyone from Ross Macdonald to Lawrence Block, Barre still manages to find something original to say. The book's strength comes from the chances it takes … fresh characters … clever plot twists." — Chicago Tribune

"Hardesty is remarkably evolved as a character in his first outing. [He] could be you or me or a neighbor, a person trying hard to survive a few of life's dirtier tricks. He has stature." — The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

"Barre delivers … an engrossing mystery that moves quickly in prose that is as sleek and muscular as its protagonist. This first outing easily handles, then transcends, the genre requisites for a lively, intense read. Reserve a long evening for this one … it delivers the tension and pace that readers demand." — Santa Barbara News Press

"One of the best mysteries of the year." — Firsts Magazine

"The Innocents is a truly powerful and moving novel, going beyond the private eye genre as only the best authors do. Let's hope that is only the first of a long and significant series." — Otto Penzler, Mysterious Press

"Barre is a skilled writer, an uncanny observer and comes equipped with an uncommonly good ear for dialogue. Wil Hardesty, is a most welcome addition to the pantheon of private detectives." — Ross Thomas, author of Out on the Rim

"A truly powerful and moving novel … an intriguing world of mystery, deceit and murder. Richard Barre is a skilled writer and The Innocents is a gripping story." — Michael Connelly, author of The Fifth Witness

"A great read. Barre has a great command of all the elements — plot, character, and individual scenes. I suspect and hope that Wil Hardesty will be around crime fiction for many novels to come." — James Crumley, author of Dancing Bear

"Will Hardesty is a man with a lot of pain and a lot of pride, a man with a mission: a man you should meet. In a world of fake and fabrication, The Innocents is the real thing." — Stephen Greenleaf, author of False Conception

"The Innocents is a powerful novel … of action and suspense that is, in the end, a voyage of self-discovery." — Michael Collins, author of Crimes and Misdemeanors

More books from Down & Out Books

Cover of the book Out of Mercy by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Noir Candy by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Crossed Bones by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Dangerous Boys by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Murder at the Beach: Bouchercon Anthology 2014 by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Lagniappe by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Texas, Hold Your Queens by Richard Barre
Cover of the book A Scholar of Pain by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Carolina Crimes by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Cleaning Up Finn by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Corrosion by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Catching Water in a Net by Richard Barre
Cover of the book The Last Laugh: Crime Stories by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Grand Theft Cargo by Richard Barre
Cover of the book Hurt Hawks by Richard Barre
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy