Welcome to The Hard Word

A Champion Of
Western & Crime Fiction

Heading 1

"THE VICTIM HAS TO BE A BELIEVABLE PERSON": AN INTERVIEW WITH FIRST DO NO HARM'S S.J. ROZAN

THE AMERICAN DREAM AND NIGHTMARE: TIMOTHY J. LOCKHART'S BROKEN KITE

A NEW YEAR, A NEW NOIR AT THE BAR

OLD FRIENDS: STEVE KELTON & JOHN BRADHAW'S ELMER KELTON'S THE FAMILIAR STRANGER

One of my favorite characters in western fiction is Elmer Kelton's Huey Calloway. The turn of the last century saddle tramp who rarely...

DARK DEALINGS UNDER THE CALIFORNIA SUN: SACRAMENTO NOIR edited by JOHN FREEMAN

At this point in the Akashic "City Noir" series, when a new title is announced, I think one of two things, "I can't believe they didn't...

"...LOSING TRACK OF GOD, LOSING TRACK OF PURPOSE IN LIFE...": SAINT OF NARROWS STREET'S WILLIAM BOYLE

Few crime authors capture community like William Boyle. He captures a working class Brooklyn, mainly on the turn of the millenium. In his...

WELCOME TO JACK'S TAYLOR'S CRAZY LIFE: KEN BRUEN'S GALWAY'S EDGE

A Jack Taylor novel from Ken Bruen has become a highlight in my reading year. The author's prose style, performing on the line between...

"...HARD TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST THEM OR EVEN KNOW WHO THEY ARE...": WE ARE WATCHING'S ALISON GAYLIN

Alison Gaylin's We Are Watching follows mother and daughter Mag and Lili Russo become targets of conspiracy theorists for their believe...

"COMPRESSED LANGUAGE": ABOUT THAT SNOWY EVENING'S

Stephen Spignesi, Andy Rausch, and Keith Lansdale got together to collaborate on ABOUT THAT SNOWY EVENING, one of the the most unique...

SHOWDOWN IN THE NEW WEST: C.J. BOX'S BATTLE MOUNTAIN

In C.J. Box's last Joe Pickett novel, Three Inch Teeth, he stunned fans with a devastating change in the series. Old adversary Axel...

MURDER IN WINTER: ERIC BEETNER'S REAL BAD, REAL SOON

Right at the beginning of Eric Beetner's Real Bad, Real Soon, the follow up to his first Carter McCoy book, you know you're in the hands...

HERO & HUMAN: CAPTAIN AMERICA- THE SHIELD OF SAM WILSON edited by JESSE J. HOLLAND

When Marvel Comics decided Sam Wilson would take over as the hero Captain America, it ushered in one of the more unique comic book...

"THE STORY REVEALS ITSELF TO ME AS I GO." THE RESTLESS TRAIL TRILOGY'S ROBERT PEECHER

I put Robert Peecher's Restless Trail Series (The Restless Trail, The Restless Trail Home, and Back On The Restless Trail) as one of my...

13 1416 17

Home: Blog

Home: Subscribe

Give a Shout

Thanks for your interest in The Hard Word. For more information, feel free to get in touch.

4700 E. Riverside Dr. #1117C
Austin, TX 78741

thehardword@gmail.com

Home: Contact