{"product_id":"dark-ride-an-intense-literary-thriller-with-heart-pounding-suspense-finalist-for-the-la-times-book-prize-1","title":"Dark Ride: An Intense Literary Thriller with Heart-Pounding Suspense, Finalist for the LA Times Book Prize","description":"FINALIST FOR THE LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE!\nFrom Lou Berney, the acclaimed, multi award-winning author of November Road and The Long and Faraway Gone, comes a Dark Ride\nSometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you need\nTwenty-one-year-old Hardy “Hardly” Reed—good-natured, easygoing, usually stoned—is drifting through life. A minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park, he avoids unnecessary effort and unrealistic ambitions.\nThen one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench. Hardly checks if they’re okay and sees injuries on both children. Someone is hurting these kids.\nHe reports the incident to Child Protective Service.\nThat 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 overworked—will do anything about it.\nThat leaves…Hardly. He is probably the last person you’d ever want to count on. But those two kids have nobody else but him. Hardly has to do what's right and help them.\nFor the first time in his life, Hardly decides to fight for something, becoming an amateur sleuth driven by a newfound purpose. This might be the one point in his entire life, he realizes, that is the entire point of his life. He will help those kids.\nAt first, trying to gather evidence that will force the proper authorities to intervene, Hardly is a total disaster. Gradually, with assistance from unexpected allies, he develops investigative skills and discovers he’s smarter and more capable than he ever imagined.\nBut in this page-turning crime thriller, Hardly also discovers that the situation is more dangerous than he ever expected. The abusive father who has been hurting these children isn’t just a lawyer—he also runs a violent drug-dealing operation. The mother claims she wants to escape with the kids—but Hardly isn't sure he can trust her.\nFaced with a different version of himself than he has ever known, this ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances refuses to give up. But his commitment to saving these kids from further harm might end up getting the kids, and Hardly himself, killed.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 0062663887\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: BVV.0062663887.G\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Berney, Lou\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact  including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Blue Vase Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43389424336957,"sku":"BVV.0062663887.G","price":6.77,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/4225\/9261\/files\/0062663887-0.jpg?v=1784754571","url":"https:\/\/www.bluevasebooks.com\/products\/dark-ride-an-intense-literary-thriller-with-heart-pounding-suspense-finalist-for-the-la-times-book-prize-1","provider":"Blue Vase Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}