by Lou Berney
First published 2020
Hardy "Hardly" Reed works as a minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park. At twenty-one, he drifts through life stoned and easygoing, avoiding effort and ambition. One day he spots two children, around six or seven, sitting alone on a bench. When he checks on them, he notices injuries on both kids. Someone is hurting them. Hardly reports this to Child Protective Services, expecting that to end his involvement. But the image of those wounded children won't leave him alone. His research reveals that CPS, understaffed and overwhelmed, likely won't act. That leaves only Hardly. He's probably the worst person to count on, but these kids have no one else. For the first time in his life, Hardly decides to fight for something that matters. As he gathers evidence, he discovers the children's father runs both a law practice and a violent drug operation. The mother claims she wants to escape but Hardly questions whether he can trust her. His investigation reveals capabilities he never knew he possessed, but also dangers he never imagined.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, action
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-hero
336 pages · ebook · William Morrow
Content warnings: child-abuse, violence