"Smithy is an American original, worthy of a place on the shelf just below your Hucks, your Holdens, your Yossarians." —Stephen KingEvery so often, a novel comes along that captures the public’s imagination with a story that sweeps readers up and takes them on a thrilling, unforgettable ride. Ron McLarty’s The Memory of Running is this decade’s novel. By all accounts, especially his own, Smithson "Smithy" Ide is a loser. An overweight, friendless, chain-sm...

"McLarty's storytelling skills shine in this ribald, riotously funny, but also poignant novel." —David BaldacciWith his first two novels, Ron McLarty won acclaim for fashioning authentic characters that hook readers from the first page. With Art in America, McLarty has invented another unforgettable protagonist in one failed writer, Steven Kearney. Hired by the Creedemore Historical Society to write and direct a play about the rural Southern Colorado town,...

From the author of The Memory of Running-a beautifully crafted story of a man who returns home to discover the truth about his pastFeaturing the warmth and authenticity that made The Memory of Running such a major success, Traveler wraps a beautifully written ode to friendship within a compelling mystery. Jono Riley is an aging bartender and part-time actor in Manhattan who is compelled to return to the working-class neighborhoods of East...

Award-winning actor and playwright Ron McLarty (http://www.ronmclarty.com) is well known for his performances of Recorded Books favorites like A Walk in the Woods and Travels With Charley. What fewer people realize is that he's also an accomplished author. In this wonderfully quirky novel-available exclusively as an audiobook-McLarty takes readers on a quest to find hope and redemption with an unlikely hero. Smithson Ide is 43 years old and weighs 279 pounds when his parents die in an acci...

Ironworker Wayne Colson and his spirited wife Carmen are witnesses to a shakedown scam—witnesses who must be eliminated. Enter Armand Degas (aka Blackbird), the brains of the operation, and his partner Richie Nix, an ex-con whose highest goal is to rob a bank in every state. After the Colsons enter the Federal Witness Security Program, a lively chase ensues—with two bumbling but determined killers on Wayne and Carmen's trail.With its dead-on dialogue, memorable characters, and abso...

Fans of John Grisham's legal thrillers will love the suspenseful action and intriguing courtroom drama of James Grippando's best-sellers. In The Pardon, Grippando delivers a scorching tale of vengeance that stains the sultry streets of southern Florida. Miami defense attorney Jack Swytek has long rebelled against his father, Harry, now Florida's governor. The two disagree on nearly everything, especially the death penalty. And when Harry allows one of Jack's clients-a man Jack believes is ...

Milo has a problem. He's trying to do a project on the food chain, so he charts the growth of a baby chick, and makes arrangements to serve his specimen to the judges at the science fair. But he's baffled by the rest of his class. They name the chick Henrietta. They sign up to take her home on weekends. They claim that she's a good luck charm, a friend, even the new hockey team mascot!Milo just wants to win the science fair to impress his dad. But when the class finds out that Henr...

This #1 New York Times bestseller introduces Amos Decker, a gifted police detective with a perfect memory who must solve a mystery he wishes he could forget: his family's murder.Amos Decker's life changed forever—twice.The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to play in the NFL. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helm...

**"John Deal is such a rich creation, full of anger, courage and doubt, that you may have to remind yourself that you're reading fiction."—**Chicago TribuneJohn Deal's life is finally coming together—he is reunited with his lovely wife, they have a beautiful baby, and DealCo, his Miami construction business, is booming with post-Hurricane Andrew contracts rolling in. The future looks bright … until the night that his house is engulfed by an arsonist's flam...

Donald Harstad, a 26-year police veteran, has firsthand knowledge of small town police departments. This background enables him to create the authentic details, realistic dialogue, and suspenseful twists in Known Dead. Deputy Sheriff Carl Houseman is dozing in his cruiser near parklands in Nation County, Iowa when he hears popping sounds. Immediately, his radio screams to life with a call for assistance. What started as a simple raid on a marijuana patch has erupted into high-power gunfire...

This suspenseful third John Deal crime thriller from Standiford finds the Miami building contractor tangling with Chinese gangsters who are trying to move in on a scheme hatched by two Hollywood porno magnates to create X-rated films for the huge mainland Chinese market.Deal already has troubles enough—his wife, Janice, has sunk into a deep depression over the serious burns she suffered in last year's Raw Deal, and a close friend has apparently committed suicide, shortly after she ...

Life looks good for John Deal. A new contract promises to put the family business in the black and restore its reputation, tarnished by suicide, the suicide of John's father. Getting out from under Barton Deal's shady past is tough. The new contract is linked to old ties—like the multi-million dollar pact Barton made with Miami mobster Lucky Rhodes decades ago. Now both men are gone, the money has vanished, and Lucky's son wants it back. John Deal is about to discover just how deep blood t...