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Dark Ride
- Author
- Lou Berney
- Narrator
- Johnathan McClain
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 12 September 2023
- Run Time
- 9 hours 12 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
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What to expect
'Thrilling and heartbreaking but ultimately life affirming.' S.A. Cosby
'DARK RIDE effortlessly grabs you and does not let you go until the final page.' Don Winslow
‘Stunning. Moving. Thrilling … I loved it.’ Chris Whitaker
Sometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you need
Twenty-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.
Then 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.
He reports the incident to Child Protective Service.
That 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.
That 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.
Gradually, with assistance from unexpected allies, he develops investigative skills and discovers he’s smarter and more capable than he ever imagined.
But 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.
Faced with a different version of himself than he has ever known, Hardly refuses to give up. But his commitment to saving these kids from further harm might end up getting the kids, and Hardly himself, killed.
Critics Review
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‘Stunning. Moving. Thrilling. An unlikely hero, a story spilling with humour and heart, Dark Ride is further proof that Lou Berney is the real deal. I loved it.’ Chris Whitaker
“Stellar … Hardy is a memorable hero with an extremely satisfying arc … Few readers will finish this unmoved.” Publishers Weekly
"DARK RIDE is Lou Berney at his best … thrilling and heartbreaking but ultimately life affirming." S.A. Cosby
"DARK RIDE is a remarkable book written by Lou Berney, a storyteller I admire as a writer and cherish as a reader. DARK RIDE effortlessly grabs you and does not let you go until the final page. I didn't want this book to end and it stayed with me long after I finished reading it. Lou Berney is a magnificent writer with talent to burn. —Don Winslow
“Poor Hardly Reed! There he is, just peacefully floating through life on a marijuana cloud, working in a rundown amusement park, when he encounters two kids he suspects are being abused. For once in his life he realizes he can’t stand by and do nothing. Obsession leads him down a heart-wrenching and twisting path, populated by a richly drawn cast of weird and lovable characters and dangerous scenarios. DARK RIDE is moving, deeply involving, funny, breathless, and I loved every single page of Hardly’s harrowing journey from stoner to sleuth.” —Lisa Unger
"DARK RIDE is a brilliant book from a master storyteller. Sometimes the hero you need is the person you least expect and Berney's novel takes you on a remarkable journey where you witness an unlikely stoner become the hero two children in trouble need." —T.J. Newman,
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Details
- Author
- Lou Berney
- Narrator
- Johnathan McClain
- Duration
- 9 hours 12 minutes
- Release Date
- 12 September 2023
- ISBN
- 9780008657130
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Psychological thriller, Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives, Adventure / action fiction, Narrative theme: coming of age, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems
Synopsis
*WINNER OF THE IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER AWARD 2025* From the award-winning author of November Road comes a masterful thriller where an unlikely hero goes up against a deadly crime boss 'Thrilling and heartbreaking but ultimately life affirming.' S.A. Cosby 'DARK RIDE effortlessly grabs you and does not let you go until the final page.' Don Winslow ‘Stunning. Moving. Thrilling … I loved it.’ Chris Whitaker Sometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you need Twenty-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. Then 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. He reports the incident to Child Protective Service. That 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. That 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. Gradually, with assistance from unexpected allies, he develops investigative skills and discovers he’s smarter and more capable than he ever imagined. But 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. Faced with a different version of himself than he has ever known, Hardly refuses to give up. But his commitment to saving these kids from further harm might end up getting the kids, and Hardly himself, killed.
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