Welcome to Brash Books
We publish the best crime novels in existence. A brash claim? You bet it is. But our award-winning, critically acclaimed authors prove it with each and every one of their amazing books.
We’ve got it all: psychological thrillers, murder mysteries, international espionage, and police procedurals from established masters of the craft – as well as premiere books from new voices who are sure to become crime fiction stars.
Life is short – don’t waste your time on bad books. Browse through our fantastic library of unmissable mysteries, terrific thrillers and compelling crime novels – then pick up one of the best books you’ll ever read.
Featured Author
Ralph Dennis
Among crime writers, the late Ralph Dennis is considered a master of the genre who never received the recognition he deserved. His books have long been coveted collectibles. Brash Books will be releasing his 12-book Hardman series, his three other published novels, and his long-lost manuscripts.
Latest Additions
The One Dollar Rip-Off - Coming in May 2019 By Ralph Dennis
Hardman & Hump try to collect on a friendly one-dollar bet and it leads them into more trouble than they could ever have imagined in the ninth book in the legendary crime series.
The Golden Girl and All - Audiobook Edition By Ralph Dennis
In third book in the acclaimed series, unlicensed PI Jim Hardman is hired to find Peggy Holt, a drug dealer, stripper, and serial seductress who has kidnapped her six-year-old daughter from her ex-husband.
The Deadly Cotton Heart - Coming April 1st By Ralph Dennis
Hardman goes undercover as a hitman and ends up targeted for death in the eighth book in the series.
The Charleston Knife is Back in Town - Audiobook Edition By Ralph Dennis
Jim Hardman is an ex-cop who works as an unlicensed PI, troubleshooter, and bodyguard. He is hired to find the people who ripped off an illegal gambling party before a hitman does. The second novel in the unforgettable series by Ralph Dennis. Performed by Shawn Compton.
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Featured Video
Memphis Luck
Gerald Duff’s MEMPHIS LUCK—the sizzling sequel to MEMPHIS RIBS—is finally available in trade paperback and ebook editions! The critics already love it, and we’re sure you will as well.
From The Blog
Lee Goldberg’s Obsession to Republish Ralph Dennis
This wasn’t men’s action-adventure fiction. This was straight-up, hardboiled crime fiction, written in a tight, evocative voice. And it was wonderful.… I wished there was something I could do about it…and some way I could get Hardman out to wider audience. And then it hit me—maybe I could.
Ben Jones: My Friend HARDMAN
By 1970, Ralph was “getting tired of students” and needed a change. It didn’t take much to convince him that Atlanta had fully recovered from General Sherman and was a happening place. We drove up and got him and his belongings and helped him find a bachelor’s pad. He got a regular job when his savings started to dwindle a bit, all the while writing every day. He wrote to his friend and agent Elizabeth McKee, pitching the idea for Hardman. Ms. McKee secured a contract with Popular Library.
Now, I wasn’t there when it happened, but he was so overjoyed with the news that he ran the two and a half miles to our house so that he could tell somebody. Ralph Dennis had given up athletics in High School and was as out of shape as one would expect of a man who had downed 50 beers a week for 25 years, while chain-smoking Pall Malls.
But he made it.
The Literary Life of Ralph Dennis
The Hardman series was trumpeted as “A great new private eye for the shockproof ‘70s,” which was funny, since Jim Hardman was far from the typical action-adventure hero in other numbered series. He was middle-aged and as out-of-shape as most guys who get their primary exercise lifting beers or glasses of J&B Scotch. And he lifted quite a few.
Hardman had more than his share of fights in the novels, with mixed results. The true muscle was provided by Hardman’s friend Hump Evans, formerly a defensive end with the Cleveland Browns. Today having an Afro-American sidekick who provides the muscle or does the dirty work is something of a cliché — it wasn’t in the 1970s. More importantly, Hump was always an equal partner with Hardman. Hardman didn’t shy away from brawls; it was just that Hump was better at it. At 6-6 (or 6-7 as both were given at different times) and 270 pounds, Hump always retained a certain independence from Hardman. There was nothing demeaning about Hump or his relationship with Hardman.
A Brash Holiday Season is Coming
The holiday season is upon us, and it’s that time of year for gratitude and reflection. In this edition of the Brash Books newsletter, we share our fond remembrance of a beloved Brash author, along with another amazing award, a fresh new story, a rave review—and an abundance of upcoming releases for your reading pleasure.
You Can’t Keep a Hardman Down
We’re excited to announce that we’ve acquired the rights to all of Ralph Dennis’s work…
Max Allan Collins: The Story Behind BLACK HATS
Why did the byline “Patrick Culhane” originally appear on two of my novels, Black Hats and Red Sky in Morning? Forgive me if you’ve heard this one, but I believe it’s one of the truly remarkable f**k-ups of my career, and one of the rare ones that I didn’t cause myself.
