The Hard Bounce

“Schooled by retro pulp and a workingman’s gritty self-preservation, Todd Robinson’s prose cuts with a rusty blade and we can’t tear our eyes away. No glib talkers here, no high-handed lessons, just the kind of noir you’ll recognize if you ever had to pick between frying pan and fire.”—Sophie Littlefield, author of A Bad Day for Pretty

“Todd Robinson’s debut is tough and gritty, but what makes The Hard Bounce such a standout is its sly humor and surprising poignancy. The razor-sharp dialogue will have Elmore Leonard watching his back.”—Hilary Davidson, author of The Damage Done and The Next One to Fall

“Todd Robinson is an immense talent, writing modern crime fiction with a toughness, realism, humor, and smooth prose that few match.”—Dave Zeltserman, author of Outsourced

“A brilliant novel—smart, funny, and deeply moving.”—Ken Bruen, Barry and Shamus Award winning author of The Devil

“Staccato-like dialogue and action start to finish; this author has writing chops and reminds us of it throughout this hardboiled yet poignant story of a dark past, the loss of humanity, and the difficult road to finding it again in places most dare not look.”—Charlie Stella, author of Johnny Porno

“The Hard Bounce is a big, proud, bruiser of a novel—packed with humor, guts, and heavyweight grace. Robinson’s the best hardboiled crime writer I’ve come across in years.”—Benjamin Whitmer, author of Pike

“The team of Boo and Junior are two of the best, most entertaining characters to invade hardboiledfiction in a long time. Todd Robinson’s The Hard Bounce follows this dynamic duo through the underbelly of Boston as they get bruised, beaten, battered, shocked, and shot. Being a bouncer is an even tougher gig than you thought. A kick in the nutsack with a surprising amount of heart.”—Victor Gischler, Edgar- and Anthony-nominated author of Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse

“The Hard Bounce is one of those rare debuts that roars its intentions from the first page and that keeps you reading with the power and force of its darkly witty voice. Robinson’s bringing crime back to the mean, working streets where it’s always belonged with this deeply affecting, startlingly affecting novel. Boo Malone is one of the most intriguing, compelling, and empathetic protagonists I’ve encountered in a while, and you’ll be thinking about the secrets of his past for a long time after you’ve finished that last page.”—Russel D. McLean, author of The Lost Sister