{"product_id":"fadeaway-joe-isbn-9781639104369","title":"Fadeaway Joe","description":"\u003cb\u003ePursued by labor traffickers, Paula Jessup desperately needs someone in her corner. Her unlikely savior is an aging bouncer with early-onset dementia, grappling with his own ghosts. All they have to do is trust each other.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt first glance, Paula thinks she's found her protector in sixty-four-year-old Joe Pendergast, a famous bouncer in Hampton Roads. Even though he is ancient by her standards - sixty-four years old and counting - he still packs a punch. He's more than a match for the traffickers who want to find her. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut then she learns Joe has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. She also discovers he was much more than a bouncer. He worked as an enforcer and collector for a local loan shark for more than forty years. He has been cut loose due to his dementia diagnosis, and now he's plotting to kill his old boss before the disease takes him.\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eFadeaway Joe\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSTRAND CRITICS AWARDS BEST DEBUT MYSTERY NOMINEE\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[This] debut catches fire . . . [For] those who read for intriguing characters.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“An antihero with a twist.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A poignant, bittersweet action thriller . . . An excellent example of Hampton Roads noir.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eGumshoe Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A deep look at the effects of dementia . . . \u003ci\u003eFadeaway Joe\u003c\/i\u003e introduces a new talent in Lessig.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSouth Florida Sun Sentinel\u003c\/i\u003e, Best Mysteries of 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A powerful and intense thriller with a vibrant heart.”\u003cbr\u003e—S.A. Cosby,\u003ci\u003e New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e Razorblade Tear\u003c\/i\u003es and\u003ci\u003e All the Sinners Bleed\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eFadeaway Joe\u003c\/i\u003e is the kind of noir I love: smart, tight, and just the right amount of gritty before giving way to the depths of human connection. The way Hugh builds the relationship between Joe and Paula is excellent, and by the end you'll be hoping this isn't the last we see of them together.”\u003cbr\u003e—Rob Hart, award-nominated author of \u003ci\u003eThe Warehouse\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Though Joe Pendergrast is living with the early stages of dementia and will someday lose his memory, \u003ci\u003eFadeaway Joe \u003c\/i\u003ewill stick with readers long after they read its last page. What Hugh Lessig has accomplished within its pages is a triumph . . . Don’t cheat yourself by skipping out on this one. I can’t forget it.” \u003cbr\u003e—Mark Westmoreland, author of \u003ci\u003eA Violent Gospel\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A sucker punch to the gut, a story that demands your attention and propels you through unexpected twists to a thrilling conclusion. It’s not to be missed!”\u003cbr\u003e—Michael Bracken, Anthony, Edgar, and Shamus award nominated author \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A well-crafted mix of murder, human trafficking, scams, betrayal, and surprising compassion. Told with a fresh voice and convincing characters, you’ll believe that revenge is not a dish best served cold, but rather, hot, and from a food truck.”\u003cbr\u003e—Gregory Galloway, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eJust Thieves\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“A twisty thrill ride that kept me turning pages, \u003ci\u003eFadeaway Joe\u003c\/i\u003e is not to be missed. The teaming of Joe and Paula is a fresh take on the classic, grizzled older man and spiky younger woman pairing—imagine \u003ci\u003eThe Last of Us\u003c\/i\u003e but a taut, gritty noir—and will have you rooting for them both by the end. I can't wait to see what Hugh Lessig writes next—his is a compelling new voice in crime fiction.” \u003cbr\u003e—Samantha Jayne Allen, author of \u003ci\u003ePay Dirt Road\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Man, I can’t tell you the last time I tore through a book like I did with \u003ci\u003eFadeaway Joe \u003c\/i\u003e. . .  Echoing the best work of Jim Thompson and Charles Willeford, Lessig filters it all through a voice entirely his own.” \u003cbr\u003e—Todd Robinson, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Hard Bounce\u003c\/i\u003e and creator of Thuglit\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“A lean, clever debut that has all the elements of a great crime novel . . . This novel will leave you stunned and wanting more.” \u003cbr\u003e—Scott Blackburn, author of \u003ci\u003eIt Dies with You\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eHugh Lessig\u003c\/b\u003e spent more than thirty years as an award-winning newspaper reporter, covering everything from city council meetings to the earthquake in Haiti. Along the way, he’s met people at the highs and lows of life and interviewed accused murderers and governors, welders and lawyers, and old men who fought our nation’s wars. Born in eastern Pennsylvania, he moved to Hampton Roads, Virginia, in 1997. His short stories have appeared in \u003ci\u003eThuglit, Shotgun Honey, Crime Factory \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Needle\u003c\/i\u003e. In addition, his work is featured in the following anthologies: \u003ci\u003eMickey Finn 21st Century Noir, Volumes I and II; Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties; \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eGuns \u0026amp; Tacos\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003ci\u003eFadeaway Joe \u003c\/i\u003eis his first novel.","brand":"Crooked Lane Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303833555173,"sku":"NP9781639104369","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781639104369.jpg?v=1767726628","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/fadeaway-joe-isbn-9781639104369","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}