Fun and Games (Charlie Hardie #1) [Paperback]

Duane Swierczynski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 2011 | Series: Charlie Hardie #1

The first of three explosive pulp thrillers arriving back-to-back from cult crime fiction sensation and Marvel Comics scribe Duane Swierczynski.

Charlie Hardie, an ex-cop still reeling from the revenge killing of his former partner's entire family, fears one thing above all else: that he'll suffer the same fate.

Languishing in self-imposed exile, Hardie has become a glorified house sitter. His latest gig comes replete with an illegally squatting B-movie actress who rants about hit men who specialize in making deaths look like accidents. Unfortunately, it's the real deal. Hardie finds himself squared off against a small army of the most lethal men in the world: The Accident People.

It's nothing personal-the girl just happens to be the next name on their list. For Hardie, though, it's intensely personal. He's not about to let more innocent people die. Not on his watch.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Duane Swierczynski is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the book world. Sure, he starts with established archetypes and classic story lines. But he makes them new and making them new makes them fun. This guy is a great storyteller. I never know what he is going to come up with or where he is going to take me. I just know I won't be complaining about a thing once I get there." (Michael Connelly )

"Insanely entertaining." (Josh Bazell, author of the New York Times bestseller Beat the Reaper )

"So bloody satisfying." (Booklist )

"Breathless action. So much fun to read-on the couch or on the run." (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review )

"Brilliant ... one hell of a roller coaster read. Mr. Swierczynski writes like Elmore Leonard on adrenaline and speed." (New York Journal of Books )

"With Fun & Games, Swierczynski has pushed his style to its farthest extreme yet, and from the looks of things, the rest of the trilogy is going to go even further; he has the chops pull it off like the perfect heist." (Los Angeles Review of Books )

"Swierczynski steps on the gas early in this pulse-pounding contemporary thriller and doesn't let up . . . an unforgettable climax . . . the sequel's appearance won't be too soon for many readers." (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

"A load of high octane taught action. Readers who like their action fast, brutal, and smart, as well as fans of the Die Hard franchise, will be eagerly awaiting the next installment." (Library Journal )

"More exciting than whatever you're reading right now, this is Duane's breakout novel." (Ed Brubaker, Harvey- and Eisner-Award-winning author of Criminal and Incognito )

"A white-hot nuclear explosion." (Joe R. Lansdale, Edgar Award-winning author of The Bottoms, Leather Maiden, and the Hap and Leonard series )

"Cool, suspenseful, tragic, and funny as hell, Fun and Games is Duane Swierczynski's best yet. I haven't had this much fun reading in a long time." (Sara Gran, author of Dope and Come Closer )

"An audacious, propulsive thrill ride that kidnapped me on page one and didn't look back." (Brian Azzarello, Harvey- and Eisner-Award-winning author of 100 Bullets and Loveless )

About the Author

Duane Swierczynski is the author of several crime thrillers and also writes the X-Men spinoff CABLE for Marvel Comics and IMMORTAL IRON FIST. His latest novels include EXPIRATION DATE; LEVEL 26, cowritten with CSI creator Anthony E. Zuicker; and SEVERANCE PACKAGE, which has been optioned by Lionsgate films. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Mulholland Books; 1 edition (June 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316133280
• ISBN-13: 978-0316133289
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #308,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Duane Swierczynski is the author of several crime thrillers, including the Edgar-nominated and Anthony Award-winning Expiration Date, as well the Charlie Hardie series (Fun & Games, Hell & Gone, Point & Shoot), which has been nominated for Anthony, Shamus, Macavity and Barry awards and optioned for TV. He currently writes Birds of Prey for DC Comics, Godzilla and the forthcoming Judge Dredd for IDW Comics, Bloodshot for Valiant Comics, and has written about the Punisher, Cable, the Immortal Iron Fist, Werewolf By Night, Black Widow and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Duane has also collaborated with CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker on a series of bestselling "digi-novel" thrillers which include Level 26: Dark Origins, Dark Prophecy and Dark Revelations. In a previous life, he worked as an editor and writer for Details, Men's Health and Philadelphia magazines, and was the editor-in-chief of the Philadelphia City Paper. He lives in Philly. You can say "yo" to him at www.secretdead.com or twitter.com/swierczy.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A shot of pure adrenaline and the evolution of modern pulp June 12, 2011

By Michael King

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Pulp/noir sometimes has a tendency to become an oppressively dark read. Duane's novels have always had a great balance of fun and action to balance this out, and Fun & Games is no exception. This novel seems to be almost playful at times, yet still maintains an ominous tone that leads to moments of intense literary tension. I sat down to read a chapter and ended up reading though the entire night. So far this has quickly become my favorite novel of the year, and I anxiously look forward to the next two books in the series!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced and Back to Form July 16, 2011

By Cory Fossum

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Gotta admit that "Expiration Date" took me a long time to get through - though the payoff was great - but I charged through Fun and Games like there was no tomorrow. This is Swierczynski at his best. Relentless action. Non-stop adrenaline rush. And characters you care about, even if they are mostly despicable. I made the mistake of thinking the next book in the series was already available when I finished this one. Imagine how bummed I am to find out now that I have to wait until October! No doubt it'll be worth it though. Do yourself a favor. Grab this book, set aside a night or two, buckle your seatbelt, and enjoy the ride.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Well-written mayhem if you can ignore the ridiculous premise August 7, 2011

By Thomas Johnson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Swierczynski has become one of my favorite authors, but this novel is not one of my favorites. Excellent characters...snappy dialog...nonstop action...what more could you want? A believable main premise for one. Although I was entertained throughout the book, I couldn't stop thinking about how ridiculous the main premise was. It really detracted from my full enjoyment of the story. To better explain, I must divulge this key issue: **WARNING - SPOILER ALERT** The central theme in this story is that some huge clandestine group initiates 'murder-by-accident' contracts through its organization of wayward movie directors, actors, etc. who script the accidental deaths of problem celebrities and then proceed to actually stage the scripts to their fatal conclusions. The large group of both highly-regarded and young promising filmmakers willing and able to easily commit murder I found totally unbelievable. If you can swallow that central premise, you're home free!