Wind Sprints — Ralph Dennis

The long-lost, never-before-published, autobiographical first novel by Ralph Dennis, author of the legendary Hardman series.In the late 1960s, a balding, over-weight, heavy-drinking writer struggles to find his place in the literary/academic worlds of Yale and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, while desperately trying to figure out why all of his relationships with women, romantically and otherwise, seem doomed from the start.The book includes introductions by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg and by Ralph's close friend Ben Jones, the Dukes of Hazzard actor and former U.S. Congressman from Georgia.Praise for Wind SprintsIt's written, if not with self-loathing, a certain disdain. It's not a flattering portrait of the narrator. Sure, it's an uncomfortable read, but it's also a poignant one. What is clear, though, is Dennis' voice, his noirist temperment, and signs of the style that made his later novels crime classics. Discovering this novel and bringing it to the public was clearly a labor of love and it's truly to be applauded. Dennis never got his due in his lifetime but damn, what a writer. CrimeTimeUK FMPraise for Ralph DennisHis prose was muscular, swift and highly readable. Like Chandler and Hammett before him, Dennis was trying to do something different with what was thought of as throwaway literature. Joe R. LansdaleHis strong prose and well-paced storytelling place him alongside the likes of George V. Higgins and Ross MacDonald. Publishers WeeklyRalph Dennis is an underappreciated master. His Hardman series is one of the finest in the P.I. genre. Robert Randisi, founder of the Private Eye Writers of AmericaConsidering the excellent prose and Chandler-esque dialogue, it's surprising that Dennis never found acclaim. Tight plotting and a hero resembling Philip Marlowe. Kirkus Reviews