The Hard Stuff

Written by David Gordon

Narrated by Richard Poe

Ex-black-ops-specialist-turned-strip-club-bouncer Joe Brody has a new qualifica-tion to add to his resume: an alliance of New York City's mob bosses has deemed him its "sheriff." In the straight world, when you "see something" you "say something" to the law. In the bent world, they call Joe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980048008

David Gordon

David Gordon was born in New York City. He attended Sarah Lawrence College and holds an MA in English and Comparative Literature and an MFA in Writing, both from Columbia University, and has worked in film, fashion, publishing, and pornography. His first novel, The Serialist, won the VCU/Cabell First Novel Award and was a finalist for an Edgar Award. His work has also appeared in The Paris Review, Purple, and Fence among other publications.

Reviews for The Hard Stuff

[Wilco van Sminia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good action, James Bond style. Colorful and with clever plot.

[datrappert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First, let me say the audiobook version is read perfectly by Richard Poe.This book has almost too much plot! Survivalist gun nuts. Terrorists. Every mob in New York (Italian, Irish, Black, Russian, Chinese, and a few others). A strip club. White rappers. FBI. CIA. NYPD. A diamond heist. $4,000,000 worth of heroin. Shootouts. Torture. A Mother. A Grandmother. An ex-husband. And of course, Joe the Bouncer, who either attracts trouble or has himself thrust into the middle of it by his longtime friend, Mafia boss Gio Caprese. The result is a lot of tension that puts the reader or listener almost in pain as we wait to see how Joe and his accomplices can get out of their latest jam. Along the way, we realize we are rooting for a bunch of outlaws--but as they are ultimately fighting yet another terrorist threat on their beloved New York City, and because these characters are made so interesting by the author, we just put aside our moral judgments and enjoy the ride. And given the presence of criminals at the highest levels of American politics and business, and almost 80 million Americans whose votes indicate they don't care, maybe we might as well admire a bunch of outsiders who are at least good at their jobs.If you haven't read the first book in the series, The Bouncer, you should do so first, because it introduces most of the characters in this book, and they are worth knowing better. This one has a satisfying conclusion, but sets the stage for the next installment in the series. I can't wait.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“If you felt the law was not there for you, then you might not be all that inclined to obey it. The rules of the game become meaningless when you realize the game is rigged.”This book picks up right after the first one, with Joe the Bouncer tying up a loose end from the gun heist debacle. (Chapter 1 pretty much summarizes the first book, if you haven’t read it).The diamond heist is brilliant! The costumes, ambulance, and baby - just brilliant! And the whole book is another fun ride with Joe and his crew trying to outwit the authorities, and stay alive at the same time! I'm hoping there is another Joe the Bouncer book in the making!Great ending too, with Joe and Gio on a boat - "So the two friends sat in silence, floating on the surface of the ocean, watching the first specks of dawn begin to gather, like motes on the far rim of the world. Meanwhile, in the water around them, the sharks were closing in."