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Start giftingAs her passionately devoted fans know, Elizabeth Hand is a uniquely gifted storyteller. Readers were introduced to her iconoclastic crime novels, featuring offbeat photographer Cass Neary, in the underground classic Generation Loss, which was followed by the brilliant Available Dark.
In Hard Light, the third book in the series, Cass makes a remarkable discovery that could change our understanding of human historyāif she lives long enough to share it.
As the story opens, Cass arrives in London where sheās arranged to meet her long-lost lover, Quinn OāBoyle. When Quinn fails to show at their rendezvous point, Cass meets the eccentric couple Mallo and Morven Dunfries. When Mallo catches Cass rifling his medicine cabinet in search of drugs, he threatens to turn her in to the authorities, then puts her to work as a runner for his illegal goods.
Cass makes a delivery to Poppy Teasel, a famous singer from long ago. Cass leaves Poppyās flat but returns a short time later to find the place ransacked and Poppy dead. Fearful sheāll become the next victim, Cass goes on the run.
Elizabeth HandĀ is the author of more than nineteen cross-genre novels and collections of short fiction. Her work has received the Shirley Jackson Award three times, the World Fantasy Award four times, and the Nebula Award twice, as well as the James M. Tiptree Jr. and Mythopoeic Society awards.
Carol Monda is an Earphones Awardāwinning narrator and accomplished voice-over artist. She is also an award-winning actor known for her work in Out of Season, After You Left, and The Gentlemen.
Reviews
āIn Hard Light, Hand has created another fascinating puzzleāand another instant classic.ā
āThereās intelligence and style [and] Cassā voice, as deep as a dungeon and as dark as a grave, is addictive.ā
āPart of [this novelās] power derives from the sheer exuberant strangeness of Handās storytellingā¦The spooky finale of Hard Light leads readers deep into a macabre murder sceneācourtesy of Edgar Allan Poeāthat holds clues to the beginning of the art of photography itself. Itās a bravura ending that both lays some questions to rest and exhumes even more.ā
āThe imagery is dark and intense, pushing readers to the edge of their comfort level, and itās not for the faint of heart. Despite Cassā drug and alcohol addictions, she has a brilliant mind, and her immense knowledge of art history catches readers by surpriseā¦Fans will be longing for the next installment of this dangerous and warped story.ā
āThis great adventure story starring a troubled but intriguing protagonist will please Cass fans, those who like their kick-ass heroines north of 22, and readers who fancy a walk on the wild side.ā
āCass conveys an expertās knowledge of the 1970s East Village punk scene, Iron Age rituals, Paleolithic icons, and the intricacies of photography and film noirā¦Gripping.ā
ā[A] gripping urban suspense novelā¦One of the strengths of Handās mystery is her incredible rendering of the dark side of Londonā¦The other great strength is Cass herselfā¦[who] still maintains a sense of compassion that elevates the mystery and increases its resonance.ā
āElizabeth Hand writes like an angel, and Carol Monda has a beautiful cello-like voice, used with impressive skill hereā¦Mondaās supple performance finds the emotional truth in every scene and makes you feel it.
āHard Light is noir at itās very bestā¦This novel will haunt your dreams.ā
āAn addictive novel that brings the sordid glories of the seventiesā arts scene into the hard light of today.ā
āLike the chilling female characters of Tana French or Gillian Flynn, Elizabeth Handās smart Cassandra Neary will freeze your blood and set your imagination ablaze. I dare you to close your eyes on Hard Light. "
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