Readers often say that they are tired of the same old cliched hero. They say they yearn for something different, something fresh. They don’t want their heroes to be white knights in shining armor or cookie cutter heroes that one could plug into any [insert genre here] novel. The anti-hero is a response to this, but the typical anti-hero has become a cliche unto itself. Where can a reader turn?

Well, they can turn to Hiram Grange for starters. Hiram is a greasy haired opium addict with a Jodie Foster obsession, a fondness for absinthe and all sorts of tasty decadence. He’s also often the only hope the world has of retaining normalcy and balance. This guy is an anti-hero for the ages.

Hiram Grange and the Village of the Damned, from Jake Burrows and Shroud Publishing, is fast, funny (albeit darkly funny), and well worth the cover price. I don’t want to give anything away concerning the plot. Okay, you’ve twisted my arm enough. Garden gnomes. That’s your keyword phrase. But that’s all I’m telling.

Oh, and this is only Hiram’s first adventure. Shroud has several more Hiram titles coming out soon! I can’t wait.

Buy a copy . . . actually, buy a few copies and give them out as gifts. Get the word out on one of the most interesting characters you will ever meet. And be thankful that the world he inhabits is fictional.

Hiram Grange and the Village of the Damned