JOSH BOLDT
I grew up in the South and have worked a range of jobs. I’ve stocked groceries, washed dishes, done construction and hard labor, waited tables, worked on horse farms, sold mattresses, planted trees, delivered pizzas and phone books, picked apples, tracked gypsy moths for an entomologist, umpired baseball, and been one of those guys who drops orange cones on the highway to close off lanes.Let’s just say I am a believer in the Jack London school of experiential learning, and I’m a lifelong seeker of new adventures. You better believe I learned more in all those jobs about how to write good characters than I could ever hope to glean in a classroom.Later, I earned a master’s degree in English and taught writing at the University of Georgia, during which time I wrote a few essays for The Chronicle of Higher Education that garnered national attention from The New York Times, Slate, Salon and others. I landed on the radio show Here & Now, and I was invited to give a keynote address at the Modern Language Association’s annual conference. That’s when I realized I might have a knack for the written word, so I decided to see what I could do.These days, I live in Lexington, Kentucky, where I write mystery, crime, and Southern Gothic fiction. My novels include Moneymaker, The False Favorite, and Slurry. I am the editor of Brown Hound Press, and I serve on the Board of Directors for the Lexington Writer’s Room.Learn more by listening to this episode of the Accents literary podcast from WUKY/NPR.
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MONEYMAKER
A Southern Crime Novel. Follow the Stash. Find the Money.
Mack Abbott is in Savannah to track a drug shipment for a mysterious employer—nothing fancy, just surveillance. But the job goes sideways fast. The smugglers are ruthless, the city’s crawling with secrets, and the one local he can turn to is Avery Calloway, a dancer with shaky loyalties and a taste for trouble. Mack knows better than to get involved. But he’s hooked—and the comedown’s gonna hurt.
THE FALSE FAVORITE
A classic mystery in the style of Chandler & Hammett with a modern twist…and Derby hats.
In this page-turning crime novel, wealthy horse owner Sterling Halcott is murdered just before the Kentucky Derby — and his widow, Harper, hires private investigator Cal Tyson to uncover the truth. But in the prestigious world of horse racing, uncovering deadly secrets could put them both in danger.
SLURRY
A Southern Crime Novel. Small Town. Big Coal. Missing Girl.
Caught up in the narcotics trade of rural Appalachia, nineteen-year-old Willa Taylor vanishes from her parents’ home in Eastern Kentucky. The region has fallen on hard times. A once booming coal industry is in decline. In its wake the drug business has taken over. Locals say narcotics are devastating Appalachia faster than strip mining ever could.When Lexington private detective Cal Tyson is hired to find the missing girl, he discovers a small mountain town cut off from the rest of society, suspicious of outsiders, and controlled by the influence of Big Coal.Can he find Willa before she falls victim to the regional powerbrokers and the vices they push?Amazon #1 Bestseller in Southern Fiction
Amazon #1 Bestseller in Private Investigator Mysteries
MEDIA
Moneymaker
The False Favorite
For questions regarding media appearances, book signings, speaking events, or review copies of Josh Boldt’s books, please contact [email protected].Downloadable Press Kit with bio and photos - Coming Soon.
