Dry Heat

A Novel

Fiction - Literary
346 Pages
Reviewed on 12/23/2021
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Len Joy’s 4th novel, DRY HEAT was published by BQB Publishing in April 2022. New York Times bestselling author Nickolas Butler described it as “…a page-turner with heart. A tale of star-cross lovers and best-laid plans run amok, this smoothly novel is full of friendship, family, and redemption.” It is a Book Excellence and Literary Titan Award Winner.

Len Joy’s 3rd novel, EVERYONE DIES FAMOUS was published by BQB in August 2020. KIRKUS described it as a “…a striking depiction of small-town America at the dawn of the 21st century.”

Joy’s first novel, AMERICAN PAST TIME was published in 2014. KIRKUS praised it as a “darkly nostalgic study of an American family through good times and bad, engagingly set against major events from the ‘50s to the ‘70s as issues of race simmer in the background…expertly written and well-crafted.”

His second novel, BETTER DAYS (2018) was described by FOREWORD Reviews as “a bighearted, wry, and tender novel that focuses on love and loyalty.” KIRKUS called it “a character-rich skillfully plotted Midwestern drama.”

AMERICAN PAST TIME and BETTER DAYS were the 2019 Readers’ Favorite gold and silver medal award winners for Fiction – Sports.

Len is an All-American triathlete and competes internationally representing the United States as part of TEAM USA.
He lives with his wife, Suzanne, in Evanston, Illinois.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jennifer Ibiam for Readers' Favorite

Joey Blade was the football star of Shadow Mountain High School. He had a bright future with tons of scholarships awaiting him. However, the night of Joey’s eighteenth birthday, which also ushered in the new millennium, signaled the beginning of his nightmares. After his ex-friend, Mallory, told him she was pregnant, an incident occurred at the bonfire night. To escape the police, Joey and his girlfriend, Wendy, took off with Darville and TJ. The trio threw Joey under the bus and he faced a long time in jail. But Joey could skip jail with a clean slate if he betrayed Chico, the boss of Vatos Locos drug gang. Would he take this chance to move on with his charmed life? Find out in Dry Heat by Len Joy.

Dry Heat by Len Joy was a fantastic page-turner that captivated me from the beginning until the end. It was fast-paced, action-packed, and contained a truckload of applicable life lessons. The storyline was realistic, and it had a unique plot. I also applaud the superb character development, dialogue, and stylish writing. This story taught me to be wary of the company I kept while surrounding myself with true comrades. I saw deception, betrayal, loyalty, selflessness, and protection. Lua, Dutch, Mallory, and Chico were my favorite characters. Joey stressed me with the way he became a problem magnet, but I loved his honesty, resilience, and consistency. Len is a gifted storyteller, and I’d love to read more of his works.