Les Standiford is the author of ten novels, including the John Deal series, and two works of nonfiction, including Last Train to Paradise. He wrote a chapter of Naked Came the Manatee, and edited The Putt at the End of the World, a collective novel of golf. He is the past recipient of the Frank O'Connor Award for Short Fiction and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship.
Standiford builds a tight narrative with credibly flawed characters and a powerful sense of place. -- Publishers Weekly ...the author handles deftly the scenes in which Deal and the First Lady are alone together, offered with a tenderness uncharacteristic of the genre.-- Library Journal A very good Deal indeed. Deal has never been more engaging, braver, more resourceful, or more becomingly modest about it all.-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Gritty, action-packed.-- Chicago Tribune Superbly done. -- San Francisco Chronicle