I thought it might be fun to give you guys little introductions to some of the characters you’ll encounter in the Hazzardous Pay books.  We’ll start today with the hero of our story, Eddie Hazzard.

Eddie is too damn clever for his own good.  He’ll be the first one to tell you that, too.  He sounds far more educated than he actually is; he likes using big words and proper grammar and punctuation.  This might be the real reason he drinks constantly: grammar.  Not a dark and mysterious past that will be slowly unspooled over the course of several novels.  That would be boring.

Eddie is half-Cherokee, half-European mutt.  He doesn’t know much of anything about his father, except that the man didn’t hang around after getting Eddie’s mom pregnant.  Eddie’s pretty philosophical about his family, though the philosophy is mostly, “Dear sweet Jesus, keep me away from all of them, they’re crazy.”

Physically, Eddie is about 6’1″, broad-shouldered, and in his mid- to late-30s.  Eddie got his mother’s complexion and hair, though he doesn’t seem to take very good care of personal hygiene.  “Unkempt” is the word that springs readily to mind when you see Eddie.  He’s starting to get soft around the middle – too many liquid lunches, and breakfasts, and dinners – and he’s a habitual smoker, despite the fact that almost the entire city of Arcadia has outlawed tobacco products.  He’s still fairly athletic, though he’s prone to serious coughing fits and a short wind when it comes to endurance tasks.  He likes to dress like a walking anachronism: gray suit, tie always loosened and the top button of his shirt undone, and a battered, stained old trench coat over it all.  He also wears a fedora, because sometimes narrative conventions are stronger than fashion sense.

Like so many pulp heroes before him, Eddie’s strength isn’t that he’s the strongest, or the smartest, or the fastest.  About the only thing he really has going for him is that he’s a determined guy, beneath the apathetic facade, and a loyal friend and ally.  He can also take punishment, soaking up pain and damage and still getting back on his feet.

If you peel away all the layers, you’re left with a guy who wants to see justice happen, even if it means bending a few rules.  Especially if he can get a decent paycheck out of it.

Featured image is the original character sketch of Eddie Hazzard by Adam Askins.