Charles Willeford's (1919-1988) varied life included stints riding the rails in the midst of the Great Depression, serving as a tank commander in World War II, and working as a professional horse trainer, boxer, radio announcer, and painter. The author of twenty novels, he created the Miami detective series featuring Hoke Moseley, which includes Miami Blues, Sideswipe, The Way We Die Now, and New Hope for the Dead.