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Kidd is a series of novels by John Sandford, which is the pseudonym for John Roswell Camp, the Pulitzer award-winning journalist turned novelist. The first novel in the series was “The Fool’s Run”, which was first published in 1989 to much popularity among fans of the author’s works.
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Order of Kidd & LuEllen Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fool's Run | 1989 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Empress File | 1991 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Devil's Code | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Hanged Man's Song | 2003 | Description / Buy |
Kidd the lead character in the series is an expert computer whiz/scam artist/ Travis McGee type of character, whose ethics are among some of the most flexible. He is a master hacker and cracker, and for the right price, he can solve virtually anyone’s problems. He is also an academic with a Ph.D. in software design, a master of fine arts in painting, and a bachelor in electrical engineering. But he is not all brains as he also has skills in karate and served in Strategic Operations in Vietnam in addition to experience on old school breaking and entering.
The first novel in the series is a suspenseful novel with an ingenious twist that takes the reader into the mind of two reprobate con artists planning the perfect con job. Kidd is the leader of the team and is an artist, computer whiz, and professional criminal assisted by his lover LuEllen, an equally adept criminal mind. The two play the game of high stakes high corporate warfare with ease taking out targets they are hired to take out and collecting their pay. They stand to earn millions if they can sabotage the business of a business rival to a defense industry corporation, which has retained their services for that purpose.
What follows is the hacking job of the century that is as dangerous as it is exciting. Their plan works to perfection until it does not and the two find themselves on the short end of the stick, where one false move could see them end up with a life sentence. It is an excellent novel that showcases the excellent story telling skills of the Pulitzer award-winning Camp.
BEST KIDD BOOKS
Fool’s Run: The first novel in the series is one of its most popular. Similar to the author’s Davenport novels, it is more of a techno thriller rather than a crime novel with remarkable dialogues between the characters. The character Kidd is also a throwback to Davenport with his disregard for the rules, wide range of skills, and several eclectic hobbies. The novel is overall an engaging thriller that would be a riveting read for anyone that is a fan of Sandford novels.
The Hanged Man’s Song: This is a great novel in the Kidd series with one of the most electrifying of plots. When Bobby Kidd’s friend goes missing online, Kidd knows something must be wrong and heads to his house where he finds him dead – his laptop missing and his head smashed in. The secrets on the dead man’s computer are enough to convict Kidd and everyone else that used to hang out with Bobby. LuEllen and Kidd need to find the killer fast and track down the laptop before its contents are used against them. Moreover, Kidd would love to get revenge on the man that killed his best friend. But before they can even start tracking down the man, he starts releasing the secrets held in the laptop. Suddenly, the stakes become that much higher and scarier not only for Bobby friends, but for a lot many other innocent people.
The Empress File: The second novel in the series takes a different direction to the first, as Kidd heads to the rugged south for a political war, rather than his usual corporate espionage. The novel is a great read with its southern small town settings and unique look at race relations that result in some thought-provoking subplots. It is a witty sequel to Fool’s Run that has all the amazing elements that made us fall in love with Kidd’s exceptional skills as a computer mercenary.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
Many of the Kidd series fans also love the “Elvis Cole” Series by Robert Crais. The novels are detective mysteries featuring two expert private detectives Elvis Cole and Joe Pike who know a lot about the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, California.
Kidd series fans also love the “Burnside Mystery” series of novels by David Chill. The lead character in the series is former college football player turned private detective, who has the uncanny knack to unravel baffling leads while dealing with a plethora of personal problems.
What Is The Next Book in The Kidd & Luellen Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Kidd & Luellen Series. The newest book is The Hanged Man's Song and was released on October, 31st 2003.
John Sandford is a hell of an author and the Kidd & LuEllen books are some of the breeziest reads he’s done. They are a bit old so I don’t know how the computer stuff holds up, but I really have no idea what they are talking about most of the time anyway lol.
I’ve seen some older readers complain about some of the tech stuff being too confusing, but I think they are just being dramatic. Sandford does a nice job of not letting it control the story even as Kidd saves the day with his computer skills.