Smith Henderson Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Smith Henderson is a published author of fiction.

Henderson was born in Montana, where he grew up. He first started off his career with the publication of his first novel, Fourth of July Creek, in 2014. It would be recognized by the New York Times as a notable book in 2014. It also won the John Creasy Dagger Award for 2015 as well as a 2014 Montana Book Award. The novel made it to the finalist status level for the USA Award for Fiction for Pen Center in 2015, and was a finalist for the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize from the Center for Fiction, the James Tait Black Prize, the Ken Kesey Award, and a Jesse H. Jones Award from the Texas Institute of Letters for the best work of fiction. It was acknowledged on the long lists for the Folio Prize, International DUBLIN Literary Award, and First Novelist Award from VCU Cabel.

The author has also received the PEN Emerging Writer Award of 2011 for fiction. Smith also served as a Phillip Roth Resident at Bucknell University in creative writing in 2011. He has written full novels as well as short stories. His story “Number Stations” received a Pushcart Prize. It also became a finalist with honors for the Keene Prize from the University of Texas (he had served there as a Michener Center for Writing Fellow). He has also had his fiction published in places such as Tin House, One Story, American Short Fiction, Best American Short Stories, New Orleans Review, Witness, and Makeout Creek.

Henderson has worked many jobs and has been employed at an advertising agency (Wieden Kennedy). There he was part of the Halftime in America commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, which was nominated for an Emmy. He also has written screen plays. He was the co-author of the 2010 film Dance with the One, which he wrote along with Jon Marc Smith. Directed by Mike Dolan, the film would be a finalist for the South by Southwest Narrative Prize in 2010. Henderson also was a writer on staff for the 2017 AMC television show “The Son”. Treehouse Pictures also selected “Olympia”, one of Henderson’s short stories, for development.

He resides in Portland, Oregon after having lived much of his life in Montana.

Fourth of July Creek is a compelling fictional novel from Smith Henderson. It has been named to best books of the year lists put out by publications and places such as Book Riot, Kansas City Star, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, and Powell’s Book Store.

In this debut novel, Henderson goes into the topics of community, freedom, suspicion, grace, and anarchy and the complexities that come with them. This is a depiction of some of the most strong contradictions that the United States has.

Pete Snow is a social worker. He’s attempting to help an 11 year old boy named Benjamin Pearl. The boy has been living in the wilderness of Montana and he’s not only malnourished, he’s practically feral. He hasn’t been civilized in any way at all. Pete also meets up with Jeremiah, the father of the boy. It becomes clear that Jeremiah is deeply disturbed.

Pete remains patient and takes the proper cautions, slowly being able to get some trust from a survivalist with paranoia that is looking forward to the final conflict that’ll show everyone that the End Times are coming. Pete’s family is slowly moving further into the center of chaos, and as they lose control, Ben’s activities end up getting the attention of the FBI.

Things are now set into motion and Pete’s part of a huge manhunt that has started. Can any of them get through this without being burned? Read this incredible first novel from Smith Henderson all the way to the end to find out what happens!

Make Them Cry is the second novel to come out from author Smith Henderson. Published in 2020, this is an enticing action thriller that will have readers flipping the pages quickly to find out what happens next!

When a DEA agent somehow gets involved in a turf war located at the border of Mexico and the United States, she doesn’t have to be told twice that she’s in danger.

Meet main character Diane Harbaugh. She’s a tough woman and it would take a lot for her to flinch. She used to be a prosecutor where she had built a reputation around aggressive tactics. Everyone knew that she was a competent professional and not to be messed with. She’s since moved on to work as an agent for the DEA.

Her job is to interrogate witnesses, and she’s good at it. She’s so effective that often when they confess, it’s done through tears. Then she is contacted by a man named Gustavo. He’s high up in the cartel and claims that he has a secret regarding the black market. She’s totally taken aback but decides that she’s going to go and meet up with him in Mexico. But in the process of doing so, she may find everything that she knows about duty– and justice– questioned.

When Diane meets up with Gustavo, he sends her on a chase and down the type of special rabbit hole that ends up taking her to a conspiracy. The criminal conspiracy goes deeper and works into more corners and seams than the DEA or Diane herself would have ever thought. She decides to work with Ian Carver. Carver’s a CIA agent that’s gotten a bit jaded.

As Diane goes through many old schemes and deceptions, the pair find out that they’re being targeted. They’re the main focus of bitter spies, assassins from the cartel, and perhaps even the government they work for. Things are picking up, and Diane and Ian know that they’re in harm’s way. Now they’ve become the center of a manhunt. The consequences of how the international manhunt turns out could change the world forever.

The only way to solve this thing is for Diane to act. The only problem is that she made a promise to herself that she would never do the thing that is now so necessary. What will she choose? How will the story end? Read this book to find out!