Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Vern Smith's books

74 ratings | 39 reviews | avg rating:4.64

Vern Smith’s Followers (43)

Vern’s Bookshelves

to-read (3)
currently-reading (1)
read (71)
did-not-finish (0)

Vern’s Friends (24)

Jon Zelazny

549 books | 302 friends

Judy

5,404 books | 28 friends

Sheri

3,914 books | 1,176 friends

Tracy P.

21,081 books | 1,453 friends

Mary

151 books | 4 friends

188 books | 8 friends

568 books | 23 friends

TK421

14,793 books | 661 friends

More friends…

Vern Smith

Goodreads Author

Twitter

@realVernonSmith

Genre

Crime, Fiction, Thriller

Member Since

January 2019

edit data

Vern Smith's Scratching the Flint was named Best Indie Novel of 2023 by Crime Fiction Lover. He is also author of the novels Under the Table and The Green Ghetto, as well as the new novella, Waiting for LeClerc. His novelette, The Gimmick—a finalist for Canada’s highest crime-writing honor, the Arthur Ellis Award—is the title track to his second collection of fiction.

Winner of the Chinaski Award as editor of the Jacked crime fiction anthology, Smith co-edited Romy Lives, which won three medals at the 2026 Global Ebook Awards, including Gold for Best Short Story Anthology.

Additionally, his short stories have appeared in the anthologies Burning Ambitions, Concrete Forest: The New Fiction of Urban Canada, Corporate Catharsis, Hard Boiled Lov ...more

Combine Editions
Vern Smith’s books

Average rating: 4.61 · 183 ratings · 85 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	Scratching the Flint 4.73 avg rating — 44 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Under the Table 4.47 avg rating — 34 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jacked: An Anthology of Crime Fiction by Vern Smith (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Philip Moscovitch (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Christine Boyer (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.83 avg rating — 30 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Green Ghetto 4.41 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2019 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gimmick: Novelettes, stories, and sketches 4.91 avg rating — 11 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Corporate Catharsis by Steven Radecki (Goodreads Author), Kimberley Wall, L.A. Jacob (Goodreads Author) 4.64 avg rating — 11 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Waiting for LeClerc 4.86 avg rating — 7 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Romy Lives by A.B. Patterson (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Vern Smith (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Philip Moscovitch (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.83 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Glue for breakfast and other stories 3.57 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1996	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	YOU NEED SOMETHING TO SLOW YOU DOWN it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Vern Smith…

Vern is Currently Reading

Vern Smith rated a book it was amazing

Harry Kenmare, PI - At Your Service

by A.B. Patterson (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Vern Smith said: " If you crossed the ghosts of Charles Bukowski and Mickey Spillane (who disliked each other), then turned the conflicted bastard offspring on its head before shipping it to the land down under to slaughter contemporary sacred cows, the end result woul If you crossed the ghosts of Charles Bukowski and Mickey Spillane (who disliked each other), then turned the conflicted bastard offspring on its head before shipping it to the land down under to slaughter contemporary sacred cows, the end result would be A.B. Patterson’s Harry Kenmare, PI At Your Service.

While I was initially the least bit skeptical of the reviewer who deemed Patterson “the bad boy of Australian crime fiction,” I must admit to catching myself blush at least once during every one of these seven compelling cases. For, whether Kenmare is chasing a dirty cop selling confiscated drugs or a cabinet minister’s daughter who’s run off to be a stripper, he’s also being actively social in ways that are sure to trigger the hand wringers early and often. Like, I don’t recall James Bond engaging in anal sex, and the PC cops have been after him for years. So I’d be utterly fascinated to see what would happen if this book ended up in the wrong hands.

And yes, aside from solving cases along the way that cry to be solved, there is always a point, not the least of which are the uncomfortable truths bubbling to the top of these fearless stories, each of which is a refreshing gem. I’d prefer to expand on a few a few juicy examples, such as the time our detective and his gay counterpart save a woman from an arranged marriage, but I do worry about setting off Const. A.I. Flatfoot. Suffice it to say that Kenmare’s world of fake puritans, corruption, fast talkers, cheap thrills, addiction, and institutional failure is in fact our world. Said failure is on full display when the daughter of a Triad boss is kidnapped and Kenmare, for all his flaws, is called in to deal with the situation instead of the local constabulary. It’s almost as if no one can trust the cops. And roughly, that’s where our societies are at today, something else that speaks to the relevancy of this collection.

Fact is, I didn’t think we could make books like this anymore – books that shine a critical light on all aspects of society a la Chester Himes – which is why it’s so important to continue making books like this. Great stories, one and all. Full marks. I’ll be seeking out the Harry Kenmare novels next.

Other Notes: I rarely mention a book’s aesthetic details in review, but this one is singular in that I do adore the extra efforts around design and bonus content. In addition to J.T. Lindroos’ terrific cover and dark interior art by Ran Scott, I hold a special affinity for the glossary of Aussie colloquialisms in the back. While I largely didn’t need it to get through the stories (I think I had to look up one word, goanna, an Australian lizard, often large), the glossary gives this book another gear as a future reference guide, something that will come in handy when dealing with friends who recently fled North America for Harry’s half-world. At least I can tell them who to call when the locals get rowdy. ...more "

Oct 19, 2026 12:33PM · see review

rss
Vern’s Recent Updates

Vern Smith rated a book it was amazing Grunt and Groan: The New Fiction Anthology of Work and Sex by Matthew Firth	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 19, 2026 12:37PM · like
Vern Smith rated a book it was amazing Harry Kenmare, PI - At Your Service by A.B. Patterson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
If you crossed the ghosts of Charles Bukowski and Mickey Spillane (who disliked each other), then turned the conflicted bastard offspring on its head before shipping it to the land down under to slaughter contemporary sacred cows, the end result woul ...more
Oct 19, 2026 12:34PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Harry Kenmare, PI - At Your Service by A.B. Patterson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Harry Kenmare, PI - At Your Service by A.B. Patterson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Vern Smith rated a book it was amazing Iced: The New Noir Anthology of Cold, Hard Fiction by Kerry J. Schooley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 14, 2026 09:41AM · like
Vern Smith liked Ankur Kumar's review of Waiting for LeClerc: "It was a great pleasure to chat with Vern Smith, about the process and creation of this fabulous novella. Fans will be delighted to hear more from the author himself, in our conversation on The Anks Kumar Podcast: https://youtu.be/voK5n-EsuM8?si=MIE3" Read more of this review »
Oct 14, 2026 09:35AM · see review
Vern Smith liked Violet's review of Waiting for LeClerc: "If the cast of Lethal Weapon crashed My Dinner with Andre, you’d have Waiting for LeClerc. Priceless dialogue, complex characters, spiraling psychological violence, and a twist Toronto’s finest couldn’t anticipate. "
Oct 14, 2026 09:35AM · see review
Vern Smith liked VukkS's review of Waiting for LeClerc: "I get that Waiting for LeClerc might be the end of the Alex and Cecil books. But Why? Smith is being cagey. He won't even confirm that this is it for his "two-tone detectives". Please just say it ain't so already. I want to know more about the crooks" Read more of this review »
Oct 14, 2026 09:35AM · see review
Vern Smith is now following Willow's reviews
Oct 14, 2026 09:07AM · like
Vern Smith rated a book really liked it Street Poison: The Biography of Iceberg Slim by Justin Gifford	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 27, 2026 12:41PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Street Poison by Justin Gifford. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Street Poison by Justin Gifford <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Vern Smith rated a book it was amazing Fear of Dreaming: The Selected Poems by Jim Carroll	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I give Fear of Dreaming a 5 based on "Curtis's Charm" alone. ...more
May 27, 2026 12:39PM · like · see review
Vern Smith rated a book it was amazing Rushes by John Rechy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 24, 2026 07:56AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Rushes by John Rechy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Rushes by John Rechy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Vern's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Aussie Lovers of...: Currently Reading/Just Finished 2022	1667	135	Dec 31, 2022 04:12AM
Aussie Lovers of...: Annual Crime Challenge 2022 - A-Z Titles	190	78	Jan 07, 2023 08:27PM
Pulp Fiction: Just finished - and a few thoughts	673	256	Aug 06, 2024 03:00AM
Indie Crime Fiction: Indie reading	226	77	Mar 17, 2025 05:00AM

More…

Vern’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.

Vern Smith’s Followers (43)

Add NewVideos

Vern’s Bookshelves

Vern’s Friends (24)

Vern Smith

Goodreads Author

Combine EditionsVern Smith’s books

Vern is Currently Reading

rssVern’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Harry Kenmare, PI - At Your Service by A.B. Patterson

See a Problem?

Preview — Street Poison by Justin Gifford

See a Problem?

Preview — Rushes by John Rechy

Topics Mentioning This Author

Vern’s Friend Comments

Add New
Videos

Combine Editions
Vern Smith’s books

rss
Vern’s Recent Updates