Charlie Henry Books

Charlie Henry is the proud new owner of the Three Balls pawnshop, having recently returned Stateside from special-ops work in Iraq. The transition back to normal life seems to be going smoothly for him and his Army buddy and co-owner of the shop, Gordon Sweeney―until Gina, Charlie's childhood friend, gets shot in a transaction for information from the previous owner of Three Balls. Gordon rushes to help Gina as she bleeds on the sidewalk, while Charlie roars off on a chase to catch the shooter. The shooter gets away, and as they dig deeper, they find that the shooting has to do with Howard Baza, the previous owner of the pawnshop, and his rather questionable morals. The Albuquerque Police Department reluctantly lets the two ex-soldiers lend a hand with the investigation. Along the way they get tangled up in gang rivalries and led astray by false identities. They discover that nothing is what it seems, and almost no one is who they appear to be. In The Pawnbroker by Aimee and David Thurlo, Charlie and Gordon must use their skills to track down the killer and find out what happened―and why.

Charlie Henry, former Special Forces operative and newly minted pawnbroker, thinks that he's finally turned a corner and the calm, quiet life he's always wanted is just ahead. But life never really works out that way. A young Navajo man comes into Charlie's shop, FOB Pawn, claiming that his girlfriend mistakenly pawned a beautiful family heirloom, a turquoise necklace that she desperately needs back. When he's unable to produce any proof of this tale, Charlie is immediately suspicious and sticks by the golden pawnbroker rule: No claim ticket, no exchange. Then the young man returns with reinforcements―and guns―making it abundantly clear that there's more to this story than a family treasure. This necklace quickly becomes the focus of a case where everyone lies, and every question seems to answer with gunfire. With the help of his semi-estranged brother, Alfred, a tribal cop working undercover, Charlie quickly finds out that the pendant was the work of a Navajo silversmith who was recently murdered. And, in an act so taboo in Navajo culture as to be unthinkable, his grave dug up and this piece of jewelry removed. With multiple parties vying to get their hands on the necklace―for what ill-gotten gains, no one knows―it's up to Charlie and his comrades-in-arms to help find out who's really telling the truth, and uncover the mysteries that this heirloom holds.

Charlie Henry and his friends are enjoying a cookout on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. But when a gunshot rings out in the neighborhood, Charlie is abruptly brought back to a world he's all too familiar with. As he and best friend Gordon run to the source of the shot, they happen upon two masked intruders in their next-door neighbor's house. The men seem to be there to kidnap Sam Randall, the owner of the home, but upon the interruption from Charlie and Gordon, they abandon their mark and get away in a waiting van outside. Detective DuPree has been investigating a string of similar home invasions in the area, but this one seems out of the ordinary. Sam Randall hires Charlie and Gordon to investigate the crime, not trusting the police to keep him and his wife safe. Detective Dupree warns Charlie and Gordon not to overstep their bounds in police business, but he needs all the help he can get. The investigation reveals Ray Geiger, son of retired NYPD cop Frank Geiger, as the prime suspect. As the simple home invasion case continues to turn into something more, it is up to Charlie and Gordon to protect the Randall's and themselves as they attempt to uncover the truth.

Charlie Henry, co-owner of a pawnshop and Iraq war veteran, has, for the most part, settled into his somewhat quieter life in Albuquerque. He is invited to attend the dedication of a memorial in a park, where he, other local heroes, and first responders are to be honored for their military accomplishments and dedication to the community. But trouble always seems to follow Charlie. When gunshots ring out, barely missing Charlie and hitting the man next to him, it’s clear that a dangerous madman is on the loose. More shots are fired, and two more veterans are injured. Charlie thinks he might have been the target and looks around for the shooter. The crowd is in a panic, and he’s unable to spot the gunman. Charlie tries to help the man who took the first hits, Nathan Whitaker, a decorated former Army helicopter pilot who has been badly wounded. No one is dead, at least not yet. But Charlie vows to find the evil person who would attack American heroes―he refuses to go down without a fight and knows that the perpetrator will soon learn that he has messed with the wrong man.