"We were sitting in a coffee shop talking, looking at the view of downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. This was ten years ago, and we had both been off alcohol for more than a decade. We were disagree-ing about the best way to stay sober when my mother said, 'I think we should write a book about alcoholism.'
"I sat back. 'We?'
"'Both of us. Two points of view.'" --from the Foreword
Double Double is a unique, dual memoir of alcoholism, a disease that affects nearly 45 million Americans each year. People who suffer from alcoholism as well as their families and friends know that while it is possible to get sober, there is no one "right" way to do this.
Now, award-winning mystery writer Martha Grimes and her son, Ken Grimes, offer two points of view on their struggles with alcoholism. In alternating chapters, they share their stories--stories of drinking, recovery, relapse, friendship, travel, work, success, and failure.
For Martha, it was about drinking martinis at home, sometimes with friends, sometimes alone. For Ken, it was partying in bars and clubs. Each hit bottom. Martha spent time doing outpatient reha-bilitation, once in 1990 and again two years later. Ken began twelve-step recovery. This candid memoir describes how different both the disease and the recovery can look in two different people--even two people who are mother and son.
Double Double is an intensely personal and illuminating book, filled with insights, humor, a little self-deprecation, and a lot of self-evaluation. Anyone who has faced alcoholism will identify with parts of this book. All readers will find these pages revealing, moving, and compelling.

Brian Pennie shouldn't be alive today. His drug addiction was so bad that he was deemed too much of a risk for detox. Determined to confront his demons, he went cold turkey at home. Discovered in a pool of blood, it didn't exactly go to plan, but that's where his life truly began. On 8 October 2013, he was finally clean after 15 years of chronic heroin addiction, and something extraordinary happened: the world suddenly became beautiful. Free of the anxiety and fear that had always plagued him, Brian was given a second chance at life, and he devoured every minute of it. Bit by bit he rebuilt his world and began to share what he learned with others. In this incredibly honest and inspirational book, Brian shares the story of how he turned a seemingly hopeless existence into a rich and rewarding life, showing that change is always possible, no matter how stuck we feel. 'The first book in 5 years I haven't been able to put down' - Jennifer Zamparelli, 2FM. 'It's a hopeful tale' - Oliver Callan, The Ryan Tubridy Show, RTE Radio 1. 'We really enjoyed the book, Brian is a tremendous writer. It's going to be a really important book for a lot of people.' - Dermot and Dave, Today FM 'Brian's book provides hope that lives can be turned around.' - The Mail on Sunday 'Brian Pennie's memoir tells the story of addiction, recovery and redemption' - Patrick Freyne, The Irish Times