PI PROBLEMS In the sun-baked swamps of the Florida Gulf Coast, a missing private eye is just the tip of a multi-million-dollar cartel conspiracy.
Danny "Gumbo" Malone is a Gulf Coast private investigator who prefers cold rye whiskey, quiet marinas, and avoiding the local syndicates. But when his partner and mentor, Uncle Artie, vanishes without a trace-leaving behind his lucky vintage Hawaiian shirt and an unmade bed-Gumbo's laid-back world is violently upended. The only clue is a bizarre deep-web bounty and a phantom client calling himself "The Artie Collector."
To find his missing partner, Gumbo must navigate the neon-lit, humid underbelly of Bradenton and Sarasota. His search drags him directly into the crosshairs of Leo Cortez, a ruthless cartel kingpin running a massive offshore sports betting empire, and Hector Rivas, a peppermint-chewing mob enforcer who solves corporate leaks with a .500 Magnum.
But the deadliest threat hides behind a serene smile and acoustic soundproofing. Dexter Sterling, a sociopathic life coach and fake spiritual guru, is operating a high-tech skimming grift against the mob. Using his brainwashed cult members to place rigged micro-bets, Dexter is draining the cartel's crypto-wallets-and Artie Malone figured it out.
Now, with a dead neighbor dumped in the Everglades and a target painted on his own back, Gumbo has to outgun a cartel hitman, outsmart a con artist, and dismantle a digital betting syndicate before time runs out.
Packed with punchy dialogue, relentless action, and eccentric characters, PI PROBLEMS is a gripping hardboiled mystery perfect for fans of Elmore Leonard and John D. MacDonald.
