Let’s face it. PI Andy Hayes is sometimes a little late in stumbling across the answers when he investigates. In fact, Hayes is actually a little late in coming to self-awareness and his own lack of knowledge about the life of his latest client. In Rescue Me, Andrew Welsh-Huggins’ novella featuring the former Ohio State quarterback turned PI, Andy admits he only knows what’s going on in Tim Watkins’ life because of news stories that portray the “Slurs, outrage, and violence being heaped on Columbus’s LGBTQ community”.
Otto Mulligan, a friend and bail bondsman, often throws cases Andy’s way. This time, Mulligan’s cousin, Tim Watkins, is in trouble. Nights and weekends, he performs as a drag queen. Now, he thinks he has a stalker. Tim is scared, but he doesn’t relish spending a great deal of time with Andy and his Neanderthal opinions. Andy acknowledges his “under-developed knowledge about the drag world and my embarrassing reluctance to explore it.” However, he’s Tim’s best bet for protection, and for discovery of who is behind the stalking incidents. Although it gets worse when Andy and Tim are trapped in an alley by two people one night, and a drag queen saves them.
As Andy Hayes bumbles his way through the case, forced to apologize to his client and a cop, one of his sources finds an unlikely connection to a bigger conspiracy. Andy finds himself in the middle of a plot that, unfortunately, is timely and quite possible, nowadays.
Welsh-Huggins’ Andy Hayes novels feature a character with a messed up past who is trying to do what’s right. He’s aware of his own lack of knowledge in this current case, and he does try to make up for it. Rescue Me, with it’s coverage of drag story hours, attacks on gay victims, and political upheaval, is not just a PI novel. Like some of the best crime fiction, it’s topical social commentary.
And, on a personal note, if you’re familiar with Columbus, Ohio, it’s fun to pick up on the locations Welsh-Huggins uses in this latest book.
Andrew Welsh-Huggins’ website is https://www.andrewwelshhuggins.com/
Rescue Me by Andrew Welsh-Huggins. Swallow Press, 2026. 104p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received an ARC from the publicist with no expectation of a positive review.
