Despite my best intentions, I found myself rooting for PI Noland Twice to succeed in Ash Clifton’s Twice the Trouble. The antihero is likable, although he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in order to make money and handle a case for his client. He’s an incurable romantic, who falls for every woman who crosses his path, but he’s doomed to be a loner, except for a few Russian friends.

Twice knows defense attorney Faith Carlton’s latest case is dirty. Her client, Frank Bisby, CEO of Selbrius Construction, is accused of embezzling all of the company’s offshore accounts, along with one of the other partners, Arthur Valkenburg. When Faith’s trial is granted an extension, Twice has fourteen days to find Valkenburg, who has disappeared. When Twice meets the other partners, he suspects all of them are crooked, but his job is to find Valkenburg, and the missing money. But, someone is always one step ahead of Twice. He finds a body in Valkenburg’s apartment, but it’s not the missing man. And, he calls on one of his Russian friends, the owner of a copier shop, to help him hide the body so he won’t lose time on his search. But, it’s only the first body Twice will stumble across.

Twice brings all of his past experiences, as a football player, a police officer, a convict, and now as a PI to his latest case. And, he’ll need all his skills and a couple friends as he runs down crooked businessmen, Brazilian gangsters, money launderers, and his own clients who seem to make a habit of disappearing. Did I mention that someone is always one step ahead of him?

If you’re interested in a PI who takes extraordinary measures, sometimes illegal, to get money back for a group of crooks, you might want to try Twice the Trouble.

Ash Clifton’s website is https://ashcliftonwriter.com/

Twice the Trouble by Ash Clifton. Crooked Lane Books, 2024. ISBN 9781639106974 (hardcover), 320p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley to review the book for a journal.