Gulliver Dowd is a little person in a world of hurt. After his sister, an NYPD policewoman, is murdered, he becomes a licensed PI. Dowd is shocked to discover that his mysterious new client is Nina, his high-school girlfriend and the one true love of his life. But the real surprise is yet to come. Nina hires Gulliver to find her runaway daughter, convincing him to take the case only when she confesses that the missing girl is Dowd's daughter too, the product of their high-school romance.
When he takes the case, Dowd must travel from an exclusive girls' academy to a Mafia don's mansion to seek the answer to his newfound daughter's disappearance. But all is not what it seems. What is the real surprise awaiting Gulliver Dowd?

Called a "hard-boiled poet" by NPR's Maureen Corrigan and "the noir poet laureate" in the Huffington Post, Reed Farrel Coleman has published fifteen novels. He is a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year and is a two-time Edgar Award nominee. He is an adjunct instructor of English at Hofstra University and lives with his family on Long Island. For more information, visit www.reedcoleman.com.

Reed Farrel Coleman's profile page

"A little man with a huge heart and a huge chip on his shoulder, Gulliver Dowd swaggers into the crime fiction world and takes his place with the great investigators. Smart, vulnerable, wounded, heartbreakingly hopeful, I just adore his company. This is a staggering achievement. Bravo!"

Louise Penny, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Gulliver is sarcastic, calloused, and tenacious, but beneath the façade, he is a sympathetic tragic hero with a secret heart of gold. Veteran crime-fiction author Coleman proves adept at writing for adult reluctant readers without sacrificing his signature hard-boiled style. A fine addition to the Rapid Reads series."

Booklist

"Perfect for mature reluctant readers, ESL learners, or anyone who enjoys a good story."

VOYA

"A good read...Recommended."

CM Magazine

"I read this one in one sitting, and not just because...it is designed for fast and easy reading. I just loved the characters, the story and the writing style too much to put it down...Fast-paced work, great for reluctant readers and just the stuff we need to get more PI fans! Looking forward to the second Dowd novel and hoping there will be many more!"

Sons of Spade blog