Side Hustle

This novel is the first book in A.J. Lape's pulse-pounding and hilarious Darcy Walker Investigations series--where Darcy leaves the Midwest for the bright lights and bustling action of Los Angeles, California. Crimes are darker, people are more colorful, but one thing remains the same—Darcy Walker solves crime one way: living life like a verb.



Darcy Walker excels at lies, deception, and outthinking the bad guys. She has the résumé to prove it. While waiting to attend the police academy, she takes her talents into pizza delivery. Little does she know, life as a delivery driver isn’t all pizza and wings.


On a late-night run to a customer’s home, Darcy’s delivery turns deadly. She stumbles into a murder mystery straight out of a Hollywood script—a blood-soaked crime scene with no known witnesses except a suspicious man with a Mona Lisa smile. To compound the trifecta, the victim appears to have a past he’s been trying to outrun. Uncovering his secret-filled life leads Darcy and some new friends on a high-voltage journey, intersecting with a former adversary.


When shadows of this old enemy surface, Darcy realizes black and white are an absolute as sure as the sun’s rotation. One wrong move could keep her from the academy, and one screw up could mean a friend of hers breathes his last breath. In Side Hustle, solving crime takes a backseat to the moral dilemma she’s placed in: protect her dream or keep a friend alive.



Readers call the Darcy Walker Series Stephanie Plum meets Veronica Mars meets Pretty Little Liars.



NOTE: formerly released as Side Hustle, Season 1 in an episode/serial format.