Damaged Goods

2021 SHAMUS AWARD NOMINEE,

This Marine veteran may have survived combat, but will she survive this case?

Unlicensed private eye and Marine veteran Erica Jensen works as a "researcher", who performs background checks, conducts surveillance, and takes on other dubious assignments, while battling post-traumatic stress and an opioid addiction. However, when a wealthy man hires her to find his missing daughter, Erica ends up with more work than she bargained for.

While trying to find the daughter, Erica stumbles across a murder victim, along with evidence that raises even more questions. Did the missing daughter know the victim? Could the dead man have been connected with an artifacts smuggling ring? Where does a threatening letter written in a Cyrillic script fit? As Erica continues to probe, she attracts the attention of people willing to kill to keep their secrets.

A FEW KIND WORDS ABOUT THE BOOK

"Best private eye novel I've read in ages. Pitch perfect pace and plot with a well-drawn protagonist."
— M. Ruth Myers, Shamus Award winning author of the Maggie Sullivan mystery series

"Marine veteran turned unlicensed PI Erica Jensen is a flawed and intriguing heroine in this meticulous mystery. Charlie Fox would work alongside her any day!"
— Zoë Sharp, author of BAD TURN

"A gritty, stunning portrayal of the impact and response to post traumatic stress, packaged inside a compelling mystery."
— Frank Zafiro, author of the CHARLIE-316 series

"Erica Jensen is the tough PTSD-suffering Marine veteran and unlicensed PI in author Debbi Mack's new series (apart from her Sam McRae books). In Damaged Goods, an apt metaphor, Erica seeks a missing person but stumbles onto antiquities smugglers—or worse. Offering up sleek prose and adopting the world-weary detective's First Person style to great effect, Mack keeps the action rolling along while fleshing out a keeper of a protagonist. Excellent read for neo-noir and private eye fans!"
— W.D. Gagliani, author of THE JUDAS HIT and the Nick Lupo Series