Created by by Ash Clifton
A former University of Florida football star, an ex-cop and an ex-con (for a crime he didn’t commit, and for which he was later exonerated —just like Rockford), NOLAND “NOLE” TWICE is now an amiable Central Florida private investigator. He views the cheesy, sleazy Orlando-Tampa corridor as his hunting ground; a place where he can track down just about anyone. Now if he could just convince enough paying clients to believe him…
Lately, that hasn’t been happening, and he has two pit bulls, Quick and Silver at home in Orange County that need feeding, a mortgage that’s due, a dad in prison to visit, and a mom with a recent hip replacement (which he paid for).
In his Edgar– and Shamus-nominated debut, Twice the Trouble (2024), Twice gets hired by a local defense attorney to hunt down a local executive, Arthur Valkenburg, a partner in a construction business who has suddenly gone missing… along with a few million dollars. Nole is joined by Kiril, an old football “buddy” and current copy shop owner, and they aren’t on the case long before they discover Valkenburg’s corpse… with some sort of weird numbers scribbled on his arm.
And the hunt is on.
The numbers turn out to be a set of GPS coordinates which lead to a construction site, where they dig up a box buried in the dirt, which contains a handwritten journal. And a human head.
But hey, eventually another body turns up. This one without a head.
It’s that kind of book, with one burst of action slamming into another, while the lies and secrets (and various body parts) keep piling up, the stakes rising with each new discovery, and the plot zigging and zagging merrily along. And leading it all is Twice, a flawed but affable detective more than willing to cut a few corners, or hide a body or two, to help out a client.
A solid debut; one that both I and Kirkus Reviews hope is the start of a series.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ash Clifton was raised in Gainesville, Florida, where he attended the university and got a B.A. in English. He then earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. His short fiction has appeared in The Missouri Review, The Massachusetts Review, Cutthroat, and StepAway Magazine. He lives in Gainesville with his wife, son, and a chocolate labrador.
UNDER OATH
- “Nole, who’s clearly learned his business and sexual ethics from a close study of hard-boiled fiction, is a keeper. Will a series follow? Let’s hope so.”
— Kirkus Reviews - “Clifton writes with clarity and excellent pacing. There are a few plot holes and some required suspension of disbelief, but overall Twice the Trouble was a fun and exciting read.
— George Easter (Deadly Pleasures) - “Twice is a rough-but-lovable lead, neither too squeaky-clean nor too nasty to root for, and Clifton takes the central mystery in surprising and satisfying directions. Fans of Michael Kortya’s Lincoln Perry series will be eager to spend more time with this memorable sleuth. ”
— Publishers Weekly
NOVELS
- Twice the Trouble (2024) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
- Freshly Squeezed
Florida Eyes
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
