Borrowed Trouble

Hollywood, 1941 Ray Ward spends his nights thinking about his brother's death and the blood-soaked days that followed. Dean Fokoli is off the force, disgraced by his dirty dealings, left to scrape for pennies as a private eye. When Ray receives a mysterious package from his sister containing a plea for help and a reel of 8mm film, there's a problem - Ray doesn't have a sister. Now two former enemies must team up, travel halfway across the country to search the dark shadow of Hollywood's spotlight. In for more than they bargained for, Ray and Fokoli plunge behind the silver screen to unearth tinsel town's dirty secrets. And two men with nothing left to lose can stir up some serious trouble. "Meticulous historical detail slams you into the hard boiled world of Ray Ward and Dean Fokoli as they use hard fists and cold steel to knock the shiny off Hollywood's glitter. Borrowed Trouble is like a talented fighter - powerful, quick, and hard to put down." Rebecca Cantrell, NYT best selling author of the Hannah Vogel mysteries "For a knockout punch of hardboiled, look no further than Borrowed Trouble, sequel to the period noir One Too Many Blows To The Head. You'll want to go the distance with Ray Ward, a tough-luck protagonist who knows how to hit where it counts!" Kelli Stanley, author of City of Dragons and City of Secrets "Everyone has a short list of books that stayed with them long after they turned the last page-add Borrowed Trouble to mine. Eric Beetner and J.B. Kohl have vividly re-created 1941 Los Angeles, ripping apart the city's glamorous façade to reveal the cold noir heart beneath. With sharp writing, head-spinning twists, and pair of protagonists haunted by memory and loss, this is pulp fiction at its finest." Hilary Davidson, author of The Damage Done and Blood Always Tells "Borrowed Trouble is the hard hitting sequel to Kohl & Beetner's noir knockout debut One Too Many Blows To The Head. It grabs you by the lapels from the first page and drags you out of the murky corners of Kansas City's underbelly and into a glittering Hollywood where the bright lights cast sordid and sinister shadows." Paul D. Brazill, crimewriter, The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime "An intriguing tale of two outsiders thrust unwillingly into the dark side of 1941 Hollywood. A seamless collaboration, rich with explosive dialogue and scenes so vivid, Kohl and Beetner takes the reader on a compelling journey. Rich with prose that packs a powerful punch, Borrowed Trouble is not to be missed." Deborah J Ledford, author of Staccato and Snare "It's 1941 and noir's hot new duo, Kohl and Beetner, return with another sure-fire winner. Borrowed Trouble is a relentlessly tough and lean novel, packed full with memorable characters. United by their troubled pasts, the unlikely pairing of PI Dean Fokoli and troubled boxing promoter, Ray Ward, head from Kansas City to Hollywood to untangle a dark tale of greed and exploitation, but ultimately one which offers them both a shot at personal redemption. They don't write them like this anymore. Jump onboard now." Nick Quantrill, author of Broken Dreams and The Late Greats