Pay or Play - (A Charlie Waldo Novel) by Howard Michael Gould

About the Book

Eco-obsessed ex-cop Charlie Waldo doesn't want to live in LA, and he doesn't want to work as PI. But to his dismay, when his PI girlfriend Lorena needs help with a client, he finds himself doing both. At least he's a fan of Judge Ida Mudge - but the controversial TV star is hiding something, and Waldo might not live long enough to find out what.

Book Synopsis

Blackmail, sexual harassment, murder . . . and a missing dog: eccentric, eco-obsessed LA private eye Charlie Waldo is on the case in this quirky, fast-paced mystery.

Paying a harsh self-imposed penance for a terrible misstep on a case, former LAPD superstar detective Charlie Waldo lives a life of punishing minimalism deep within the woods, making a near religion of his commitment to owning no more than One Hundred Things.

At least, he's trying to. His PI girlfriend Lorena keeps drawing him back to civilization - even though every time he compromises on his principles, something goes wrong.

And unfortunately for Waldo, all roads lead straight back to LA. When old adversary Don Q strongarms him into investigating the seemingly mundane death of a vagrant, Lorena agrees he can work under her PI license on one condition: he help with a high-maintenance celebrity client, wildly popular courtroom TV star Judge Ida Mudge, whose new mega-deal makes her a perfect target for blackmail.

Reopening the coldest of cases, a decades-old fraternity death, Waldo begins to wonder if the judge is, in fact, a murderer - and if he'll stay alive long enough to find out.

Pay or Play is the third in the Charlie Waldo series, following Last Looks and Below the Line. Last Looks was turned into a major motion picture, starring Charlie Hunnam as the offbeat private investigator.

Review Quotes

A fast-paced and funny treat for anyone who loves the movies-- "Booklist on Last Looks"

Charlie Waldo could do well on the big screen - he does very well here-- "Library Journal on Last Looks"

Charlie Waldo is one of the most eccentric and compelling heroes to appear on the literary scene in - well, forever-- "William Kent Krueger, Edgar Award-winning author of Ordinary Grace"

Fans of quirky PIs will find a lot to like-- "Publishers Weekly on Below the Line"

Gripping, smart and funny-- "HARLAN COBEN, #1 New York Times bestselling author, on Last Looks"

Seasoned TV writer Gould's off-beat second novel all but assures his series has legs-- "Kirkus Reviews on Below the Line"

The plot is good and the protagonist is even better. It's fast, funny, and well worth a sequel-- "Kirkus Reviews Starred Review of Last Looks"

About the Author

Howard Michael Gould began his career on Madison Avenue before moving to Los Angeles, where he's had a long career as a screenwriter, playwright and showrunner of a number of network television series.