Hallmarks of the Job re-issue!

I recently re-released my novella Hallmarks of the Job as a standalone story.

What is Hallmarks of the Job about? Well…

Meticulous private investigator Stanley Melvin likes to keep his work grounded in reality, not at all like the classic detective novels he has read incessantly since childhood. But his best friend and annoying neighbor Rudy quickly points out that his routine “cheater” case is rapidly taking on all of the features that Stanley steadfastly insists are mere fictional tropes of the genre.

Stanley isn’t too sure how he feels about this. But as a professional, he forges ahead, despite getting out of his comfort zone. He knows he has to solve this case even if it is taking on all of the hallmarks of the job.

Previously, this story was part of a PI Tales double feature, along with Michael Bracken’s Aloha Boys. (Incidentally, Aloha Boys was a Derringer Finalist that year, and Hallmarks of the Job won an award at the 2022 PSWA conference… so there’s some value there in buying that double feature version).

The cover for this standalone version was created by Zach McCain, who I think did a wonderful job… as usual.

There will be more Stanley Melvin PI Stories in 2023: Shades of the Job is #2, and On the Job is #3. After that, we shall see… But the plan is for Zach to do all of those covers, too.

Readers should enjoy this amusing mystery and its upcoming installments. Available in Kindle and paperback.

Source: All The Madness In My Soul