Fiddle Game (Herman Jackson Series Book 1)

Herman Jackson fled Detroit for St. Paul, where he now works as a bail bondsman after his former career as a bookie became too dangerous. He maintains a low profile, offering second chances to those in need while remaining cautious about his criminal past. When a young woman named Amy Cox leaves a priceless antique violin as security for her brother's bail bond, Jackson becomes entangled in what appears to be an elaborate con. Amy is then murdered in front of his office, and the police name Jackson as their prime suspect—unless he surrenders the violin as evidence. Unable to afford suspicion given his background, yet unwilling to submit to extortion, Jackson flees to investigate Amy's murder himself. Pursued by both a legitimate and a corrupt police officer, a band of urban Gypsies, and an unknown killer, Jackson must navigate a dangerous web of threats. The violin, said to carry a 400-year-old curse, becomes increasingly central to the unfolding mystery.