He came to New York to write murder mysteries. He didn't expect to keep stumbling into real ones.

Timothy Trousdale came to New York to become a rich and famous bestselling author. Instead, he keeps tripping over murdered bodies, in this sharp, humorous cozy mystery.

Fresh out of community college and broke, Timothy is convinced success is just one lucky break away. What he finds is a punishing parade of humiliating temp jobs—until a miracle occurs. SwellHire Top Temps places him in a paid internship at the Adele Cummings Foundation for the Arts, a glittering charity where millions flow freely and no one hears how pretentious they sound.

Then a rising cabaret singer destined for stardom turns up murdered after a successful nightclub performance. The police are satisfied with a tidy explanation. Timothy—who has read far too many mystery novels—is not.

As the aspiring novelist and reluctant amateur sleuth starts asking inconvenient questions, he discovers the Foundation is built on polished secrets and the strategic disappearance of anyone who makes things awkward. When anonymous threats begin lighting up his phone, it becomes clear that caring too much in a world of money and philanthropy galas may be the most dangerous job he's ever had.

But Timothy Trousdale—perennial outsider and amateur detective—is not about to ignore a murder.