Hard Exit:

by Bruce Leonard

Jack Drake shares a Malibu beach mansion with a gorgeous movie star but hates his life. The depressed private eye can't shake the death of his wife and can't end his toxic relationship with Hollywood heartthrob Amanda Bigelow.


But an at-risk sixteen-year-old who is injured in an inner-city shooting gets Jack unstuck. As a favor to a friend, Jack sequesters Game in the mansion, keeping him safe.

Their worldviews differ, but they draw from their histories of loss and grief while investigating the shooting and three seemingly unrelated murders, tying Game's world in downtrodden Oakville to Jack's in idyllic Malibu.

Fans of wisecracking investigators such as Spenser, Kinsey Milhone, and Stephanie Plum will cheer for Jack Drake, a man in love with two women—one of them dead.

“This is a smart, edgy, state-of-the-art L.A. noir with heart. Jack Drake is a private eye with grit, a few demons and a semi-glamorous life on the beach in Malibu. This series is a terrific addition to the modern hard-boiled genre.”
—New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2024

About the author

Hello, Readers,

An Amazon reviewer wrote the following about Quilt City Murders, the first Hadley Carroll Mystery, named Best Mystery of 2022 by the National Indie Excellence Awards:

“I love a good mystery, and this is definitely one. The characters are believable. The dialogue is clever. The setting is perfectly described. The world of quilting is flawlessly portrayed from quilters' quirky ways to brilliant descriptions of fiber art. The plot is well woven and keeps the reader guessing. The author’s use of English Language was very entertaining for a Grammar Nerd like me. It left me wanting more.”

An appreciative fan of the Hadley Carroll Mystery series wrote:

“Thank you for creating a world that feels this alive and characters who feel like real people. Hadley isn’t just solving crimes. She’s healing, growing, and pulling all of us along with her. I don’t say this lightly: your work matters. And it’s clear your heart is in every word.”

Quilt City Murders is a thoughtful, character-driven cozy mystery featuring an intelligent, emotionally complex heroine, rich community ties, found family, and a story that delivers warmth, grief, humor, and justice.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

Cozies with depth and real-world stakes that feature a strong sense of place and a found family

Strong, witty female protagonists who lead with empathy and intelligence

Small-town mysteries in which relationships matter more than clues

Across the series, Hadley navigates grief, anxiety, complicated family bonds, civic responsibility, and an evolving relationship with Detective Brandon Green. The mysteries unfold against the backdrop of real-world challenges, but violence is minimal, relationships are treated with care, and emotional truth matters as much as clues. Many readers have said the the humor in the series is its most-memorable element.

And then there are the countless jokes and dozens of delicious recipes inside of Quilt City Cookbook, narrated by Hadley at her funniest and most vulnerable.

Multiple award-winning Hard Exit is the most personal of the seven novels I've written. It takes place in Malibu and south Los Angeles and is narrated by grieving private eye Jack Drake, who lives in a Malibu beach mansion with movie star Amanda Bigelow.

Unlike the Hadley novels, Hard Exit isn't a cozy mystery. It contains cursing, a sex scene, and some violence. However, fists don't fly every twenty pages, and Jack doesn't subdue half a dozen armed foes with his wits and a handful of wet pork rinds.

I think Hard Exit—a love story wrapped in a murder mystery, and vice versa—will appeal to a broader readership than the Hadley novels. I hope you enjoy it.

The audiobooks of the first five Hadley novels are available now, as is the audiobook of Hard Exit. The audiobook of Quilt City: Payment Declined, the sixth Hadley Carroll Mystery, will be available soon-ish.

All of my books are available through my website, https://bruceleonardwriter.com
and the usual channels.

Please follow my author page at: https://www.amazon.com/author/brucele...

Thank you tremendously for your support.

All the best,

Bruce

Reviews

[Alexander Blevens]

Hard Exit is a gritty, propulsive crime novel set in the underbelly of Los Angeles. Bruce Leonard introduces Jack Drake, a private investigator with sharp wit, a keen eye, and a weakness for drop-dead gorgeous alcoholic women. When Drake finds himself caught in a gang war and tangled in a drug syndicate, he also becomes the reluctant protector of a young Black teenager. The dialogue crackles, the pacing never falters, and the emotional stakes run high. Leonard delivers a cinematic slice of California noir—raw, riveting, and morally charged.

[Jane C Garmon]

Very good read by Bruce Leonard. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. The book held my interest, all the characters were interestering. I enjoyed learning their connection and history with Jack Drake. Looking forward to more of Jack's story and love story with Jen.

[Jeannie Weller]

I love Bruce’s books!

I started with the Hadley Carrol quilting mysteries and actually forgot that this was by the same author. It was totally different and a really great read! Keep’em coming, Bruce!

[Debra Stockton]

always ties up neatly

This is a book with lots of gang references and Southern California items. Leonard is a good writer - may need to get out of the hard boiled detective mold. I found Hadley more likable.

[Kathryn]

Bruce Leonard is a master when it comes to intricate plotting and inventing interesting, believable characters. Jack Drake is a tortured soul but it was Game who captured my heart. I can hardly wait to spend time with them again.