Stakeouts and Strollers

by Rob Phillips

Amateur private investigator and new dad Charlie Shaw gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to track down a young girl’s missing father in Rob Phillips’ award-winning debut.

Charlie Shaw is low on sleep. And cash. Otherwise, life is going pretty well for the ex-crime reporter: He’s happily married to his college sweetheart, he’s a first-time dad to the most adorable baby girl in existence, and he’s making ends meet as a rookie PI. But when Charlie meets Friday Finley, a frightened sixteen-year-old runaway on a stakeout-gone-wrong, his world gets a little more complicated.

Friday is looking for her estranged father Shawn, an unreliable alcoholic who left when she was young—and who also happens to be her only shot at avoiding the foster care system since her mother’s death a few weeks earlier. At first, Charlie believes the man is simply hiding out somewhere, avoiding his responsibilities as usual, but the more he investigates, the more unsettling—and dangerous—Shawn’s disappearance becomes. When his own family is threatened, Charlie realizes he’s in over his head, but can he back out now that he’s begun to care for Friday as his own?

A perfect blend of humor and high stakes, Stakeouts and Strollers is a heartwarming story of fatherhood, family, and what it really means to be a “Girl Dad.”

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Adult, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 17, 2026

About the author

Rob's debut novel, STAKEOUTS AND STROLLERS, won the Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Award. STAKEOUTS AND STROLLERS is now available for preorder (publication date 3/17/26).

Rob grew up in the Dallas area, where he became an Emmy-winning sportswriter covering the Dallas Cowboys for print, radio and television. Rob and his wife are proud parents to a spunky senior King Charles spaniel and a lively young daughter who’s still waiting for her first stakeout.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robphillips...

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Rob-P...#

Reviews

[elisa Gabrielle donahue · Rating 3 out of 5]

first Cozy with a male lead but w9nt be my last

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure if Stakeouts and Strollers is supposed to be funny, or just be a mystery that has a baby in it.

It is in fact a mystery that does in fact have a baby in it, though the baby has almost nothing to do with the mystery. If it was intended to be funny, then I really struggled to catch on to that. Perhaps because the book felt like it kept going off on tangents, despite almost everything tying into the mystery itself.

Charlie is a former reporter who is trying his hand at being a private investigator while being husband to a more decisive wife and father to Callie, his six month old precious wecious baby girl that can’t do a single itty bitty thing wrong because she’s just the most adorable creature in the world. We know this despite the fact that Charlie and Ryan hire Grace to sleep train Callie because Charlie is constantly gushing over her to the reader.

Beyond the fact that he’s father to a daughter, which makes him a sucker for Friday, who does actually have something to do with the mystery, Ryan and Callie have almost nothing to do with the main storyline of the book. It’s like Phillips put them in to show that a loving family man can be a successful crime solver, but then made them too much a part of the book.

As for the mystery, Charlie is observing an adulterous wife when he catches sight of a young girl, Friday, watching them too. Though we could have skipped the entire book if Charlie hadn’t have burned through his phone’s battery watching Callie through the baby monitor app on his phone during a stakeout.

Anyhoo, he does, so he crosses paths with Friday as she’s trying to find her father, who is nowhere close to winning a father of the year award and is mixed up with some bad folks from the seedy part of the Bay Area. Turns out he has taken things from them and they’re looking for him too. And there may be an even bigger player involved who connects back to the reason Charlie got involved in the first place.

Charlie, despite probably being pretty smart, seems to bumble his way towards finding Friday’s father and the various other players involved, while dragging in his boss, a friend in SFPD, and getting a lot of knocks and bumps along the way.

I really enjoyed Kat Ailes Expectant Detectives books, so I was hoping this would be similar, except with a dad instead of a mom. Instead I never got interested in the characters or the storyline, which felt awfully convoluted for the final reveal. This one didn’t do it for me.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Both Charlie and Ryan Shaw would appreciate a good night’s sleep, if only their six-month-old daughter, Callie, would cooperate. But the baby is teething . . . .

Ryan is a bit concerned to discover that Charlie, a newly-minted private investigator working for retired San Francisco Police Inspector Dwayne Powell, had taken Callie with him on his stakeout earlier in the day. “Surveillance,” he tells his wife.

And all goes well until his camera doesn’t work and he misses getting the pictorial evidence he needs for the case. But another attempt proves successful and Charlie continues his assignment [interspersed with thoughts of Callie].

And then, in a stakeout gone sideways, he meets Friday Finley.

=========

This quasi-cozy tale, presented with a heft dose of cute, funny, and charm, is an interesting blend of family dynamics, father-and-daughter relationships, and an intriguing mystery. Quirky, yet believable, characters, a captivating mystery, and a delightful glimpse into the world of fathers and daughters all work together to keep the pages turning in this not-quite-cozy mystery tale.

There is much to appreciate in this tale of fathers and daughters, of stakeouts and whodunits. Heartfelt, humorous, and entertaining, the story takes a few unexpected twists and turns as it heads toward a denouement readers are sure to find acceptable.

There’s only one disconnect here and it is the overuse of a particularly objectionable expletive that is likely to cause some cozy readers to choose to abandon the book.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#StakeoutsandStrollers #NetGalley

[Meagan O · Rating 3 out of 5]

A journalist turned private investigator goes all out after a cheating case leads to meeting a teenaged girl looking for her father. Being a new father to a daughter & having a deceased sister, Charlie gets suckered into looking for the missing father and quickly his cases collide & turn deadly.
S & S felt longer than necessary to me. Some of the at home banter & stakeouts with Charlie thinking about food & snacks could have been cut out. I realize this was in a way for the authors daughter & he wanted to portray Charlie as a good girl dad but it was too much & ended up annoying for me. Or maybe it just took too long to get my reading time in & that’s just how it felt as thought every time I picked up the book it was filled with fluff.

The book was still enjoyable & I haven’t looked into whether this will turn into a series or just a stand alone & another book with Charlie venturing into PI work could be fun especially if it was funnier. Charlie has a mouth in a way but it would play off better if he was funnier especially as his wife Ryan is boring.
I appreciate that this books stayed classy & that Charlie wasn’t gross around ladies.

Overall, the book is good, story & writing with the exception of the teenager Friday who doesn’t quite talk or seem like a young teenager. For one example: “It just rang off the hook” is said by the teen. I’ve never heard a teen say this let alone think they would know what it means. Friday also talks to similar in a fashion to Charlie-in a manner of a much older person.

This book I would recommend to cozy book readers

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different type of mystery. It’s a little more hard core than a regular cozy, but not as hard as James Patterson or Michael Connelly. Charlie is a brand new PI (thanks to a little fancy paperwork by his boss) who is obsessed with his new baby daughter, which leads to a dead battery on his phone and missing the money pictures of the cheating woman he’s supposed to be following. But when he meets a young (16 yr old) girl who seems to be in trouble while on his stakeout, he knows he has to help her. Unfortunately, helping her leads to all sorts of other problems, including threats to his own family and he can’t have that. The answer is to solve the problems, even when they become dangerous not just for him, but his boss, his cop friend, the girl…and his family.

I loved Charlie. He’s so incredibly inept when it comes to surveillance, which is a surprise since he used to be an award-winning crime reporter for the paper. He adores his family, and, by extension, the young girl. The settings are well-done and the reasons behind the bad guys being who they are twisted, but believable. And there’s a satisfying ending (with a dangling thread that lets us know there will be more).

Recommended.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the ending of this novel, I can assume that “Stakeouts and Strollers” is going to be the beginning of series starring our sleep deprived new parent protagonist, Charlie.

Charlie isn’t the best detective, but he does love his newborn daughter. And his heart is definitely in the right place when he tries to help out a teen looking for their father.

From the blurb, I had assumed this was going to be in the vein of early Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum novels minus all the relationship drama. It wasn’t that. Parts of it felt like dark noir. But it wasn’t that. And that was part of my problem with this book. It feels like there are a bunch of ideas the author has for how this series should look and it all got thrown into one novel in case the series isn’t allowed to go further.

The author shows a lot of skill in his writing and hopefully will fine tune the tone of the series in future books. This book is good enough to warrant sticking around just to see how the series, writing, and characters develop.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Carvanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting the cuteness and fun factor to be more tightly woven into the mystery. While I did enjoy the book, it didn’t quite hit all the notes I was hoping for. The premise was charming, and there were moments that absolutely worked for me, but the cozy elements and the investigation didn’t always feel as connected as they could have been.





That said, there was still a lot here I liked. The writing was easy to settle into and the tone was light. I appreciated the warmth around the family dynamic even if I wanted it to play a bigger role in the mystery itself. This isn’t a cozy in the traditional sense, and readers expecting full-on hijinks may feel that too, but it’s still an enjoyable enough read.

Single POV
Safe - not a romance although it is sweet between H and his wife
Triggers alcoholism - secondary character

[Lynn Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Investigative reporter Charlie Shaw has a new baby girl and a new job as a private investigator. While working on a case he connects with Friday Finley, a teenager looking for her missing father. Charlie agrees to help Finley, assuming her father is a dead-beat dad, but the more he searches, the more complicated and dangerous the case becomes to everyone taking part in the hunt.

Charlie is not a great PI, but his background as a reporter helps him untangle a very twisty story. Along the way we are introduced to his family, his no-nonsense boss, several other interesting characters (good guys and bad,) and of course, Finley. I thought the character development was strong, and that Phillips did a good job of tying the many elements of his story together.

This is a good fit for readers who like cozy mysteries with a bit of an edge. There is some violence, but most of it takes place off page. All in all, an entertaining debut. I would recommend.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Grace Simcox-Pigott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Stakeouts and Strollers!!

I really enjoyed this book as it was a cozy mystery but completely filled with action! There was never a dull moment during this book, and our main characters were all likable enough to root for the whole time! This book was very reminiscent to me of the Finlay Donovan Series, so if you like those books, I think you’d also like this book.

My only issue with this book (which isn’t really a big deal) was how unrealistically patient our main character’s wife and boss were with his shenanigans. Yes, Charlie (our main character) was doing everything he did for the right reasons, but if I were his boss or wife I’d definitely have some choice words for him, so I wish we got a little more into the conflict there or even just the relationship Charlie has with his family at home.

Overall, this was a great read and I’d highly recommend as a fun and cozy mystery!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Shaw was a investigative reporter now turned PI and new Dad. His world is about watching and waiting. His current case is about a philandering wife. However, after tailing the wife to meet up with the boyfriend, he encounters a teen named Friday Finley, and when those two worlds collide, his case turns into a whole lot more than a cheating spouse. Crooked cops, wanna-be gangsters, high ranking corporate players and Friday's missing day all roll together to create a mystery worth exploring.

The characters are well written, the reader can definitely see the adoration, love and tiredness between Charlie, his wife and their lovely baby girl. Add in a prickly teenager, an even pricklier boss and tried and true cop and you have the characters with actual character. It is a fun read, a good mystery and a lovely nod to what makes a family, well family. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press.

[Toni Decaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stakeouts and Strollers follow Charlie Shaw who is a new father. Charlie and his wife Ryan are struggling with getting their new baby to sleep through the night so they hire Grace to help take care of Callie so they can get a good night's sleep. Charlie is a new PI that used to be an investigative journalist. When he is working a case, he comes across Friday who is searching for her father. He decided he is going to help Friday find her father.

Overall, I would recommend this book. I enjoyed the characters in the book. Each one had a different personality that brought something to the story. I was wondering how everything was going to get tired together at the end, but Rob did a nice job, and it didn't feel like the ending was rushed or just throw together like some books. I enjoyed Charlie and how he viewed and approached the situations. I do hope there are more to come.
Thank you Netgalley and St. martin's Press for an ARC copy.

[Ali Bunke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie is a brand‑new PI and dad. Unfortunately, too many baby pictures ends up derailing his stakeout. When he crosses paths with Friday Finley, a sixteen‑year‑old who seems in need of help, he lands in something much bigger then the cheating case he was on. His attempt to protect her quickly turns into danger for his own family.
What I enjoyed most is how the book blends cozy‑mystery charm with a more layered plot. Charlie isn’t a polished investigator yet, but he’s determined, good‑hearted, and willing to take risks to do the right thing. The story threads which include corruption, family loyalty, danger, humor, come together smoothly.

The family elements add warmth, and the secondary characters, especially Friday, give Charlie real motivation. It’s a light, engaging mystery with heart, perfect for readers who want something detailed but not too intense.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

[Beth Gerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reviews complaining "not enough baby helping to solve the mystery" are really making me laugh. The main character is a new dad, not getting enough sleep, and his family is tangentially involved in the story. While the baby does not help to solve the mystery, her existence is certainly a large part of his life and emotional state, which I think is good enough. I found this well-written, fast-moving, and with enough twists and turns to keep me interested and engaged. The writing made you care about the characters' well-being and their final outcomes.

While cozy mysteries are one of my preferred genres, I feel like there aren't enough of them that feature male leads, so this was a nice departure from my norm. I would read more in the series and hope that Phillips continues with the character.

I received an ARC from NetGalley (which I enjoyed even though the baby didn't even BOTHER TO HELP SOLVE THE CRIME!)

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy funny mysteries and was sold by the book's description as a "perfect page-turning blend of humor and high stakes." I mean, what could be funnier than a new dad who brings his baby while he's trailing suspects as a PI? This book delivers - the mystery is solid with a strong plot and a satisfying ending. Plus, the book says a lot about parenthood, including the struggles of sleep training an infant and the bond between fathers and daughters. I would definitely read the next if it were a series.

However, I almost put this book down because of the prologue. The first few pages were dark and ominous and didn't match the tone of the book as described in the blurb. The character in that scene was not the book's protagonist, as I assumed (and I think most readers will as well). Just keep reading (or skip the prologue) and you'll be good.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was invited by the publisher to read this book. Ex-crime reporter turned rookie PI Charlie is juggling a new baby, a happy marriage, and mounting financial stress when he crosses paths with Friday Finley, a scared 16 year old runaway searching for her missing father. What begins as a straightforward investigation reveals a far more dangerous disappearance, putting Charlie’s own family at risk. As the stakes rise, Charlie must decide how far he’s willing to go to protect Friday—who is quickly becoming family to him.

This was an interesting take on parenting - I appreciated the perspective of the male/dad. The investigation into Friday's father's disappearance lent a different vibe to the book overall. Not a cozy mystery, but intriguing nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Shaw finds himself in a pretty dangerous position when he becomes bored with investigative journalism after becoming a new dad. Entirely obsessed with his daughter, he tries to find an inspirational job he can make his family proud of him for, but instead finds himself involved in some pretty sketchy back to back hijinks. There are some very wholesome moments with Charlie and Friday, especially- I enjoyed both the MC's quips and also his adoration of the women in his life. It was fun to see someone take the role of protector so well to heart in a mystery book setting. There were some fun twists, and this one was just a delightful and wild ride throughout. It'll tug on the heart strings, no doubt. Thanks so much to the author and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Shaw was furloughed from his job as a newspaper reporter, but as a new father, he needs to work. So he decides to become a private investigator working for a former San Francisco police officer. While on a stakeout trying to catch a millionaire's wife cheating, he meets Friday Finley, a sixteen-year-old girl looking for her missing father,
Shawn. She is desperate to find him because otherwise she will be put into the foster care system. Charlie decides to help Friday and even lets her stay at his house. As he starts to search for her father, Charlie finds out that Shawn Finley was working for some very dangerous men and may be in some very serious trouble. Soon the danger mounts and Charlie's own family is in danger, but he cannot let Friday down. An almost-cozy mystery, this was a delightful read.

[Laurel Kristick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery starts with Charlie, a new private detective who is bungling a surveillance mission because he is sleep deprived because his infant daughter never sleeps. It was a little darker than the cover and the first chapter intimated, with some serious bad guys threatening Charlie, his family and friends, and the teenage girl he meets during his surveillance mission. I felt like it was trying to get some of the sardonic humor of classic PI writers like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler but it didn't quite hit the right note for me. It was still a pretty good noir.

[Nikki Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and it’s been sitting on my counter for a few weeks, completely untouched. I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I totally did. The title seemed a little cheesy, and the cover didn’t do much to convince me otherwise. I wasn’t expecting much when I finally picked it up.

But honestly? I ended up really enjoying it.

This isn’t my usual genre, so I went in with pretty low expectations, but the story surprised me in a good way. The characters were fun, the pacing kept me turning pages, and it had just the right amount of charm to keep me invested. It’s not a book I would’ve normally chosen for myself, which makes it even more satisfying that I liked it as much as I did.

A solid, enjoyable read. 3.5 stars from me!

[Irene S · Rating 4 out of 5]

On his first case, it should be simple. All new P.I. Charlie has to do is collect evidence that the wife of a wealthy businessman is having an affair, but due to an amusing scene, he has to try again. The next time, he gets more that he was looking for. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is terrific debut for the author. This charming mystery is at times amusing, suspenseful, and showcases some day-to-day life for a young couple with a colicky baby. The characters and their realistic dialogues pulled me in. I am adding this author to my TBR. I would also enjoy another mystery revolving around Charlie either a P.I. or a reporter.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Shaw is a husband, new father, an ex reporter, and now a newly minted private investigator.
Charlie might not be the best PI, but he's certainly trying.
While on a stakeout, trying to prove infidelity, he meets Friday, a young girl who is desperate to find her father. Charlie realizes he botched the pictures, so he returns again, this time he witnesses a brutal beating and can't help checking on the victim.
Things start to spiral out of control, and when Charlie realizes Friday's father is involved, he is desperate to help.
As Charlie and his boss, Inspector Powell put the pieces together, they realize everything is connected, and to solve the problems, they need to expose everyone involved, putting them all in harms way.

[Wendi Flint Rank (WendiReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a breath of fresh air with Charlie
Front and center in what would appear to be
a fairly traditional ‘cozy,’ until things start to
get far too real. The characters are both
lovable, (Friday) and hugely problematic-
Pretty much everyone outside Charlie’s
lovely family - wife Ryan, (and others)
and mysteriously the whole story comes
together very nicely. I’d love to learn there
will be a sequel - perhaps a series is planned?
The core characters are all young enough
and Friday is a great character. There are
LOTS of things that still need to be “fixed”
in the character’s lives !
My thanks to St Martin’s Press
for the download of the book for
review purposes.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

An amateur sleuth and new dad will track down a missing father for a young girl. This will lead to attachments and discovery of secrets. What really happened and why? Things are not as it appears as nothing is black and white; especially, when feelings are involved. It will have you rethink what is truly family.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, except for the use of foul language in the first third or so of the book. I think Charlie better clean up his language before Callie starts talking or the first word out of her mouth will be the f-bomb. But other than that, it was a very entertaining and interesting book. I would definitely read another by this author, especially if the language was cleaned up. Thanks for the entertainment!

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am sorry, but I will not be finishing this book. I could not get past the high number of curse words. I read almost 20% of the book and thought that the plot wasn't moving forward. I am not the type of reader for this book. I did love the title; it was catchy and the cover was cute as well.

I received this arc from NetGalley. I am sorry I couldn't give a more favorable opinion of the book, but is my honest review.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie is a newly minted P.I. and currently sleep deprived dad to an infant girl.
He has her with him on a stakeout and incidently misses an important photo as a result.
This leads to him becoming involved with a teenage girl in trouble.
As a result of offering her help, his family and those close to him come under threat from the people after the teen girl.
There's some action, danger, drama and a thread of humor running throughout the entire book.

[Jeremy Reppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an amusing book. Could definitely relate to the new baby/infant craziness aspect of the story. The mystery that rookie PI Charlie Shaw gets mixed up in is a good one. Nothing particularly novel or unique about the plot, but the story is written in a manner that keeps the reader engaged and includes some good surprises. The characters are likable, and you want the “good guys” to succeed. The book ends in a manner that sets up a possible sequel.

[Bill Haddad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific, funny addition to the San Francisco PI oeuvre. The PI does the narration, and the language is that clipped, tough-guy style reminiscent of Raymond Chandler. But our hero is a new father too, which adds a great dimension to the story. It's not all humor either, as the turns of the plot made me have to put it down every few chapters and try to process what was going on.

Thanks, #netgalley , for an early look at a great story.

[Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little less of a cozy than I expected but it was still a fun read. Charlie and the cast of characters rounded out the story well, and if this turns into a series then I hope Friday sticks around.

The writing style is different from other cozy mysteries and I appreciate that the author didn’t spend paragraphs and pages explaining the most mundane details. The book has consistent action and dialogue, which kept me interested. 3.5 stars for me.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional debut from Rob Phillips! Reporter-turned-P.I., Charlie Shaw is a welcome new character. The story has everything expected in a mystery, along with a whole lot of heart. Excellent storytelling gives life to a plot which is nice and twisty and characters who are well-developed and believable. Highly recommended! I’m eagerly awaiting Mr.Phillips next work. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.