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Working Stiff: A Frank Leland Mystery
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Readers’ Favorite — K.T. Bowes
“Working Stiff is incredibly well written… filled with twists and turns sharp enough to give you whiplash.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Jonathan Payne, award-winning author of CITIZEN ORLOV
"The shady side of Madison Avenue... It's clear Krieger knows this world. Fans of police / PI procedurals will get a kick out of the seedy settings and noir vibes."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bill Walker, Former Manager, Book Clubs, The McGraw-Hill Companies
"What makes it sing isn’t just the plot—it’s the authenticity."
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ Michael West, Private Investigator, UCMJ
“Real-world PI action… couldn’t put it down.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon
“This is a hot fudge sundae of a book — deliciously absorbing.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads
“I promise you’ll be breathless until the last page."
WORKING STIFF is a razor-edged murder mystery set in 1970s New York that strips the genre to the bone — then feeds it something greasy at 2 a.m.
Following his divorce and his resignation from the police force, ex-cop Frank Leland scrapes by as a private investigator, photographing cheating partners and earning just enough to cover the bills for his run-down bedsit. Then a former client offers him big money to hide a body — and Frank is curious enough to take a look.
Soon he’s toe to toe with an advertising mogul harboring secrets worth killing for. To survive, Frank will have to face not just the killer, but the addiction that’s been eating him alive.
Perfect for fans of gritty, character-driven
✔ A PI who can’t mask the addiction that’s ruining his life
✔ A city of broken lights, bad cops, and worse secrets
✔ A hardboiled mystery set in the garbage-strewn streets of 1970s NYC
✔ Written by a native New Yorker who lived through it
Come back to the New York of blackouts, dirty money, and broken dreams — and meet a detective just trying not to break.
WORKING A Frank Leland Mystery
There’s nothing cozy about it.
“Working Stiff is incredibly well written… filled with twists and turns sharp enough to give you whiplash.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Jonathan Payne, award-winning author of CITIZEN ORLOV
"The shady side of Madison Avenue... It's clear Krieger knows this world. Fans of police / PI procedurals will get a kick out of the seedy settings and noir vibes."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bill Walker, Former Manager, Book Clubs, The McGraw-Hill Companies
"What makes it sing isn’t just the plot—it’s the authenticity."
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ Michael West, Private Investigator, UCMJ
“Real-world PI action… couldn’t put it down.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon
“This is a hot fudge sundae of a book — deliciously absorbing.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads
“I promise you’ll be breathless until the last page."
WORKING STIFF is a razor-edged murder mystery set in 1970s New York that strips the genre to the bone — then feeds it something greasy at 2 a.m.
Following his divorce and his resignation from the police force, ex-cop Frank Leland scrapes by as a private investigator, photographing cheating partners and earning just enough to cover the bills for his run-down bedsit. Then a former client offers him big money to hide a body — and Frank is curious enough to take a look.
Soon he’s toe to toe with an advertising mogul harboring secrets worth killing for. To survive, Frank will have to face not just the killer, but the addiction that’s been eating him alive.
Perfect for fans of gritty, character-driven
✔ A PI who can’t mask the addiction that’s ruining his life
✔ A city of broken lights, bad cops, and worse secrets
✔ A hardboiled mystery set in the garbage-strewn streets of 1970s NYC
✔ Written by a native New Yorker who lived through it
Come back to the New York of blackouts, dirty money, and broken dreams — and meet a detective just trying not to break.
WORKING A Frank Leland Mystery
There’s nothing cozy about it.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 22, 2026
Krieger combines a corrupt city with a protagonist who will risk himself for his principles but—literally—won’t starve himself for them, creating an engaging take on the classic tale of a flawed PI walking mean streets.
Divorced, no longer with the New York Police Department, and struggling with an eating disorder, Frank Leyland is scraping by on photographing cheating spouses and other small-time work. So when a former client recommends him as someone who can handle a prestigious advertising company not wanting to call the police about a dead body in one of the offices, he agrees to take the meeting. Frank isn’t prepared to hide a murder, but when it turns out all they want is someone to delay the police investigation until after the firm has mitigated the impact, it’s hard to say no to the money.
Krieger takes the noir staple of a private detective bending the rules to help a client in a bind and sets it in 70’s New York. Whether or not Krieger’s city matches the real world version perfectly, it is a setting filled with conflicts between what is right and what is legal, where good people can’t catch a break, creating an engaging and plausible background for Frank being drawn into a murder investigation where finding the killer might require ignoring the law and losing the pay check. Krieger’s choice of an advertising firm as a central pillar of the plot is especially suitable for showcasing the victory of “how the powerful want things to appear” over “what is actually true”.
The investigation of the murder and subsequent consequences are well balanced, providing enough moments where new evidence reveals that Frank’s—and perhaps the reader’s—theories are wrong that what actually happened and who is responsible are not tediously obvious from the start, but drawing enough of the challenge from Frank knowing the answer but not being able to prove it that the reader does not feel progress takes second place to the author catching them out.
Krieger further infuses the feeling of noir and adds complexity to the question of whether justice will be done by making the motives of some criminals very sympathetic and the actions of some technically law-abiding citizens highly unethical, creating a plausible drive for Frank to not expose the truth.
In place of the standard functional alcoholism of the classic noir detective, Frank is addicted to eating: rather than merely being a bit of colour to make Frank seem distinct or a way of realistically setting up a bit of the plot, Krieger treats this food addiction as a plot in its own right. Thus, while it does not overwhelm the noir thriller side of the novel, it is unlikely to shock the reader when the afterword indicates that the idea of telling a story of food addiction came before the murder plot.
The novel brings the main thriller plot to a point where, while the full truth might not have come out, the reader knows what actually happened and the villainous have faced a meaningful consequence; thus, it is likely to be a satisfying ending for fans of noir. For the most part, Frank’s other challenges, such as his eating disorder, are things the reader would not expect to resolve in the time the book spans; however, depending on the individual reader, there is one thread that might feel like it has been touched too many times to be satisfyingly left dangling where it is.
Frank is a sympathetic protagonist for a noir setting. In addition to many of the challenges he faces being due to the world only offering a choice between imperfect options, his lack of money comes in no small part from him choosing to pay his ex-wife more than the divorce required so that his daughter can have a better life; thus, whether or not the reader agrees with the lines Frank draws during the investigation, he is strongly infused with a sense of being a person who is more decent than the average for his world.
The supporting cast are similarly a blend of those who have embraced the selfishness of the world and those who have been tarnished by the lack of options that are viable, legal, and ethical.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to people seeking detective noir that delivers all the feeling of a dirty world without the feeling of pastiche.
Divorced, no longer with the New York Police Department, and struggling with an eating disorder, Frank Leyland is scraping by on photographing cheating spouses and other small-time work. So when a former client recommends him as someone who can handle a prestigious advertising company not wanting to call the police about a dead body in one of the offices, he agrees to take the meeting. Frank isn’t prepared to hide a murder, but when it turns out all they want is someone to delay the police investigation until after the firm has mitigated the impact, it’s hard to say no to the money.
Krieger takes the noir staple of a private detective bending the rules to help a client in a bind and sets it in 70’s New York. Whether or not Krieger’s city matches the real world version perfectly, it is a setting filled with conflicts between what is right and what is legal, where good people can’t catch a break, creating an engaging and plausible background for Frank being drawn into a murder investigation where finding the killer might require ignoring the law and losing the pay check. Krieger’s choice of an advertising firm as a central pillar of the plot is especially suitable for showcasing the victory of “how the powerful want things to appear” over “what is actually true”.
The investigation of the murder and subsequent consequences are well balanced, providing enough moments where new evidence reveals that Frank’s—and perhaps the reader’s—theories are wrong that what actually happened and who is responsible are not tediously obvious from the start, but drawing enough of the challenge from Frank knowing the answer but not being able to prove it that the reader does not feel progress takes second place to the author catching them out.
Krieger further infuses the feeling of noir and adds complexity to the question of whether justice will be done by making the motives of some criminals very sympathetic and the actions of some technically law-abiding citizens highly unethical, creating a plausible drive for Frank to not expose the truth.
In place of the standard functional alcoholism of the classic noir detective, Frank is addicted to eating: rather than merely being a bit of colour to make Frank seem distinct or a way of realistically setting up a bit of the plot, Krieger treats this food addiction as a plot in its own right. Thus, while it does not overwhelm the noir thriller side of the novel, it is unlikely to shock the reader when the afterword indicates that the idea of telling a story of food addiction came before the murder plot.
The novel brings the main thriller plot to a point where, while the full truth might not have come out, the reader knows what actually happened and the villainous have faced a meaningful consequence; thus, it is likely to be a satisfying ending for fans of noir. For the most part, Frank’s other challenges, such as his eating disorder, are things the reader would not expect to resolve in the time the book spans; however, depending on the individual reader, there is one thread that might feel like it has been touched too many times to be satisfyingly left dangling where it is.
Frank is a sympathetic protagonist for a noir setting. In addition to many of the challenges he faces being due to the world only offering a choice between imperfect options, his lack of money comes in no small part from him choosing to pay his ex-wife more than the divorce required so that his daughter can have a better life; thus, whether or not the reader agrees with the lines Frank draws during the investigation, he is strongly infused with a sense of being a person who is more decent than the average for his world.
The supporting cast are similarly a blend of those who have embraced the selfishness of the world and those who have been tarnished by the lack of options that are viable, legal, and ethical.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to people seeking detective noir that delivers all the feeling of a dirty world without the feeling of pastiche.
March 19, 2026
This riveting novel of 1970s New York City reads like “Taxi Driver” meets “Mad Men.” Bill Krieger writes with authority and style gleaned from his early years on the Big Apple’s mean streets, as well as from a long and stellar career as a real-life Mad Man in the cutthroat Manhattan advertising business.
Krieger gives a depth to even his peripheral characters that gets you invested in each of the interweaving storylines in this novel. You won’t find cliches or tossed-off phrasing here—each line feels as carefully crafted as one of Krieger’s award-winning ad campaigns, and every page holds passages that will make you pause in admiration. Krieger masterfully thumbnail sketches a waitress in a diner, for instance, by telling us she had “…that look - like she’d seen it all, everyone from rich guys slumming to people who couldn’t afford the steam off a free cup of coffee.” Krieger also convincingly recreates Madison Avenue office culture with hyper-specific descriptions and witty, shop talk-heavy dialogue. One notable scene places the protagonist, former cop and current PI Frank Leland, in conversation with an executive behind one-way glass, a device that beautifully highlights the parallels between focus groups and police interrogations.
Aside from the high quality of both the writing and the inside baseball, what really sets this novel apart is the emotional depth and believability of Frank Leland aa a character. Leland is a man tortured by the loss of his marriage, his child, and his law enforcement career. We don’t learn much about the why behind all these losses, and that’s largely because our first-person narrator pushes down his difficult feelings and painful memories almost as soon as they arise. Either he’s numbing himself with food, or distracting himself by pursuing leads that might bring him the satisfaction of getting justice for someone else, or saving someone else’s family.
In one telling scene, Frank’s former partner questions his reasons for believing in a certain man’s innocence. Part of Frank’s justification stems from him worry that the man’s unborn child will never see him if he goes to jail, as shown in this passage:
“‘Like your kid never sees you?" Ruthie responded, her words cutting deep.
Something twisted in my chest, that familiar knot that formed whenever anyone brought up lisa and visitation in the same breath. My hands clenched involuntarily around my coffee cup.”
Finally, there’s a lot of sex happening in “Working Stiff.” Sex—or, more specifically, sexual violence—is the issue on which the book’s mystery hinges. Like a good noir novelist should, Krieger implies much more than he shows about the disturbing, often non- consensual acts taking place both within the ad firm at the center of his investigation, and in the larger city that surrounds it. Krieger’s subject matter in parts of this book is unsettling, but thoroughly believable and necessary. Without knowing the depths of the darkness Leland confronts in his work life, his longing for his estranged wife and seldom-seen daughter wouldn’t be half as poignant. And his fears for their safety might lack credibility. As written, the balance of light and dark is just right. Leland comes across as a flawed, troubled hero who also inspires both respect and compassion.
“Working Stiff” will leave you thoroughly satisfied, yet wanting more. Let’s hope this is only the first of many Frank Leland mysteries.
Krieger gives a depth to even his peripheral characters that gets you invested in each of the interweaving storylines in this novel. You won’t find cliches or tossed-off phrasing here—each line feels as carefully crafted as one of Krieger’s award-winning ad campaigns, and every page holds passages that will make you pause in admiration. Krieger masterfully thumbnail sketches a waitress in a diner, for instance, by telling us she had “…that look - like she’d seen it all, everyone from rich guys slumming to people who couldn’t afford the steam off a free cup of coffee.” Krieger also convincingly recreates Madison Avenue office culture with hyper-specific descriptions and witty, shop talk-heavy dialogue. One notable scene places the protagonist, former cop and current PI Frank Leland, in conversation with an executive behind one-way glass, a device that beautifully highlights the parallels between focus groups and police interrogations.
Aside from the high quality of both the writing and the inside baseball, what really sets this novel apart is the emotional depth and believability of Frank Leland aa a character. Leland is a man tortured by the loss of his marriage, his child, and his law enforcement career. We don’t learn much about the why behind all these losses, and that’s largely because our first-person narrator pushes down his difficult feelings and painful memories almost as soon as they arise. Either he’s numbing himself with food, or distracting himself by pursuing leads that might bring him the satisfaction of getting justice for someone else, or saving someone else’s family.
In one telling scene, Frank’s former partner questions his reasons for believing in a certain man’s innocence. Part of Frank’s justification stems from him worry that the man’s unborn child will never see him if he goes to jail, as shown in this passage:
“‘Like your kid never sees you?" Ruthie responded, her words cutting deep.
Something twisted in my chest, that familiar knot that formed whenever anyone brought up lisa and visitation in the same breath. My hands clenched involuntarily around my coffee cup.”
Finally, there’s a lot of sex happening in “Working Stiff.” Sex—or, more specifically, sexual violence—is the issue on which the book’s mystery hinges. Like a good noir novelist should, Krieger implies much more than he shows about the disturbing, often non- consensual acts taking place both within the ad firm at the center of his investigation, and in the larger city that surrounds it. Krieger’s subject matter in parts of this book is unsettling, but thoroughly believable and necessary. Without knowing the depths of the darkness Leland confronts in his work life, his longing for his estranged wife and seldom-seen daughter wouldn’t be half as poignant. And his fears for their safety might lack credibility. As written, the balance of light and dark is just right. Leland comes across as a flawed, troubled hero who also inspires both respect and compassion.
“Working Stiff” will leave you thoroughly satisfied, yet wanting more. Let’s hope this is only the first of many Frank Leland mysteries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2025
Bill Krieger’s Working Stiff doesn’t just tell a story—it drags you by the collar straight into New York City’s infernal summer of 1977. The Son of Sam killings are tightening their grip, the blackout looting is still a raw memory, and the city feels ready to boil over. In the middle of it all trudges Frank Leland: overweight, overworked, freshly divorced, haunted by his NYPD past, and stubborn as hell. He’s a private investigator without enough clients but with just enough grit to keep pushing forward.
When a slippery ad agency president and an old client rope him into a murder case, Frank finds himself caught between corruption, desperation, and the city’s suffocating heat. The beauty of Krieger’s writing is in the texture—subways that stink of sweat and metal, battered yellow cabs that lurch through garbage-strewn streets, corner stores where prices climb as fast as tempers. You don’t just read Working Stiff—you inhabit it.
And Frank Leland isn’t your polished, wisecracking gumshoe. He’s weary, imperfect, dragging his past like an anchor—but his sheer persistence makes him magnetic. You root for him not because he’s slick, but because he refuses to give up. He’s as battered and enduring as the city itself.
For me, this was more than a novel. It was a visceral return. I walked those sidewalks, I baked on those subway platforms, I hailed those cabs. Krieger brought it all rushing back in Technicolor heat and grit.
Working Stiff is the kind of debut that makes you slam the book shut and immediately crave the next. Bravo, Bill Krieger—keep them coming. Frank Leland belongs on the shelf with the greats.
When a slippery ad agency president and an old client rope him into a murder case, Frank finds himself caught between corruption, desperation, and the city’s suffocating heat. The beauty of Krieger’s writing is in the texture—subways that stink of sweat and metal, battered yellow cabs that lurch through garbage-strewn streets, corner stores where prices climb as fast as tempers. You don’t just read Working Stiff—you inhabit it.
And Frank Leland isn’t your polished, wisecracking gumshoe. He’s weary, imperfect, dragging his past like an anchor—but his sheer persistence makes him magnetic. You root for him not because he’s slick, but because he refuses to give up. He’s as battered and enduring as the city itself.
For me, this was more than a novel. It was a visceral return. I walked those sidewalks, I baked on those subway platforms, I hailed those cabs. Krieger brought it all rushing back in Technicolor heat and grit.
Working Stiff is the kind of debut that makes you slam the book shut and immediately crave the next. Bravo, Bill Krieger—keep them coming. Frank Leland belongs on the shelf with the greats.
September 25, 2025
I really enjoyed Working Stiff. From the very beginning, it pulled me in with a strong sense of place and a main character who feels unusually human for the mystery genre. Frank Leland is not the polished, too-perfect detective we often see--he’s layered, imperfect, and grappling with real struggles, which makes following his story that much more compelling.
What impressed me most was how well the book blends story, character, and atmosphere without ever dragging. The plot moves quickly, but there’s always depth in the details--whether it’s the way a scene is described or the quiet observations that give insight into Frank himself. The writing style is confident and vivid, and I found myself fully absorbed, losing track of time while reading.
This is the kind of book that feels like the start of a long-running character readers will want to follow. I think it has strong appeal not just for mystery fans but for anyone who loves a character-driven story with grit and heart. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a smart, compelling mystery with a protagonist you’ll want to root for from beginning to end.
What impressed me most was how well the book blends story, character, and atmosphere without ever dragging. The plot moves quickly, but there’s always depth in the details--whether it’s the way a scene is described or the quiet observations that give insight into Frank himself. The writing style is confident and vivid, and I found myself fully absorbed, losing track of time while reading.
This is the kind of book that feels like the start of a long-running character readers will want to follow. I think it has strong appeal not just for mystery fans but for anyone who loves a character-driven story with grit and heart. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a smart, compelling mystery with a protagonist you’ll want to root for from beginning to end.
September 25, 2025
As someone who loves New York City, I was glad to find a mystery set during its grittier days in the late ’70s—when the economy was slumping and crime was on the rise. The novel paints a vivid picture of beautiful people caught in ugly situations, with the city itself as a brooding backdrop.
At the heart of it all is the PI Frank Leland, a man who can’t stop hurting and can’t stop chasing truths that cut deeper the closer he gets. The pacing is brisk, pulling me in from the start and holding me there. The metaphors and descriptions are powerful. What was particularly interesting was the detective’s struggle with an eating addiction—a rarely explored theme in the mystery genre. It added layers of vulnerability and humanity that made him feel real.
Overall, it’s a captivating read about the weight people carry—whether emotional or physical—and the ways those burdens shape who we are and what we uncover.
At the heart of it all is the PI Frank Leland, a man who can’t stop hurting and can’t stop chasing truths that cut deeper the closer he gets. The pacing is brisk, pulling me in from the start and holding me there. The metaphors and descriptions are powerful. What was particularly interesting was the detective’s struggle with an eating addiction—a rarely explored theme in the mystery genre. It added layers of vulnerability and humanity that made him feel real.
Overall, it’s a captivating read about the weight people carry—whether emotional or physical—and the ways those burdens shape who we are and what we uncover.
October 25, 2025
The Perfect Murder Mystery
Bill Kreiger created a fun, gritty hero who weaves his way thru clues of this fantastic read. He sets the stage of 1977 New York and weaves the mystery using the backdrop of the exciting world of Madison Ave Advertising Agencies. The author will skillfully draw you into the story so smoothly that the heros story becomes your story as you travel from clue to clue only to be transported deeper into the story. I promise you will be breathless until the last page. This is a great mystery. I can't wait for the next Frank Leland mystery
Bill Kreiger created a fun, gritty hero who weaves his way thru clues of this fantastic read. He sets the stage of 1977 New York and weaves the mystery using the backdrop of the exciting world of Madison Ave Advertising Agencies. The author will skillfully draw you into the story so smoothly that the heros story becomes your story as you travel from clue to clue only to be transported deeper into the story. I promise you will be breathless until the last page. This is a great mystery. I can't wait for the next Frank Leland mystery
November 25, 2025
Madison Avenue in the 70s: wealthy advertising execs, a dead body, a private investigator, and some very shady goings on. It's clear Krieger knows this world. Fans of police / PI procedurals will get a kick out of the seedy settings and noir vibes.
November 12, 2025
I had high hopes after reading the reviews. I couldn’t finish it.
February 16, 2026
I love mysteries and this one did not disappoint. Wonderful story with interesting characters you could really care about, unexpected twists, and a satisfying ending. Made me think I should have known who the killer was but didn't. What really appealed to me was how the author took an old noir detective trope -- man with a drinking problem -- and turned that on its head. A fun read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews