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Jake Hancock P.I. #2
Bad Guy by Proxy
Alternate covers for this ASIN can be found here and here
Book 2 of the Jake Hancock Private Investigator series
P.I. Jake Hancock’s sister and nephew have been kidnapped.
The culprit? Scuba Joe—an enigmatic criminal who communicates through a voice-modulation device low on batteries.
Hancock needs to save them, and fast. Over the course of one evening and night, Hollywood’s smooth-talking private detective pits his wits against the best criminal mind if not in the state, then definitely the city. Well, at least the neighborhood.
To get his sister and nephew back, Jake will stop at nothing.
Justice just got a makeover, Hancock style.
Comedy thriller Bad Guy by Proxy is the second book of the Jake Hancock Private Investigator series: noir crime fiction with fast paced action, snappy dialog, and bad guys with seriously low IQs.
Click on the book cover in the top-left-hand corner of the screen to access the ‘Look Inside’ feature to read the prologue.
Book 2 of the Jake Hancock Private Investigator series
P.I. Jake Hancock’s sister and nephew have been kidnapped.
The culprit? Scuba Joe—an enigmatic criminal who communicates through a voice-modulation device low on batteries.
Hancock needs to save them, and fast. Over the course of one evening and night, Hollywood’s smooth-talking private detective pits his wits against the best criminal mind if not in the state, then definitely the city. Well, at least the neighborhood.
To get his sister and nephew back, Jake will stop at nothing.
Justice just got a makeover, Hancock style.
Comedy thriller Bad Guy by Proxy is the second book of the Jake Hancock Private Investigator series: noir crime fiction with fast paced action, snappy dialog, and bad guys with seriously low IQs.
Click on the book cover in the top-left-hand corner of the screen to access the ‘Look Inside’ feature to read the prologue.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 25
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 2, 2026
“Out of Crime”, second in the 'Jake Hancock Mystery' series, sees the feckless P.I. blunder his way through a crazy adventure.
His sister and her son have been kidnapped by someone who wants Jake to perform a series of tasks for him.
All he has to do is follow orders and they will be returned unharmed.
They obviously haven't a clue who they are dealing with!
Jake single-handedly creates mayhem and chaos, so much so that not even he has a clue what is happening most of the time.
I suppose it was inevitable that as I got older I would come across novels which reference people I have never heard of – in this case I eventually gave up on Googling - especially as the author delights in pretending to be far more stupid than he actually is (“Ireland's part of Britain, right?”)
It's great fun but overly-convoluted.
3.5 Stars, brought back to 3 Stars.
His sister and her son have been kidnapped by someone who wants Jake to perform a series of tasks for him.
All he has to do is follow orders and they will be returned unharmed.
They obviously haven't a clue who they are dealing with!
Jake single-handedly creates mayhem and chaos, so much so that not even he has a clue what is happening most of the time.
I suppose it was inevitable that as I got older I would come across novels which reference people I have never heard of – in this case I eventually gave up on Googling - especially as the author delights in pretending to be far more stupid than he actually is (“Ireland's part of Britain, right?”)
It's great fun but overly-convoluted.
3.5 Stars, brought back to 3 Stars.
September 19, 2026
𝖥𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗁𝗌, 𝖨 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗏𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖬𝗒 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖺𝖿𝖿𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗍𝖾, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗌𝗁𝗂𝖿𝗍𝖾𝖽. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗀𝗎𝖺𝗋𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗉𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾, 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍-𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗎𝗍𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗆𝖾𝖽 𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍.
𝖨 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗎𝗌𝗉𝗂𝖼𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗌𝗂𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗅𝗒, 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝗅𝗂𝖼𝗍. 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝗎𝖻𝗍 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝗐 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗋.
𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝖨 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝗌𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉, 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇’𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝗒 𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝗉𝖾𝖺𝖼𝖾. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗅𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗂𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗀𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾.
𝖨𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗊𝗎𝗂𝖾𝗍 𝗎𝗇𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾, 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗍𝗁. 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐.
𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎. Reach out for help
Ｇｍａｉｌ ： ｔｅｃｈｇｕｙ７０７０＠ｇｍａｉｌ．ｃｏｍ
ＷｈａｔｓＡｐｐ ： +1 (24 0) 253‑39 28
Ｔｅｌｅｇｒａｍ： ＠ａｒｅａｓｐｙ
𝖨 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗎𝗌𝗉𝗂𝖼𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗌𝗂𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗅𝗒, 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝗅𝗂𝖼𝗍. 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗈𝗎𝖻𝗍 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝗐 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗋.
𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝖨 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝗌𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗉, 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇’𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉, 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝗒 𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝗉𝖾𝖺𝖼𝖾. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗅𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗂𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗀𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾.
𝖨𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗊𝗎𝗂𝖾𝗍 𝗎𝗇𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾, 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗍𝗁. 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗍 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐.
𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎. Reach out for help
Ｇｍａｉｌ ： ｔｅｃｈｇｕｙ７０７０＠ｇｍａｉｌ．ｃｏｍ
ＷｈａｔｓＡｐｐ ： +1 (24 0) 253‑39 28
Ｔｅｌｅｇｒａｍ： ＠ａｒｅａｓｐｙ
February 16, 2018
AFTER READING THIS B#2 IN THIS SERIES I’M OFFICIALLY A FAN OF JAKE, HE’S ONE SMARTMOUTHED CRAZY PI. I CAN’T BELIEVE SOME OF THE STUFF HE SAYS AN DOES, I CHUCKLY AND LOL THE WHOLE TIME I WAS READING. I LOVE ALL THE QUIRKY CHARACTERS THEY REMINDED ME OF THE STRANGE CHARACTERS IN “KILL BILL” OR “PULP FICTION”. ALL OF THEM WERE VERY DIFFERENT TO SAY THE LEAST, YEP DIFFERENT, JAKES JUST MISUNDERSTOOD. I HOPE DAN TAYLOR KEEPS UP THE GREAT WORK, I’M LOVING IT. :D
May 9, 2024
Good characters...
June 27, 2016
Jake is Back
Detective For Hire the second book in the Jake Hancock series is riddled with quirky humor geared toward guys, but easily taken in by ladies. Jake Hancock is at it again, but this time the tables are turned on him. Someone kidnaps his sister and her son setting in motion a wild ride. The three man gang that grabs Jake's family are career criminals trying to extort money from Jake's soon to be ex wife and her new fiancé who have inherited a bundle. A comedy of errors ensues that leaves Jake beaten, confused, but still alert enough to find his way out of it before being impaled by a dildo. Not sure where I went with that? Then you'll just have to read the book to find out.
Overall the book was good, but I enjoyed it less than the first one. The chapter in which the author explains who Kevin Lightfoot is, I struggled to get through, but once done the book continued to move. It was a nice read for the majority of the book so if you enjoy a little chaos, a bit of misogyny that is Jake Hancock and silly banter check this one out.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2016
'Detective for Hire' was just as good, if not better, than the first book, 'Hollywood Detective', in the 'Jake Hancock P.I. Series'. The storyline was non-stop action, unfortunate scenarios and a lot of humor. Jake makes the best lead with him being sarcastic, witty and funny. His retorts and logic had me laughing my butt off. This book was well written and well thought out. Dan Taylor did an awesome job at creating a great story with a mans perspective. I look forward to reading more of this series. A great add to your tbr list.
June 11, 2016
I received a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. It was an ok story. Pace was decent and there were a few funny bits. Probably would not read another in the same series, though.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews