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The contract

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Once a decorated cop, Hawke has fallen from grace and has turned private investigator to make ends meet. His first case is a simple one: follow the woman, Maddie, and get pictures of her having an affair.But nothing is that simple. Hawke is forced to intervene when the Maddie is almost kidnapped right in front of him. When it happens again, Hawke switches from stalker with a camera to bodyguard with a gun.The lawyer who hired him is not satisfied with the outcome or that Hawke is looking into who is responsible for the abduction attempts. He threatens Hawke to get him to back down, something not in the investigator’s nature.To protect Maddie, Hawke must take her along while following the few leads he has to identify who is responsible and why. The closer they get to the truth the more danger they find themselves in.Will they find who is out to get Maddie before it’s too late?

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2020

202 people are currently reading
68 people want to read

About the author

William Coleman

11 books28 followers
“A good mystery doesn’t hide the answers until the end, it lays them before you without you realizing…”

William Coleman was born and raised in a small town in Arkansas and attended Wichita State University, where he earned his bachelor’s. Since completing his degree, William has worked in the food management industry and he currently lives in the Kansas City Metro, with his wife Vicki and their two dogs, Coco and Scooter.

As long as he has been able to thread a few sentences together, William has enjoyed the art of putting pen to paper and coming up with stories that captivate the imagination and spark curiosity in others.

He particularly enjoys the craft of mystery, suspense and thriller novels and his 4 books, The Widow’s Husband, Payback. Nick of Time and Murder Revisited are all available on Amazon.

In his free time and when he isn’t hard at work creating his next book, William enjoys spending time taking walks with his wife and their dogs and working on their home.

As far as the future is concerned, William wants to continue to write entertaining novels that will feed the imagination of his growing following for many years to come.

You can contact William, read his blog and see what he is writing about next through his website or simply follow him on Facebook.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
123 (54%)
4 stars
65 (28%)
3 stars
32 (14%)
2 stars
4 (1%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Catriona Kupper.
715 reviews4 followers
October 23, 2022
For some reason this book grabbed me by the hair and pulled me to the end, the PI is unfit and no charmer but I fell in love with the character, hope there is more
Profile Image for Janice Richardson.
Author 11 books101 followers
April 14, 2022
From the first page, this book held my interest. The author makes his protagonist feel real and I found myself rooting for this flawed individual. While it didn't take long to think I'd solved the mystery, it's the why that reveals itself in the last chapter that surprises. This first in series has promise for future great reading for those who enjoy losing themselves in a good mystery.

Profile Image for Nancy.
218 reviews3 followers
September 30, 2020
Not too Bad

Something bland about this less than thrilling thriller but a couple redeeming features kept me reading and the sorry fact that I always ( at least 90% of the time.) I finish what I've begun to read. I don't like the helpless woman aspect and didn't care about her character for that reason.
Profile Image for Dave.
128 reviews1 follower
August 6, 2020
Not particularly impressed. I just couldn't get into him as a character. It is a marmite book. I have read a lot better, probably won't purchase any more by this author.
Profile Image for Cynthia A.
672 reviews
March 23, 2022
Why are they trying to kill Maddie?

Staying one step ahead of the killer made a very busy week for Hawke. The PI was running into one killer after another trying to protect Maddie, while he was trying to find out the person who had hired the hit men.
Lots of action, quick read, enjoyed this book.
48 reviews
September 25, 2021
Great read!

The Contract was an entertaining and suspenseful read. The storyline was different and the author was able to grab this reader's attention from the onset. So much was going on, couldn't guess how it would end. Eagerly awaiting the next S. Hawke Investigations book.
Profile Image for Tressan Moore.
74 reviews1 follower
March 23, 2022
Enjoyabke

This was a well written, keep you interested the whole time type of story. Although I figured out who the bad guy was it was interesting to see the progression of the mystery. Waiting for book number two.
135 reviews
April 25, 2022
Filled with suspense

This is a well written story that is not cluttered with unnecessary information. The suspense element captivates the reader's interest. It is an interesting story and easy to read.
63 reviews
December 7, 2023
Goes Fast

Quite a page-turner. All very fun with good story. Almost believable. Quite a feat for an over-weight man to sit against a wall, pushing himself to standing position. I’ll keep reading the series.
14 reviews
March 22, 2022
Review

Well done real killer was not identified until the very end. Writer built up drama to point where needed to finish book to find out who what and why
35 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2024
A very interesting story...once a cop, always a cop. Lots happened to the characters.
2,216 reviews4 followers
August 23, 2025
Interesting characters. Disgraced ex cop who smokes too much and resorts to violence is hired to be a witness when a woman is murdered. Only he is not aware of his role until he saves her several times from assassins.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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