Books like The Widower's Two-Step by Rick Riordan

Tres Navarre, a rookie private‑investigator still collecting his apprenticeship hours for the Texas license, is watching a musician suspected of stealing a demo tape when the artist, fiddle player Julie Kearnes, is gunned down before his eyes. What should be a routine stakeout turns into a nightmare as he realizes meddling in the case could cost him his life. The murder of Julie and the disappearance of the missing demo tape pull Tres deeper into the world of Miranda Daniels, a teenage singer who becomes the prize in a bitter tug‑of‑war between two music moguls. One of the moguls is known for turning troublesome artists to ash, while the other has vanished without a trace. As Tres delves into the sordid dealings surrounding Miranda’s career, he discovers that the stakes are higher than he imagined – a treacherous ring of greed, betrayal and murder that could make him the next target. Against the backdrop of Texas’ music scene, Tres must balance his apprentice duties with the demands of law enforcement, all while navigating a dangerous triangle of deceit, power struggles and murder.

First publish date: 1998