Gus MacKie and the Hot Tamale — Bob Moats

This book is a novella. Gus Mackie is not a Hollywood type private investigator, he not good looking, muscle bound or full of knowledge. He's rough around the edges and is imperfect. His cases are few and far between but he gets free rent by living in his office. His closest friend is a Native-American Police Detective who acts as his conscience and covers his ass from getting in trouble. Gus has been hired by a man to find out if his secretary is cheating on him, even though the man is married. On top of that the man's wife has had her half million dollar necklace stolen. Gus is conflicted when the wife hires him to find the necklace and tie her husband to the crime. Should he follow the cheating secretary, who may have the necklace and turn her in? Things get more complicated when someone is murdered and now Gus has to expose the killer. Was it the husband or the secretary. Or was it a man who fences stolen goods, just to get the valuable necklace. Gus has his hands full and between breaking and entering various places, his car is giving him headaches. This is the first novella of the series of Gus Mackie books.