Book Review: Final Jeopardy

 

Final Jeopardy: A Jake Sledge Mystery (Jake Sledge Mysteries Book 2) 
by B. D Lawrence

Final Jeopardy (Pre-order now)

B.D. Lawrence

Kindle

February 15, 2026

A fedora-wearing PI. A twisted family legacy. A client who might be more dangerous than the killer.

 

Jake "The Hammer" Sledge traded his NFL career for a private investigator's license, but he never expected his past to come back with a vengeance. When Jeopardy Dupree walks into his River City office, Jake knows he's in for trouble. She's the woman whose dangerous alter ego once tried to kill him, and now she wants him to prove her schizophrenic brother Barker didn't murder Sandy Akins, the nurse's aide he planned to marry.

The case seems open and shut. Barker walked away from River Bluffs Treatment Center days before the murder. His bloody fingerprints are at the scene. But Jake's detective instincts tell him something is off, and his investigation uncovers secrets that put a target on his back.

Someone wants Jake dead. A mystery woman in a dark SUV tries to run him down. She attacks his girlfriend Allison with a brutal warning: stay away from Jake Sledge. When Jake's contacts start dying and evidence begins disappearing, he realizes he's stumbled onto something far more sinister than a crime of passion. At the center of it all: the Dupree family and a twisted legacy that turns loyalty into a weapon.

Partnered with Bobo Johnson, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle with unshakeable faith and a devastating right hook, Jake races to untangle the truth before the killer strikes again. But as he digs deeper into the Dupree family's dark secrets, he's forced to confront his own demons. Haunted by violent flashbacks and questioning everything he once believed, Jake discovers that solving this case might require more than his trademark fedora and his beloved 1975 Delta 88.

The closer Jake gets to the truth, the more dangerous the game becomes. Bodies are piling up. Evidence points in every direction. And the line between victim and villain blurs when Jake realizes the most dangerous player might be the one he least suspects.

Reviewers comment:

Final Jeopardy (book 2 in the Jake Sledge Mysteries series) by B. D. Lawrence draws the reader into the story's mayhem and mystery and keeps them guessing until the very end. Authorities accuse Barker Dupree of killing his girlfriend Sandy Akins, which prompts his sister Jeopardy Dupree to hire the Sledge Detective Agency to find enough evidence that will set Barker free. Bobo Johnson is Sledge’s partner in their River City detective agency and ready to tackle anything Sledge throws at him.

However, the Duprees are no ordinary family, and Barker and Jeopardy like to hide secrets that keep Sledge and Bobo guessing. Sledge hesitates to take the case because of his last dealing with Jeopardy, when she tried to kill him. Which means around every corner Sledge has to keep his eyes open.  And trying to find evidence to free Jeopardy’s schizophrenic brother, Barker, turns out to be the least of Sledge’s worries.

 A story loaded with obstacles and roadblocks that creates great plot twists you won’t see coming, but the best part of this book is how entertaining it is. The banter between Bobo and Sledge and their characters is so entertaining and lively that it pulls the reader into the suspense and drama and never let's go. Never a dull moment. A great plot, wonderful characterization, ruthless killers, intriguing women, and suspense that will keep you guessing until the very end. A must read. 

About the Author:

                                                                                                                                

B.D. Lawrence has always loved reading fiction. Ironically, though, his worst subject in high school was English. One night, sitting in a master's level computer programming class, daydreaming about vigilantes, he decided to give writing a try. Out of that came his first novel, which went nowhere. That was many years ago.

During his writing journey he’s dabbled in several genres, including mystery, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. He currently is focusing on crime stories of justice, vengeance, and redemption. He hopes his Lefty Bruder private detective series will not only entertain lovers of P.I. fiction but will also help fight the scourge of human trafficking, as B.D. Lawrence is going to donate half of all his profits from that series to organizations helping to fight human trafficking.                                         

Learn more about B.D. Lawrence and his work at https://bdlawrence.com/