That First Heady Burn - George Bixley

Don’t mess with the hothead—or he might just mess with you. Slater Ibáñez is only interested in two kinds of guys: the ones he wants to punch, and the ones he sleeps with. Things get interesting when they start to overlap. A freelance investigator, Slater trolls the dark side of Los Angeles, rooting out insurance fraud, not afraid to use whatever means necessary to get things done, and not about to hold back with his fists. A queer antihero for a new age, Slater walks the line between ordinary life and the frayed fringes of society, keeping his balance with the jobs that his employer, Della, throws his way, and the back-channel support he gets from his idiot cop ex-boyfriend, Conrad.

In this introductory novel in the series, Slater runs surveillance on an injured tech worker, soon finding that there are secrets lurking beneath the surface at his company. How do they generate so much revenue without employing anyone? Why does the founder spend so much time at the border? And why does a tech company need such heavy security? Tangling with blackmailers, party girls, late-night hookups with a gamut of guys, and a lot of bourbon, Slater uses his wits and a strong right hook to sort out bad from worse.