The Sponsor

Daniel McBride is a wealthy restaurateur in Naples, Florida. When his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, Harmon Hesse, is found murdered, Daniel becomes BCI's primary person of interest. Daniel was seen quarreling with Hesse shortly before the murder. Fingerprints put Daniel at the scene of the murder, and blood evidence found in Daniel's SUV link him to Hesse's DNA. While struggling to maintain his sobriety, he examines the motives of his gay business partner who's in economic crisis, a house guest who's having a steamy sexual affair with BCI's Detective Carmen Sanchez, and a wife who may be carrying on an affair while running for mayor. As Daniel transitions from suspect to defending himself on a courtroom witness stand, the past secrets of all these characters come to the fore. The trial will reveal the murderer but not before everyone confronts their darkest histories. This tale of alcohol, murder, and deception is a dramatic mystery which shows the impossibility of escaping the past. This lively book maintains a hard-boiled dialogue and taut plot. First-time author Pete Jensen drew on his own experience as a recovering alcoholic with an AA sponsor much like Harmon Hesse. He lives in Naples, Florida, and draws upon his extensive local knowledge to paint a portrait of both the glamorous and seamier edges of the city on the southern edge of the state's Gulf Coast.