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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Annelie Geissler
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THE PRINCESS AND THE P.I.

Nikki Payne

An amateur online sleuth must enlist the help of a jaded PI to clear her name while taking down a shady tech start-up in this exhilarating romantic suspense novel.
Fiona Addai is ready to set her plan in motion. To honor the anniversary of her brother's death, she's going to steal back his brilliant invention from the ruthless corporation that stole and claimed it as their own. As a famed Reddit detective known as @Princess_PI, Fiona has used her online connections and sleuthing skills to time every step down to the minute. But with one disastrous misstep, instead of getting justice, Fiona finds herself accused of murder.

Maurice Bennett is no stranger to insomnia. These days, he's not losing sleep over the cases he's solving - but running from the one he couldn't. Instead, he's been settling for small-time scandals that don't stir up the guilt he's buried. But when he spots Fiona Addai at the center of a murder investigation, something clicks. And for the first time in a long while, Maurice feels that old spark of intrigue.

However, Fiona is not the helpless damsel she appears to be. Sure, she needs Maurice's help to clear her name, but she's got conditions of her own: she wants a crash course in real-world detective work. Maurice isn't exactly thrilled. With every late-night stakeout and tension-filled interrogation, their partnership, rife with tension and unexpected chemistry, unravels a dangerous web of corporate crime and familial secrets. To bring the real killer to light, they'll need to trust each other and that might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

By day, Nikki Payne is a curious tech anthropologist asking the right questions to deliver better digital services. By night, she dreams of ways to subvert canon literature. She's a member of Smut U, a premium feminist writing collective, and is a cat lady with no cats.
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Published 2025-09-16 by Berkley

Comments

This sparkling tale of romantic suspense from Payne (Sex, Lies and Sensibility) introduces Fiona Addai, the sheltered adult daughter of a doomsday pastor who gets her kicks while living under his strict rules by solving cold cases on Reddit under the handle Princess_PI.

Watch out Phillip Marlowe because Fiona and Maurice have arrived. Nikki Payne is in her mystery bag and I am a fan! The Princess and the P.I. is a twisty romance with a noir-ish flair that had me reading well into the night. Nikki Payne's iconic humor, unforgettable characters and sharp cultural commentary truly shine in this ambitious slow-burn romance.

Nikki Payne was already an insta-buy author for me, but she's cemented herself as a forever fave with The Princess and the P.I.! Her trademark blend of wit, spice, and vulnerability gets kicked up a notch by adding mystery to the mix and I couldn't get enough. Pick this book up immediately!

I'm in love with Fiona Addai - she shines in Nikki Payne's The Princess and the P.I.. This story has it all: the call for justice, escaping cults, disappointing family, and a heroine who's worth rooting for. Crossing my fingers that I'll get to see Fiona sleuthing her way around DMV again!

Nikki Payne's books are always a good time, and The Princess and the P.I. is no exception. Equal parts thrilling suspense and steamy romance, this'll have readers hooked from page one.