Balancing the Books — A Punch-Girl Short (Story #6)

The numbers don't lie. Someone wishes they would. Alec is good at his job. Exceptionally good. So when a routine review of a client's accounts reveals vendor payments that don't connect, shell companies that barely exist, and a money trail that leads somewhere no honest business should go — he can't let it go. That's not how his mind works. What starts as professional due diligence becomes something more dangerous than Alec bargained for. But he's not the kind of man who walks away from a problem just because it pushes back. Balancing the Books is a standalone short story set in the world of the Punch-Girl series by J.M. Reilly — a character study and financial crime thriller that reveals the quiet determination beneath Alec's accountant exterior. Start with Punch-Girl Book One to experience the full story.