When your day starts with a close friend stopping by and trying to kill you, you know the rest of your week can only get better. Unfortunately, for Jacob, that's not the case. ***** Hardened and tired from so many years of pain and anger, Jacob wants nothing more than to spend his days making 'shine, sitting by his field, or sharing stories with his buddies. Unfortunately for Jacob, his haunted past includes real demons and the fresh blood on his driveway screams more trouble to come. When the people around him start dying and Jacob is forced to question everything he once knew, there's only one thing he can be certain of: The Judge is to blame. Meanwhile, Matt has just begun his career as a private investigator and already has a trench coat and a big case. His mentor, Allan, is missing. Between the strange phone calls, the unsettling men with manic smiles, and the increasingly unnatural circumstances, Matt may be in over his head. With a newfound love on the line, however, the young PI may have to risk it all to get to the bottom of what's going on. Jacob and Matt want answers; there's a lot at stake. When Mr. White and The Judge meet at the crossroads, Jacob and Matt could lose everything. Hard Place features a series of illustrations by R. A. Jacobson, the author. For the fully illustrated graphic novel edition, please see Hard Place: The Graphic Novel