BeatNikki's Cafe — Renee James

When a vile, hate-spewing thug attacks the people she loves, trans woman Nikki Finch knows what she must do to protect them.

Nikki Finch is a successful transgender woman with a thriving Beatnik cafe and a comfortable life until the first summer of the Trump presidency sets off a wave of violence against minorities. Nikki's carefully curated world is shattered when a neo-Nazi thug attacks her business partner. She comes to his rescue, but her efforts launch a chain of events that imperil her and everyone she loves, especially her angst-ridden daughter, Morgan. Nikki will do everything she can to keep her loved ones safe, but as her civilized options begin to evaporate, she is left with no choice but to go places she's never gone before.

Kill or be killed. It should be a simple choice. But it's not that simple for Nikki Finch -- it would have to be a cold-blooded murder and she'd have to get away with it. It could work, but what kind of example would she set for her daughter?

BeatNikki's Café was named a finalist for Killer Nashville's 2024 Silver Falchion Award for Best Mystery.