Professional Integrity

When a young heiress hires two thieves to steal her, Hadrian and Royce have officially taken their strangest job yet. The premise is lighter than it sounds, but Sullivan layers real tension beneath the comedy — because something about this client's story doesn't add up, and Royce, constitutionally incapable of letting a lie slide, intends to find out exactly what. At its heart, this is a story about trust, deception, and what a man with a complicated moral code considers a point of honor.

What makes Professional Integrity work so well as a reading experience is Sullivan's effortless command of the banter between his two leads. The dynamic between the gruff, warm-hearted Hadrian and the prickly, sharp-edged Royce feels lived-in and genuine, never forced. For readers already familiar with Riyria, it's the pleasure of spending time with characters who feel like old friends. For newcomers, it's a painless, engrossing entry point into a world worth exploring further. Sullivan does a lot with a tight word count — the pacing is clean, the mystery lands, and the ending earns its quiet satisfaction.