The easy problems—the small, quiet ones—had been there all along. They just needed someone crazy enough to solve them.

Lila’s mentor, Felix, a voodoo priest with a penchant for sarcasm and too many tattoos, leaned over her desk. “What’s wrong, sugar? Losin’ your touch?”

By Jennifer Estep (A fictional work inspired by the author’s signature dark fantasy style) Prologue: The Impossibility of Easy

The client was older, with silver hair and a voice like gravel. “They call me Mama Sorel. I need you to find my son. He vanished two weeks ago. The police think he ran off, but his shadow didn’t move with him.” She gestured to the shape pooling at her feet. “This one’s been hunting him. I think it wants to kill me next.”

I should start by confirming if they're aware of Estep's actual works and whether "Only Hard Problems" is a real title or a mix-up. But since they asked for a story regardless, I'll proceed assuming it's a request for a new story inspired by Estep's style. Estep's works often involve young adult protagonists, dark fantasy elements, action, and sometimes a satirical twist or a modern setting.

Only Hard Problems By Jennifer Estep -epub- May 2026

The easy problems—the small, quiet ones—had been there all along. They just needed someone crazy enough to solve them.

Lila’s mentor, Felix, a voodoo priest with a penchant for sarcasm and too many tattoos, leaned over her desk. “What’s wrong, sugar? Losin’ your touch?”

By Jennifer Estep (A fictional work inspired by the author’s signature dark fantasy style) Prologue: The Impossibility of Easy

The client was older, with silver hair and a voice like gravel. “They call me Mama Sorel. I need you to find my son. He vanished two weeks ago. The police think he ran off, but his shadow didn’t move with him.” She gestured to the shape pooling at her feet. “This one’s been hunting him. I think it wants to kill me next.”

I should start by confirming if they're aware of Estep's actual works and whether "Only Hard Problems" is a real title or a mix-up. But since they asked for a story regardless, I'll proceed assuming it's a request for a new story inspired by Estep's style. Estep's works often involve young adult protagonists, dark fantasy elements, action, and sometimes a satirical twist or a modern setting.