Well….

While investigating the murder of his sponsor, a recovering alcoholic teeters on the brink of relapse as he discovers his sponsor engaged in a dark 12-step labyrinth of blackmail, human trafficking and murder.

34 words instead of 30 in my 1st try (I meant to position 12-step with labyrinth in my earlier version). And it feels a little awkward to me. And I eschew repeating key words in a logline where brevity is critical.

I don’t think “returning to his old haunts” is critical to your logline (although it obviously is important to your story). A logline is about selling the sizzle, not describing the steak in detail. The sizzle of your logline — to me, anyway — is the discovery that his sponsor was no saint, far from it. And the stakes and dilemma for the protagonist. The shocking discoveries continually threaten to trigger a relapse. BUT he can’t walk away from the crime; he must solve the murder no matter where the evidence leads him. He’s damned if he does investigate, damned if he doesn’t.

That’s a hook that grabs my attention.

Given the emotional bonds that often develop in an alcoholic-sponsor relationship, how newbies look up to sponsors as role models, I think your twist on the sponsor is a winner. This is a premise I would love to see played out on the silver screen. Best wishes with your story.