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City Problems: An Ed Runyon Mystery    by Steve Goble Amazon.com order for
City Problems
by Steve Goble
Order:  USA  Can
Oceanview, 2021 (2021)
Hardcover, e-Book
* *   Reviewed by Hilary Williamson

Steve Goble's City Problems is a police procedural. First in a series, it introduces Mifflin County sheriff's detective Ed Runyon, in rural Ohio. Ed used to work for the NYPD, but quit after finding a blonde teen girl brutally murdered.

As the novel opens, Ed's called in by Sheriff Daltry on his day off to assist Columbus Detective Michelle 'Shelly' Beckworth. Shelly is investigating the disappearance of a teen girl, Megan Beemer, who went to a pop-up party and never made it home. There were a lot of Mifflin County plates at the party and Megan's car was left in the parking lot.

A local hero, linebacker Jeff Cotton, was at the party, as were 'Soul Scraped' band members. Jeff's father leads a group of zealots, Mifflin County Patriots, and his farm is more of a fortress. After Megan's body is found, her injuries and memories of the NY case rouse Ed's anger, getting him into trouble.

Ed and Shelly decide to poke the Cotton bear, call in SWAT, and get a confession. When it's all over, Ed quits, concerned about some of his own choices during the investigation. He decides to be a PI, specializing in missing kids - a nice lead in to the next episode.

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