Title: City Problems

Author: Steve Goble

ISBN: 9781608094431

Publisher: Oceanview Publishers

Pages: 336

Source: ARC from NetGalley

A moment of violence—a snap judgement—a life changed to the core

Ed Runyon bolted from the NYPD after a runaway teen case fell through the cracks and turned into a nightmarish murder. Now, he’s learned to bury the rage that consumed him, cope with depression, and enjoy life as a Mifflin County sheriff’s detective in rural Ohio.

Ed is trying to relax on his day off when Columbus PD Detective Shelly Beckworth comes to Mifflin County in search of a girl who vanished after a pop-up party. The clues are scarce—a few license plates, a phone shattered on the roadside—but the trail leads to Ed’s neck of the woods.

He tries to shove everything else aside to keep this case from ending in another tragedy, but a cop can’t pick and choose which calls to duty he’ll answer. Frustrated, Ed watches a happy ending slip beyond sight—this one he cannot run away from.

Charging forward, Ed breaks rules and takes risks leading to a bloody confrontation where everything he believes as a cop and every ghost in his head clash—a moment of avenging violence that will ultimately change his life to the core.

Official Summary

Coming July 2021

City Problems is a mystery thriller that sees a cop from New York shattered by a case move to a small town – Mifflin County in Ohio. Just when Detective Ed Runyon seems to be getting his life back on track and settling down, a case of a missing girls lands on his desk which brings back a lot of memories about the case that sent him running from New York. He struggles with his past and walks a fine line between right and wrong. How far will he go?

This was my first encounter with Steve Goble. I looked at reviews on GoodReads and a lot of my fellow mystery-thriller readers only gave this book a three-star rating. I believe it deserves better than that. This book is well written, it has a gripping story and manages to keep you uncertain of where it’s going to go. You immediately know that the obvious suspect is not guilty, but the author manages to through little details at you that keep you wondering.

When a missing girl ends up dead, Detective Ed Runyon is forced to face the past he has run away from. Tempted to run away, he struggles to remain in the present. He wants to take the law into his own hands, will he take it upon himself to be judge, jury and executioner or will he remain within the boundaries of the law. This internal struggle is the centre of the story and the author manages to keep you wondering until the very end.

City Problems leaves you looking at law enforcement a little differently, you experience the struggles these men and women face. I was rooting for Ed all the way and would have accepted his actions no matter which way they lead. A scary thought, but the author did a wonderful job expressing Ed’s internal struggle, making it easy to understand why he had the thoughts he did.

Normally I pick I character I like, this time around I am settling for one I disliked. What is with Linda? The woman was simply annoying. Yes, she cared about Ed and she had his best interest at heart, but honestly – she is a character that gives women a bad name. She was nagging and pushing all the time, I have no idea why Ed did not send her on her way. I did not like her at all.

I enjoyed every minute I spent reading City Problems, so this is added to my Loved list for 2021. The author told a harsh story with a lot of emotion and made it easy to understand the lead character.

This story focusses on the cop, rather than the crime itself and will appeal to crime mystery enthusiast. It is a gripping read that will have you hooked very quickly. I have no problem recommending this book, it was a good, fast read.

About the Author

Bio from Author’s Site

I write murder mysteries. My debut novel, “The Bloody Black Flag,” is a historical mystery set aboard a pirate ship in 1722. It published Sept. 12 from Seventh Street Books. That series also includes “The Devil’s Wind,” “A Bottle of Rum” and the upcoming “Pieces of Eight,” due for release in March 2021.

I am also embarking on a new modern-day, hard-boiled series featuring a detective in rural Ohio. “City Problems,” from Oceanview Publishing, will be released in July 2021.

I also wrote fantasy, horror and science fiction, plus some poetry, back in the day. One of my short stories was an honorable mention in “The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 2008,” edited by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant.

I am represented by The Evan Marshall Agency.

Thank you to Oceanview Publishing for my auto-approval and to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title. It releases in July 2021 and is well worth checking out. I will post a reminder about this book in July, remember to share your thoughts when you read it. Until next time….Happy Reading!