Detective Ed Runyon carries the weight of guilt for the horrific death of a teenage girl on his shoulders. He left his job with NYPD when the body of the missing girl he’d been looking for was discovered dead, troubled by and convinced he could have done more, faster, and saved her life. Now a detective in a rural Ohio sheriff’s department, he almost has his demons in check when he becomes involved in a similar case of a missing girl from nearby Columbus.

With the missing girl resembling the one back in New York, Ed struggles to keep his emotions under control and work within the rule of law and the county system. But as progress on the case drags on, the pressure inside Ed builds as he tries everything he knows to keep it from turning out like the one that haunts his every waking moment and his every sleepless night.

CITY PROBLEMS is an action-filled police procedural with an engaging main character traumatized by his past. The author has created a wonderful rural setting with a sprinkling of small towns surrounded by lush farmland and wild empty spaces. Runyon, the tortured lead detective, is joined by a diverse supporting cast of characters, including a smart female detective from Columbus as his temporary partner on this case. The story introduces several coworkers at the sheriff’s department, and the sheriff is appropriately caught-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place elected official. There is an intriguing on-again, off-again love interest that promises some sparks as the story (and the series) progresses.

This first in the series novel features some really well-developed teenaged characters as well. I especially liked the members of the up-and-coming rock band, Soul Scraped, whose repertoire lies well outside Runyon’s taste in tunes. They seemed like real teens, fun and fascinating, and hopefully, recurring.

The story shows some strong police work while solving the solid and intriguing mystery of what happened to the missing girl from Columbus. The rural venue proves to have many of the same problems as the big city, but Runyon is an adept investigator when not dealing with his pent-up rage and frustration.

I recommend CITY PROBLEMS for mystery readers who enjoy a good police procedural-style story and those that would like to read about crime-solving outside the urban setting.