Review: Wayward Son

 As Chekhov once said, “If you hang a bowling ball on the wall in act one, you should fire it by act three.” Or maybe those aren’t his exact words. But it certainly applies to Steve Gobles’ Ed Runyon mysteries. Ed is a former NYC cop and a former small town Ohio cop who’s now set up as a private investigator in a town too small to support a P.I., and he’s got some anger issues which have a lot to do with his downward (or outward) mobility. 

He’s also got a tiny trailer in the middle of nowhere, girlfriend problems, and the enmity of a lot of local cops. He’s not the most together guy in the world. But by god he’s got a case. And a bowling ball.

The case is a missing teen-age boy, which is exactly the kind of case he was put on earth for. It may seem simple, but this case will throw everything but the kitchen sink at Ed, and he’ll have to fight tooth and nail to get this kid back home safe. 

That’s what sets Ed Runyon stories apart. It’s the reality of them. I don’t want to use the word “gritty” about them because it’s a word that’s been devalued by over-use, nor does it really apply. There are no mean streets in Mifflin County, Ohio, though there’s mean sleet. But Ed has true grit, and from the moment he takes the case the action roars along without taking a breath. 

And along the way, Ed the avowed loner develops a nascent support group as real as he is. This book is number two in a series. I look forward avidly to number three.