This police-procedural mystery story, published in late 2017, already has several four star reviews on amazon.com. It describes how Shane Notfarg, a middle aged, female Afro-American detective in San Diego County is assigned the case of missing man, Arthur Flynn, in late 2008. (Do a Google search of Shane Notfarg and see how readily it leads to the book and the author, Pat Muir). Flynn has disappeared from a fishing camp on the Russian River in northern California, and his belongings were stolen from his campsite, suggesting foul play. His car is found fully stripped in Compton and forensics determines that it contained his dead body. Shane investigates his camp site neighbors and suspects one of them who has a criminal record and lives near Compton. But she cannot figure out how he carried out the murder. She learns Flynn had stumbled upon a money laundering operation and works with the Drug Enforcement Administration to get evidence that will dismantle the operation and convict the persons responsible.
But Flynn's body is not recovered and it isn't until 2015 that Shane discovers what happened to him and who arranged to kill him in a surprising ending. The novel also comments in passing on law enforcement's desire to seize a suspect's assets before a conviction and also on the prejudice Shane encounters as a black women in a male dominated environment.
Pat Muir has also authored "Stories To Entertain You...If You Get Bored On Your Wedding Night" and "The Numbers Man." These books are available on Amazon.com, Nook and Smashwords