The Body at Cutwater Creek

Ed Riordan died with a bullet hole in his chest. No one seems to know why he came to the remote Oregon town of Hope. No weapon or witnesses are found. Police Chief John Norton worries he’s facing a dead end—until off-duty San Francisco detective Zack Dalton arrives, connecting the murder to an unsolved kidnapping.

Determined to break the case that sidelined his career, Zack wheedles his way into Norton’s investigation. Aided by his unconventional former partner, Lonnie Wittenberg, Zack’s inquiries lead to some of Hope’s colorful characters: drunkard Leroy Montrose and his childlike granddaughter, Sarah; Rory Archer, a scrawny teen with a penchant for fly fishing; Miss Kitty behind the Roadside Tavern bar; Ray Isley, owner of the Rockin’ I Ranch.

And, Annie O’Connor. Widowed proprietress of the Bluebell Café, she’s everything Zack’s wealthy wife is not, everything in a woman he’s ever wanted. But the investigation veers in ways Zack cannot anticipate, cornering him into a choice between doing his duty and protecting his newfound love.