[Walter Dure Mystery 01] • The Case of the Missing Department Head

**“Has all of the great hallmarks of a cozy mystery, but carries the weight and merit of a wholly engrossing crime fiction.” – *Readers' Favorite* 5-star review.**

On a fine, late spring day, a woman's body is discovered in the backyard of a large house in a tony suburb. After the police finish questioning the woman's husband, he rushes to retain attorney Walter Dure. The husband claims he left town for the weekend and that his wife was alive when he left. The body was outdoors for two or three days so that the time of death cannot be fixed with any certainty; thus almost none of the suspects can be excluded by alibi. Further, there are almost no physical clues.

When Dure's client disregards his advice, the result may be fatal. Will Dure be able to save his client from himself? Or is Dure defending a guilty client?

“Walter Dure is a lawyer who also takes on the role of quasi-detective, fishing out details and discussing events with anyone and everyone who may be associated with the crime, its victim, or its accused. Staats has done an excellent job of packing a huge punch in a novel that is shorter in length. . . . **The writing is sublime** and nothing is given away prematurely - which I am always grateful for - making this book **the perfect choice for an afternoon of murder, mystery, and an intriguing whodunit.”** – *Readers' Favorite.*