Where Are They? by DAVID COCHRAN
Twenty years ago, three men associated with Marlowe Mansion, a large Victorian home surrounded by farmland just outside the small town of Stillwell, disappeared and have not been seen since. The missing men are Asa Marlowe, Jr., the wealthy owner of the mansion, his is son, Asa Marlowe III, also known as Three, who is a playboy living off his father’s bounty, and Roscoe Savini, who is believed to be Asa Junior’s son from a previous relationship.
A large reward has been posted for finding the men, dead or alive. Harvey Hawkshaw, a retired detective who is now a private investigator, led the search for the men for the last two decades while in the Stillwell Police Department. He is still interested in solving the case and especially collecting the reward At the recommendation of this friends, Harvey teams up with an unlikely partner, Flywheel (no last name), a recovered delinquent who is a mattress salesman turned metal junk dealer. His unusual humor and zany style of investigation drive Harvey and Detective Chappy Chan crazy. However, neither of the detectives can deny that Flywheel’s ideas are opening up new leads. Flywheel doesn’t deny that he likes reward money.
There are many people of interest in the cold case, but proving their involvement has led to many dead ends. The women living in the mansion, a mother-daughter team of local psychics, Otto “Noah” Zark, and others seem to know something, but getting evidence from them is tough.
Where Are They? blends a cozy mystery with many humorous incidents and comical dialog. It is a quick read with many twists and turns that keeps readers guessing “whodunnit” right to the end of the story. It will be enjoyed by both adult and young adult readers.
