City Problems

A moment of violence—a snap judgement—a life changed to the core

Ed Runyon bolted from the NYPD after a runaway teen case fell through the cracks and turned into a nightmarish murder. Now, he’s learned to bury the rage that consumed him, cope with depression, and enjoy life as a Mifflin County sheriff’s detective in rural Ohio.

Ed is trying to relax on his day off when Columbus PD Detective Shelly Beckworth comes to Mifflin County in search of a girl who vanished after a pop-up party. The clues are scarce—a few license plates, a phone shattered on the roadside—but the trail leads to Ed’s neck of the woods.

He tries to shove everything else aside to keep this case from ending in another tragedy, but a cop can’t pick and choose which calls to duty he’ll answer. Frustrated, Ed watches a happy ending slip beyond sight—this one he cannot run away from.

Charging forward, Ed breaks rules and takes risks leading to a bloody confrontation where everything he believes as a cop and every ghost in his head clash—a moment of avenging violence that will ultimately change his life to the core.

Perfect for fans of Robert Crais and John Sanford

While the novels in the Ed Runyon Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

City Problems
Wayward Son
Go Find Daddy (coming 2023)

Steve Goble is a lifelong Ohio resident and a former journalist. He now works for a digital investigations firm as he reinvents himself as a mystery novel writer. His Spider John historical mysteries are known for darkly humorous characters and salty dialogue. City Problems is the first in the Ed Runyon Mystery Series. Steve lives in rural Ohio with his family and their two dogs.