The Internet Cowboy

Perry Williams, a semi-recluse, wannabe cowboy, receives a gift package at his home that totally delights and mystifies him. He wonders who would send him such a gift. When he finally opens the box, a long string of events begins to evolve that leads to crimes of prostitution, murder, missing persons, intrigue, suspense, and much more, all leading to a long and frustrating criminal investigation by Detective Oren Baker and his partner, Burt Hendricks.
Leads are hard to come by, but eventually a potential murder suspect named Sid Thompson, a neighbor next door to Perry Williams, is identified and questioned. As Baker and Hendricks put more and more pressure on Thompson, the man suddenly flees the area and disappears from the police radar.
In an attempt to find relatives of Perry Williams, a sister of his is eventually located, so Baker and Hendricks follow that path and learn several interesting things that lead them to broaden their investigation all the way to Nashville. Two additional suspicious deaths are uncovered, both in areas where Thompson was known to live and work at the time of the deaths. Leads are followed to no avail, until eventually the additional deaths are determined to have been murders. It is revealed through the very intensive investigation and hard-nosed questioning by Burt Hendricks that Thompson could be connected to them.
Baker soon learns his daughter has been involved in a horrific traffic accident in Davenport, Iowa. He rushes the long agonizing miles to get to the hospital to be with her, only to receive a cell call notifying him he is minutes too late. His son-in-law notifies Baker his daughter just died, leaving both of the men devastated. A young son is left without a mother.
Eventually Baker, a widower, falls in love with and marries long-time district attorney Lila Burns. He makes several attempts to bring Thompson to arrest and trial, both before and after his marriage, but each time Lila says there isn’t enough proof to convict the man, so she refuses to prosecute. After his marriage, Baker is promoted to police chief as soon as his boss retires. Soon there is enough evidence for Lila to bring Thompson to trial. Lila is convinced she can get a conviction.
It is a huge, shocking surprise when Baker’s new daughter-in-law is identified as Thompson’s defense attorney. But as shocking as it is, it pales in comparison to the shock of how the trial is conducted and the way the story comes to a dramatic climax.
The intense, shocking end of this mystery thriller is not easy to guess. The story starts with bomb shells, but ends with the biggest bombshell of all. There are so many explosive situations in the story that it will take the reader’s breath away as they anxiously read to the final paragraphs of the last page.
The primary setting for this mystery thriller is in the heartland of America, the midwestern cities of Peoria and Decatur, Illinois, as well as Davenport, Iowa, and Nashville, Tennessee.