Jack Hines Mystery

Jake Hines is a stubborn detective with a murky past now living outside Minneapolis where the city meets the prairie. He’s a little out of place in a place where the winters are long and the men are rugged, but he’s got more to worry about than just fitting in. There’s a serial killer on the loose leaving behind three murders, two suspects and a lot of unanswered questions. One victim was found laying on home plate in a neighborhood softball diamond, another was found disfigured and wearing an old softball uniform.

The town used to be a safe haven from the problems of the big city. Now many youth in the town are turning to drugs. Jake knows many of these kids in the crumbling downtown section aren't local. A robbery in a local bar at the center of town takes the town into an even worse spin. The bar owner, Babe, is a friend to Jake, but rescuing her sets off a chain of crimes increasing in challenge and severity. The bloody trail leads to a golf bag and a bag of golf balls that may not be what they seem to be.

It's not just the winter murder of a young woman that has Jake Hines concerned. When the body is found at the river near a highway overpass, Jake's girlfriend Trudy is supposed to be there as a crime scene expert from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Trudy is missing, the BCA is understaffed, the Rutherford Police Department needs more officers, and the snowstorm is covering up the body and evidence.

Late winter, and police detective Jake Hines is beginning to feel the effects of light deprivation; it’s not only in the edginess of the citizens of Rutherford, Minnesota, but also in the escalating battle he’s having with his girlfriend, Trudy. Sitting in headquarters talking about the winter depression may not make it go away, but it does offer Jake a chance to air some of his feelings. Then two emergency calls come in at the same time....