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Walter Dure Hard Case #1
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.
This is version 2.0.
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.
This is version 2.0.
237 pages, Paperback
Published August 13, 2018
5 people are currently reading
602 people want to read
About the author
David Staats
5 books31 followersDavid Staats practiced law for twenty years and is a member of three states' Bars. Before practicing law, he was a soldier, a student, and a C.P.A. He now writes mysteries and thrillers. He also has translated the novella of medieval intrigue, The Monk's Wedding, from the German.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 10, 2018
Reviewed by Darryl Greer for Readers' Favorite.
In David Staats’ debut novel "The Case of the Missing Department Head", Tiffany Houlihan, head of the county library system in Canterbury, Pennysltucky, is found dead - minus her head - and the police immediately suspect her husband, Howard. She was, after all, a bit of a bully. It is not long before Howard is arrested and charged with his wife’s murder. He engages the services of local attorney, Walter Dure but the lawyer is aghast when he discovers that his client from hell has ignored his legal advice, making the defence even more difficult than it had been. With the prosecutor threatening the death penalty, Dure needs to use every bit of ammunition in his arsenal to overcome a key piece of testimony in the prosecution's possession and get an acquittal for his client. At times it looks as though he might be in with a chance, but chances come and go and unless Dure can pull off a miracle, his client’s life remains in jeopardy.
"The Case of the Missing Department Head" is not a long read, but if you're looking for something that will get you through a sleepless night, this is it. It’s a legal thriller in the vein of Grisham, the difficult-to-put-down variety. The writing is crisp and clear, intelligent, I suspect written by a lawyer intimate with the insides of a court room. The scenes are so well described it is easy to follow the action, movie-like as it unfolds. For those not used to legal terminology, language and procedure, David Staats has used the clever device of having, at least for a time, a blogger sitting in the back of the court room typing and uploading an explanatory observation on what is going on. What this character types is reproduced in the narrative. When we get to the trial itself it is difficult to put the book down not knowing how — or if — Dure can achieve the seemingly impossible. "The Case of the Missing Department Head" is a truly riveting read and I suspect the Walter Dure stories to follow will be too.
In David Staats’ debut novel "The Case of the Missing Department Head", Tiffany Houlihan, head of the county library system in Canterbury, Pennysltucky, is found dead - minus her head - and the police immediately suspect her husband, Howard. She was, after all, a bit of a bully. It is not long before Howard is arrested and charged with his wife’s murder. He engages the services of local attorney, Walter Dure but the lawyer is aghast when he discovers that his client from hell has ignored his legal advice, making the defence even more difficult than it had been. With the prosecutor threatening the death penalty, Dure needs to use every bit of ammunition in his arsenal to overcome a key piece of testimony in the prosecution's possession and get an acquittal for his client. At times it looks as though he might be in with a chance, but chances come and go and unless Dure can pull off a miracle, his client’s life remains in jeopardy.
"The Case of the Missing Department Head" is not a long read, but if you're looking for something that will get you through a sleepless night, this is it. It’s a legal thriller in the vein of Grisham, the difficult-to-put-down variety. The writing is crisp and clear, intelligent, I suspect written by a lawyer intimate with the insides of a court room. The scenes are so well described it is easy to follow the action, movie-like as it unfolds. For those not used to legal terminology, language and procedure, David Staats has used the clever device of having, at least for a time, a blogger sitting in the back of the court room typing and uploading an explanatory observation on what is going on. What this character types is reproduced in the narrative. When we get to the trial itself it is difficult to put the book down not knowing how — or if — Dure can achieve the seemingly impossible. "The Case of the Missing Department Head" is a truly riveting read and I suspect the Walter Dure stories to follow will be too.
May 1, 2020
Kept my interest from the first page to the last
May 20, 2020
This is a good quick mystery. Like the characters and plot. enjoyed trying to solve the mystery as it happened. Will enjoy reading this series.
June 22, 2019
I received this as a free book. I found found the plot interesting, so I decided to read the book. Overall, I found that it was a good read. The characters could have been more developed in my opinion, but that didn’t take away from the story. I enjoyed the mystery behind the murder. It definitely kept me guessing as to who actually committed the murder. The author gave you several different suspects, who all have reasonable motive to want the victim dead. I was surprised by the ending, and who actually committed the murder. Will definitely want to read more from this author.
June 19, 2019
This is the first book in the Walter Dure mystery series by David Staats. Attorney Walter Dure is hired by Howard Houlihan to defend him in the murder if his wife Tiffany who was found beheaded in their backyard while he was away. Howard has been arrested for her murder and makes matters worse when he disregards Dure's legal advice to help him get acquitted for his wife's murder. I really enjoyed reading this legal thriller.
April 25, 2020
I almost felt like I was watching a movie, or a made for TV movie. The descriptions of how the characters looked and their movements made me see this book as the story unfolded.
The characters are good. The mystery is good. It is a quick read that works as a good mystery. I hope to see more of Attorney Walter Dure and his team.
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. I recommend it to mystery lovers and courtroom drama lovers.
The characters are good. The mystery is good. It is a quick read that works as a good mystery. I hope to see more of Attorney Walter Dure and his team.
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. I recommend it to mystery lovers and courtroom drama lovers.
July 13, 2020
I received this in a giveaway and was excited to read it with phrases like “cozy mystery” and “crime fiction” used to describe it. Sadly, it didn’t really feel like either to me. The first half felt more mystery-esque but then it became focused on the trial more. I’ve read legal thrillers or court dramas I’ve enjoyed, but this felt repetitive and dull in these scenes. There weren’t a lot of clues to help readers a long the way. For anyone looking for a true cozy mystery, look elsewhere!
February 10, 2021
I love a free book and enjoyed this #goodreadsgiveaway as a very light read. It was a good spacer between the hard-core crime and horror I usually read, though I wouldn't find myself paying full price for any of his future cases.
April 23, 2020
An unusual type of crime with an unusual attorney trying to save his client. Good story line. Won this in a Goodreads Giveaway
September 5, 2020
Entertaining
Not quite believable characters and a total lack of the action one would expect in a murder mystery, but solving the mystery is worth the challenge
Not quite believable characters and a total lack of the action one would expect in a murder mystery, but solving the mystery is worth the challenge
March 19, 2021
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and in return this is my honest review. This was a short novel that follows an acclaimed lawyer, Walter Dure, who is defending his client. Dure understands that finding the killer is the best way for him to win the case. While I read this book, the main character slightly reminded me of Sherlock Holmes since he seems to be able to be two steps ahead of everyone else. Overall, this was a unique read, especially since I saw Staats law experience shine through some of the scenes in this book. Despite this being cleverly written, I was not captivated by the cast of characters and at times there was a little too much legal jargon for me to continue this series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews