DEAD WRONG by Mark L. Dressler features Detective Dan Shields and his partner, Joe “Scotty” Scott. Dan has a reputation for pushing boundaries, but he gets the job done. The novel opens with Dan being woken up in the middle of the night by Captain Harold Syms, calling him to the scene of two deaths at Hartford City College.

"The clues and red herrings will tease readers, who furiously will be turning the pages. The characters are believable, and the multiple storylines are fascinating, all culminating in a surprise ending."

Gordon Gunderson, the overnight DJ at the school’s radio station, is found dead of an apparent overdose. Christine Kole, a security guard, is discovered in a stairwell and appears to have been murdered. Gordon was terrified of syringes, but a raw needle mark is found on his left arm. Although drug paraphernalia is near him, there are no defensive wounds. This leads Dan, Scotty and the medical examiner to conclude that he could have passed out at the sight of the needle, and foul play is suspected. Gordon’s father is an influential and powerful man, immediately putting everyone on high alert.

The station manager, Ramsey Dale, is with Jason Ritter, who discovered the bodies when he arrived to do his radio gig. Dan retrieves Gordon’s cell phone and comes across this message from Cody Wilcox, the son of Gordon’s ex-stepmother: “meet me, same place. I’ll have it.” Gordon’s reply: “Tuesday morning.” What could this mean? Was it a drug meet? Dan and Scotty proceed to question Jason, who has little to share beyond saying that his show goes on after Gordon’s.

As if their caseload isn’t heavy enough, Dan soon gets another late-night call sending him to the scenes of two more homicides. On Halloween night, two men are shot in different locations, each wearing a Batman costume. One lives in a homeless shelter and is identified, but the other victim is more of a mystery. Another murder attached to a mugging comes in next. A woman was exiting the train station, and the police have pictures of the suspect they want to get to the media as soon as possible.

As the narrative unfolds, the everyday business of the police leads them to solve their cases and field new ones. The clues and red herrings will tease readers, who furiously will be turning the pages. The characters are believable, and the multiple storylines are fascinating, all culminating in a surprise ending.

Dressler has done a yeoman’s job presenting scenarios that could happen in real life, which makes for a very satisfying read. Dan Shields and the rest of the cast will leave a lasting impression, motivating newcomers of Dressler’s series to read the previous two installments, DEAD AND GONE and DEAD RIGHT.