Dearly Departed by David Housewright

A recording of a lost woman’s voice sends Holland Taylor on a wild hunt

The woman’s words send an icy chill through Minneapolis private investigator Holland Taylor: “If you are listening to this now,” she says, “it is because I am dead.” Speaking calmly, Alison Emerton explains that if she is missing, it is because Raymond Fleck killed her. Fleck, a convicted rapist, lost his job at a humane kennel after Alison accused him of sexual harassment and stalking. The threats began soon after, prompting Alison to buy a gun and record the tape. She vanished soon after, leaving behind her wallet, coat, and boots, on a night when twenty-three inches of snow fell on Minneapolis.

Seven months later, her lawyer hires Taylor to find the missing woman. As Taylor digs into Alison’s past, he learns that Raymond Fleck was not the only person who wanted her dead.