In the Zone

Karen Emerson re-entered the workforce on a typo. Newburn Township, Ohio, wanted a ZI, not a PI. So the would-be private investigator became a small town Zoning Inspector. Adjusting to the job was not as easy as she’d imagined. Her predecessor was in jail and her Township Trustee liaison, Cliff Hagadorn, was a no-show, renowned for his absence from Town Hall. When Karen’s natural curiosity is aroused by careless paperwork and missing fees, she begins to unravel a long history of mismanagement, possibly criminal mismanagement. It takes tenacity and the help of a reporter, a Sheriff and Karen’s five year old daughter to solve the mystery.

David Snively is the author of several published award-winning short stories, all of them written since he retired from corporate America and bought the farm. Literally. Executive turned sheep farmer, Snively served as township trustee in Ohio learning first-hand the challenges and frustrations of a small town Zoning Office. In the Zone began as a short story and quickly grew to a novel. Beyond the Zone is next in the series.