The query letter
Dear ________:
I know you are a well-respected agent who represents the kind of manuscript I’ve written.
Missing No More is a 78,000-word, hard-edged mystery/detective novel that takes place on the streets of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. Detective Jamo O’Reilly is a seasoned officer who spends as much time in a bar as he does the homicide division. When he investigates a fellow officer suspected of murdering his missing wife, Jamo’s years of experience, his friendships on the force, and his personal life are all tested to the limit.
The investigation begins to take a few quirky turns, as officers from a suburban police department appear to be involved. Jamo has to rely on the missing woman’s younger sister to find the motive for the crime. Along the way his partner, Detective Pete “Pud” Duignan, is gunned down causing Jamo to redouble his efforts in solving the murder, just as his interest turns from the investigation toward the ex-wife of his chief suspect.
Soon the investigation takes a startling turn and Jamo’s personal life is in shambles, but he continues the search for the killer and the chance at happiness that has always eluded him. In the end, justice doesn’t always end in a court conviction.
The idea for
Missing No More comes from the real-life drama unfolding in a Chicago-area courtroom. Bolingbrook Sgt. Drew Peterson is accused of murdering his third wife, with his fourth wife still missing and presumed dead. Police officers like everything to be black and white, and most crimes, especially those of passion, are relatively easy to solve. But what if facts aren’t what they appear to be? This is the approach I took with
Missing No More.
I am an ex-Chicago cop who left after achieving the rank of detective. Because of my experience,
Missing No More has the undeniable ring of authenticity of how cops think and act within the brotherhood, providing a clear and unflinching glimpse inside the world of one Chicago police detective.
Currently, I am instructing both graduate and undergraduate level courses at a university in Chicago. I am currently the treasurer of the midwest chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. Thank you for your time and attention, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
[Name withheld]