Bob Abramson is an attorney who practices in San Diego. His husband Marcus is a professor at UCSD. Their daughter Lily is a senior in high school, who is getting ready to graduate and is considering her next step of college. They have an aging and loving retriever named Zelda. Theirs seems to be a comfortable and happy household. Especially since Bob just got a terrific new job offer. He may become the first assistant district attorney for San Diego County. But....

Bob's friend and investigator, Jason Thompson, has just brought Bob a personal problem. Jason's steady boyfriend, Nick Conlan, is missing. Nick is a Navy surgeon who works at the local hospital. He's a responsible person with solid ethics. Now, he's seemingly, simply, just gone, without any warning. Can Bob use his substantial network of people and resources to help Jason find Nick?

This particular case of a missing person soon attracts the close attention of both local law enforcement officials and their military counterparts. City Detective Ron Sanchez seems quick to assume that it's a murder case, even though Nick has not yet been found. Someone with Navy connections declares Nick to be officially AWOL. Bob interviews lots of people, and he still can't come up with a definitive explanation for Nick's behavior, or to be able to nail down his whereabouts. It's a frustrating situation, all around.

Is more going on here than meets the eye? Is Nick's sexual preference another factor to consider in the investigation? And will Nick's disappearance have a ripple effect both on Jason's life and on Bob's career?

The story is set during the time of the Obama administration. Oh, the good old days! The plot is driven almost entirely through dialogue. Most of the action centers on Bob, as he does his best to figure out what happened. I have to admit that at a certain point, I thought I understood what the final outcome would be. The ending was a lightly satisfying one, for this reader.

Yet, the book would have been well served to get another pass-through by an editor. I spotted several instances where the names of Bob and Marcus were somehow switched. I had to re-read portions to make sure I knew who was really talking or who was really driving. Such reader confusion is a no-no. Several words were misspelled along the way, too. Pay attention, folks.

Bonds is the fifth episode in the Bob & Marcus Mystery series. At 186 pages, the action of the novel moves fairly quickly, when the reader is interested enough in the characters and in the outcome. And if they like this one, they might enjoy the fact that this is just one chance to spend some time with Bob, Marcus and Lily. I don't believe that I'll go back and read the first four. But I AM interested in what the future holds for these characters. Count me in for the next episode.