Joe Burgess Mystery 07-A World of Deceit

A Geologist Lies Comatose in a Portland, Maine Hospital in A World of Deceit, a Detective Joe Burgess Thriller by Kate Flora
—Portland, Maine—
Unable to awaken her father—eminent geologist, Ted Gabbro—nine-year-old Arielle approaches the vacationing Joe Burgess, desperate for his help.
Loathe to let anything interfere with his much needed rest on the mountains of western Maine, Joe can't ignore the girl's plea for help and can't deny that something is very wrong.
As the frightened girl's father languishes in a coma and her mother can't be found, Burgess finds himself in a tangle of land disputes, family politics, the child's parents' nasty divorce, and the powerful greed that accompanies "gold fever".