Tommy Chow was about to graduate from the University of Denver. His parents and sister waited expectantly for him to appear on the stage to receive the diploma that would allow him to continue on to medical school and a worthy career as a doctor. But when the last student paraded across the stage, the Chow family had a disturbing feeling that something was dreadfully wrong.

Where was their son?

A month later, the desperate family approached Mark MacFarland. They've heard he is the kind of detective who can do what the police cannot do. While sympathetic to their plight, MacFarland is convinced the young man is just a run away. But as he delves deeper into Tommy Chow's disappearance, he discovers that the young man had many secrets…secrets that could get him killed.

Strident Student is the nineteenth book in the Hot Dog Detective series. Each book can be read independently, but if you want to read them in order, just follow the alphabet.