In this book of the PATHS CROSSED series, tag along with Edwards as he sheds his trooper uniform for the plainclothes of a detective. Accompany him as he collaborates with colleagues to tease out suspects. As you do, you will sense the obsession that clouds their lives as they take A CLOSER LOOK at unsolved crimes, searching for evidence of the truth and then assembling it in a legally admissible way. These true cases are full of twists and turns which often read like fiction.
Clif Edwards' professional life has been in law enforcement. He was recruited into the Michigan State Police (MSP) at the age of 18. During his nearly 27-year career, he thrived on the training and experiences while striving to make his mark. He then became a Law Enforcement (Protection) ranger with the National Park Service (NPS), serving 14 seasons. The first half of Clif's MSP career was served in the Uniform Services Bureau, primarily as a trooper. Serving among six posts, he was a field training officer for five rookies, he was assigned to an undercover team, and he served as an advanced accident investigator, a dog handler, and a shift supervisor. He earned four Professional Excellence Awards and two Letters of Commendation for investigations he conducted. The second half of Clif's MSP career was served in the Investigative Services Bureau as a detective. He assisted police departments across a nine-county area, managed major crime task forces, conducted both sensitive and cold-case investigations, was a street supervisor/operative for an undercover drug enforcement team, and served as a post detective. As a Detective Sergeant, Clif earned three Meritorious Service Awards: one for solving a serial kidnapper/rapist case, one for solving an organized crime case, and the last for solving a 15-year-old murder case. He was twice nominated Trooper of the Year. Clif was then promoted to Detective Lieutenant to command a multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement team. This position is the highest rank in the MSP hierarchy where enforcement duties are part of the job description. During this period, Clif taught a variety of investigative classes in the Academy. At age 45, he retired from the Michigan State Police. Three months after retirement, 9/11 occurred. Like many Americans, Clif felt a call back to service and began preparing to be a Law Enforcement (Protection) Ranger with the National Park Service. At age 47, Clif graduated from the National Park Service Seasonal Law Enforcement Ranger Academy, Wildland Firefighter Training, and Emergency Medical Technician Training. He then served proudly as a protection ranger for the National Park Service for 14 seasons between Isle Royale National Park, Everglades National Park, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Now based out of Florida, Clif travels North America where he participates in outdoor challenges and continues to write the Paths Crossed series.
