Northwoods

A Novel

By: Amy Pease

Narrated by: Chris Henry Coffey, Zac Aleman

“Riveting.” —People

In this “compelling and heartbreaking debut that marks a new and important voice in the mystery genre” (William Kent Krueger), a murder with ties to America’s opioid epidemic reveals the dark underbelly of an idyllic Midwestern resort town.

Eli North is not okay.

His drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after a deployment to Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his marriage and career are over, and the only job he can hold down is with the local sheriff’s department. And that’s only because the sheriff is his mother—and she’s overwhelmed with small town Shaky Lake’s dwindling budget and the fallout from the opioid epidemic.

The Northwoods of Wisconsin may be a vacationer’s paradise, but amidst the fishing trips, campfires, and Paul Bunyan festivals, something sinister is taking shape. When the body of a teenage boy is found in the lake, it sets in motion an investigation that leads Eli to a wealthy enclave with a violent past, a pharmaceutical salesman, and a missing teenage girl. Soon, Eli and his mother, along with a young FBI agent, are on the hunt for more than just a killer in this thriller that is “not to be missed” (Mindy Mejia, USA TODAY bestselling author).

Critic reviews

"Chris Henry Coffey narrates with a world-weary air and craggy voice, poignantly portraying a man at the end of his rope." (B. Allison Gray)

This author shows potential

The story is too similar to other books I have recently read. The main character, tall and handsome (as usual) suffering from his was war experiences. He was always drunk and falling down. A nice predictable read.

Multi-Layer Drama

Northwoods is a multi-layered story of drama, suspense, and love. It is well written with wonderful imagery. It seems ripe for another installment.

PREDICTABLE BUT GOOD

New narrator for me. Slightly discernible lisp at first threw me off, but by about the third chapter I didn't care any more and thoroughly enjoyed his narration to the end. The story was rather predictable but good and well-paced, and I look forward to this author's next book.

Shaky Lake IS Northern Wisconsin

This was a very entertaining and suspenseful novel. Ms. Pease wrote a fine story. Thank you

Fun read, especially if you are familiar with WI.

This was a decent story, but the best part was the references to Northwoods Wisconsin. The story was in a fictional town, but including things like the mention of towns and cities, landmarks and other details specific to Wisconsin was fun.