Northwoods by Amy Pease

 

My thoughts

This is a debut novel and it was interesting to say the least. While I did find a few things aggravating about this book it was still good. It had a lot of the things that I enjoy in a good mystery. Murder, kidnapping, drug addict, PTSD, possible alcoholic, relationships, children and a few more things. 

The beginning was a bit slow and repetitive in places. I thought the being sick (vomiting) was a bit overused and maybe even the suicide thoughts. Though I can see where that would happen in this case. But still... I just found it taxing.

You meet a man, Eli, who has a drinking problem and not a small one. Yet he is a cop. Of course he works under his mother so that helps. It helps him. He has problems. Like a lot of problems. He is suffering from PTSD. Alcohol abuse. Stress. Divorce. A lot. In reality I just can't picture him as a cop. But he seems to be good at his job. You will hear a lot about Eli. He is the one that found the body. The body of a sixteen year old boy. 

Then you meet his mother Marge. Marge is a fierce woman when it comes to her son. Even though he is grown and has or had his own family. She will protect him at almost all costs. She knows he messes up a lot and that he needs to get help but what can she do. Be there for him. I liked Marge for the most part. She's a strong woman in a male dominated job. She is good at her job. 

When Ben is found dead the police force have to figure out who did it. Why and possibly where a young sixteen year of girl is. Ben was a good kid. His mother is a drug addict. But she loved her son. There are a few people with addiction problems in this book. Be warned. It's a sad situation. A pharmaceuticals company with secrets. A family separated and in fear. A man doing all he can to get to his family. To save them from a possible murder. What did he find that scares him so bad. How did his bosses know it was him? 

This is a good, but not great, book with a lot going on. Families torn because of drugs. A man with nightmares because something that happened on the other side of the world. A mother who loves her son no matter what. And an ending that ties it all up nicely.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AmyPease, #Atria for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

3.5 increased to 4 stars. The ending was great. This may be an author to watch for. 

About

“A novel you absolutely don’t want to miss.” —William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author

The dark underbelly of an idyllic Midwestern resort town is revealed in the aftermath of a murder with ties to America’s opioid epidemic in this unputdownable and thrilling debut that is perfect for fans of James Lee Burke, William Kent Krueger, and Mindy Mejia.

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 and 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.

If Eli solves the case, could he finally get the shot at redemption he so desperately needs? Or will answers to this dark case elude him and continue to bring destruction to the Northwoods?