Dollycas’s Thoughts

Mattie and Hurley have moved into together to raise their son, Matthew now that they have his teenage daughter Emily’s approval. A wedding will happen soon if they can squeeze it in around their hectic jobs. Mattie had thought her part-time schedule would free up some time but her new co-worker Hal Dawson was just found dead on his boat and his girlfriend is missing. On top of that her boss, Izzy is having some serious medical issues and a temporary Medical Examiner has stepped in. Mattie finds herself working closely with Hurley to find out why Hal was found Dead in the Water but the killer seems to be quite elusive and the bodies are piling up.

I do love that the series is set very close to where I actually live and that when they say someone is on their way to or from Madison or Milwaukee I can easily visualize the trip. It is fun when other landmarks are mentioned too.

I am so happy that Mattie, Hurley, Emily, and Matthew are all under one roof and they have come up with a plan to try to juggle everything in their complicated lives. They all seem really happy and I am excited about their future. I am concerned about Izzy and Dom. They are still finding their way with a new baby in the house and Izzy’s judgemental mother in the guest house. Izzy has a serious medical episode in this story and it was very scary. As you can see, I have become invested in these realistic genuine characters Ms. Ryan has created. The unique family dynamic is what really drives the books in this series.

This story grabbed me from the start. Mattie is in court testifying about a gruesome discovery she made when called to a scene for a suspicious death. Then as soon as she is done she is set to another scene for another death that has some unusual facets. Then she has to deal with Izzy which is followed quickly by the dead body found Dead in the Water. Are all or some of these cases related? That is up to Mattie and Hurley with a little assistance to figure out all while dealing with the joys of daily family life.

I really enjoyed the way the author plotted out this story. She mixes together mystery, suspense, family, and humor with such a talented hand. The story flows so well that it is almost impossible to put down due to some hair-raising twists and deadly turns. The ending just rocked me to the core. We have definitely moved from the cozy Stiff part of this series to the edgier hard-boiled Dead part of this series and I am more than fine with that.

Dead in the Water is my favorite book in this series so far. I am excited to dive into Dead Calm soon!

I continue to enjoy this series, eight books and, I hope there will be more. These are cozy with a bit of a bite due to the fact that Mattie, the main character, is a medico-legal investigator. That gives Maddie free reign to investigate a crime, not just oops, look what I stumbled upon, said by the cozy amateur. This series is believable and well written.

I hadn't read this series before so thanks loads to Netgalley for the ARC which introduced me to Annelise Ryan and Mattie. This is a very clever twist on a cozy. Mattie has a lot going on in her life (kids, wedding, a job) but she's also a dogged investigator even when others might back off a bit. I liked the humor and the very realistic comments that flow so easily from Mattie's mouth. I didn't want to put this one down and am now looking forward to the next! A good read!

Crazy suspense at its finest. I truly enjoy reading about Mattie and the gang and what the book world is planning to throw at them next. I'm finally glad we have her and Hurley married but danger surrounds them and their family like pig pen and his dirt cloud. The mystery is always great the banter and humor is even better

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Mattie Winston has her hands full. Her son is entering the terrible twos, she is trying to plan a wedding, she is dealing with her personal and professional life when one of her colleagues is murdered and another has a heart attack. Then Mattie discovers the three murders she is investigating with Hurley, her future husband, are connected. What is worse, they seem to be connected with the father who abandoned her and her mother when Mattie was a young child..
She has always heard that he was a bad guy and when the stories unfold, perhaps he is not the rapscallion that she assumed he was. By the end of the book, there are more questions than answers and I am really looking forward to continuing with this tale.
Mattie is a great character. She is smart, funny, self deprecating and very good at her job. She is surrounded by a great cast of supporting characters and her investigations make sense since it is part of her job. It is always a treat to read about her exploits.
If you have not discovered this series before, you can jump right in with this book or you can go back and read the story up to the beginning of this one. Either way if you like good mysteries that really keep you guessing, you will enjoy this one.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

Dead in the Water, the latest book in the Mattie Winston mystery series, is just as fun to read as the rest. Annelise Ryan does an excellent job of keeping each book fresh and intriguing. Mattie is an interesting character and this book continues the growth of her relationships with Hurley and their little family. The mystery in this book hits close to home as Mattie and Hurley investigate the latest murder in their little community as well as the mystery of her own past.

Dead in the Water

by Annelise Ryan

Dead in the Water is the eighth mystery in the Mattie Winston Mystery Series. As I read, I suspected it was not a standalone, but I was unaware of the number of books preceding it. The author fills the reader in on the background of characters from previous books very effectively and efficiently.

Some readers refer to Dead in the Water as a cozy mystery. It deviates from the typical cozy mystery in its focus on forensic investigation of crimes, as is found in two popular television shows: the more current C.S.I. and the older series Quincy, M.E. Initially as I read the descriptive portions, I could hear echoes of my teenage self: “Eew! GROSS!” and I determined that I could not possibly rate it with 5/5 stars. As I read on, however, I became absorbed by the complex mystery, interesting characters, and complicated relationships. I even came to admire the way the author handles the depictions of dead bodies and autopsies--just graphic enough for visualization without unnecessary repetition or exploration of details.

Another different feature of this cozy mystery is that the main character, Mattie, is an employee of the medical examiner’s office. Her job description is “medico-legal death investigator.” That position gives her access to medical and investigative information that would normally be denied to the general public. It also gives her a reason to be involved in the discovery of so many crimes, as opposed to the typical, hapless female lead who unbelievably, repeatedly stumbles into crime scenes. Her job makes her able to work WITH the book’s love interest, Detective Steve Hurley, rather than have to work around him. In this book, the tension about flow of information, normally assigned to the heroine and the investigative romantic interest, is taken on by a reporter who has developed a rapport with the crime fighting duo.

By the end of Dead in the Water, I was sold on the merits of this book despite queasiness at its post-mortem perspective. The author even manages to introduce a touch of humor in the midst of death. Ryan is inclusive of a variety of non-traditional families in a way that feels like an attempt at being politically correct. Although the writing is good, with so many interesting mysteries waiting to be read, I will probably not read more books in this series. I do recommend it for those devotees of forensic science mysteries.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: mystery

Notes: forensic science emphasis

Publication: February 28, 2017--Kensington Press

Memorable Lines:

I’ve attended a lot of classes over the past year and a half in an effort to learn more about forensic science and crime scene investigation. Most of them were great, but a few classes were so boring they could’ve been listed on a death certificate as a cause of death.

There aren’t many avenues for positive intrinsic feedback in this line of work, but seeing justice done is one of them.

A jail cell is my mother’s worst nightmare, not because she’s afraid of being incarcerated, per se, but because she is a raging germophobe. In her mind, sitting in a jail cell is akin to eating out of a petri dish at the CDC.

I could hardly stop reading this book!! I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Annelise Ryan's mysteries. In spite of often dark subject matter, she manages to add just the right amount of humor. Although some mysteries were solved, she left several hanging, and I want to find out what happened. She also developed her characters so that I want to find out more about them, particularly in the case of Cedric Novak! Thanks to Kensington for offering such fine mysteries and to NetGalley for working with them to provide electronic ARCs.

Annelise Ryan makes me laugh and shed a tear or two. Her protagonist is engaging and has a life full of friends, questions, danger, family, and love. Two career oriented people try to fit in a wedding while dealing with murder, poop, and family secrets. I love this series and am happy that some of the ongoing issues are being resolved. More to come, I hope.

Dead in the water is the 8th book in the Mattie Winston Mystery series and it was a delightfully engaging and funny read. This story delves further into the background story between Mattie’s mother and father and offers a bit more insight into how she grew up and why. Though the beginning is a little slow, due to an overabundance of background information that long time readers of the series will find tedious, it picked up a couple of chapters in and kept up the pace until the last page.
This installment in the series finds Mattie living with Hurley and his daughter Emily, as well as their son Matthew. This portion of the book was a welcome surprise. Many of the previous books have had a lot of emotional issues between these characters but they seem to have settled into a wonderful family unit. Emily’s character has clearly grown and matured and it was nice to avoid the teenage angst I feared might be coming. Matthew, who is around 2 in this story, was hilarious and very well written. I enjoyed his antics and the way he keeps his parents on their toes.
The mystery in this story felt a little overly complicated and too far reaching but I appreciate the fact that it can easily Segway into future books. The mystery kept me guessing for most of the book until some of the larger clues became apparent. Though I was left without a full resolution to the questions raised in the book it does leave me excited for the next book, as I’m sure the author intended!

Mattie is juggling life with a two-year-old, a job as Deputy Coroner, her live-in fiance, Police Detective Steve Hurley, and his teenage daughter makes every day a three ring circus. Adding the pressure of planning a wedding has her way over her head. When she and Steve are called to the scene of an unexplained death, a whole new set of problems begin. The victim is a young woman with no evident cause of death, but she is just the start. Mattie's boss, Izzy, has a heart attack and two more deaths occur. The victims are a colleague, Hal Dawson, and his girlfriend. Mattie's long-lost father is in town, lying low, and Mattie fears he might be involved.

I have been reading the Mattie Winston mysteries from the beginning. Dead in the Water is a little darker and the humor not as wacky as in some of the others. This is still an entertaining entry in the series and moves the story of Steve and Mattie in a positive direction. They have overcome a lot of obstacles and make a great team.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 3.5 Stars

Dead In The Water
Mattie Winston Mysteries, Book #8
Annelise Ryan
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Deputy coroner Mattie Winston is starting to feel like she’s in way over her head . . .

As the single mom of an energetic toddler and an investigator working for the medical examiner’s office in small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin, Mattie is used to her life being a juggling act. But now that she’s moved in with Detective Steve Hurley and his teenaged daughter Emily, and has started planning their wedding, her home life is looking more like a three-ring circus. And with her boss and friend, Izzy, suddenly having a health crisis, she could not be more grateful for the newest staff member in the ME’s office, Hal Dawson.

All too quickly her gratitude turns to shock when a floating body found trapped against a dam turns out to be Hal, but the cause of death isn’t drowning—his throat’s been slashed. Hal was supposed to be fishing on his day off with his girlfriend. And when their empty boat is found in a nearby lake, the whereabouts of the woman becomes an even more urgent question.

To find out what really happened to her coworker, Mattie may need to rock the boat. But a killer is just as determined to keep the truth from ever surfacing, even if that means making Mattie the next one to go under. (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. Mattie is smart, sarcastic, loyal and a hard worker. I enjoyed reading about her struggles to juggle her home life, professional life and romantic life. She seemed like a genuine character to me, having flaws like everyone else. She loves her family fiercely and will do anything to keep them safe. Steve Hurley, Mattie’s boyfriend and father of her child, is a detective who will stop at nothing to be sure justice is served. Working together with Mattie, they are willing to delve into any mysteries that they encounter. Matthew, their toddler son, added much humor to the story and I loved reading about him throughout the book. The secondary characters were also well developed and added a lot to the story.

The author is very talented in building suspense with the written word and throughout the book the tension just kept building, page after page. I was swiping pages as fast as I could, wanting to see what was going to happen next, but afraid to find out. There are a few mysteries to solve in this book, which the author weaved together expertly.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author combines suspense, tension, humor and family love into a really great story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted mystery with great characters, a great storyline and plenty of suspense. I have read most of the books in this series and I have really enjoyed them all. This is a must read series.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book led me on an emotional, thrilling ride.
Although it was the first I had read in the series, I could still enjoy it, and will now read the previous books in the series.

I enjoy reading this series ( Mattie Winston). Mattie is busy planning her wedding to detective Steve Hurley and blending their family to include his daughter Emily and their son Matthew. She is also investigating the murder of her co-worker at the ME's office. We get to revisit with her father and several old cases. This is fast moving and has lots of action. Mattie is a great character and I hope this series continues for a lot more books.

Dead in the Water: A Mattie Winston Mystery
By Annelise Ryan
Kensington
March 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

It is finally happening. Despite suspecting one another of murder, problematic exes, unknown children, and an unplanned pregnancy, Sorenson, Wisconsin’s medico-legal death investigator Mattie Winston and Detective Steve Hurley are finally getting married. That’s not to say that Mattie is gracefully walking down the aisle just yet, as more than one debacle has her thinking that perhaps the Fates are sending a message. Mattie admits to having her own issues and reasons for dragging her feet, which include her mother’s neuroses, a disastrous divorce, a needy toddler, an extremely demanding job, no actual wedding ceremony site, the challenge of finding a size 16 dress for a six-foot frame…

Testifying in court for the first time in three years seems a snap compared to coping with the most recent disruptions in her life. When Mattie’s boss at the medical examiner’s officer suffers a health crisis, it would have weighed a burden on her even if Dr. Izzy Rybaceski hadn’t been her best friend. The case of the inexplicable death of a nursing student is set aside when another murder invades the medical examiner’s office, prioritizing their investigations and hitting far too close to home. As Mattie and Hurley unravel the evidence and question suspects, they do it while juggling breakfasts with a toddler, teenager, and dog, watching over Izzy’s very complicated family, and exploring Mattie’s own mysterious family history.

The eighth in the series, the author quickly catches readers up on the complicated, chaotic, and thoroughly entertaining events of Mattie’s life. This is one of those rare novels where the personal happenings and home lives are just as, if not more, fascinating than the actual mysteries. Extraordinarily relatable scenes of morning and bedtime chaos are hilarious, yet the author transitions seamlessly into the morbid, emotionally impactful moments of Mattie’s work. Make no mistake, Mattie’s detailed and scientific investigations are compelling and truly informative as they delve into the rather gruesome, but necessary, aspects of autopsies and forensics. Without her wry, clever, and somehow optimistic sense of humor, Mattie would never be able to cope with the tragedy she experiences both personally and professionally. The moments of joy and laughter feel entirely real, as do the shocking moments of death. Just as in life, when one answer is found even more questions emerge, promising for further complications in both Mattie’s and Hurley’s futures. This continues to be one of my favorite mystery series, which continues to evolve its characters while maintaining its realistic tone, brilliant humor, and stellar heroine.

Dead in the Water by Annelise Ryan is the latest book in the Mattie Winston Mystery series. Mattie and her toddler have moved in with her boyfriend and his teenage daughter. She is supposed to be planning her wedding while juggling a crazy home and her part-time job with the medical examiner's office. Her work life becomes more hectic when her boss suffers a heart attack and a co-worker is found dead. I have only read part of the series, but I was found it easy to catch up with everything that was happening. I felt that Mattie crossed the sharing boundaries on a few things in the book. Otherwise the characters were fun and likeable. The mystery was good with several twists and turns. While this is quite far into the series, the possibility for character development is alive and well.

The narrative speaks for itself in this well-written tome where I was immersed in all that was transpiring in this fast-paced, action-packed drama that quickly became a page-turner as I had to know how this was going to end. The author did a great job in setting up this multi-plot mystery with a band of suspects hovering in the background until one by one a motive was found that took the discovery in another direction that I did not see coming. All the main characters, especially the scene with Mattie and her mother, played pivotal roles that truly enhanced the telling of this tale. The multiple deaths, secrets exposed, a missing relative’s appearance, questions answered and that surprise twist at the end, wow. . .l love this book. I love the personal side of this book where we get to enjoy Mattie’s interaction with Izzy, Hurley, Emily, Desi and of course little Matthew. Boasting a superb cast of characters with engaging dialogue, this was the best book yet in this delightfully endearing series.

This is the 8th book in the series, and I'm sad to say, the first one I have read! Which does seem odd, as this series is JUST the type I love to read, when I need a mystery that us also a quick read! this book starts with one murder and ends up with 3. Are they related or just bad coincidence? When Mattie realizes the personal connection, she gets out of the lab and teams up with Hurley to sift through the past to see if it is affecting the future. All while trying to plan an impromptu wedding. Will the past come back to haunt the living? Will the wedding happen, or will another murder interrupt it? This is a fun read that will have you guessing and re-guessing, as you rapidly turn the pages!

I had been reading this series for quite a while, but for some reason I stopped until the last few books.
I'm happy that I was able to reunite with Mattie Winston and all the other wonderful characters in this book.
The mystery never ends in this series and I was so intrigued by the story that I read it from beginning to end.
The relationship with Mattie and Hurley is a big part of this book and it was exciting to be, part of this wild adventure.
I look forward to reading more in this series.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Deputy corner and single mother, Mattie Winston has finally moved in with Detective Steve Hurley and his teenage daughter Emily. A couple are planning their wedding, and Mattie is busier then she could have ever imagined. Add in the fact that her best friend and boss is he is sick and Mattie is overwhelmed at work. She’s more than happy with the new employee Hal Dawson. But Matty’s joy is short lived when Dawson’s body is found floating in a nearby damn with his throat slashed. He was supposed to be out fishing with his girlfriend, and authorities have found their boat but it’s empty. Where is Dawson’s girlfriend? Is she responsible for her boyfriend’s death or is she in danger or worse? Readers of this long running series will be glad to see Matty and Steve finally making a commitment, and Mattie is up to her usual sleuthing, making for a pleasant read.