Dollycas’s Thoughts

Deputy Medical Examiner Mattie Winston and her husband Homicide Detective Steve Hurley are called to the Grizzly (No Tell) Motel for 2 bodies. At first, the deaths are thought to be murder/suicide to end an affair but some keen observations and the autopsies show that isn’t what happened. It is a double murder case and the couple’s respective spouses are now the prime suspects.

Mattie and Hurley are also still working on an investigation that involves Mattie’s father, trying to build a house, taking care of their family, and more. With this new double murder, they are juggling a lot and it may just be too much. Then another body is found and Mattie pushes her boss to hire a replacement for her recently deceased coworker before she goes over the edge. Until then she and her hunky detective may need to get creative to solve a complex case and catch a killer.

Ms. Ryan has packed this book full of mysteries! An old case that started in a previous book, a strange case that may involve aliens, and the current murder case. All three grab a hold of the reader and play out at their own pace throughout the book. The alien case made me think of the recent release by this author, A Death in Door County. It shows me that the author has wanted to explore unique storylines for a while and she does it very well. The old case is very complex and has many tangents to explore which I enjoyed. The new case was more straightforward and easier for readers to solve.

I really appreciate that Ms. Ryan writes true-to-life characters. Mattie Winston is not a superwoman and her work is starting to take a toll on her mind and body. Steve is very supportive but he gets overwhelmed at times as well. Izzy and Dom are struggling a bit too with Izzy going back to work, his mother living on the premises, and Dom wanting to get back to some of the things he was doing before the baby came. Dom is also babysitting Matthew for Mattie and Steve.

The recognizable Wisconsin references are always a treat. This time Mattie truly was in my neck of the woods, just mere blocks away.

I love the way Ms. Ryan writes a story and the way she blends together mysteries and family life. At first, I thought this book was a little light on the author’s signature humor. That was until Izzy and Mattie started to interview for someone to replace Hal. Oh my stars, you won’t believe who they ultimately hire. I think things are going to be very interesting around the morgue. It may mean everyone working there will need to receive a special piece of equipment.

Dead Calm is not a book you can read as a stand-alone because of the arc of one of the cases. Of course, as a fan, I think you should read the entire series in order to really get to know these characters. But if you want to jump in later in the series it twisted from the cozy realm to more hard-boiled with Dead in The Water so that one should definitely be read before this book.

I have enjoyed this entire series and look forward to reading Dead of Winter soon.

Really great mystery. Loved this, and could not put it down. Well written, easy to read, great characters. Couldn't want anything more.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of Dead Calm by Annelise Ryan. This book is the 9th book of the Maddie Winston series and I think it would have been helpful to read at least a few of the others before this one. Maddie Winston and Steve Hurley are newly married, and as deputy medical examiner and homicide detective respectively, the couple are dispatched to a grisly crime scene at the Grizzly Motel, a seedy joint for illicit liaisons on the outskirts of Sorenson, Wisconsin. A man and woman are found dead next to each other in bed in what initially appears to be a grim but straightforward murder-suicide. As they investigate further, they realize the scene was staged and must solve this increasingly complex case. Dividing their time and resources between the double homicide and an ongoing investigation involving Mattie's father, as well as caring for their toddler Matthew and Steve's teenaged daughter Emily, the two are stretched to their limits.
This story has likable, real characters and an engaging story with a little humour thrown in too. I think it will be worth going back to the beginning to see how it began.

This is a really good read. I enjoy books by this author and have read a few of the others in this series. It's a great addition.

Dead Calm by Annelise Ryan is the ninth installment in A Mattie Winston Mystery series. Mattie Winston, medicolegal death investigator for the medical examiner’s office, and her husband, Detective Steve Hurley are called out during the night to a crime scene at the Grizzly Motel. At first glance, it looks like a murder-suicide scenario with Craig Knowlton killing Meredith Lansing. But upon further examination, it is evident that the scene was staged. Now Steve and Mattie have a double murder on their hands. The more they dig, the more complex the case. At the site of Steve and Mattie’s new home, the builders dig up a set of unusual remains. The bones are deformed which causes speculation that the remains are those of an alien (media sensation). Steve is still digging into the Prince case which relates back to Mattie’s father. They are still missing some key details. Will Mattie’s father fill in the gaps? This pair have their hands full with three investigations, a teenager and a toddler to take care of, and the construction of their new home on hold. Then another victim turns up. It does not help that the medical examiner’s office is understaffed, and the only potential candidate has a malodourous medical condition. How will it all turn out? You will have to read Dead Calm to find out!

Dead Calm reminds me of the Energizer bunny—the story just keeps going and going at a fast clip. Dead Calm has three mysteries with varying levels of complexity. There is one odd, one simple, and the final one is convoluted. The main mystery can be solved before you are a quarter of the way through the story. The Prince case is more complex, and it started in a previous book in this series. It is a mystery that plays out since readers are not given all the facts necessary to solve it. This case dominates the book, and we are vast amounts of information relating to it (information overload). The odd case involving the deformed skeleton is interesting and provides some humorous moments (since people believe the skeleton belongs to an alien). I felt that the author crammed too much into this one book. Dead Calm is not a standalone book. While many details about the characters and cases from previous books is included (goes on for many pages), new readers will be lost. The characters are realistic and well-developed. The ending was anticlimactic regarding the Prince case, but the solution was clever. The crimes are counterbalanced with humor that will have many people laughing hilariously. There are a couple of items in the book that I could have done without. One of them being Matthew, Mattie’s young son, peeing on her leg. While I am sure most people will find it humorous and realistic, I did not feel it needed to be included (makes me glad I had a daughter). There is some repetition of information in Dead Calm. It makes me wonder if authors think readers forget the facts as we progress through the book. I am giving Dead Calm 4 out of 5 stars. There is a preview of Last Call (the next book in A Mack’s Bar Mystery series) at the end (both series written by same author).

Another excellent entry in one of my favorite -- the Mattie Winston series, #9. I would recommend starting earlier in the series before reading this one as it ties up several story lines from previous books. Mattie and her homicide detective husband, Hurley are newlyweds with a young son and are still reeling from all the happenings in the earlier book. She begins to suspect the innocence of someone her testimony helped to convict. What appears to be a murder suicide at a local low rent motel may not be what it seems. Being short staffed at the medical examiner's office due to one death and one heart attack combine to leave her and Hurley on the ropes with no sleep and little patience. It's to Ryan's credit that the story stays on track and the intricate plotting pulls together so well. One of the best in the series. Highly recommended.

3.5 Stars

Mattie Winston and her new husband Steve Hurley get called to a crime scene in the middle of the night. Mattie is an investigator for the medical examiner’s office in Sorenson, Wisconsin and Steve is a homicide detective. They must examine the bodies of Meredith Lansing and Craig Knowlton, found in a room of a sleazy motel, even though each is married to someone else. All signs point to Craig murdering Meredith and then killing himself. However, as Maggie, Steve, and their teams gather more evidence, it looks like both Craig and Meredith are victims of murder, and Maggie and Steve are determined to solve this increasingly complex case.

Dead Calm is the ninth Mattie Winston mystery, but the first I’ve read. Chapter one gives the basic background about Mattie and Steve and their lives together and also events that happened before they were a couple. This gives new readers plenty of information to allow them to follow the main plot in the first part of the book. Mattie and Steve are each independent, but work together to take care of their sometimes hard to deal with toddler. They also make a great investigative team and their skills complement each other. I really enjoyed seeing the evidence being gathered in this case and how it revealed it wasn’t as straightforward as it originally seemed.

As the book progresses, the focus of the book changed from this double-murder to older, more complex cases, some dating back thirty years. I assume at least part of these cases was discussed in more detail in prior books, as well as Mattie’s complicated history with her estranged father. There was also a side story of unusual bones being found where Mattie and Steve had just broken ground to build a new how. I was able to follow all of these other plotlines, but the prior events weren’t as interesting to me as the current case. As more and more of the book begins to revolve around these other crimes, I became less interested in what would happen next. Readers who have read the prior books may have been more invested in this storyline and therefore found it more entertaining than I did.

The last few chapters pick up as both the new and the old cases are wrapped up, with the reluctant help of Mattie’s ex-husband, as well as an up-and-coming reporter Mattie has taken under her wing. The ending lives up to the promise of the book’s opening chapters. It’s unfortunate the middle of the book doesn’t have the same easy flow and fast pace, but I would read other books in the series since Maggie and Steve are easy to like.

~ Christine

Dead Calm by Annelise Ryan is the 9th book in the Mattie Winston series, and another terrific addition. Mattie is an assistant medical coroner in Wisconsin and Detective Steve Hurley is Mattie's husband. They live with their son, Matthew, who is 2 years old and Steve's15 year old teenage daughter, Emily, in Steve's small house while they build a new home. Mattie and Steve are working an apparent murder-suicide, but is it what it seems? Also abnormal bones are found on their land, is it an alien skeleton? I loved this book and did not want to put it down. There is so many story lines going on, you just want to keep reading to see what happens next. I really enjoy the well developed characters, and story line. This book also has great humor, which I always enjoy. I strongly recommend this book/ series for any mystery readers.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Mattie Winston and her new husband, Steve Hurley, are settled into his home, along with Steve's 15-year old daughter, Emily, and their 2-year old son, Matthew.Things are cramped in Steve's small house, so they are planning to build a new home. Besides the stresses of a new marriage and a blended family, Mattie is working insane hours at the Medical Examiner's office because of the death of her work sharing counterpart and the recent heart attack of her boss, Izzy. Mattie is a death investigator, assisting Izzy at autopsies and working on cases. It's a good fit because of her nursing background and her general nosiness. The plus is that she works with Steve often in his capacity as a police detective; sometimes it seems that that work is their only time together. The two are called out to a local motel where there appears to be a murder-suicide but seems wrong to Mattie. Then, the construction crew excavating their building site discovers skeletal remains. The skeleton appears to be a space alien, and a media frenzy ensues. Tying up the ends of the two cases are much more than a full-time job for both, especially since the murder-suicide has ties to an earlier investigation; one that the solution arrived at dissatisfies both Steve and Mattie.

I have enjoyed all the Mattie Winston novels because of the characterization and the humor. The humor in Dead Calm is not as broad as in some of the others, but there are plenty of chuckles. The search for a working counterpart for Mattie brings some of the oddest applicants ever. Then there is Mattie's continuing battle with food and klutziness. I did spot the murderer early on, but the appearances of Mattie's group of friends and family made up for that.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advance copy. The opinions are my own.

Dead Calm

by Annelise Ryan

Dead Calm centers around Mattie Winston, a medicolegal death investigator who works in Sorenson, Wisconsin’s medical examiner’s office. She is newly married to Steve Hurley, a local homicide detective. Receiving twin middle of the night phone calls from their bosses, they are summoned to the scene of an apparent murder-suicide at a motel on the outskirts of town where rooms can be rented by the hour for liaisons.

Annelise Ryan has written a mystery that moves quickly from one situation to another with lots of threads and clues along the way. How could a pharmaceutical coverup tie in? Are the victims’ spouses culpable? Has a construction crew uncovered the skeleton of an alien on Mattie and Hurley’s proposed home site? Ryan keeps the reader guessing all the way to a surprise resolution.

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: #9 in the Mattie Winston Mystery Series, but it reads well as a standalone. There is a lot of backstory, but the author does a good job of relating it quickly.

Publication: February 27, 2018—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

The land is out in the country; the mosquitos were apparently having some sort of convention out there all weekend, and I was on the menu for every meal.

For starters, my relationship with Emily was iffy at the time, iffy being a euphemism for a barrel of TNT connected to a short, lit fuse.

So far, our road to marital bliss has been as smooth and painless as petting a porcupine.

Another great addition to the Mattie Winston series, Dead Calm is a whirlwind of activities and emotions that makes the title seem facetious. Newlyweds Mattie and Steve/Hurley are like the ducks you see on a river. they look calm but underneath the surface they are paddling like crazy. That describes the life of Mattie and Hurley as they not only do their involved and time consuming jobs, but raise a family that includes a 16 year old and a 2 year old, try to have a new house built, and be there for their friends and co-workers as they work towards solving an old case involving drug companies, murder, and Mattie's father while working on a current double murder. Fortunately, the author keeps the tension of the various storylines throughout the book, leaving the reader surprised and pleased with the book from start to finish.

I loved the range of emotions that Mattie had, and managed to keep most of them in check. There is a scene or two with toddler Mathew that had me simultaneously laughing and crying. It was a spot on glimpse of life with a strong minded two year old child! There was also a scene with her ex that made the reader flash back to what brought on Mattie's divorce, and again appreciate Mattie's inner dialogue and emotions.

Because recently Mattie and Hurley have been allowed to work together, the books have focused more on their working dynamics and less on other co-workers. I felt a little bereft because many of their co-workers hovered so far into the background that their appearances in the story were minimal. One funny exception was the candidate interviewed for a job-sharing position with Mattie.
Another was Arnie, the resident conspiracist, and the discovery of a deformed skeleton while the foundation was being dug for Mattie and Hurley's new home. Due to the deformities, Arnie was convinced that it was remains of an alien, a theory that spread like wildfire among the media! These delightful side stories injected much needed levity into the current horrific double murder that was the main case Hurley and Mattie were trying to solve.

The main case of a pair of lovers found at a "by the hour" motel at first appearance seems to be a murder-suicide. The more they gather information, the more Hurley and Mattie discover peculiarities that require second and third looks at survivors. The realize that this is a double murder, no suicide! Their attention to miniscule details are the reason they solve these murders as they do the others before them.

Dead Calm is not a stand-alone mystery. Readers really need to start at the beginning of the series and read through the books in order. Only then will the details given in this book make complete sense. What a delightful and enviable experience awaits as a new reader goes through the series meeting Mattie and other characters for the first time!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy for my voluntary review.

This is the 9th installment in the Mattie Winston series. This is my first introduction to this series and I will definitely be buying the others in the series. Mattie newly married and her and her husband Steve work together. She works in the medical examiner’s office and he is a homicide detective. They are called to a motel where there “appears” to be a murder suicide. All is not as it appears and they have a double murder to solve. There is another mystery going on as well that begins in the other stories and not resolved in this on as well. The book is fast-paced and keeps you engaged but there is so much going on. Lots of fun characters and love the family dynamics. I like that this is a real couple with real family issues and challenges. Hope there is another coming out soon or at least after I go back and read all the first ones lol.

Even you haven't read the earlier books in this series (I haven't) you'll enjoy this well written procedural?mystery? (it's a mix of genres) featuring a married couple. Mattie is a deputy Medical examiner and Steve is a homicide detective and they make one awesome pair. The mystery of who killed the married couple in the motel was less interesting, in some ways, that how these two relate to one another and deal with their personal lives. There are some real gems of lines what with the blend family, Mattie's dad, and the two of them. There's also humor. Ryan also doesn't lose track of the fact that she's set her novel in Wisconsin. Thanks to Netgalley for the treat. I'm looking forward to whatever Ryan writes next.

Dead Calm
Mattie Winston Mystery, Book #9
Annelise Ryan
5 Stars

Synopsis:

The honeymoon will have to wait for newlyweds Mattie Winston and Steve Hurley . . .

As deputy medical examiner and homicide detective respectively, the couple are dispatched to a grisly crime scene at the Grizzly Motel, a seedy joint for illicit liaisons on the outskirts of Sorenson, Wisconsin. A man and woman are found dead next to each other in bed in what initially appears to be a grim but straightforward murder-suicide. An affair gone sour?

But as the forensic evidence is gathered and autopsies are performed, Mattie and Steve realize the scene has been staged. They have a double murder on their hands. The spurned spouses of both victims top the list of suspects, but as more is revealed, the case becomes increasingly complex. Dividing their time and resources between the double homicide and an ongoing investigation involving Mattie's father, as well as caring for their toddler Matthew and Steve's teenaged daughter Emily, the two are stretched to their limits.

After another victim turns up dead, there's no room for error as Mattie and Steve stage a scene of their own to back the killer into a corner . . . (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. I like that Mattie is a working mother with two children to raise. That made her seem more realistic to me and it was refreshing to see her struggling to juggle all of her responsibilities, just like everyone else. Her husband, Steve, loves Mattie and his family fiercely and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. The two make a good pair, both at work and in the personal loves. I really like them both.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is fast paced. The book is action packed and I found myself having to stop and catch my breath while I was reading. There is more than one mystery to solve in this book (one is a recurring one that is not easily solved). Things are not always as they seem.

The author is very talented in creating tension and suspense with the written word. I stayed up much later than I should have reading this book, wanting to find out what was going to happen.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well plotted mystery. I think this series just keeps getting better and better. If you have not read any of this series yet, I would suggest you start at the beginning for the most enjoyment. What are you waiting for?

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley.

This series continues to lead me on an emotional, thrilling ride.
The characters and suspense are top notch.
I highly recommend this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Dead Calm (Mattie Winston Mystery, #9) by Annelise Ryan is another fantastic book added to the series.
When Mattie & Hurley are called out to a seedy motel, known as Grizzly Motel- for a suspected murder-suicide, they have no idea of the tangled mess they will have to unravel.

Married life is new for Mattie & Hurley, and trying to combine family, work, building their new house and many other things, Mattie is emotionally and physically drained.
She knows the only way to get through this is to work smart, so she teams up with Hurley to investigate the odd deaths. What they discover is an Cancun plot and the murderer is not sorry at all.

Fans of this series will be delighted to catch up with Matte and the gang in the 9th book in the series.

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

Dead Calm releases on February 27, 2018
#DeadCalm #NetGalley

Dead Calm: A Mattie Winston Mystery
By Annelise Ryan
Kensington
March 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

For someone whose existence has been an endless rollercoaster of drama and chaos, Mattie Winton’s life seems to have settled into an unaccustomed state of blissful happiness. She’s finally married to homicide detective Steve Hurley, they have a twenty-two month-old son, and Hurley’s newfound teenaged daughter has settled in remarkably well as a reliable babysitter. Mattie’s job as the medical examiner’s death investigator even allows her to occasionally work with her husband, although their latest case reveals the darker side of marriage. Meredith Lansing and Craig Knowledge have been found dead in the Grizzly Motel, and while they are both married, it’s not to one another. Despite a confession note, Mattie questions that the deaths are a murder-suicide, which places the surviving spouses high on the suspect lists. Professional motives soon rival insurance policies and jealousy though, especially when Mattie’s physician ex-husband gets thrown into the mix.

This series has always been fascinating than when it delves into Mattie’s duties as the Sorenson, Wisconsin mediocolegal death investigator, but it is never more hilarious than when depicting her interviews with applicants for the medical examiner’s office. As one might expect when the job entails dissecting corpses, those interested in the position are decidedly…unique. Mattie is a rarity herself, an extremely intelligent former ER nurse dedicated to the truth and unwavering in as she pursues it. It’s the rest of her life that always seems to have her unmoored, which includes a father who recently emerged from the Witness Protection Program, a hypochondriac mother with OCD, a gambling addiction, and Mattie’s own nearly absurd experiences with marriage.

Previous installments have always overflowed with dark humor, but this ninth in the series leans towards the lighter side and should have readers snorting with laughter. Mattie excels at cynicism, and giving birth in her forties hasn’t made her humor any less biting or her remarks less acerbic. A surprising discovery at the site of Mattie and Hurley’s new home results not just in delays, but unwanted attention from the media and fringe element. Yet no one unfamiliar with Mattie should expect any project to run smoothly, or be without its moments of absurdity. Events from a previous investigation continue to play out and tie into the current murder, revealing a realistic plot that will surprise readers with its complexity and nefariousness. These novels by Annelise Ryan are always on my favorites of the year, and while having her life’s plans unravel may exasperate Mattie, for readers they are endlessly entertaining and entirely unique.

Really great series, hoping this is not the last of Mattie, Hurley and all the other characters.

This well-written drama had me immersed in all that was happening as I could not put this book down, quickly becoming a page-turner. The author did a great job in telling this multi-plot story where besides this murder case, they are also looking into a previous case that has far-reaching implications involving some of the prominent citizens of Sorenson as well as someone close to Mattie. The circle of life takes another turn when bones are found on their new property putting a halt to their home building. The cool thing about this story is how Mattie and Hurley handle all this and their family life while maintaining some form of sanity.

I like that the mystery was intriguingly suspenseful keeping me glued to the pages as everything is sorted out as the small field of suspects takes a dramatic turn with a few surprising twists as the duo gets closer to the murderer’s identity. In regards to the other case, I loved the “I Spy/Mission Impossible” feel as Cletus’ role is expanded in a task that is explain at the conclusion. Everyone’s role had pivotal implications that led to how well this story was being told and enhanced my reading pleasure.

Most series get worse the longer they go on. This one just keeps getting better and better. One of my favourite cozy series.