Dollycas’s Thoughts

Homicide Detective Steve Hurley and his new wife Medicolegal Death Investigator Mattie Winston have a new case involving a Jane Doe. During the autopsy, Mattie realizes the wounds and what is stuffed in them are familiar, a Dead Ringer for another case. She had recently been at a conference where a colleague from Eau Claire described the M.O. of a serial killer that he helped send to prison. A key piece of evidence was never publicized so unless that was somehow leaked there is no way this death could be the work of a copycat. While Mattie and Hurley work to solve their case they also dig deeper into the case upstate. Knowing that the wrong man could be behind bars pushes them to tie the cases together to catch the real killer.

I continue to be drawn in by these characters. They are so genuine and have real-life issues everyone can identify with. Mattie is a strong woman and Hurley is a strong man but each has their insecurities. They both excel at their occupations because they are driven to find the truth but at home, they question certain parts of their lives. They are getting settled in their new home and are raising a teenage daughter and a toddler son and at times worry if they are giving the children everything they need especially with their recent news. Jealousy also rears its ugly head within these pages adding more tension to their chaotic lives. Ms. Ryan has let her characters evolve realistically from Matthew’s terrible twos to Emily’s dating. Mattie and Hurley’s relationship isn’t all sunshine and roses, it has some bumps in the road. Izzy and Dom are dealing with a new baby and Izzy’s mother. Other relationships are developing between the secondary characters too. All the characters have become like old friends that I love to visit.

The mystery that Steve and Mattie have on their hands is very compelling. Ms. Ryan plotted this one out so well. The interaction between police departments is tense with the coroner’s offices do their best to work together. Mattie is like a dog with a bone and goes to great lengths to follow every clue. Again, she finds herself in hot water and that brought me right to the edge of my seat. When all was revealed I was a bit shocked but it made sense and the clues were all there, I was just so caught up in the story I failed to put them all together.

I love the way the author tours the state of Wisconsin. This time linking Sorenson and Portage with Eau Claire. Traveling up and down the highway and recognizing familiar places with the characters in this series is always a good time even when trying to solve a murder.

Dead Ringer is the 11th book in this series and the author has kept the characters fresh and wrapped them in yet another complicated mystery. It was another Perfect Escape for me and knowing there is just one more book in this series I really didn’t want this book to end.

Mattie Winston Hurley is a mother, wife and sleuth who happens to be a medicolegal death investigator - or medical examiner. Along with her husband, homicide detective Steve Hurley, they've seen the worst of human nature. However, this case is surprising to them too - a serial killer on the loose - who is supposed to be sitting in a jail cell. Was the wrong person convicted? Mattie has to figure the mystery out before she becomes a victim.

I've always liked the character of Mattie. She's easy to relate too (except for her job) as a person and mother. Blunt, kind, loyal and smart, she has solved the toughest of crimes with compassion for the victims & survivors. This book has Mattie facing personal and case challenges that begin to take their toll. While the mystery is creepy, the book has humor and love throughout.

I'm always ready for a case with Mattie!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Dead Ringer

by Annelise Ryan

Mattie Winston is overcome with personal problems as well as a case with far reaching consequences. She spends her days off on a murder investigation that might prove the innocence of a man in jail for life as a convicted serial killer. In a strange twist of affairs, Mattie finds herself at odds with her husband Hurley, a homicide detective. She is fulfilling a gift to him but has misgivings about the promised present and her abilities as a mother. Hurley is jealous and suspicious. How did the loving couple get so out of sorts with each other?

In Dead Ringer by Annelise Ryan, Mattie takes the investigation of the serial murders to nearby Eau Claire, ruffling the professional feathers of the coroner and the district attorney there. Both are up for re-election, and neither is happy with the new forensic pathology program being developed in their county. Meanwhile, the morgue in Sorenson holds a druggie killed in the same manner and following the same profile as those killed years ago. It is up to Mattie to determine if there is a copycat killer on the loose or if the wrong man is behind bars.

I would like to extend my thanks to Netgalley 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: #11 in the Mattie Winston Mystery Series, but works as a standalone.

Publication: February 25, 2020—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

My son is a constant ball of energy and inquisitiveness, a cross between two of his favorite cartoon characters: the Tasmanian Devil and Curious George.

My mother wasn’t one for praise or approval. The woman is better at finding faults than a seismologist.

“Do tell,” Brenda says, feigning high interest. She not only bats her eyelashes, she manages to look alluring doing it. I’m impressed, because whenever I try to do it, I look like I’ve got a bad nervous twitch.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I’ve followed Mattie from her beginnings as a damaged divorcee through her tempestuous romance with Hurley to the birth of their son and their marriage. Now it looks like there will be one more at the dinner table. While she is happy to be pregnant her fears and doubts haunt her and colour her reactions. Clearly she and Hurley are not on the same page and it is causing some tension in their lives.
One of her greatest fears, common to al lot of working moms, is whether she is giving her child enough attention and she worries about how another child will impact the dynamic. She has been a workaholic who often trades days off for off the clock work on a case that fascinates her and the one she is on now is a doozy. A young drug addict is found brutally murdered but there is something that rings a bell with Mattie.
She remembers being told about a serial killer who is now in prison whose MO was identical. As she and Hurley compare notes, the similarities convince them there was a miscarriage of justice and an innocent man is languishing in prison.
Naturally, the local cops who worked the case are less than enthusiastic about what they perceive is intrusion by another jurisdiction. They have more at stake than just their pride and they do everything in their power to stop Mattie. And I do mean everything. In fact, one of the best twists in the story is how deep that involvement was.
As always Mattie is a great character- funny, smart, self-aware. Between her, her family and her friends, there are compelling characters that make the tight exciting story even better. Five purrs and two paws up.

A dead body offers a puzzling problem to Mattie Winston. In her role as a medicolegal death investigator, she notices certain similarities to another case she heard about at a conference recently. There’s just one problem… that serial killer is currently incarcerated. Meanwhile, Mattie is struggling with her own personal life and it’s causing a rift with her husband, Detective Steve Hurley. Can Mattie and Steve solve their case and work out their differences?

DEAD RINGER is the 11th book in the Mattie Winston series but can easily be read as a standalone. Annelise Ryan recaps enough of the background history for readers to jump right in and enjoy the story line. This was my first venture into the Mattie Winston series, but it definitely won’t be my last.
I love how Annelise Ryan incorporates counseling into her story lines! Maggie Baldwin is a fascinating, albeit minor, character in the story but I appreciate the authenticity of her character. It’s also nice to see a strong character such as Mattie recognize when the help of a therapist is needed. I look forward to reading the earlier books to see how their therapeutic relationship developed as Mattie dealt with past hurdles, including a divorce.

And speaking of Mattie… what a great heroine! Her science-based observations are fascinating, as is her career, and I loved that Annelise Ryan explains the evolution of the career of medical examiners. However, what I love most about Mattie is that she is genuine about her feelings. She doesn’t gloss over her own mistakes and misgivings but faces them head on, even when they terrify her. I’m looking forward to spending more time with Mattie, Steve, Izzy, and all the rest of the delightful characters of DEAD RINGER!

Annelise Ryan crafts one heck of a good cozy mystery! DEAD RINGER is only the second book I’ve read by her but she’s quickly becoming one of my go-to authors when I want a cozy mystery that is both engaging and realistic. DEAD RINGER will appeal to both cozy mystery fans as well as some fans who like mysteries a little less cozy as Mattie’s profession makes her investigations far more science-based than the typical cozy mysteries. I can’t wait to see what Annelise Ryan has in store for us next!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

Maddie Winston and Steve Hurley are realistic characters with realistic problems, both personal and professional. BUT, when a married couple work together in a high stress environment, you can count on small irritations to grow. Annelise Ryan has built a small town community around these two central characters, turned them loose and watched them grow. Although DEAD RINGER is easily read as a stand alone, this series has yet to disappoint and always delivers an entertaining reading experience. Maddie and Steve have enough family problems that it makes you appreciate your family. I hesitated before I started this series because I am already following so many more but I'm very glad I gave in.

Dead Ringer: A Mattie Winston Mystery
By Annelise Ryan
Kensington
March 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

Life for Sorenson, Wisconsin’s medicolegal death investigator Mattie Winston is satisfying, if a little complicated. Her two-year-old son is asserting himself rather aggressively with tantrums and makeshift superhero costumes, while her husband’s newly discovered teenaged daughter is dating a boy about whom he has definite opinions. An unexpected impending arrival completely throws Mattie off her usual steadfast path, just in time for her to put all her focus on a new case linked to a solved serial killer’s. Information given to Mattie a bit drunkenly at a Milwaukee forensic conference has her re-connecting with flirtatious Todd Oliver, whose presence brings about as many personal speedbumps as it does political ones.

Mattie’s family life is the very definition of complicated, with an obsessive-compulsive hypochondriac for a mother and a father who only recently emerged from the Witness Protection Program. Mattie has not entirely forgiven him for abandoning their family, but a health crisis has them attempting to mend fences and overcome resentments. Mattie’s having a difficult time adjusting as a working mother as well, and her confused and conflicting feelings prevent her from talking to the one person she needs to talk to; her husband, homicide detective Steve Hurley. Helping her to juggle childcare and family responsibilities is her mentor/boss Dr. Izthak “Izzy” Rybarceski and his husband Dom, who adorably serve as Mattie’s ideal functional family. The clock is ticking for them to determine whether a copycat killer, or one close to the case and ready to kill again, especially when an innocent man could be sitting in jail and weighing further upon Mattie’s conscience.

This series has always succeeded in fascinatingly blending forensic investigation with Mattie’s personal dramas. She continues to be a well-rounded, complex woman, one whose experience as an ER nurse affects her lifestyle today. Empathy for patients while always living life on-the-go and ready for an emergency, Mattie always seems braced for impact. She also tends to escape from personal confrontations and family problems by drowning herself in her work, which of course leads her to feeling guilty and lacking maternal skills. It’s a compelling challenge that many will relate to, especially considering how Mattie attempts to compartmentalize her life into boxes to be dealt with later. Mattie’s intelligence and talent as a death investigator are undeniable, which is why her emotional vulnerability makes her all the more likable. The dynamic between Mattie and Hurley continues to be fiery and full of miscommunications, but their love is undeniable. By evolving and allowing their family lives to grow, this series has maintained its high standards as it explores both the depths of human depravity and the extraordinary challenges faced by healthgivers and forensic investigators.

An entertaining and solid mystery that I highly recommend.
Definitely a page turner and you will love it

First, book I have read by this author.
It was an enjoyable suspense.
Easily, connected with the characters. Will go back and read others in the series.

I really enjoyed being back in Mattie Winston's world. This is one of my favorite cozy series. I thought the mystery storyline in this one was very good. It sure kept me guessing, and had me intrigued all the way through.

In this installment, Mattie notices similarities between a murder victim brought into their lab and multiple murders from a couple of years ago in a nearby city. A man was convicted of the previous murders, but now Mattie and Steve believe that man may have been innocent. In order to prove he isn't the killer, they have to solve the recent murder.

I enjoyed Mattie, Steve, and the rest of the characters we've grown to know over the series. I like the way that Matthew's character is starting to add to the story now that he's a toddler. I normally really enjoy the dynamic between Mattie and Steve in both their professional and personal lives, and I really missed that, with the strife between them in this one. I liked the way everything turned out and hope they are back to their normal dynamic next time.

Mattie Winston is a medicolegal investigator (assistant coroner) in small town Sorenson, Wisconsin and along with her husband, Detective Steve Hurley, often work together on cases. They have Matthew, a toddler and Steve's teenage daughter Emily. They've recently bought a new home and are trying to meld their chaotic schedules when there is a new homicide found by the side of the road.

The female victim has a MO that Mattie remembers from a conversation at a convention and when the details look to be the same becomes aware the wrong man may be in prison.

Mattie is a wife and mother and loves her job but realizes she is pregnant (again) and the hormones are beginning to go wild. And here is where the plot tends to go off the rails. The hormones are jerking her. She and hubby had decided to try for another child, but now that it's happening may not what she really wanted and it's out of her hands.

Ignoring the angst and Steve's obviously touchy reaction to her colleague contact, she proceeds to continue her investigation, handing off Matthew to the sitters (so convenient) or to Steve and makes some questionable decisions (alienating both hubby and the reader).

The forensics were interesting and that is what I expected, rather than the dissolution into a domestic drama. This is my first experience with the author and the series, so I suspect Mattie has been developed in previous issues. There are a number of support characters, but I couldn't fully engage with any.

The conclusion reels everyone back after a harrowing climax and one in which I was somewhat dismayed. I suspected one of the slightly more zealous support characters, but then it flips entirely.

I received this digital download ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Not exactly a cozy and a bit torn between medical thriller and domestic drama, but the mystery parts, forensics, and medical explanations were appreciated.

The Mattie Winston series is one of the best written, interesting, and humorous series I have had the pleasure of reading! Top notch in every respect from plot to characters to unexpected happenings! It is, of course, best read in written order. However, if it's been awhile since you have read the preceding book, the author is careful to remind readers of key things from past books. Medical terms and necessary language is artfully explained without the stilted feeling of forced lecture used by many authors. The story line is smooth, easy to follow, and has great pacing. This is a series that should and does appeal to a wide spectrum of readers. I have loved the series, and am sorry to see it ending. Mattie is like a good friend, you never want your time together to end!

Many thanks to Kensington Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review Dead Ringer!

2 stars

Annelise Ryan forces the story instead of allowing the story to evolve. I really dislike books written in this style. The premise is good, the writing is not. I cannot recommend this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

Dead Ringer by Annelise Ryan is the 11th book in the Mattie Winston series, and another terrific addition. Mattie is an investigator for medical coroner in Wisconsin and her husband Detective Steve Hurley is a homicide detective and they work cases together. They live with their son, Matthew, a toddler, and Steve's teenage daughter, Emily, in their brand new home. In this addition, Mattie and Steve are trying to find out if their latest murder is a copy cat killing, or if they have the wrong man in prison. 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 have read the latest six books, but I am so into this series, I have been reading all the books in order, the last week, with one to go. I strongly recommend this book/ series for any mystery readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mattie and Steve Hurley with their son Matthew and Steve's daughter Emily a teenager, Steve is a homicide detective and Mattie is a medicolegal death investigator, aka medical examiner.

The latest corpse, a Jane Doe, was an addict, but drugs didn't kill her, at least not directly. She's been stabbed in a pattern that is familiar to Mattie. When she discovers flower petals from yellow carnations stuffed in the stab wounds, she recognizes the pattern belonging to a convicted serial killer who's currently serving a life sentence.

The details of the flower petals were never made public so it can't be a copycat crime. It looks like the wrong man is in prison, and the murderer is still at large. Now it's up to Mattie and Steve to get the case reopened—and catch the real carnation killer

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Mattie is back at it, trying to solve murders in her role as a medicolegal investigator while being a wife and mother. This time, a local bad girl is discovered dead, and details from her murder are very similar to a serial killer’s previous kills. The only problem is that someone has already been arrested and convicted for those crimes.

Mattie is having a crisis of self, feeling under appreciated at home and overwhelmed, even more so since she is pregnant with her second child.

I like this series, but I did not really like Mattie in this book. She wasn’t happy with anything at home, including her pregnancy, even though she had said she wanted another biological child, but she doesn’t talk to her husband about her doubts and fears and sometimes seems to forget that she is married. The mystery was good, and the personal problems dealt with by the end of the book, but it was definitely not my favorite in the series.

This is a great story, very well written and with great characters, but there's more personal stuff than mystery solving. Luckily, there is also a lot of funny situations, so it's very good entertainment.

This is a series that I started mid-way through and had no problems picking it up. I did go back and read a couple of the first books as well. Having said all of that, I believe that this book is more transitional and it would be helpful to read some of the earlier books first. You can read it stand-alone but some of the nuances of the relationships might be better understood with a background of the storyline.

Mattie is medicolegal death investigator (medical examiner) who assists the forensic pathologist in figuring out cause of death. In her case, she is also responsible for assisting the police with forensic evidence found at the scene if a crime has been committed.

Mattie teams up often with her husband, Steve, who is a homicide detective. In this story, she doesn’t work with him as much as previous books. She is more or less out there on her own and it proves to be a serious issue.

There are personal things going on that take her mind off her job. Because of that, she misses clues and puts herself in danger.

The crime she is investigating brings in a police force and crew from another city and those individuals are less than happy that she is getting involved. How she works around that and what it means for her safety is a major part of this story.

As I said, there are personal issues going on and while they don’t involve the crime, they still take a good portion of the book to resolve. It is because of this, that I suggest reading earlier books. The mystery, in and of itself, is completely contained in this story and is a great whodunnit with lost of twists, turns and red herrings.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

This is a cozy with an edge. Mattie balances her home life with a two year old and a teenager and her police detective husband. Her job as a deputy coroner is the dark side of her life. In their latest case they have to catch a killer thought to have already been put in prison. When a Jane Doe is found stabbed to death, one aspect of her death rocks the previous case. A clue of yellow carnation petals, never made public, sends them back to the beginning. If this new killing wasn't committed by a copy cat killer then there has been a serious miscarriage of justice.
With eleven books in this series I can say that not one of them was disappointing. Every single one engaged me from the start and gave me a well written puzzle to try and solve. The characters of Mattie and her husband Steve Hurley continue to evolve as a real couple does. Nothing cardboard about them. I look forward to not only the mystery but finding out how things are going for them and the various people in their lives. Those are, for this reader, things that make a great mystery series.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was surprised to find out this was the eleventh book in the Mattie Winston series.
This book read well as a stand-alone. That I checked out Kindle books to see what was published earlier shows that I greatly enjoyed the story .
In the mix we have a couple who are both a bit of work alcoholics. A two year old with a vivid imagination in dress code and a teenager. Already a demanding situation for any parent, include a new pregnancy and Mattie starts to question her own abilities as a mother. On top of it having aided in convicting an innocent person and feeling very guilty about her mistake she is unstoppable in trying to find proof to free another man out of prison.
Trusting the wrong person gets her close to been killed. The book has a lot of twist and turns. You really get to know the various characters.