Mattie Winston is a medicolegal death investigator who is called out to assist when a woman is found dead along a country road. Together with her husband homicides detective Steve Hurley they have to figure out who the woman is and what happened to her. There are five stab wounds in the woman's torso and they make an intriguing discovery. In the wound over her heart they find flower petals from yellow carnations. What is the meaning of this and why does it sounds similar to another case where a guy was arrested and jailed for killing woman in the exact same way?

On top of this they also have to solve some personal issues.

I found it a quick read although I sometimes struggled a bit with the flow. The ending could have been padded a bit more for me as well.

Thank you to Netgally and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Mattie, a medical examiner, gets a surprise when a Jane Doe is on her table- the woman was stabbed in an unusual pattern and the petals of yellow carnations stuffed in her wounds. Creepily, this resembles the method of a serial killer who is already in prison but it's likely he wasn't the real killer. Mattie and her husband Steve, a detective, find themselves deep in a mystery that they very much need to solve. Sorenson, Wisconsin is usually a pretty placid place (well, except for the murders) . The relationship between Mattie and Steve is so well done and I suspect more than a few will recognize the struggles they face with a toddler and a teen, as well as their happy times. This is as readable for the family aspects of the story as it is for the mystery, which, thankfully, is not as gruesome as most involving serial killers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read and I'm looking forward to the next one.

As a Wisconsin native, I was especially excited to read Dead Ringer by Annalise Ryan. I had not read any of Ms. Ryan's previous novels, but that didn't matter as the author does an excellent job with backstory to make the reader feel as though he/she is invested in the characters. Mattie and Hurley are thrust into a case that rings a bell with Mattie - a crime committed in a similar way as a convicted serial killer. Could the wrong man be behind bars? This sends Mattie all over western Wisconsin, with a strong cast of wonderful characters in Izzy, Dom (who could not be more fantastic). her sister, Desi, and more. I loved her use of the Wisconsin narrative, cities, and culture. It is a wonderful book, and I cannot wait to see where she takes Mattie and Hurley next! But, in the mean time, I'm going to explore this series more!

Another great book in the Mattie series! Love how realistic the relationship between Mattie and Hurley is, and the hesitancy and worry about expanding their family is so refreshing; having another child isn't all roses and love. Of course, the mystery and trouble Mattie gets into is top notch and Ryan always writes a great read!
Highly recommend this book as a stand alone, but it's much better if you read the the previous books in the series.

An excellent cozy mystery, engrossing and entertaining.
It's an excellent story that made me smile and kept me interested, the cast of characters is fleshed out and likable, the mystery solid.
It's the first story I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A clever, page-turning cozy mystery. The surprising laughs along the journey are a delight. Lots of family drama along with the murder. A great addition to a terrific series. I look forward to reading the next one.

As a fan of the Mattie Winston series, it is always exciting to embark on a new book, and this one didn't disappoint. The murder of a local woman who was a drug addict bears a strange similarity to a series of murders in another town. The problem is that the supposed murder is in prison and could not be responsible for the latest victim. This launches Mattie and Hurley into an investigation with twists and turns as they both seek the perpetrator of the latest murder and also prove that the man convicted as a serial murderer is innocent. Those involved in the investigation of the earlier murders and convicting the man are less than cooperative in the process. Somebody is hiding something. Who? And is this person the real murderer? Behind the case, Mattie and Hurley are also struggling with balancing work, children, and their relationship. Can they weather a storm of jealousy and unsuspected surprises? As always, the next book is anxiously awaited.

Dead Ringer by Annelise Ryan is the 11th Mattie Winston Mystery. Every time I hear another Mattie Winston Mystery is coming out I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. This series is one of my favorites. Like, the Bibliophile Mystery books by Kate Carlisle these books are specific cozies. Not only do our heroines solve murders, but they are specialists in their given field. Which makes the books more believable. Also, these books are hilarious, especially the earlier books in the series. That is why I am mentioning the Bibliophile Mystery books in this review to give you a comparison. And much like the Bibliophile Mystery books, the Mattie Winston books take on a more serious tone as the series progresses. If you have read the Bibliophile Mystery books, you will love the Mattie Winston Mysteries too. 

The previous book Dead of Winter had a hilarious subplot to lighten the tone of the book. Dead Ringer does not, and it needed that. That is ok as some Mattie Winston Mysteries are more serious. This book needed a comical subplot to help counterbalance one of the other plot lines. I loved reading about Mattie and the new murder she has to solve. Maddie is a medicolegal death investigator and helps the police solve murders. In the more recent volumes Mattie lives with her husband Steve Hurley, a police officer. Until this book the subplots involving their marriage offered a nice balance. It is nice to know that our heroine Mattie has a loving and stable relationship. Mattie solves murders and helps others. I want her to be happy. 

However, the subplot in Dead Ringer with Hurley was unsettling. Without giving too much away, I felt Hurleys behavior was uncharacteristic. Hurley crossed boundaries he should not have. I am unsure if I can forgive Hurley as easily as Mattie did. This is my issue with the book. 

In Dead Ringer the murder itself was unique. The murder pattern matches a serial killer who is already prison. This means they have a copycat killer on the loose or an innocent man is behind bars. The killer could be anyone. There was one red herring later in the plot so you had to pay attention. It was kind of obvious the red herring was there to mislead you. 

If you are anything like me, I did not figure out who the killer was until the final plot point. And Mattie ends up in danger again. I am used to this as most cozy heroines end up being in mortal danger at the end of the book. It would be nice if one of the Mattie Winston Mysteries did not end with Mattie in danger. This is typical for the genre. 

Overall, I rated Dead Ranger 4 out of five stars on Goodreads. I could not stand the subplot with Hurley. I knew from the second the subplot began what was happening and it didn’t feel right. It even brought tears to my eyes when Mattie discovered what was going on. Previously I stated this is what I disliked about the book. 

The Mattie Winston Mysteries are good books. I cannot wait for the twelfth book and recommend Dead Ringer despite my gripe about the subplot. It was a real page turner and I could not put it down. It took me about two-and-a-half days to read it. At 336 pages that means I read over a hundred pages a day. That was how gripping this book was. 

Dead Ringer is available on February 25th and I recommend you read it. Especially if you love cozies or true crime novels.

Mattie Winston is a deputy coroner for the medical examiner's office in small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin. She has a two-year-old son with her husband Detective Steve Hurley and a teenaged stepdaughter. In this installment, a Jane Doe has been stabbed multiple times and flower petals from yellow carnations are stuffed into the stab wounds. Mattie immediately recognizes the M.O. as belonging to a convicted serial killer who's currently serving a life sentence. As Mattie digs deeper into the case, it becomes more and more obvious that the wrong person is in jail and the real killer is still out there. With the help of her boss Izzy and her husband, she is determined to bring the real murderer to justice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging and well-written eleventh installment in the Mattie Winston Mysteries. Mattie is a smart and realistic character. Her body insecurities and relationship problems are very relatable. This is the first book that I have read in this series and I didn't have any problems following her life. I enjoyed her character and found the supporting characters to be interesting and fleshed out. The murder mystery had me on the edge of my seat. It was a bit heavier than your average cozy but very cleverly plotted with plenty of twists and turns. I will definitely be reading the next book.

I received an ARC of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mattie Winston is a delightful character, who will make you laugh and feel good about yourself.
Investigating mysterious deaths comes natural to Mattie, so when she discovers the possibility that the wrong person may be charged with murder, she follows her gut and refuses to back down.
On top of this, Mattie reveals surprising news as she struggles with personal demons, which makes things tense between her and police detective hubby Hurley.
Fans of this series will be excited to read this latest addition to the series.

I enjoy this series, mostly because Mattie voices the way a lot of us girls feel about ourselves, clumsy, emotional, and unsure at times. It is fun to re visit all the characters and see what is going on in Dr Izzy's life too. I would of given this book 5 stars, but I figured out who the killer was. Lots of interesting forensics information. A good fun read!

I came to this series towards the end so don't know the whole back story I guess! Mattie (medical examiner) and Steve (homicide detective) are enjoying springtime in Wisconsin, and looking forward to having a new baby to add to their family of Matthew, 2, and Emily 14. They get to work together often on various murder cases, but this newest one has them worried. A clue came up in the autopsy that Mattie remembered from a man named Todd, another medical examiner, who was talking about a strange case he had. This clue relates to four cases of murder of tall, blonde women and the killer is currently in jail for his crimes - do they have the wrong man?? Thanks to NetGalley for this fun read!

A fresh corpse bearing an unusual pattern of stab wounds with flower petals leads Mattie Winston to question whether there is a copycat killer or someone wrongly committed for the original crimes. Along the way in this tightly plotted mystery, we meet up again Maggie's family, co-workers and friends all of whom are distinctive and worthy of repeat visits. I love this series so much that I jumped the ARC to the top of my already overflowing TBR. Eleven books in and the mystery is just as strong and the characters evolve and grow in each outing. Highly recommended!