Eli North is drowning in PTSD. Or better, he is trying to drown his PTSD in alcohol. Lucky for him, the sheriff of his small town is also his mother and she keeps him on the payroll. Lucky for her, he is on the payroll when a boy is found murdered and a girl is missing. He is able to use his previous experiences to help investigate the crimes. The writing is excellent and mirrors the dark and gloomy circumstances the town finds itself in. The characters are raw and imperfect. A couple times I was able to glimpse a bit farther down the plot, not enough to ruin the book because maybe, just maybe, I was wrong. And it wasn't enough to think the characters were being stupid. I expect this is a standalone book, but I will miss the characters.

This is a smart, well paced and atmospheric literary mystery. The setting in the Northwoods of Wisconsin is absolutely perfect, and the characters are all so well imagined and empthetic. For anyone who enjoys mystery, police procedurals or literary mystery, this would be a perfect novel. The author let me know that she is working on the second book in the series, which is exciting! Looking forward to selling this one.

Families vacation to the Northwoods of Wisconsin every year-and why wouldn’t they? Set on the beautiful Shaky Lake, it’s the perfect summer escape, right?

When the body of a teenage boy is discovered in the lake, it’s clear that something dark is lurking beneath the towns idyllic facade. Then, a local teenage girl goes missing too. Detective Eli North takes on the case, determined to find answers, all the while dealing with his own addictions, and a past that never fails to haunt him. Will he be able to solve the case-or will his own demons get the best of him?

Shedding a light on sensitive topics such as opioid and alcohol addiction, as well as suicide, there are a lot of elements to this book that extend past your typical crime novel. With such triggering themes, this may not be the book for everyone.

I enjoyed it thoroughly, particularly the characterization and family dynamics. I was rooting for Eli the WHOLE time.

I will say that the book was a bit of a slow build, and much of the novel is focused on the sensitive topics mentioned above, which could be hard to read at times.

Nonetheless, once the plot picked up, it was a page-turning experience. Everything (setting, characters, etc.) was very detailed and well written. It’s hard to believe that this is Amy’s first novel!

Thank you to the NetGalley team for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Amy Pease hits the ground running with her standout, impressive, compelling, character-driven debut, NORTHWOODS — a gripping murder mystery crime thriller with vivid settings that explores the challenges of a small Midwestern resort town when the past and present collide and dark secrets emerge.

Set against the backdrop of America's opioid epidemic, both heartbreaking and deeply emotional, the author explores struggles and real consequences both with individuals and the community—from addiction, substance abuse, PTSD, and mental health with great insights into current issues of today with compassion and sensitivity.

It's a fantastic start to a new series, leaving readers eager to return to Shaky Lake and this electrifying cast of characters for the next installment.

Set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin in a small idyllic resort town of Shaky Lake (Beran's Resort), we meet a mother and son law enforcement team as they unravel a conspiracy when the past collides with the present in this sleepy small town—owned by Kim and Mike Beran. They have been approached to turn the resort into a healthcare facility.

The resort is rustic, nostalgic, and picturesque. From cabins, campfires, porches, firepits, screened porches, Adirondack chairs, canoes, a beach, and a long L-shaped pier across Shaky Lake. However, is it peaceful? While dark secrets lie underneath the surface?

Meet Sheriff Marge North and her son, Deputy Eli North (ex-wife, Michelle, and his son, 11-year-old Andy) of Sherman County Sherriff's Department. Eli is barely holding down the job his mother gave him as a functional alcoholic to cope with the memories from his deployment in Afghanistan.

Northwoods is a vacation paradise resort town where people go to fish, campfires, and festivals. However, is there something dark and menacing lurking beneath beyond the peace and beauty?

No one trusts Eli, but Marge cannot give up on her son. She is trying to protect their town and her beloved son from his destructive tendencies. Eli loves silence with no voices, noise, radios, motorboats, or helicopters.

Marge is pushing 60 and has migraines. She needed Eli's help. Eli's father had been in law enforcement and had been killed in the line of duty when Eli was three.

When Eli discovers the body of a sixteen-year-old boy, Ben, floating dead in a boat in Shaky Lake, this may be his shot at redeeming himself, and he is charged with finding the missing girl.

What he does not anticipate leading him to a wealthy enclave with a violent past, a pharmaceutical salesman, a dead teen boy, and a missing teen girl, Caitlin. What do drugs have to do with this? Who can be trusted?

The county will give them some outside help. This leads Marge, Eli, and a young FBI agent on the hunt for more than they bargained for.

NORTHWOODS is an unputdownable page-turner! From a small town police department stretched beyond its means, from pharmaceuticals, illegal opioids, and power. You will fall in love with complex and well-developed characters—Eli who is savvy and uses his investigative skills. I enjoyed the mother-son relationship. I loved Marge and Eli! I cannot wait for the next book!

Beautifully written, a powerful debut, and a fully immersive suspense mystery with solid character development that will keep you on the edge of your seat from page one to the ending, anxiously awaiting the next installment.

For fans of Joshua Moehling's Ben Packard series and authors Tim Johnson Distant Sons: A Novel, William Kent Krueger, Allen Eskens, and Karen Katchur's The Greedy Three.

Stay tuned for my #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A (pub day Jan 9th, 2024) with Amy, where we go behind the book's scenes and this newfound voice in fiction!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 9, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars +
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Q&A with Amy Pease

This debut novel shows such promise, especially with its complex, multifaceted characters.

Eli North is a complex figure - troubled by his past, haunted by demons, and attempting to exercise them. I especially enjoyed the unique dynamic between Eli and his mother, the sheriff, his boss.

The mystery involves the murder of a teenage boy and a missing teen girl. The mystery includes current topics such as opioid addiction and pharmaceutical companies. The ugliness of murder contrasted with the beautiful backdrop of the Northwoods of Wisconsin, makes for an interesting read.

Eli is my new favorite lawman and I hope there are more books to follow in the series.

Atmospheric and thrilling. This isn’t a fast-paced thriller, but it is suspenseful and the characters won’t leave you alone the entire time you’re reading it. On a warm summer night in northern Wisconsin, a young man is found dead by Deputy Eli North. As the investigation begins, a young woman goes missing, the FBI gets involved and Eli tries his hardest to hang on to his job while dealing with drinking too much to cope with his memories from a deployment to Afghanistan.

Northwoods by Amy Pease

In Northwoods, I enjoyed the relationship between Eli North and his mother, Marge, sheriff of the small town of Shaky Lake. Marge is something else, a strong, competent, compassionate woman who loves her son with all her heart. She wants to help him and is trying to do so but he is way beyond her help. She's given him a job as deputy since the department is so short handed but also because Eli is barely able to take care of himself so it's unlikely he can be hired by anyone else.

Eli is a former successful investigator with the US Fish and Wildlife Service whose tour in Afghanistan left him broken in body and mind. Able to finally return to his old job, it was promptly abolished and Eli was left with his memories of the horror of Afghanistan. Drowning his memories in alcohol led Eli into alcohol addiction so strong that his body can't go without a drink without him experiencing withdrawal. And then there are the panic attacks. Almost anything, a smell, a sound, or a sight, can trigger war induced panic attacks. The author makes Eli's struggles seem so real, so hopeless to withstand, and so overwhelming. Those around him are powerless to help him, those who love him can only be hurt by his situation and his inability to function.

So when Eli finds the body of a teenage boy, Marge's department is stretched thin when trying to investigate the crime. FBI agent Alyssa Mason arrives in town to help with the case that runs so much deeper than just a small town crime. While Eli is stumbling from one drunken blackout/panic attack to another, Marge and Alyssa do seem up to the task of investigating and brainstorming the situation.

I want to see more of Eli and Marge. What a team they can make if Eli can survive his demons. I'm hoping this book can lead to a series because I'll be there for it. The character of Eli shows that a great guy can be brought to his knees by PTSD and substance abuse and that those around him can be helpless to change the situation. But there is help out there, sufferers aren't alone even if they think that they are alone. I appreciate the author's afterward that points the way to getting help.

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this debut from Amy Pease. It featured many heavy topics that are very important right now- the opioid crisis, big Pharma, mental health issues, and how ptsd affects our soldiers. Some of it can be hard to read about but so important to discuss.

I found the character development to be excellent and wouldn’t mind seeing Eli and Sheriff Marge again in a sequel.
Northwoods takes place in a small vacation town in the Midwest. I grew up in a similar place so reading about it felt like home to me.

While I really did enjoy this story, I found that the middle of the book dragged a little and some of the descriptive language felt a little wordy for my taste.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys police procedural type stuff.

Excellent debut novel!! With a recommendation from William Kent Krueger, had to check this one out and SOOO glad I did!!

Small town police force facing a murder and kidnapping, Eli finds the body of teen Ben Sharpe and discovers later Ben was to be with his friend Caitlin and she didn’t make it home. The FBI is called in to assist and agent Alyssa is written well and definitely adds to the story. The relationships between characters are woven so well also the drug company/ opioid addiction tie in really adds to the plot and kept me guessing!! I did not figure out all the bad guys by the end!! Can’t wait to see more from this author!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Title: Northwoods
Author: Amy Pease
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5

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?

I wasn’t sure about this at first, mainly because reading in the POV of a self-destructive alcoholic is not pleasant, but Eli grew on me. The setting is dark, gritty, and a bit depressing, and the author portrays it well. I figured out a (sort-of) twist at the end before the reveal, but I still think it was pretty well-done. All in all, a strong debut novel with memorable characters. I’d definitely read more from this author.

Amy Pease lives in Wisconsin. Northwoods is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/8).

Northwoods by Amy Pease is an illuminating crime thriller that authentically raises awareness of the troubling PTSD condition many soldiers face once they return to the US. The story is always compelling and fast-paced while showing the everyday challenges someone with this mental health condition faces. I loved how Pease married the two stories into a tale that consistently kept me on the edge of my seat.

This should be a police procedural, but the emphasis on Eli North’s personal struggles turns it into a much different story. There’s a solid contemporary tale that rides along with the investigation of the story. I found the contemporary personal tale as intriguing as the mystery and all the thrills, red herrings, and subterfuge.

I loved the character development, which is superb, and the parent-child relationship themes that brought a much-needed relatability element that made suspended disbelief easy and the story feel authentic. It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel as it reads like a story developed by a seasoned author, making me even more excited about what else Amy Pease will write in the future.

What a great debut novel! Living in the Chicagoland area myself and traveling to Wisconsin for family trips, this book nailed the vibe. All the local references made this book feel real and the characters were just your average small town folk that you felt connected with.

This book takes you on a wild ride of solving a murder and disappearance of two teens whose families vacation yearly at Shaky Lake. The small town Sheriff’s Department dealing with budget cuts, a deputy with a drinking problem (and a lot more problems), an opioid epidemic, and a country club full of medical industry members will have you turning pages! The connections in this story are crazy and ones you don’t want to miss! Pick this up on 1/09/24!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria and the author for the ARC!

"The gentle scrape of a boat, Ben Sharpe’s boat, against the dock. The soft, rhythmic splash of lake water against the rocky shore. The peaceful night air. A shape in the bottom of the boat. The feel of the gunwale beneath his hand as he lowered himself into the boat, then the feeling of stubble and cold skin when he touched the boy’s face. A dead boy."

Shaky Lake is a small town in Wisconsin that has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Eli North returned home after PTSD from his time in Afghanistan destroyed his marriage and career, to work for the local sheriff's office, a huge fall from his prior major metro position. The sheriff is actually his mother.

A dead teenage boy is found in the lake leading to a dark investigation involving drugs and darkness that forces Eli to confront his worst fears.

This is equal parts mystery and a character study if Eli. This is a great debut novel.

Thank you Atria Books for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can see the potential this book has as it deals with addiction, however I just found it to be too slow for my liking. I tried to become invested in the story but it just wasn’t for me.

Northwoods is a gripping debut novel that plunges readers into the heart of rural Wisconsin, where the serene surface of lake resorts conceals a web of secrets, addiction, and haunting memories.

Plot Summary: Eli North, a wounded veteran haunted by his past, finds himself in the midst of small-town turmoil. His mother, the overwhelmed sheriff of Shaky Lake, grapples with the fallout from the opioid epidemic. When a teenage boy’s body surfaces in the lake, Eli’s investigation leads him to a wealthy enclave with a violent history, a missing girl, and a pharmaceutical salesman. As he unravels the threads of deception, redemption beckons—but at what cost?

Why You’ll Love It:
🌥️ Atmospheric Setting: The Northwoods of Wisconsin, with its pristine beauty and hidden darkness, becomes a character in itself.

🧠 Character Depth: Eli’s struggle with PTSD, addiction, and the weight of responsibility is achingly real.

📖 Unputdownable: The suspense builds relentlessly, urging you to turn the pages.

Thank you so much Atria for my ARC in exchange for my review!

Eli North is a decorated soldier and a former Federal investigator suffering from PTSD. He is self-medicating with alcohol. With a lot of alcohol.

In fact, Eli North is barely holding on. He is working as a deputy for his mother, a sheriff in a small Wisconsin resort town, because the dwindling law enforcement budget is not really something that attracts many applicants. And Eli’s credentials are quite impressive.

The body of a teenage boy is discovered, the boy's girlfriend is missing, and things point to the opioid epidemic which does not leave pleasant resort towns untouched.

This is a well-constructed debut novel, and I am looking forward to following what I presume will be a series.

Eli North has been drinking a lot and his emotional wounds from war are affecting his marriage and social life. When the body of a local teenage boy is found, his mother (the sheriff) puts him on the case.

I’m not too big into police procedurals these days but this one hooked me. I liked the small town feel. The nepotism and the character dynamics within the police department were interesting and kept the story fresh. There was a lot of backstory that comes out later. It’s a shorter read and fast.

“He didn’t want to remember. Knew he couldn’t live with himself if he did. But his strength - his ability to fend off the memories and fight for what he’d once had - was dwindling and had come to an end.”

Northwoods comes out 1/9.

Atmospheric and well written with a damaged main character. I really liked Eli and was cheering him on through this mystery. I hope to see more of this author’s work.
Many thanks to Atria and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a slow starter for me. It took a while to learn characters and understand their role in the story. Often there were too many descriptions, not leaving the reader to imagine anything. But it was an insightful read into the world of mental health, drug abuse and alcoholism. And it was an enjoyable read once I got use to her writing style. I liked that I didn't totally figure out the mystery and there was a little bit of a surprise ending.
Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.

I really hope this is the start of a series! I enjoyed the characters in this book immensely. They were realistic, authentic, and wonderfully flawed. The case was a head scratcher and I was quickly caught up in the story. The setting was just icing on the cake!