Northwoods is a debut and what a debut! Pease has written a story that is a mystery and police procedural that delves into very serious subjects such as PTSD, opioid abuse, and “big pharma.” The action takes place in northern Wisconsin, in a lake resort area popular with summer vacationers. Eli North is currently a deputy sheriff (and his mother is the sheriff!) of the local county, which has a very small sheriff’s department. A fair amount of their time is taken up with noise complaints and other low-key issues. Eli has severe PTSD from his time in Afghanistan and is currently separated from his wife. They have an 11-year-old son, Andy. Eli’s drinking is out of control and is affecting his job performance and his relationships. When Eli discovers the dead body of a teenage boy in a small boat, his first thought is thankfulness that it’s not Andy. Later they find out that a teenage girl is missing, and the investigation expands.

There were several characters who we learn about in a bit of depth, at least one of whom is dealing with addiction, a theme in this story. Alyssa, an FBI agent who comes to town to assist (or lead!) the investigation, seems to have an interesting backstory, but we only get an inkling of that.

The mystery is a good one and held some surprises. I sped through this one, bouncing between the ebook and the audiobook, which was well narrated by Chris Henry Coffey and Zach Aleman.

While the main mystery is wrapped up at the end of the book, the author left a few threads dangling, so I’m hoping there’s another book in the works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful debut novel!!

What I loved about this book:
1. Recommended by William Kent Krueger - great reco!!
2. Police Procedure that takes place on a lake in a small town!
3. Troubled Main Character - who you love and want to succeed!

What I wanted to be a little different:
1. Kind of gets a little unbelievable at times....but does correct itself!
2. Covers a lot of topics - could be fewer and stronger

Can't wait for her next book!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for chance to review the book!

I really liked this book as it has all the elements I enjoy in a novel: suspense, murders, good guys/bad guys--all the usual elements in a good thriller. Deputy Eli finds a dead youngster in boat and it raises all sorts of questions as there doesn't appear to be foul play but it's unusual to find a 16-year-old by himself--docked and dead. Eli's mother is the sheriff so of course the investigation will begin immediately. But what makes it odder is that Caitlin, another 16-year-old is missing; and as this is a resort town, it's unlikely she's gone far. Unfortunately, Eli has a drinking problem and often passes out without remembering events so he may be of little help. And then there's Cal, who works for Orion, a pharmaceutical company that has just developed a drug that will counteract the effects of an opioid overdose. All of these elements combine in an often-surreal and nightmarish race through time to discover what's plaguing this town!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

3.5 Stars rounded up

I read this book in pretty much one sitting on an airplane travel day. It kept me occupied and engaged but one of my pet peeves with police procedurals is when people go so far off the book. I understand the story was that they were so desperate that they let things slide and there was nepotism but it was a bit too far for me. Now will I continue with what I imagine will become a series?.....maybe because the optimist in me wants to continue to see growth.
The other piece that left me underwhelmed was the ease at which I pinpointed the whodunnit. I get maybe that wasn't meant to be a big secret (maybe) but I just figured it out too early and then felt like I lost some of the enthusiasm for the book.

Things I liked:
The characters - I know I just whined about the MC but when you can take a morally grey character and make me care and root for them thats a win. I also really liked the side characters and the development of characters.

Things I loved:
The setting - give me small town Wisconsin (especially on a lake) anyday. Incorporating the Kwik Trip references was just the chef's kiss easter egg this WI native much appreciated.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

Eli North’s drinking is getting worse. He has emotional wounds after being deployed to Afghanistan. He’s lost. His career and marriage, he gets a job working for his mother as a deputy sheriff. In the lake he is floating and gets up to check on the song that’s playing. When he reaches the cabin, it appears to be empty except for the record playing ab Etta James tune. After finding no one in the cabin, he goes to the lake and checks out the boat. Inside the box is a dead teenage boy.that he doesn’t recognize. His mother knows him. When his mother looks at the boy, she recognizes him. As Zelig becomes involved in th case, his mother and a young fbi agent. The case ends up being more than just finding the killer. If Eli can solve this case, he might be able to get redemption.

The author has written a gripping murder mystery. Pease has done an excellent job with writing a depiction of the consequences of substance abuse in a small midwestern town. The characters are compelling throughout the novel. There are secrets found while investigating. The characters in the book will not be forgotten by me. The book indirectly speaks about post traumatic stress, addition, small-town life and the trappings of wealth. It is a terrific mystery.

If you don't like PTSD, addiction, or suicidal thoughts/attempts, then steer clear. Lucky for me that I don't have those filters and very few subjects are no-go's. Animal cruelty is one of my hard limits. Apparently, I can readily read about torturing or killing a human, but by golly don't direct that towarda fuzzy lil creature!!! But I digress. This was really a good thriller/mystery story to read. I felt so badly for the main MC and was invested in seeing if he could overcome his demons. The mystery itself was kind of easy to figure out. There are clues along the way for sure, but it kept me reading to see how it would all come together.

This wonderfully thriller filled with face paced movements and action. The book does a remarkable job of dealing with the opioid addiction in the world today. The book takes place in a small Midwestern town. You will fall in love with all the characters, Definitely a page turner.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Northwoods
By: Amy Pease
Publisher: Atria books
Pub Date: 1/9/24

This book is a crime novel with a little bit of police procedural thrown in. Eli North is a Veteran who is still struggling with all he saw and went through in Afghanistan. After returning home he returned to his job as an investigator for United States Fish and Wildlife, however just 6 months later his position was eliminated. Now he’s working for the sheriff department in his hometown but he only has this job because his mom, Marge is the sheriff. He had a pretty severe case of PTSD. He is not only having flashbacks but is passing out when the panic becomes too much. He recently split with his wife which has only made his drinking problems all the worse.

While on duty Eli is called to a noise complaint at a cabin on the lake. He finds no one there. While looking for someone who was renting the cabin he finds the body of a 16 year old Ben Sharpe in his boat. What no one knows at the time is Caitlin, a 16 year old girl was with him when he died and she is now missing. Caitlin’s father is a pharmaceutical salesman and now he’s missing as well. When FBI agent Alyssa Mason arrives to assist, Eli teams up with her. As time goes on it would seem Alyssa knows more about the case than she's sharing. With so many things happening all at once will they be able to find Caitlin alive? Will Eli be able to keep himself together and find the girl?
I really enjoyed this read. The characters made sinking into the story easy. It touched on several sensitive subjects all while keeping your interest going. I’m really hoping there's more to come and that this becomes a series!

I'm so tired of stories about incompetent police officers. There has been so much trauma to communities from these people and such a lack of consequences for their actions that we really don't need to further glorify them in books. In this case, we have two incompetent police officers: Eli and his mother Marge, who is the chief of police for their town.

Eli is dealing with a lot of PTSD and alcoholism. My frustration with him was less that he's showing up on the job armed and completely black-out drunk (although this is obviously a giant issue) and more that he's been enabled to do so. We fail our veterans in so many ways, but in this case, it was his mom that I took the most issue with. She has a duty to the people she serves and she's failing that duty by allowing her son to serve when he is in that state.

Separate from these frustrations, the mystery itself was compelling. I liked the Wisconsin small-town setting, with the lake serving almost as its own character, especially with a Kwik Trip present. But my frustration with Marge and Eli brought down the book for me. I don't think I can read another story about these two.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC, available everywhere now.

Unlike the wealthy guests visiting his sleepy, idyllic town, Eli North can't remember the last time he was able to get away, let alone have a relaxing day. He spends most days getting so drunk so he can avoid sitting with his thoughts. Thoughts about his former deployment in Afghanistan. How his marriage has collapsed, damaging his relationship with his son. His career is over, and if not for his mother being the town Sheriff, he wouldn't have a job. Even that's on shaky ground, both because of his inability to stay sober and the lack of crime in the area. Until one night, he is called out to investigate a noise disturbance and instead, discovers a dead body in a boat nearby. A teenage boy is missing, his friend unaccounted for. The investigation sets in motion things that Eli and the town are not prepared for, leading them on the hunt for more than just the killer.

I thought this was a good debut but it didn't live up to the hype for me. It felt less like a novel about a murder investigation and more like a novel about Eli's traumas, which was discussed on nearly every page. I could have started a drinking game for all the times alcohol was brought up and I could have been as drunk as Eli by the end. It felt like a lot to me, cramming in alcoholism, the PTSD, the focus on pharmaceuticals and opioids, addictions, etc. The end was a letdown, ending so abruptly and open-ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the eARC! This is a gripping, police procedural mystery that tackles many hot button issues. This was an interesting debut, that kept me engaged. I enjoyed the mystery, but felt a lot was going on in terms of social commentary.

Author Amy Pease’s debut novel is a hit! Northwoods is a mystery/detective story that could be the start of a great new series. I say “could” because I don’t know if that is the author’s intention, but the book ends in such a way that follow-up novels with the same characters are a real possibility.

Northwoods follows detective Eli North, an army veteran who has returned to his hometown police force following deployment in Afghanistan. As Eli battles his own demons, he discovers a dead body at Shaky Lake. The bare bones investigative team is joined by an FBI agent as they work to solve the murder and a connected kidnapping. The mystery grows deeper, and Eli struggles to keep it together.

This novel has a beautiful setting, vividly described. The characters are well developed, and the complexity of their relationships—with themselves and each other--adds to the depth of the novel. And, as you’d hope in a mystery novel, the mystery is intriguing.

Northwoods was published earlier this month, and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre. Sensitive readers should be aware of mentions of suicide, war, PTSD, and drug use.

Way too much substance abuse, and I don’t enjoy reading about it. The deputy sheriff had way too many problems, not exactly original. The fact that his mother hired him is an argument against nepotism in hiring. I was bored and quit reading. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Northwoods by Amy Pease is a slow burn mystery story about a murder in a vacation town in Wisconsin. When deputy Eli North, a man who faces demons of his own, finds the body of a teenage boy in the lake, it sets off a deeper investigation involving a missing girl and an opioid crisis.

I enjoyed this story. It's not fast paced or super thrilling, and often it felt more like a family drama than a mystery. But it was pretty good and worth a read! Eli is definitely a troubled character and makes some bad choices, but I couldn't help but root for him to find help and put his life back together.

The ending on this one is not fully resolved, which makes me wonder if there would be a sequel? I would read it!!

Wow, Amy Pease really did a great job with this novel, especially the main character. Definitely had a thriller aspect in it and I loved the writing of this storyline. The main character left everything on the pages. Such a great read.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, Atria Books, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for my honest review.*

Eli is suffering and you can feel it in almost every page. After spending time in Afghanistan, he has developed a drinking problem and panic attacks. (And wow! When the panic attacks were described, I felt like I was dropping in to one myself.) He is also at the very beginning of a separation from his wife and son and just starting a new job with the sheriff department where his mom is the sheriff. How much worse can it get?

The case that comes up is a teenage boy who has been found dead on the lake after an overdose and a missing teenage girl who is at the lake on vacation with her mom. Another opioid novel.

I think this novel is going to stay with me a while because of the state that Eli was in. As much as you would think that as an alcoholic and someone with obvious PTSS who doesn't get any kind of help that he would be a much despised character, but I want to hear that he gets help and becomes the stand up guy that he was before the war. This novel is definitely missing antics and pieces that are in most novels where drug use and sales are the front and foremost theme. I found that quite refreshing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Amy Pease for an eARC copy of this book. This was a wonderful debut novel. Crime, murder, mystery, opioid crisis, mental illness, PTSD from serving in Afghanistan, family drama and excessive drinking. This book has all the things. If you are looking for a great story to keep you entertained and guessing, this ones for you. Well done Amy Pease. Looking forward for more to come from this author.

The search for a missing teenager leads to so much more…

Sheriff Marge North is a strong woman doing her best for the little Wisconsin town of Shaky Lake - but keeping tabs on both the locals & the vacationers that come for summer fun on the water has her department stretched thin, & she can’t always rely on one specific deputy to be sober. Sheriff North keeps him around anyway because he’s her son: Eli.

Eli used to have a prestigious investigative position with US Fish & Wildlife, but his position was eliminated shortly after he returned from Afghanistan. He’s haunted by his time in the military, & after his drinking started having an impact on his young son, his wife asked for a divorce. His job with the sheriff’s department hasn’t exactly been capturing his attention, until a case revolving around a couple of teenagers ends up pulling in the FBI & sends them into the world of opioids, & the rehab centers & pharmaceutical companies that profit off of treating addiction.

I really appreciated the author’s note at the beginning of the story that outlined trigger warnings, & felt that the addiction & mental health issues explored were handled with the care one would expect from someone in the healthcare industry (a unique perspective from a debut author). I also really enjoyed the setting & I need to make visiting the scenic upper Midwest a priority soon. Eli’s mother ended up being a bigger part of the story than I initially expected, & seeing some of the parallels between the case they were working & how Eli was spiraling in his own life gave the reader much to reflect on. One of the main take-aways I have from this narrative is that human connection & reaching out for help is something we all need to remember when facing life’s demons.

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.