Womp womp...⁣
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Super Brief Summary⁣
A struggling deputy sheriff finds himself in over his head when a local teen is murdered in his lakeside small town.⁣
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I was totally vibing with this one, I found the main character , Eli, very compelling and complex, I loved the moodiness of the writing but I did not like the ending at all. The ending made the bulk of the mystery, the questioning of the townspeople and the complexities of the main character completely pointless.⁣
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That said, because of how much I liked Eli, I would read a follow up of this book, if that ever happens.⁣
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I think fans of William Kent Krueger will enjoy this one.⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for this copy in exchange for my honest review!⁣
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What a debut!!! The character development and descriptiveness of the setting and action had me hooked from the first page.

Eli struggles with alcoholism as a direct result of PTSD. On call for the local sheriff's department in a small Wisconsin resort town riddled with opioid addiction, he reports to a noise disturbance call that soon turns into a murder investigation.

Amy Pease managed to weave a complex web of internal monologues with compelling action. If you are looking for a story that ends up wrapped in a pretty bow, know that you are not going to get all of your questions answered. But I have high hopes for a sequel!

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Northwoods is a fun, exciting, tense novel that explores the darkest parts of the human soul and psyche. It was a exhilarating read that I couldn't put down.

This review will be posted on January 22, 2024 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

This was a solid mystery set in lakeside community in Wisconsin. The novel plays into some tropes, like the tortured hero who investigates the murder, but it does so in a way that feels honest to the reader and the story. But, overall, it was just ok for me. #NorthWoods Rating: 😐 / meh, it was ok
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This book was scheduled for publication on January 9, 2024. Thank you @atriabooks for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Northwoods</i> is a well written account of a man just trying to get it through the day. Eli works for the sheriff (who also happens to be his mom) while suffering from PTSD from his time fighting for the country. His struggle of trying to make his son proud and his ex-wife not angry with him, all while fighting the need to have a drink and solve a murder of a young boy may just be the thing that breaks him.
I felt like I was part of the story. The writing pulled me in as if I was watching the scenes unfold as if on a detective tv show or movie.
This book does tackle a lot of triggers such as PTSD, addiction, suicide. If you are a fan of crime novels, I recommend this one.

Eli’s coping mechanism is drinking. Not just one drink but drinking sometimes, until he passes out. His job as a deputy keeps him going but lately, that’s not even helping. Since returning from Afghanistan, Eli has lost his career and his marriage, and now, his memories and drinking have taken over his life. His mother, the town’s sheriff, has put Eli on her force and she tries hard to help him while listening to her community’s comments about his performance. It’s a balancing act as a mother’s fights for her son and for what’s right for her community.

It's another night of escape as Eli finds himself alone, isolated, enjoying one of his favorite beverages. He hears something and now, his relaxing night is over. Forced to put on his professional mask, Eli tries to sharpen his senses when he discovers a male body in a boat.

In a department that’s already short-staffed, they now have a murder to solve. It should be Eli’s case, but can he handle it? Calling in the FBI, Alyssa arrives on the scene, and I wondered how Eli and Alyssa would be able to work together. Eli still can’t put the bottle and Alyssa seems to be all business as they start to put the pieces together.
The author throws in a couple other stories into this case, adding more interesting characters that create a storyline that’s entertaining and full of energy. My favorite character was Eli, with all his difficulties and challenges, as I felt he gave the book strength and unpredictability. He was a torn character with potential. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley, Atria Books, and Amy Pease in exchange for an honest opinion, thank you sharing your book with me. 5 stars.

This book touches on a lot of relevant topics (PTSD, drugs, suicide) and weaves together a story that will keep you guessing who is behind it all. I especially liked Eli's mom, a tough woman with a soft heart, in the story. The setting is rural Wisconsin and reminded me a little of my area. Along with the plot of who is behind the crimes and drugs is the gritty reality of how war affects those who serve.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

One too many opioid stories. Although William Kent Krueger recommended it it must have some merit.

An unusual setting, a resort, but the story is predictable. Her work will be one I follow. Excellent writing.

I really enjoyed this thrilling murder mystery set in a small town struggling with the opioid epidemic. Well written characters and a mystery that kept me guessing, Pease does an excellent job putting a new spin on a novel that is a police procedural. I would definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for providing a free advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am a big fan of stories about drugs emerging from legitimate pharmaceutical companies and this story was just up my alley. I highly recommend this novel for fans of “The More They Disappear” by Jesse Donaldson and “Long Bright River” by Liz Moore. Like the novels I mentioned, Northwoods is a character driven police procedural with a flawed but empathetic main character. Eli North is a veteran, and a former Fish and Wildlife Service investigator, whose life has been slowly spiraling out of control, and down the bottle, following a traumatic injury in Afghanistan. His mother, sheriff Marge North, hires Eli as a deputy in an attempt to keep an eye on her son, but expects little of him. When a young man is found dead in a boat, and his girlfriend is missing, sheriff North is forced to conduct an investigation with barely enough funds. As hints emerge that drug traffickers may have been responsible for the murder/kidnapping, FBI agent Alyssa Mason joins the ragtag investigative team. The clock is ticking, and Eli is forced to decide if he has the power to put down the bottle and investigate, or let another young person die.
My favorite part about the book was the slow, thorough characterization of Eli in the first half of the novel. Eli's physical and psychological wounds were portrayed with gentleness and patience. His effort to stay afloat at the beginning of the novel set up the character growth excellently. I was equally satisfied with the circular ending, and Eli pushing against the bottom of the lake towards the surface. Oftentimes characters are given short shrift in crime novels, in order to focus more on the external plot. “Northwoods” circumvented this problem. The author paints a clear detailed picture, both internal and external, of Eli and his mother, which I greatly appreciated in the first half of the novel especially. The clues for the final reveals are also well placed; this means I saw the twist that was revealed at the cabin arrest scene very early (in the first ten chapters), but I didn't feel cheated. I also have to say, I'm writing a very similar plot for my own novel, so I am highly sensitive to these breadcrumbs. I don't know if other readers saw the twist coming quite as early. Another thing I appreciated was the empathy the author revealed for people struggling with addiction. This is the trend emerging currently in crime fiction and I hope it continues to grow.
There were however a few problems with the novel in the second-half. We spend so much time inside Eli's head and dealing with his personal problems that the crime plot became secondary. The last five chapters therefore rushed through the conclusion and also left a few plot points unanswered (the Kovach false alibi was never confirmed, but it may be addressed in a second novel). The procedural part also contained a few blatant flaws. Marge North didn't have probable cause to obtain a search warrant based on the information she got from the informant. The biggest issue was the way Alyssa used and abused a civilian for her investigation. There was no reason for her to take the path she took, considering the procedures and resources available to the FBI. She endangered innocent people for no good reason. She also withheld vital information from the investigative team for no good reason. I believe had we dropped the couple of chapters dealing with Eli and his son mowing grass, and instead spent a couple more chapters inside Alyssa's point of view, we may have had a more empathetic and more believable FBI agent. I'm also a little surprised by how quickly Alyssa became attached to Eli. There was no reason for her to care for him so much after two days only; additionally both Alyssa and Marge appear to be convinced that Eli has extraordinary investigative abilities, but we do not see them in this novel. This is more the beginning of Eli’s healing.
However, the author created very compelling characters that I would love to follow in a subsequent novel. I can only hope that this is the beginning of a series that will continue for many years. 3.5 stars rounded up.

4.25 ⭐️

Northwoods is a suspenseful mystery with added depth, exploring the dark side of a small town dealing with the opioid epidemic, and a main character dealing with ptsd after returning home from Afghanistan. An engaging debut, it reads like the first installment in a promising new crime series, which is good news, since I would enjoy revisiting these characters.

Thank you Amy Pease, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This debut literary police procedural is being compared to Long Bright River by Liz Moore (one of my favorite books of 2020) and it definitely has similar vibes, but I'd say it's Long Bright River Lite. Absolutely avoid the publisher’s blurb as it gives away way too much of the story. Our story kicks off when a body is found in a small boat that’s docked at a resort in a lakeside Wisconsin resort town. Our main law enforcement characters are Eli, an Afghanistan veteran who is struggling with PTSD and substance abuse and his mother, Marge, who is the local Sheriff and gave Eli his job. In addition to the case that’s central to the story, Pease explores the opioid epidemic and PTSD. There’s also a sweet mother / son story between Eli and Marge and I appreciated the uniqueness of having a mother / son law enforcement duo rather than a father / son one. I could sort of figure out where this was all headed, but I didn’t really care. This wasn’t about the surprise for me. It was about the characters and this town. Both of which were really well developed and vivid. My one quibble is that we do get closure to the immediate story, but she leaves an additional layer of the solution open ended. I kind of feel like you want ALL the answers in a police procedural?

Northwoods is the debut novel by Amy Pease. I found it hard to believe that this was her first book because the writing just seemed to flow which made it an easy and enjoyable read. The story centers around a small town in Wisconsin where a deputy named Eli North works under the supervision of his mother Marge who is the sheriff. Eli is a troubled man, he’s suffering from a form of PTSD from his time spent in Afghanistan. Because of this and his excessive drinking, he is separated from his wife and son. There is a murder of a young boy that Eli stumbles on one night while answering a noise disturbance call and the story goes from there. The investigation also includes a missing girl and it’s believed that it’s all drug related. I thought this was a very interesting story, it was all really lifelike and it kept me turning the pages. I’d like to thank Zakiya Jamal, Marketing Manager at Atria Books for the widget and invite to read and NetGalley for the arc. It was a great story, especially being the authors debut novel. It’s a book I’d recommend and I look forward to reading more by Amy Pease in the future. I’m giving this a 5 star rating!

Set in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, a familiar lake vacation and fishing trip destination for Midwesterners, this setting brings back memories of summer trips with Paul Bunyan breakfasts and lumberjack shows.

Northwoods focuses on a darker side of Shady Lake, as a teenage boy’s body is found in a boat and the depths of the opioid epidemic and corruption surrounding the business of opioids start to reveal themselves during the investigation.

The man who finds the body is the main character, Eli. A veteran who served in Afghanistan and recently divorced father, Eli is working as a sheriff’s deputy and struggling with alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts. The depth of Eli’s regret and pain regarding the ending of his marriage and the way his alcoholism and trauma have affected his relationship with his son is evident. The FBI sends a female agent, Alyssa, to work on the case, a character I really enjoyed, and she and Eli work together. Eli and Alyssa were giving off some Cormoran Strike and Robin vibes, and I see a future there if there is a sequel. The fact that Eli’s mother is his boss is another interesting piece of the story.

I really enjoyed reading Northwoods and highly recommend it for those interested in crime fiction and the small lake town Wisconsin setting. Ell is a flawed character the reader will become attached to, so I can see this becoming a series. I was invested in the whole story, and the ending felt a bit rushed. I could have used more elaboration as the pieces all fell into place.

Northwoods tells us the story of the opioid crisis at Shaky Lake, a resort lake in the Wisconsin Northwoods. It begins with a noise nuisance call that leads to the discovery of a teenage boy, Ben Sharpe, whose mother had a serious addiction to cocaine and opioids. He was found by local deputy Eli Lake, the son of the the Sheriff Marge, who was fond of Ben. They soon learn that Ben had been out on the lake with Caitlin Wallace, who is reported missing by her mother.

The investigation is manage by a force of four people, Marge and deputies Eli, Jake, and Phil. It is obvious to all of them that Eli has a drinking problem and his work suffers for it. This leads to some serious infighting within the department. Also part of the investigation is the FBI agent Alyssa who clearly knows more than she is telling.

There is another narrative that shows up periodically throughout the story. It’s the storyline of Caitlin’s father Cal. This, of course, telegraphs that the story has more to do with him than some other avenues they might be considering. He has a pretty wild adventure of his own trying to get to Shaky Lake to fill the sheriff in on what might be behind his daughter’s disappearance.

Meanwhile, they continue to investigate and discover all sorts of questionable people involved in Shaky Lake. Shaky Lake was the refuge of a Chicago Prohibition gangster and might be the refuge of today’s opioid gangsters who operate with prescriptions and factories instead of stills and tommy guns. The story ends with an exciting climax and heartbreaking betrayal and some unfinished business that makes me think there will be another story, perhaps even a series.



Northwoods may start out with a murder, but the pace at the beginning is a little slow and confusing. It sometimes feels as though there were too many characters with too much story who took us on unnecessary detours, however it tightened up after the middle of the book and raced to an exciting conclusion. Looking back, I think the seeds of other books in a series were planted. That’s a heavy burden for a first book, but it sure does make a person want to read the next one.

One of the best things about the book was its strong sense of place. I grew up on a resort lake in the Minnesota Northwoods and there were many things that reminded me of my home. There were differences, no big country club or plans for a drug rehab facility. But she managed to make me a little homesick.

My biggest criticism of the book was how she telegraphed the great betrayal. Eli may have been confused one morning, though admittedly he was hungover most mornings, but we readers can intuit what happened easily and know there’s something rotten in Shaky Lake.

There’s threads hanging all over at the end, loose ends that I expect to follow in future books. If there isn’t another in this series, I will be quite put out.

I received an e-galley of Northwoods from the publisher through NetGalley.

Northwoods at Atria | Simon & Schuster
Amy Pease author site

Northwoods is a dark crime fiction novel that highlights mental health, alcohol abuse, small town police departments, and the opioid epidemic. It is Amy Pease’s debut novel and it was well written with great character development and an engaging plot.

I highly recommend reading this book especially if you enjoy dark crime fiction based in rural areas. I look forward to reading more novels by Amy in the future.

Thank you @atriabooks and @atriathrillers for allowing me to read @amypeasewrites’ debut novel in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

Extremely well written and intriguing. The pacing was perfect, characters well-developed and a very good story. I felt like I was there. I really enjoyed this book!

I thought this was a solid debut novel! I found the opioid addiction and big pharma information really interesting. I thought the storyline was slow moving though and I just couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. I look forward to more books coming from this author as I’m sure her writing skills will only improve.

Read if you enjoy:

🔎 Mysteries
✍️ William Kent Krueger books
✨ Small town dark and cozy reads

Eli is a veteran suffering from PTSD and self-medicating with alcohol. He’s working for his mom, the sheriff of a county in northern Wisconsin. Eli responds to a noise complaint and finds a dead body.
Throughout the novel, Eli struggles with his past and we see his relationships unravel. This book also tackles the opioid epidemic.
I found aspects to be over the top and I can’t say it’s my favorite thriller as I was able to guess the ending fairly early on. That said, I still found the writing compelling and really enjoyed the setting

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Amy Pease. The main character is so relatable and deals with real life struggles as he works in a demanding job. The setting, pace of the story and details were expertly woven throughout the book. I was highly engaged reading through the novel and wanted to see how the mystery would be solved. I look forward to reading Amy's next book and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoy a true crime/detective story. Highly recommend!