A slow burn, but a very intriguing start with a scene of a teenage boy found dead after boating on Shaky Lake, Wisconsin, a resort town. After further investigation, a teenage girl vacationing with her family is missing after being with the boy. This scene goes deeper with character struggles, America's Opioid epidemic and PTSD.
The main character is Eli, who works with the local police dept after an Afghanistan deployment. He suffers with PTSD and copes by drinking out of control. Hating himself for losing his wife and his son as they distance themselves from him. He would be unable to hold down a job anywhere else, but his mom, Marge, is the sheriff in town, as she tries every angle to bring her son back to his true character. With the help of the FBI investigator, Alyssa Mason, they will peel apart some dark characters in town, as well as some unforgettable people with a substance abuse that dominoes into bigger issues.
This delivers an incredible look at the people behind the scenes that work tirelessly to right the wrong and do it without degrading the person addicted. It also advances the story with Eli's character growth and reason for living takes a whole new stance as he investigates with Marge and Alyssa. This is a great police procedural book while investigating the darkest side of society. Well-done!!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I want to start by saying that I live in Wisconsin, and the Northwoods vibes and references were perfect. I was sucked into the storyline quickly and didn't want to put this book down. My only critique - and stay with me here - is that it read like a movie that was based on a book. You know how, in a movie based on a book, there are often a lot of plot points and character details that aren't *quite* developed enough? Or in a movie they jump around from storyline to storyline to keep you invested in all of it, but it can feel a little disjointed? I believe this is a debut author, so that might be part of the issue. Either way, I look forward to future novels from her!!

3.5 stars rounded up.
Mostly police procedural. Mostly the after effects of war-time PTSD. Some mystery. LOTS of trauma.
If you have triggers, this book covers them - substance abuse, opioid crisis, overdose, suicidal ideation, domestic abuse, police violence, Afghanistan war trauma, PTSD, panic attacks, divorce, drug use, overdoses, murder...
The story is told in third person from 3 characters' POVs - Marge, the sheriff of the town, and her adult deputy son, Eli who is suffering from extreme PTSD to the point of being almost non-functional. Seriously, the amount of panic attacks this guy suffers in the span of a few days has me exhausted. He self-medicates with alcohol and is basically a functioning drunk at all times. Still his mother lets him carry a weapon and stay on the force in a misguided attempt to help him. He is separated from his wife and son and unable and seemingly unwilling to help himself.
He does not handle it well when he finds the dead body of a teenaged boy in the bottom of a boat. The rest of the book is spent watching Eli suffer through panic attack after panic attack as the small, underfunded town sheriff's office tries to solve the murder and subsequent disappearance of another teenager - Caitlin.
Remember when I said there were 3 POVs? The third is from the missing girl's father who is a pharmaceutical sales rep. His chapters are somewhat inexplicably formatted in italics.

My pros and cons for this book are completely interwoven. I enjoyed reading this book since it was really well-written and smart. However, even though it was under 300 pages, it was not a fast read. The paragraphs are really long, the descriptions of everything from the foyer of the country club to the woods surrounding the town were equally as long (and IMO unnecessary), and there was very little white space on the pages. I found it interesting the things Pease chose to spend time describing. For example, we only have one scene inside the sheriff's house, very little description of Eli's apartment, next to nothing about the interior of the police station, but multiple pages on the foyer and office of the country club where they spend one chapter.

I'm also a bit overwhelmed by all the issues this book tries to tackle (listed above). Is no one in this story functioning at a normal level? There is just trauma on top of trauma on top of trauma. The only one who doesn't seem to have any yet (although maybe there is some tension in her personal life) is the FBI agent, Alyssa, sent to help. Everyone should be in therapy or on a strong dose of Xanex. Pease leans heavily into the PTSD, especially with Eli, to the point that every time he appeared on page, I knew he was going to have another panic attack. Still, I was rooting for him and could tell he was a good guy at heart.

I wonder if this is going to be a series because the ending left a lot hanging - not with the immediate mystery (that was solved), but with the characters' arcs and the broader opioid crisis/ring in the story. There was a chapter at the end from Alyssa's POV that makes me think she may be featured more or again in a future book. I can't find any information about this being the first in a series, though. If not, it is a bit of an abrupt ending. And the point of all the character trauma reveals near the end seem a bit heavy-handed and unneeded unless they are going to be explored more in later books.

The "twist" at the end isn't a big one. I saw it coming around 50%, but it was still good to see the characters' reactions to it. Again, there was a lot that went unexplored with the major players in the bigger picture. I enjoyed the little history lesson about Al Capone and Joe Aiello and their ties to this area. It was just the right amount of interesting.

Overall, if there is another one in the series, I'll probably pick it up to see how these characters are faring. This is not a typical murder mystery/police procedural since the majority of it dealt with Eli's personal traumas than solving the case. It wasn't really a mystery since the reader was privy to more information than the characters. It was more about watching them find out the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Overall, this was a good debut. For me, the pacing took me out of the story - there were times where the story dragged a bit. I did appreciate how the author developed the characters throughout the novel.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Northwoods is a strong mystery debut by pease. The novel follows Eli, a vet from the Iraq war haunted by ptsd who drinks to help him cope with his demons. He works for his mom in the sheriffs department of their sleepy resort town in Wisconsin. The body of a local body turns up floating in the lake and another teenager goes missing, causing his mom to seek out his help in identifying what is happening in their town. Eli’s investigation exposes a darkness to their town and connections to the opioid epidemic and big pharma. While this is a whodunit-there is another layer and a lot to say about corporate greed and the rust belt. Eli and his mom Marge are engaging characters and I would be interested in more novels with them. I liked the layers of the story and that it was more than just a typical police procedural as there depth and things to say about mental illness and addiction. Great debut and interested in more from this author!

Thanks to the publisher for the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An engaging murder mystery with serious topics of addiction and PTSD and corporate greed. With as many answers as we got about what happened and why, there are still more unanswered questions. Even with that, the story was enjoyable enough that I hope those unanswered questions were left so that future stories about Eli North can answer them.

Northwoods is a small town police procedural. I enjoyed this one because of the strong sense of place. I give it 4 stars for the hopeful note it ends on. I would actually be interested in more books about Eli (and Marge) set in Shaky Lake! Definitely gives me vibes of The River We Remember.

Thank you the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

NORTHWOODS gives its readers the perfect mix of small-town northern Wisconsin and the city vacationers that make their way there in the summer months. Pease expertly sends your mind to the days on the lake as a kid with descriptions that jump off the page and create movies in your head.

As we follow Eli, Marge, and Alyssa in their investigation to the death of a teenage boy and the possible kidnapping of a teenage girl, the story delves into not only the opioid crisis, but also very real addictions and emotional traumas many people face daily. Pease did an excellent job giving the tough topics their space in the pages and in the story, while tackling the other emotions expressed because of the nature of the story.

The ending seems just open enough for a second book....and I've got my fingers crossed because it will be an auto-buy from me.

This is a great debut by Amy Pease. We are introduced to Eli who has PTSD and is using alcohol to help him face the world. Northwoods is a very good mystery with great characters,, which made it a real page turner! I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this book, which will be released January 9. I am freely offering my honest review.

Northwoods by Amy Pease combines a crime thriller with a police procedural and a story of the personal struggles of the main character Eli North. This gripping and suspenseful novel pulls at the heart strings as it takes readers to the events occurring in Shaky Lake, Wisconsin. Eli is working as a deputy, but the only reason he has the job is that his mother is the sheriff. He is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a deployment to Afghanistan. Now his drinking is out of control and his marriage and career are on the line. When Eli finds the body of a teenage boy and then a teenage girl is reported missing, Eli and rest of the small sheriff’s department along with FBI Agent Alyssa Mason must unravel the multiple mysteries.

Eli uses alcohol to cope with memories resulting in broken promises and lateness. However, he also has the need to discover the truth, is kind, and loves his son and wife. His relationships with them, his mother, and others in the town made Eli more relatable. Most of the characters have significant depth that is shown through their actions and dialogue.

This novel has a complex and multi-layered plot that is intriguing and pulls readers into the story quickly. Most of the action is at the end of novel, but it didn’t feel slow. This may be because I was emotionally engaged in the various character struggles that are revealed, which felt authentic and held my interest.

Gripping scenes and an emotional story intermix with contemporary issues. Themes include relationships, family, friendship, substance abuse, mental health, power, greed, ethics, and much more. The realistic issues made this story somewhat disturbing, but a feeling of hopefulness and the encouragement and support of some of the characters helped to offset this.

Overall, this tense, suspenseful, and tragic novel gripped me from the beginning. It’s more character-driven than action-driven, but kept me ensnared in the events making it hard to put the book down. The ending wraps up the main mysteries, but there are threads that could be used for a sequel. I would love to see more books featuring Eli.

The author brings strong characters, a great plot, fascinating relationships, and excellent pacing to the novel. Written for those who love crime novels and police procedurals, Northwoods is a thought-provoking debut book. I can’t wait to read what the author writes next.

Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Amy Pease provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for January 9, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

A slow burn police procedural style crime book that deals with addiction (opioid and alcohol).
I felt this was a solid read, although I think. We could have delved a bit deeper into Eli’s PTSD not to mention the actual world of the opioid addiction. It seemed both were skimmed over. This book could have used some of that grittiness in my opinion.
For me, without that it seemed to blend into all of the other police procedural style books.
I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and the publisher. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Great debut! The characters are interesting and fully realized, the setting becomes part of the storyline, and the plot ticks along at a great pace.

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?

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Eli North is a vet with PTSD, he can’t get his life together - he’s drinking to excess, his wife has left him, he barely sees his son and the only reason he still has his job is because his mom is the sheriff. He lives in a Wisconsin resort town near a high end drug rehab - and then one summer night a dead body of one of the summer resident teen boys ends up in a boat and his girlfriend is missing. The murder turns out to be much more sinister and complex stirring up themes of the opioid crisis, PTSD, addiction, and big pharma. The FBI is brought into help the tiny police force and and dark secrets come to the surface. This is a murder mystery and a character study in one novel.

I really enjoyed this one but you have to be ready for this genre going in - it’s not a fast action thriller - it’s a slow burn character driven one; I personally really enjoy these. I’m impressed with this debut and I enjoyed how Pease created dimension with all of her characters. I will definitely be waiting for her next book (I also wondered if a second novel could be made from these characters).

4.25 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to review

A dead teenage boy and a missing teenage girl frame this thriller set in a northern Wisconsin town that has a drug rehab clinic nearby. The underfunded county sheriff's department is very small and the sheriff employs her son who is dealing with trauma from serving in Iraq as a deputy. As someone from Wisconsin, much of the description of bars and lake life were spot on. However I got taken out of the story a few times when real places in Wisconsin were mentioned that were not in northern Wisconsin. (Hopefully that got fixed as I read an ARC- particularly the reference to Princeton, WI.) This was one of the more interesting thrillers that I have read in the last few years.

Northwoods
A Novel
by Amy Pease

A solid debut mystery with good character development, deep complex mystery, and a page turner. Northwoods would be an amazing start of a series and I cannot wait to read more from Amy Pease!

Well done!

A page-turning mystery that read quickly but missed the mark for me. While the idea for the mystery and the setting reminded me of the latest novel by Wm Kent Krueger, the comparisons stop there for me. The characters seemed too one-note and stereotypical and while I love a heart-pounding plot or even a slow burn, this one dragged. I appreciated the focus on addiction and the big pharma vein in the plot but the lack of deep character development left me wanting more.

I am so impressed with this debut! At first glance it seems like your typical mystery or police procedural, but it's actually more of a character study. Eli has been struggling with alcoholism and PTSD since returning from deployment in the Middle East. In short, his life is falling apart. Can he handle an investigation in his small Wisconsin town that involves a missing teen and a death?

I love the questions that this brings up about our human nature and our ability to help save loved ones. Is love alone enough when someone is depressed or struggling with addiction?

Excellent character development, plot, and setting!

One teenager is dead. One teenager is missing. A mother is burnt out of her house and another mother almost dies of an overdose. What is the connection? As a small, very small, sheriff's department investigates these events with the help of one FBI agent it becomes obvious that the opioid epidemic is at the bottom of this mystery. Since it was a little sheriff's department, the author was able to bring each character to life for me. They were real people, with real issues and they were all likable. I was able to feel sadness, empathy and hope throughout this book which made it a 4 star read for me. The ending was left in a way that has me crossing my fingers that this will become a new series. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a solid mystery by a debut novelist. Eli North, who works for his sheriff mother and is going through tough times, finds the body of a teenage boy as he is responding to a “disturbance of the peace” call.
The rest of the story unfolds from there as we learn about Eli’s past and the boy’s troubles as well. The setting of the small Minnesota town and its lake makes the story very atmospheric. Although the storyline of a troubled law enforcement officer is a very familiar one, Pease breathes life into it with her characters and writing.
Lots of trigger warnings for sensitive readers abound, so please look into whether there are themes you are sensitive to.
I highly recommend Northwoods.
Thanks to Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was excellent. The author does a great job with building the setting-I felt like I was there with the characters. She also develops characters very well. They seemed real, and I loved them, flaws and all. It was a mystery, and I kept reading late into the night. Readers should know there's a lot about mental illness and PTSD after serving in Afghanistan. That was hard to read. It also ends on a slight unfinished note, so no wrapped up ending. Bet a sequel is coming! Great debut-highly recommend!