I really wanted too enjoy this book and it had all the potentially to be great it fell flat. Well written secondary characters and story-line but it just fell flat. Emily is not a likeable protagonist at least not too me.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

First let me say that I really wanted to love this book. It sounded so good. The characters were well written, I just didn't find them interesting. They were dull, the story never picked up, I kept waiting for the shoe to drop, for the A-ha moment. It didn't happen. I finished the book, but honestly, don't think I would read another in this series.

Emily Kincaid is a mystery writer ... ar at least, she would like to be. She's settled into a small town in Northern Michigan and loves it there. It's peaceful, it's beautiful, and it's away from her ex-husband.

That all changes when her friend, Deputy Dolly Wakowski is sent to investigate the finding of some bones ... which turn out to be the bones of her husband who disappeared with an Indian girlfriend 13 years earlier. And then more bones are found .. presumably the girlfriend.

The Indians are demanding that the body of the girl be returned to them post haste so she can continue her journey to heaven.

But who would have killed these 2 people ... other than Dolly?

This one is billed as a cozy mystery, but I feel it's actually a step above. What impressed me the most are the quirky characters. They are so much fun.

There is Deputy Dolly herself ... full of insecurity who has been hurt so much in the past, but won't let anyone see the pain. She and Emily are true friends ... the kind of friend you never have to lie to or hide from. They can bicker and poke at each other without hurting their relationship.

Then there is the librarian. She's got such a good heart. She'll do anything for anyone. She's first in line to organize a find raiser, take food to a needy family,/ But she won't let you borrow any of the library's books unless she thinks you will appreciate it.

Henry is an older gentleman, Emily's closest neighbor. He's a mushroom hunter, finding morels and selling them. He's taught Emily a lot about the hunting, about her gardening. His little quirk -- he's always wearing a black suit. As he says --- just in case he drops dead, he'll already be dressed for it.

The mystery was a good one... not something I could foresee, which makes any mystery book much better in my eye. I loved that the American Indians played a part ... and the location is somewhere I could see myself living.

The book did not send my heart into overdrive. It's a smooth journey from start to end and it did hold my attention all the way.

Many thanks to the author / Beyond the Page Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.