Dead in the Water

Deputy coroner Mattie Winston is starting to feel like she’s in way over her head . . .

As the single mom of an energetic toddler and an investigator working for the medical examiner’s office in small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin, Mattie is used to her life being a juggling act. But now that she’s moved in with Detective Steve Hurley and his teenaged daughter Emily, and has started planning their wedding, her home life is looking more like a three-ring circus. And with her boss and friend, Izzy, suddenly having a health crisis, she could not be more grateful for the newest staff member in the ME’s office, Hal Dawson.

All too quickly her gratitude turns to shock when a floating body found trapped against a dam turns out to be Hal, but the cause of death isn’t drowning—his throat’s been slashed. Hal was supposed to be fishing on his day off with his girlfriend. And when their empty boat is found in a nearby lake, the whereabouts of the woman becomes an even more urgent question.

To find out what really happened to her coworker, Mattie may need to rock the boat. But a killer is just as determined to keep the truth from ever surfacing, even if that means making Mattie the next one to go under.

Praise for Annelise Ryan and her Mattie Winston series

“The funniest deputy coroner to cut up a corpse since, well, ever!” —Laura Levine, author of Killer Cruise

“A puzzler of a mystery. Annelise Ryan has created a smart and saucy heroine in Mattie Winston . . . What a thrill ride!” —New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“Has it all: suspense, laughter, a spicy dash of romance.” —New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen

“Entertaining . . . Another winning mystery.” —New York Times bestselling author Leann Sweeney

“Sassy, sexy, and suspenseful.” —New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Hart

“[Ryan] smoothly blends humor, distinctive characters, and authentic forensic detail.” —Publishers Weekly

“The forensic details will interest Patricia Cornwell readers . . . while the often slapstick humor and the blossoming romance between Mattie and Hurley will draw Evanovich fans.” —Booklist