'A Death in Door County' by Annelise Ryan
Morgan Carter and Jon Flanders race to catch whatever is lurking in the depths of Lake Michigan
Summary:
Morgan Carter is the lively owner of Odds and Ends, a bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin. The bookstore is sacred ground for everything (well, odd) macabre, including a skeleton named Henry that sits watch at the entrance. Morgan, the daughter of a shipping tycoon, is a cryptozoologist, looking for evidence of the world's lost cryptids like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot.
As the summer progresses, scores of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with unusual wounds and odd bite marks that could be from an unknown underwater animal. Enter Jon Flanders, the chief of police for Washington Island. Flanders enlists the help of Morgan to determine who - or what - is killing those who cross its deadly path. A skeptic at heart, but living for the thrill of the chase, she accepts. Joined with Morgan's rescue dog Newt, and two of Morgan's employees Rita and Devon, the unlikely quintet is in a race against time before the next death in Door County.
Review:
Over Thanksgiving, I traveled home from Washington, D.C. to Wisconsin. I'll spare you the details, but once back I had to go to my local Barnes & Noble to track down some books on sale because of Black Friday. While this book was not on my list, the dedicated display caught my eye.
'A murder mystery in Door County filled with mythological beasts?! Give me every copy!' I thought after reading the insert. I saved it for the plane ride home and spent the entirety of Sunday and Monday reading it. Needless to say, this book itched a scratch in my brain. As a Wisconsin native and somewhat frequent visitor to Door County, I was thrilled with local representation.
It's an easy read too, perfect for cozying up in the evening after a long day's work.
I fell in love with Newt, the dog. The calm, well mannered, slobbering rescue stole my heart. His owner Morgan, is complex. She's not what you expect her to be from first glance. She has a fire in her, a desire for knowledge (that often goes outside the world of the law), kindled by parents lost in tragic circumstances. Her employees, Rita and Devon, while supporting characters, had their own dimensions and circumstances too instead of being unremarkable like we see often in literature.
And I can't forget Jon Flanders... the burly chief of police with a dark past and a 'killer' (no pun intended) smile. He was exceptional, and very well written. I have nothing but praise for his character and the way he carries himself with respect for Morgan, the law, and the victims. Even the one-off characters like the relatives of the victims, who supplied important plot points were well done too, even if we didn't see a lot of them.
I will say, I would hate to be Morgan's employee because she does often dump her responsibility of the store onto Rita and Devon, but at the same time she was hired to help with the murder investigations, so like, I get it.
The plot itself was not what I expected - in a good way.
Ryan brought about some twists and turns I did not expect, but still fell within the natural flow of the novel. There were times I felt like Ryan was dumping a lot of background information about the characters all at once instead of letting it happen naturally, which is something I am not a huge fan of, but to each their own.
I loved the slow burn between Flanders and Carter, I was just begging them to say something about the TENSION instead of stolen glances and one-off comments. There's something magical about two broken people finding a new sense of life in each other and their work. I enjoyed seeing the two work together and letting their relationship build up from coworkers to that gray area between friends and lovers. It felt incredibly natural.
The pages truly flew by as I read which is the best feeling when reading a book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I love supporting local authors whenever I can. This is the first book in a series and I wait with faded breath for the next installment to come out.
Go checkout A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan. I give this novel 4/5 stars.
About Alex: A born and raised Wisconsinite living on the East Coast, Alex is a bibliophile through and through. He enjoys fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, and political thrillers. Alex has a Bachelors degree from Marquette University and is currently attending the University of Maryland for his Master of Public Policy degree. He lives in the outskirts of Washington, D.C.