Northwoods, a debut novel by Amy Pease is a well-paced, credible mystery/crime novel. The characters are well defined, and the writing is lyrical and engaging. The story itself is dark, and there is a lot of pain endured by many of the characters, but the investigation is intriguing and overall the book seems to be a set-up for further adventures in the north woods. Pease handles a number of difficult themes very well - addiction, PTSD, the opioid crisis, and her detailed description of what it feels like to be inside a panic attack is well done. Can’t wait to read more with these very likable characters.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

I thought this book pretty good but the mystery part of the book was really lacking. I think this might have been the start of a series because I was left a little confused with the ending and it did not seem finished. This book explores PTSD and had some depressing and dark parts to it. There was great character development with Eli, his mom, and Alyssa. Eli was a beautifully written character and I really enjoyed getting to know him in the book. He struggles a lot and shows us what it's like to lose so much of everything you are close to.

The plot: Eli lives in the Northwood of Wisconsin after returning back from a tour of Afghanistan. He is really struggling with alcohol addiction and panic attacks and is now working as a police officer under his mother at Shaky Lake. One night he is called for a noise disturbance and ends up finding a dead body and later finds out there is a girl missing. All of this connects to a bigger crime involving a pharmaceutical company and Eli and his department are trying to put the pieces together.

Thanks Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

EXCELLENT mystery and police procedural I enjoyed the main character,, the fallible hero (a cop, with a military history), along with his relationship with his boss (who happens to also be his Mom).

A lot of potential growth available with the characters, this would make a wonderful series.

Amy Pease’s Northwoods introduces us to Eli, who after returning from Afghanistan, works for his mother, Marge, as a sheriff’s deputy in Shaky Lake, a small vacation spot for city dwellers to escape for some country quiet. He struggles from being laid off from his job at Fish and Wildlife as well as the end of his 20 year relationship with his wife. Typically, he uses the bottle as a way to cope with his PTSD and panic attacks. Until one night when a disturbance call goes out and Eli finds the dead body of a sixteen year old boy.

When the medical examiner finds evidence of a needle mark in the boy’s arm and bruising from a tourniquet, the sheriff’s department realizes that this is bigger than they thought. Enter Alyssa, an FBI agent from the Chicago office who is sent to help. Through the investigation, they suspect that big pharma might be a suspect as well, but how is it all connected? People in Shaky Lake know more than they are letting on. Some think in small towns, everyone knows everyone’s business, but when gossip and information is needed most, windows are dark, doors are closed, and lips are sealed. Who had the motive to murder a boy visiting with his drug addicted, rich country club mother and why is his teenage female friend now also missing? With grand midwestern writing and story telling that will draw comparisons to William Kent Krueger, Northwoods is a riveting novel. I do feel that there are a few loose ends as the story wrapped up, but maybe it means there will be a second book starring this flawed but interesting cast of characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on January 9, 2024.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #northwoods #amypease #atriabooks

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I have mixed feelings about this one. It was dark and depressing, and accurately portrayed the feelings of one caught in a storm of PTSD-fueled angst. The "mystery" itself felt a little like an afterthought, and I had a hard time connecting with it. For a first novel it was ok, and I can see this as the beginning of a series. I thought the cover was pretty striking.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Even though it's not the type of book I typically read, I really enjoyed Northwoods! (if that's the appropriate word to use for a book that is pretty dark). Eli North has returned from Afghanistan with both physical and mental wounds that he is trying to heal by drinking the pain away. His mom, the sheriff of a small resort town in Wisconsin, gives him a job as a deputy in an attempt to get him back on track, and it's not going too well. When Eli discovers the body of a teenage boy, close to the age of his own son, he nearly spirals out of control, but maybe this case will end up being his salvation.

Eli was an amazing character--it was heartbreaking to follow the emotional journey of such a good man who had lost just about everything he held dear. The other characters, including Eli's mom and a young FBI agent who is sympathetic to Eli's struggles, are equally well-drawn.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Eli North lives in rural Wisconsin in the small town of Shaky Lake where he grew up. After traumatic events during his service in Afghanistan, Eli is barely holding on separated recently from his wife and young so. living above an Asian restaurant, working for his sheriff mother, and looking at life through the end of a bottle. Eli cannot go long with a out a drink or several, and his sleep is riddled with PTSD nightmares. So, when Eli discovers the body of a young teen on the lake, things only get worse for him and his community.

Eli’s mother has the bare minimum of funds to police the town; when it is discovered that a teenage girl last seen with the boy is missing, an FBI agent comes in to help. As the investigation continues, it seems that the wealthy summer residents who all belong to the local country club may be involved. The opioid epidemic also looks to be related as well as a sketchy pharmaceutical company.

Eli’s inability to go more than a few hours without a drink obviously affects not only his mental acuity, but raises his family’s concern since he seems to be teetering very close to the edge of reason and the ability to function. The investigation helps remind Eli of his skills, prior to being deployed, of investigation and law enforcement from a previous job.

A fair amount of this story is one big pain fest because of all of Eli’s issues, the suffering of the teens' families, Eli’s mother and wife worrying for him plus the problems surrounding the possible drug related activities. This book appears to be the start of a series with indications that Eli is finally beginning to turn his life around after just about rock bottoming out. With Eli on the mend, hopefully the next story will focus more on a mystery to solve than his very difficult problems.

This is an amazing first novel! Amy Pease has woven an intricate, thrilling mystery, with memorable, realistic characters. Set in a small Mid-western resort town, the investigation of a murder reveals a hidden darkness within the town, centered on the opioid crisis, PTSD, and corporate deception. The main character, Eli, is determined to uncover the murderer, but as he investigates, he fights demons of his own, related to his deployment in Afghanistan. He is flawed, yet admirable for his determination both to solve the case and conquer his fears. Eli is definitely a character I won't soon forget! The plot is full of unexpected, yet plausible twists that kept me guessing throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of my review are my own.

Decent read. Characters are interesting , but the storyline was just so so. Could see the end coming. my guess will be a series. Hopefully better story for the main characters.
Thanks NetGalley for advance book.

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I have to start this out by saying I'm really impressed that this is a debut novel. It doesn't read like one. I really expected to pull up my Goodreads and see some other works under the authors name. So, job well done with creating this work.

This may be a tough read for some based on the topics within so be aware of that. It was a struggle to separate what Eli is going through at times, and I felt like I was drowning alongside him at times with his PTSD and need to drink away his memories. I think his parts were really well written and capture the true essence of just how hard it is to struggle.

I like the premise of the book and found it a little too believable. Which is scary. Because I'm sure things like this can, have and do continue to happen within the pharmaceutical world.

I do hope to see more of Alyssa and Jake...maybe this is a start to a series? Because their banter was fun. And I think their developing friendship was good for both of them. Plus, I mean, we still have some threads loose by the end. It will be a pleasure to read any further works put put by Amy Pease.

Northwoods was a good read. It excels at depicting life in small town America with an underfunded police department battling the epidemic of problems the country faces. The book is at its best when it focuses on the criminal investigation. However, it also spends a lot of time on the demons within many of the characters. The mystery serves up a twist at the end but longtime genre readers should see it coming. Hopefully, some of the characters will get the help they need and return for a new adventure. Thank you to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Northwoods, gets you from the first page and you won’t be able to put it down. It’s a story of a son whose mother gives him a chance to come back from his drinking problem after his military experience. The mom is a sheriff of a small town, with one teenager dead from a drug overdose to another teenager who is kidnapped To the FBI agent that they call in to help with this case.. The inter weaving of the characters who live there will continue to bring this book to an end.
I love this new author and I hope she has a second book in mind, cause I would love to read everything she writes

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this E-arc for my honest review.
Excellent mystery that I couldn’t put down and touched on real life problems regarding drug addiction and pharmaceutical companies. Likable characters and would highly recommend to others.
Would like to point out that the author’s comment that skin cancer doesn’t kill people is false and is a trigger to some people. I understand the context as to why she made the statement but it was upsetting.

Northwoods is a terrific book. It's also a bit of a trojan horse since it's a tale about dealing (or not dealing) with trauma. It takes an excellent mystery about a death at a Wisconsin lake resort to tell a story about a vet, Eli, who is wrestling with the after effects of war.

It also tackles the opioid crisis and an underfunded small town police force with a sheriff, who happens to be Eli's mother. There are a lot of 'big' topics in the book, but they're used so well as the backdrop and the setting for the story that nothing feels preachy or inauthentic to the storytelling.

The writing is strong and I developed a real attachment to Eli, Marge and other characters. We're seeing Eli at his worst, but he still manages to be a compelling character that I was completely invested in even as he makes choices that will cause harm. Many of the chapters focusing on him felt like a character study and relayed how easy someone can fall down and struggle to get back up. I'd get so lost with him that I'd momentarily forget about the wider mystery and it's investigation,

I really loved this one and look forward to more from this author. She writes with such compassion and heart, plus the mystery was complex and well done too.

This book was provided to me via Netgalley for an honest review.

Wow! A mystery set in the woods. Strong female characters. Fast moving pace. Plot twists. What more could I ask for? I loved this book, a definite 5 star read for me. Northwoods does deal with some very heavy subjects such as the opiod crisis, PTSD, and loss of a child.

I hope this will be the first of a series featuring the Sheriff's Department near Shaky Lake.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC of Northwoods in exchange for my honest review!

I had no idea what to expect with Northwoods, but I was intrigued by the premise of a murder mystery set in rural northern Wisconsin. (My extended family is from Chicago and has often vacationed in northern Wisconsin towns similar to Shady Lakes, where Northwoods is set.) I could not have been happier with having taken a chance on this impressive debut novel!

Northwoods is like Dopesick…but with Murder (with a touch of The Firm thrown in). Pease does a masterful job of creating a flawed protagonist (Eli North) that we feel compassion for (and possibly relate to ourselves in some ways) rather than compiling a bunch of traits from the DSM-V (which often feels like the case for a thriller’s Flawed Narrator). The mystery and the twists are perfectly set up/adequately foreshadowed, but many of them kept me guessing throughout the book. The Big Bad is hinted at pretty early on, but Pease’s storytelling is so gripping that this book kept me turning page after page just so that I could see how everything unfolded and How It Gets There.

I’m so glad that there’s going to be a second book in this series. Pease concludes the mystery at hand nicely but hints that there’s a lot more evil and darkness lurking around Shady Lakes that we’ve barely scratched the surface of.

Small town story with a tiny police department yet a town with a death and a missing teen. The story is involved with drugs, secrets, PTSD, divorce and addiction. That is a lot to cover in one book but it actually is a pretty good tale.. A surprise ending. I liked the book.

Big thanks to both Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Northwoods, by Amy Pease. Expected publication January 9, 2024.

The Northwoods of Wisconsin may be a vacationer's paradise, but amidst the fishing trips, campfires, and Paul Bunyan festivals, something sinister is taking place. What has Eli gotten himself into? He's barely able to take care of himself, so how is he going to solve a murder that has ties to America’s opioid epidemic?

I liked this book a lot and I'm amazed Northwoods is Ms. Tan's first book! The character development was believable and the storyline was so interesting. This is not just another book about PTSD or the opioid crisis. I absolutely loved Eli's mom, Marge, and my heart went out to her son, Eli.

I definitely recommend Northwoods and would love to see it developed as a series!

I have a cabin on a like in northern Wisconsin so anytime I see a book that has a setting in Wisconsin or on a lake it goes to the top on my TBR list and this debut novel did not disappoint.
Eli North is a tortured man who handles his PTSD from serving in Afghanistan by excessive drinking even while on the job as a Sheriff in the small town of Shaky Lake. The only reason he was able to get this job is that his mother is head of the very small Sheriff's department. Before his deployment he was a very good investigator for the US Wildlife and Fish Department but that position disappeared 6 months after he came back from his deployment. Between the breakup of his marriage and losing his job he is an emotional wreck along with his PTSD he drinks excessively to forget.
A body of a teenage boy is found in the lake and it sets into motion an investigation into opioids that will take the Sheriff's department and FBI all over the north woods to hunt for the killer and they learn that there is much more going on than just a murder of a teenage boy.
Some of the names of the towns in this book are familiar and some are made up but either way Amy Pease has captured the idyllic feel of northern Wisconsin in summer as a vacationer's paradise with its small little towns and resorts but has added a suspenseful story to this setting. At times I felt like I was on the deck of my cabin on the lake watching the events unfurl.

When I finished the book I felt that there were still some loose ends to the story and I am happy to say that there is another book in the works so I am looking forward to reading about Eli, his mother and the other characters from this story.

All in all, a great debut.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this debut novel from Amy Pease. In a twist, the old sheriff is a she and she's trying to be a lifeline for her son, a veteran who suffers from PTSD. The characters are realistically drawn and you can't help but be drawn into the characters' struggles. This seems like the perfect set-up for an ongoing series!

Thanks to Atria Books for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.