Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Amy Pease for an eARC copy of this book. This was a wonderful debut novel. Crime, murder, mystery, opioid crisis, mental illness, PTSD from serving in Afghanistan, family drama and excessive drinking. This book has all the things. If you are looking for a great story to keep you entertained and guessing, this ones for you. Well done Amy Pease. Looking forward for more to come from this author.

The search for a missing teenager leads to so much more…

Sheriff Marge North is a strong woman doing her best for the little Wisconsin town of Shaky Lake - but keeping tabs on both the locals & the vacationers that come for summer fun on the water has her department stretched thin, & she can’t always rely on one specific deputy to be sober. Sheriff North keeps him around anyway because he’s her son: Eli.

Eli used to have a prestigious investigative position with US Fish & Wildlife, but his position was eliminated shortly after he returned from Afghanistan. He’s haunted by his time in the military, & after his drinking started having an impact on his young son, his wife asked for a divorce. His job with the sheriff’s department hasn’t exactly been capturing his attention, until a case revolving around a couple of teenagers ends up pulling in the FBI & sends them into the world of opioids, & the rehab centers & pharmaceutical companies that profit off of treating addiction.

I really appreciated the author’s note at the beginning of the story that outlined trigger warnings, & felt that the addiction & mental health issues explored were handled with the care one would expect from someone in the healthcare industry (a unique perspective from a debut author). I also really enjoyed the setting & I need to make visiting the scenic upper Midwest a priority soon. Eli’s mother ended up being a bigger part of the story than I initially expected, & seeing some of the parallels between the case they were working & how Eli was spiraling in his own life gave the reader much to reflect on. One of the main take-aways I have from this narrative is that human connection & reaching out for help is something we all need to remember when facing life’s demons.

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very nice debut for Amy Pease! It combines a thriller and police procedural and is set in small town Wisconsin. I loved all of the small town drama, and the setting of a lakeside vacation town was evident in every description. It truly made you feel like you were there. Beneath this quiet town, there's a darker side that quickly becomes evident as the story progresses.

I enjoyed the mother and son police dynamic. With the mother as boss. Northwoods also does a good job of highlighting mental health issues, alcohol abuse, and the opioid epidemic. The plot was well written, and the character development was great.

If you enjoy crime fiction, then I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

There was a lot going on in this story, and I found it a bit confusing at first. But I stuck with it and once the investigation began I was able to stay focused to see what happens. It was a well written debut for this author and I'm glad I stuck with it.

This debut novel is part literary mystery, part character novel. It’s set in a resort town in Wisconsin, told from the perspectives of Eli, who works in the sheriff’s office who is also a veteran suffering from PTSD, and Marge, the sheriff who happens to be Eli’s mother. When a teenage boy is found dead and the teenage girl he was with has gone missing, Eli and Marge and the rest of the understaffed sheriff’s office step in to investigate, along with an FBI agent, what turns out to be a pretty complicated case.

I thought this was great, well written and couldn’t put it down! Just know going on that it’s a slow burn mystery not a crazy thriller. But I for one love this kind of book where it’s just as much about the characters investigating the crime as it is the mystery - think the style of Tana French or Jane Harper. The way the ending wraps up this particular mystery but not everything behind it makes it ripe for a sequel, and I for one will be first in line to read it.

Eli North is suffering from PTSD and alcoholism after his deployment to Afghanistan. Eli is hanging on by a thread at work because he works for his mom at the sheriff’s department. The body of a teenage boy is found in the lake and a girl is missing. Along Eli’s search he learns that the murder has ties to the opioid epidemic.

I love reading books set in Wisconsin. Add in the Northwoods and I’m 100% in! My family has a cabin in northern Wisconsin, so I could easily picture the setting. Eli is unreliable and his struggles with mental illness go deep, but he is someone I was immediately rooting for. The story explores the role big pharma plays in the opioid epidemic and its effects on a small town.

I loved this slow-burn mystery that takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone. The topics are important and continue the necessary discussions about addiction and mental health.

I really liked this… I wanted more. I wanted Eli to start recovering! This was so painful to read… I felt like I was blackout drunk at times. I did really enjoy this story, I hope we get a series out of this. Great story about the opioid epidemic! Everything wrapped up neatly and the characters are solid. I’d like to see Eli make some growth!

I enjoyed this well-written and complex murder mystery. The setting is wonderful and the characters are multi-layered human beings just trying to cope with life. This is a great debut novel that kept me intrigued and interested. People struggling with PTSD and opioid addiction are so common in many areas of the country and I gained some insight into what it's like to deal with those issues. I loved the setting and characters and hope to read more by this author.

Womp womp...⁣
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Super Brief Summary⁣
A struggling deputy sheriff finds himself in over his head when a local teen is murdered in his lakeside small town.⁣
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I was totally vibing with this one, I found the main character , Eli, very compelling and complex, I loved the moodiness of the writing but I did not like the ending at all. The ending made the bulk of the mystery, the questioning of the townspeople and the complexities of the main character completely pointless.⁣
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That said, because of how much I liked Eli, I would read a follow up of this book, if that ever happens.⁣
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I think fans of William Kent Krueger will enjoy this one.⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for this copy in exchange for my honest review!⁣
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What a debut!!! The character development and descriptiveness of the setting and action had me hooked from the first page.

Eli struggles with alcoholism as a direct result of PTSD. On call for the local sheriff's department in a small Wisconsin resort town riddled with opioid addiction, he reports to a noise disturbance call that soon turns into a murder investigation.

Amy Pease managed to weave a complex web of internal monologues with compelling action. If you are looking for a story that ends up wrapped in a pretty bow, know that you are not going to get all of your questions answered. But I have high hopes for a sequel!

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Northwoods is a fun, exciting, tense novel that explores the darkest parts of the human soul and psyche. It was a exhilarating read that I couldn't put down.

This review will be posted on January 22, 2024 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

This was a solid mystery set in lakeside community in Wisconsin. The novel plays into some tropes, like the tortured hero who investigates the murder, but it does so in a way that feels honest to the reader and the story. But, overall, it was just ok for me. #NorthWoods Rating: 😐 / meh, it was ok
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This book was scheduled for publication on January 9, 2024. Thank you @atriabooks for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Northwoods</i> is a well written account of a man just trying to get it through the day. Eli works for the sheriff (who also happens to be his mom) while suffering from PTSD from his time fighting for the country. His struggle of trying to make his son proud and his ex-wife not angry with him, all while fighting the need to have a drink and solve a murder of a young boy may just be the thing that breaks him.
I felt like I was part of the story. The writing pulled me in as if I was watching the scenes unfold as if on a detective tv show or movie.
This book does tackle a lot of triggers such as PTSD, addiction, suicide. If you are a fan of crime novels, I recommend this one.

Eli’s coping mechanism is drinking. Not just one drink but drinking sometimes, until he passes out. His job as a deputy keeps him going but lately, that’s not even helping. Since returning from Afghanistan, Eli has lost his career and his marriage, and now, his memories and drinking have taken over his life. His mother, the town’s sheriff, has put Eli on her force and she tries hard to help him while listening to her community’s comments about his performance. It’s a balancing act as a mother’s fights for her son and for what’s right for her community.

It's another night of escape as Eli finds himself alone, isolated, enjoying one of his favorite beverages. He hears something and now, his relaxing night is over. Forced to put on his professional mask, Eli tries to sharpen his senses when he discovers a male body in a boat.

In a department that’s already short-staffed, they now have a murder to solve. It should be Eli’s case, but can he handle it? Calling in the FBI, Alyssa arrives on the scene, and I wondered how Eli and Alyssa would be able to work together. Eli still can’t put the bottle and Alyssa seems to be all business as they start to put the pieces together.
The author throws in a couple other stories into this case, adding more interesting characters that create a storyline that’s entertaining and full of energy. My favorite character was Eli, with all his difficulties and challenges, as I felt he gave the book strength and unpredictability. He was a torn character with potential. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley, Atria Books, and Amy Pease in exchange for an honest opinion, thank you sharing your book with me. 5 stars.

This book touches on a lot of relevant topics (PTSD, drugs, suicide) and weaves together a story that will keep you guessing who is behind it all. I especially liked Eli's mom, a tough woman with a soft heart, in the story. The setting is rural Wisconsin and reminded me a little of my area. Along with the plot of who is behind the crimes and drugs is the gritty reality of how war affects those who serve.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

One too many opioid stories. Although William Kent Krueger recommended it it must have some merit.

An unusual setting, a resort, but the story is predictable. Her work will be one I follow. Excellent writing.

I really enjoyed this thrilling murder mystery set in a small town struggling with the opioid epidemic. Well written characters and a mystery that kept me guessing, Pease does an excellent job putting a new spin on a novel that is a police procedural. I would definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for providing a free advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am a big fan of stories about drugs emerging from legitimate pharmaceutical companies and this story was just up my alley. I highly recommend this novel for fans of “The More They Disappear” by Jesse Donaldson and “Long Bright River” by Liz Moore. Like the novels I mentioned, Northwoods is a character driven police procedural with a flawed but empathetic main character. Eli North is a veteran, and a former Fish and Wildlife Service investigator, whose life has been slowly spiraling out of control, and down the bottle, following a traumatic injury in Afghanistan. His mother, sheriff Marge North, hires Eli as a deputy in an attempt to keep an eye on her son, but expects little of him. When a young man is found dead in a boat, and his girlfriend is missing, sheriff North is forced to conduct an investigation with barely enough funds. As hints emerge that drug traffickers may have been responsible for the murder/kidnapping, FBI agent Alyssa Mason joins the ragtag investigative team. The clock is ticking, and Eli is forced to decide if he has the power to put down the bottle and investigate, or let another young person die.
My favorite part about the book was the slow, thorough characterization of Eli in the first half of the novel. Eli's physical and psychological wounds were portrayed with gentleness and patience. His effort to stay afloat at the beginning of the novel set up the character growth excellently. I was equally satisfied with the circular ending, and Eli pushing against the bottom of the lake towards the surface. Oftentimes characters are given short shrift in crime novels, in order to focus more on the external plot. “Northwoods” circumvented this problem. The author paints a clear detailed picture, both internal and external, of Eli and his mother, which I greatly appreciated in the first half of the novel especially. The clues for the final reveals are also well placed; this means I saw the twist that was revealed at the cabin arrest scene very early (in the first ten chapters), but I didn't feel cheated. I also have to say, I'm writing a very similar plot for my own novel, so I am highly sensitive to these breadcrumbs. I don't know if other readers saw the twist coming quite as early. Another thing I appreciated was the empathy the author revealed for people struggling with addiction. This is the trend emerging currently in crime fiction and I hope it continues to grow.
There were however a few problems with the novel in the second-half. We spend so much time inside Eli's head and dealing with his personal problems that the crime plot became secondary. The last five chapters therefore rushed through the conclusion and also left a few plot points unanswered (the Kovach false alibi was never confirmed, but it may be addressed in a second novel). The procedural part also contained a few blatant flaws. Marge North didn't have probable cause to obtain a search warrant based on the information she got from the informant. The biggest issue was the way Alyssa used and abused a civilian for her investigation. There was no reason for her to take the path she took, considering the procedures and resources available to the FBI. She endangered innocent people for no good reason. She also withheld vital information from the investigative team for no good reason. I believe had we dropped the couple of chapters dealing with Eli and his son mowing grass, and instead spent a couple more chapters inside Alyssa's point of view, we may have had a more empathetic and more believable FBI agent. I'm also a little surprised by how quickly Alyssa became attached to Eli. There was no reason for her to care for him so much after two days only; additionally both Alyssa and Marge appear to be convinced that Eli has extraordinary investigative abilities, but we do not see them in this novel. This is more the beginning of Eli’s healing.
However, the author created very compelling characters that I would love to follow in a subsequent novel. I can only hope that this is the beginning of a series that will continue for many years. 3.5 stars rounded up.

4.25 ⭐️

Northwoods is a suspenseful mystery with added depth, exploring the dark side of a small town dealing with the opioid epidemic, and a main character dealing with ptsd after returning home from Afghanistan. An engaging debut, it reads like the first installment in a promising new crime series, which is good news, since I would enjoy revisiting these characters.

Thank you Amy Pease, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This debut literary police procedural is being compared to Long Bright River by Liz Moore (one of my favorite books of 2020) and it definitely has similar vibes, but I'd say it's Long Bright River Lite. Absolutely avoid the publisher’s blurb as it gives away way too much of the story. Our story kicks off when a body is found in a small boat that’s docked at a resort in a lakeside Wisconsin resort town. Our main law enforcement characters are Eli, an Afghanistan veteran who is struggling with PTSD and substance abuse and his mother, Marge, who is the local Sheriff and gave Eli his job. In addition to the case that’s central to the story, Pease explores the opioid epidemic and PTSD. There’s also a sweet mother / son story between Eli and Marge and I appreciated the uniqueness of having a mother / son law enforcement duo rather than a father / son one. I could sort of figure out where this was all headed, but I didn’t really care. This wasn’t about the surprise for me. It was about the characters and this town. Both of which were really well developed and vivid. My one quibble is that we do get closure to the immediate story, but she leaves an additional layer of the solution open ended. I kind of feel like you want ALL the answers in a police procedural?