Northwoods by Amy Pease #bookreview #audiobook

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books #partner, for the advanced copy of Northwoods in exchange for my honest review. 

Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster ALC

Published: January 9, 2024

 

Summary:

The dark underbelly of an idyllic Midwestern resort town is revealed in the aftermath of a murder with ties to America’s opioid epidemic in this unputdownable and thrilling debut that is perfect for fans of James Lee Burke, William Kent Krueger, and Mindy Mejia.

Eli North is not okay.

His drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after a deployment to Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his marriage and career are over, and the only job he can hold down is with the local sheriff’s department. And that’s only because the sheriff is his mother—and she’s overwhelmed with small town Shaky Lake’s dwindling budget and the fallout from the opioid epidemic. The Northwoods of Wisconsin may be a vacationer’s paradise, but amidst the fishing trips and campfires and Paul Bunyan festivals, something sinister is taking shape.

When the body of a teenage boy is found in the lake, it sets in motion an investigation that leads Eli to a wealthy enclave with a violent past, a pharmaceutical salesman, and a missing teenage girl. Soon, Eli and his mother, along with a young FBI agent, are on the hunt for more than just a killer.

If Eli solves the case, could he finally get the shot at redemption he so desperately needs? Or will answers to this dark case elude him and continue to bring destruction to the Northwoods?

 

My thoughts:

This debut novel absolutely blew me away. I had heard some early praise about it and then my friend Cindy from Thoughts From a Page starting raving about it and I just knew I had to add it to my list to read…and I’m so glad I did. And bonus – it’s the start of a new series!

While this book has the potential to be extremely dark with the topics it covers, there is always that sense of redemption just around the corner to prevent things from taking too dark a turn. The characters are so dynamic and have such a depth to them that it’s hard to not become totally engaged and even emotionally attached to some of them. We see in some of the characters their best and worst traits, which to me, makes me all the more invested in them.

The mystery and the surrounding storylines really kept me guessing all the way through. This one was so atmospheric and being set in a small town only enhanced that. With a police department that is stretched beyond its means to a deputy dealing with his own issues (PTSD, alcoholism) to a town dealing with an opioid epidemic and the big pharmaceuticals that are pushing them, this is a complicated, complex story but also completely immersive. The author doesn’t shy away from talking about the tough topics. Even with the more emotional topics, she handles with tenderness and care.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s so much more than just a police procedural. This is a deeper read and one that I know I’ll be thinking about for a while. These characters will be staying with me for some time and I cannot wait to revisit them in the next book!

 

Audio thoughts:

I alternated between the print and audio and I think both versions are good options. The narrators for this one, Chris Henry Coffey and Zac Aleman, do a fantastic job bringing this story to life.

 

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