Annelise Ryan

*4.5 Stars*

There is nothing I love more than a comfy mystery to read during the holiday season. Granted this story has nothing to do with the holidays, but it was such a great vibe for the colder weather. Coming from a Wisconsinite, I thought this book did such a great job capturing the Door County culture and aesthetics. Also, who does not love cryptids and the hunt for their existence.

I loved Morgan and Newt, as well the other people she interacts with on a daily basis. Her back story as well as the side emotional journey she is going through as the mystery unfolds connects you to her character, and has you as the reader cheering her on.

The story, as a cozy mystery, became significantly more dynamic near the end of the story, which was not what I expected, but I really enjoyed how it all turned out. I cannot wait to read the next book that comes out soon, and how the characters continue to develop.… (more)

cryptozoologist, cryptids, suspense, mysterious-character, mystery, thriller, Wisconsin, Northern Wisconsin, Northwoods, law-enforcement*****

Morgan is a cryptozoologist ably assisted by her best pal (probably a Newfoundland mix) Newfie. They go from the top of the Door peninsula in Wisconsin to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest area of Bayfield County, Wisconsin up near Lake Superior. This comes at the behest of law enforcement because of the horrific maulings of a couple of hunter in that area. Ah, the joys of the Northwoods! The story is good but the scenery and Newfie are rock stars. Very enjoyable to this Wisconsinite.
I requested and received an EARC from Berkley Publishing Group/Berkley via NetGalley. Thank you… (more)

Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin, has a hobby. When she's not tending the store, she's hunting cryptids--creatures whose existence is rumored, but never proven to be real. It's a hobby that cost her parents their lives, but one she'll never give up on.

So when a number of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with injuries that look like bites from a giant unknown animal, police chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help. A skeptic at heart, Morgan can't turn down the opportunity to find proof of an entity whose existence she can't definitively rule out. She and her beloved rescue dog, Newt, journey to the Death's Door strait to hunt for a homicidal monster in the lake--but if they're not careful, they just might be its next victims.… (more)

rabck from booklady331; Light mystery set in a Milwaukee bar, Mack is a bar owner who finds a dead body by her dumpster. It's just 10 months after Dad's death and the body is his girlfriend, Ginni. And all the evidence points to Mack, although her regulars are suspects too. The detective on the case, Duncan Albright, agrees to let her keep the bar open during the investigation, as long as he can keep an eye on her. So she "hires" him to be a bartender, and it turns out that he's good at it, entertaining and can find out lots of things by chatting up the customers. The audio version has him speaking with a lovely Scottish burr, and of course, Mack didn't kill Ginni, because she stars in several more books in the series.… (more)