Review: A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

About the Book

Genre

Mystery

Format

E-ARC

Publisher

Berkley

Release Date

September 13, 2022

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A Wisconsin bookstore owner and cryptozoologist is asked to investigate a series of deaths that just might be proof of a fabled lake monster in this first installment of a new mystery series by USA Today bestselling author Annelise Ryan.

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.

My Review

Bookstore owner and crytozoologist, Morgan Carter, is working hard to make her store a success.  She took it over after her parents brutally lost their lives.  

When a couple of dead bodies turn up in Lake Michigan, Morgan is asked to put her crytozoologist knowledge to good use and help the local police find a killer.  The bodies have animal bites which leads the police to thinking it could be from the Loch Ness Monster.  Morgan is not buying the Loch Ness Monster theory, but she’s determined to join in the search and figure it out.

With the help of her adorable dog, Newt, Morgan begins a search into dangerous territory.  Although the local police chief hires her to help, they certainly don’t want her in harm’s way. 

Morgan is a strong character who doesn’t back down from a challenge.  I adored the devotion between Morgan and her canine pal, Newt.  There’s a touch of romance hinted at with the local police chief, but basically this is a traditional mystery.

It started a bit on the slow side for me, but then the story took off.  I couldn’t stop reading.  It’s an engrossing, captivating tale.  I really enjoyed this author’s writing style and will check out her backlist.  I think I have a few already on my e-reader.

Overall, this is a good start to an exciting new mystery series.

For reading challenges:

NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2022
What An Animal Reading Challenge 2022
A Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2022 (Wisconsin)

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.