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Saturday, October 14, 2023

A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

 
From the blurb:  
"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."

My thoughts: 
It was the words "fabled lake monster" and "cryptozoologist" that made me want to read this one. I really liked Morgan Carter with her quirky bookstore and her sweet labrador mix, Newt. She's got a very interesting past. And I liked that while she believes in the possibility of the existence of these cryptids, she's skeptical when it comes to this supposed lake monster. She wants proof either way. And her investigation turns up something rather unexpected.

This is a well-written and entertaining mystery with likable characters in Morgan and Jon, and Morgan's co-workers at the bookstore. There are also great descriptions of the islands in Lake Michigan and their history; they make for a fascinating setting. Though the lake monster itself plays less of a role in this one than I originally thought it would. So if you choose to read this book, don't expect a chompfest; this is more of a straightforward murder mystery. But a fun one! I gave it 4 stars. And I'm looking foward to reading the next book in this series. 

Happy Reading!

42 comments:

  1. That does sound like rather a fun read.

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    1. It's a really well-written and entertaining mystery.

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  2. I'm always a fan of a murder mystery, and the added element of the search for a lake monster only heightens my intrigue with this one!

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    1. That's what made me want to read this one! Her next mystery involves bigfoot, I think.

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  3. Sounds good to me I will look it up. You had me at Lake Michigan and 'bookshop'. 😁

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    1. And I would so go to her quirky bookshop just to look around! (Though I'd probably end up buying a couple of mystery books while I was there...lets be honest.) ;D

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  4. That sounds like a fun one, and Door County would be a cool place for a mystery.

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    1. Just reading about all the lake and all those islands makes me want to take a trip there!

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  5. Nice review, Lark! Glad you enjoyed it.

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    1. It was a fun mystery...not quite a cozy, but close.

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    1. It's a very fun premise. And I ended up liking the characters quite a bit.

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  7. By the description I would have thought the lake monster would play a bigger role too. But finding cryptids would be a very interesting hobby to have.

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    1. It would be a very interesting hobby! And I was a little sad that the lake monster didn't play a very big role in this one, but the mystery itself was still very good.

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  8. Oh I remember seeing this a while back! Cryptids- plus Lake Michigan- definitely caught my eye. I have to get it. The islands in Lk Michigan are fascinating- this one is proably more on the side near to Wisconsin, but North and South Manitou in Lake MI are cool!

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    1. All the islands in Lake Michigan sound so interesting! Totally makes me want to take a trip up there and see them all for myself. :D

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  9. This sounds like such a fun read. I'm always intrigued when I see "cryptids", so I'm definitely want to check this one out. Great review, Lark! :)

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    1. That's what caught my eye about this one and the reason I checked it out. Anything with cryptids in it. ;D

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  10. I've heard a lot about Door County in Wisconsin as a place to visit for the natural beauty. Setting a mystery in that location seems like a great choice.

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    1. And the location plays such a big role in this book! I was fascinated by it.

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  11. Interesting premise for a murder mystery. I've never run into the word "cryptid" before. It seems to fit its definition perfectly.

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    1. I love reading books about cryptids just because they're so fun. I think her next book might involve a bigfoot sighting.

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  12. This is a book that keeps popping up and grabbing my attention. Of course then something else comes up and I forget about it. I'm going to go straight over to my library and request it now. I'm happy you enjoyed despite there being no chompfest, lol! :)

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    1. I just didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea about this one! ;D It's a very entertaining mystery...but don't expect the lake monster to be front and center. It's not.

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  13. I've got the next book on my Kindle and I can't wait! I really enjoyed this one too and am looking forward to seeing where the series goes.

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    1. The next book with the whole Bigfoot sighting in it does sound VERY fun. :D

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  14. Have a beautiful and blessed day. Regine
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  15. I love the quirky premise - and it sounds like it delivered an entertaining mystery.

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    1. I thought it was a very enjoyable mystery. And I really liked Morgan and her dog, Newt. :D

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  16. I love a chompfest so that's a little disappointing but this does sounds like a lot of fun!

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    1. A chompfest would've been fun! :D But that's why I wanted to warn people about this one...it's not really a monster book, but it is a good mystery.

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  17. This sounds so good! I bet I would enjoy it too,

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    1. I thought it was entertaining ,and I really liked the two main characters.

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  18. I was interested in that cover, but the story scares me. You say it isn't a monster story so maybe I will give it a try someday.

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    1. It's not scary at all. The mystery and investigation is almost on the level of a cozy.

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  19. I really enjoyed this one, too! I am excited to read the next one very soon.

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    1. The next one sounds like a lot of fun. I'm excited to read it, too. :D

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  20. I like the sound of this one. It seems like to a good one to read this fall 🍂.

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    1. It's a very entertaining mystery. And I absolutely loved the setting!

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  21. I would've given this book a miss if I haven't read your review. It sounds interesting.

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    1. If you're in the mood for a good mystery that takes place in a very interesting setting, this is a great one to try.

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