Review – A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan
Series: A Monster Hunter Mystery #1
Published by Berkley Publishing Group on September 13, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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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.

I enjoyed this book! It took me a bit to really get into the story but once I did I flew through it.  I liked Morgan and thought that her strange little store was rather interesting. The fact that the book dealt with cryptozoology was a huge draw for me and I wondered if a sea monster could really be behind the recent deaths that Morgan is investigating.

This book was a solid start to a promising new series. Morgan owns a bookstore that not only sells books but also an assortment of strange items. Because of her knowledge as a cryptozoologist, she is asked to help on a case by the local police chief, Jon Flanders. There have been a couple of deaths where the victims appear to have been bitten by a large animal and some are wondering if a lake monster is responsible.

I really liked the characters in this book. Morgan was easy to like and Her backstory grabbed my attention right away. I was eager to learn more about the things that had happened in her life. Jon was equally likable. He was patient with Morgan even when she crossed lines in her investigation. I liked the budding romance between the pair and hope to see that further explored in future installments. Morgan’s dog, Newt, was her constant companion in this story. I love how fleshed out the dog’s character was and how important he was to Morgan.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I found this to be a very entertaining mystery that kept me guessing throughout the book. The characters were the best part of the book for me. I cannot wait to read more of this promising new series.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group.

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