Patricia Skalka's Latest Now Out - Death Rides The Ferry - A 2018 Personal Favorite!

ABOUT DOOR COUNTY

Door County Peninsula juts out between the pristine waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan in northern Wisconsin. With 300 miles of scenic shoreline, five wooded state parks and a collection of quaint, waterfront villages, the area is a mecca for artists, musicians, outdoor enthusiasts and tourists. Every year, some two million visitors come to Door County, the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.”

ABOUT THE SERIES

The Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries pit a former troubled Chicago cop against a roster of clever killers on the Door County Peninsula in the heart of the Midwest. Set against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty, the series kicks off with Death Stalks Door County and continues with Death at Gills Rock and Death In Cold Water. (Click on each title to see reviews of series thus far...)

The Yellow Viol

...After meeting with the ladies, the sheriff drove to the festival. The next series of concerns started in ten minutes and the grounds were filled with people hurrying to reach their seats. As he pushed through the cheerful throngs, he pictured Jane Doe sitting on the ferry and wondered what went through her mind before she died. Had she been crying because of something that had happened at the festival? Or because she had taken the poison, as Pardy suggested, and then had a change of heart and realized too late that she wanted to live?

...The program listed nightly concerts in the hall, but the afternoons were given over to smaller performances by groups of three, four, and six musicians. The sheriff knew little about classical music beyond what his friend Evelyn Bathard had taught him about opera while they worked on the coroner's dilapidated wooden sailboat. From the bits and pieces that he overheard as he wandered the grounds, he knew the musicians were playing stringed instruments, but the music was different from anything he had ever heard. It seemed to have a simpler, cleaner sound than the more familiar music of Mozart and Beethoven. He wished he ould sit in on a performance, but he had little time for music that day.

Wow this gave me chills! "Joyful, Joyful"...Was Never So Joyful!

...Cubiak knocked. "Sorry to interrupt," he said.

The three looked up startled.

"I hope this is important, Sheriff. We have a busy schedule," Frost said after introductions were made. He was short and stout and patted his forehead with a white handkerchief as he spoke.

"I'm sure you do," There wasn't an empty chair, so Cubiak stood and told them about the woman who was found dead on the ferry...

"Sheriff, you have to realize that we can't have a dead woman associated with Dixan V. It would ruin everything. Not just this year's event, which so many people have worked for so hard, but"...Winslow gestured toward the ground outside the center..."everything."

"Why? Because four decades ago, a woman died after the first Dixan festival?"

The three stirred uneasily.

"It's more than that. You don't understand because you're not from here," Frost said, his tone harsh. "Sorry, no offense meant..."

"I don't mean to sound insensitive to the poor woman on the ferry, but it's just that we are trying to live down our own sorry history with the public and the Dixan sponsors. This years festival is our chance to salvage the island's reputation. If we don't succeed, as Veronica just said, then it's over for us. Finito. Poof." Frost blew a puff of air at his empty palm like a child would at the fuzzy head of a dandelion.

Winslow pushed a small brochure across the table. Her nails were neatly manicured, and it was clear from her posture and manner that she was the kind of person who took appearances seriously. "This is from the first--the only--Dixan Festival ever held on Washington Island before now."

Cubiak skimmed the headline. "I've heard a little about it. But that was forty years ago."

"That is correct."

"During which a rare violin disappeared."

Winslow sighed and exchanged frustrated looks with her colleagues.

Mitchell Stone stretched his elongated neck and spoke for the first time. "Not a violin, Sheriff. A viola da gamba." he said as he adjusted his striped tie. "Shall I assume you don't know the difference?"

~~~

Classical music is one of my favorite genres so I was pleasantly surprised to learn about an instrument that I had never heard of in Patricia Skalka's latest Cubiak mystery. Obviously the size and method of playing is similar to a cello, so I don't think I would have noticed during orchestra presentations whether one of these had been used...It looks like a guitar, doesn't it? Anyway...the musical component of a novel, which is an incentive for me, added a bonus that made this a personal favorite.

Cubiak, on the other hand, is one of my favorite male leads as sheriff and I had already decided I'd love to see Tom Selleck play the role similar to his Jesse Stone role in Robert B. Parker books. Cubiak gained our sympathy when his wife and child was killed...Now he has fallen in love again, but, she, too, faces danger in this story. Cubiak couldn't stop the deaths of his family, but, this time, he will die trying if necessary...

The book starts during the planning and actual musical festival known as the Dixan Festival--this is the fifth one and has not been back to Door County since the first which was held forty years ago. Getting the Festival back is really a second chance, because at the first festival, a famous instrument, a viola da gamba, was stolen! It had been loaned by a private family and the man who had brought it to the festival was not only publicly disgraced, but his wife, who was pregnant at the time, was delayed in getting to the hospital and died that night...

Everything was going fine at the festival until a woman was found dead on the ferry that carried local residents as well as those attending the festival back and forth... For some reason, Cubiak had noticed the woman while he had roamed the festival. However, when he started his investigation, nobody knew her and nobody else had even noticed her...

During his investigation, he did learn that the stolen viola da gamba taken during the first festival had never been discovered. This link would have to be at least explored before clarifying that there was no connection. And, in fact, it soon seemed that solving the theft may be the only way to discover who was now leaving dead bodies during the second festival!

Given the interplay between the murders and the theft, I'm not going to go any further into the storyline other than to say that my intuition was working, but I still wasn't sure who and how the crimes were done...Great mystery! Skalka has given the University of Wisconsin a winning and local series that is bound to continue to retain and continue fan appreciation for this fantastic series... Highly recommended.


GABixlerReviews

Patricia Skalka is the author of the Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries which premiered with "Death Stalks Door County" (2014) and quickly followed up with "Death At Gills Rock" (2015). "Death in Cold Water" (2016) received the Edna Ferber Fiction Award from the Council for Wisconsin Writers.
“A first-rate series” says Kirkus Reviews.
“The intricate plot and well-developed characters will appeal to fans of William Kent Krueger,” says Booklist.A Chicago native, Skalka is a former Reader’s Digest Staff Writer and freelancer with human interest and medical articles in national print and online publications and nonfiction books published by Random House, St. Martin’s and Rodale. She is a member of The Authors Guild of America, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Society of Midland Authors and the Chicago Writers Association.

Third Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery Proves it! Patricia Skalka is Fantastic Mystery Writer!

Dave Cubiak cast his line into the gray water and waited. Perched on the rock ledge along the Green Bay shore, he'd waited all afternoon: For the sun to break through the clouds. For a fish to take his hook. For the autumn leaves to be done with their annual display of color. For the tourism to pack their bags and depart. For Cate to come home.
Watching the sun fall toward the horizon, Cubiak checked the time. It was late and he'd missed pretty much all of Sunday's big football game: The Bears versus the Packers or, because this was Wisconsin, the Packers versus the Bears. He'd done so deliberately, even though skipping the match was an unforgivable sin in his adopted Door County. He'd have to pick up the highlights later. A few of the important details would provide fodder for a week's worth of small talk around the department and elsewhere on the peninsula.
The day was cooler than predicted, and Cubiak wished he'd worn gloves and an extra layer. He tugged his collar up to his chin and reeled in his line. For the third time in thirty minutes, the bait was gone. Maybe he should try a lure, he thought, and reached for his dented red tackle box. As Cubiak rummaged through the jumble of jigs and plugs, he heard a rustling in the bushes and looked up to see a white bundle sail over his head toward the bay.
The sack hit the water about fifteen feet from shore.
"What the hell?" he said.
He figured it was a plastic bad filled with trash and wondered if he could snag it with his line.
Then something inside the bag wiggled, and there was a sound, a cry like that of a baby.
Cubiak struggled free of his boots and jacket and jumped in.
The momentum pulled him under, and the sheer cold of the water left him unable to move. After a panicky moment, he began to flail about. Pumping his arms and kicking his legs, he fought his way up and surfaced ten feet from the bag. It was sinking fast. Never much of a swimmer, Cubiak stroked desperately toward it. When he was within an arm's length, the bag went under, trailing the rope that knotted it closed. Cubiak lunged for the cord and snared the end between his numbing fingers...It was an old pillowcase. Cubiak loosed the rope and began unknotting the top. The cries had ceased. Was he too late?
Cubiak peered inside and then fell back on his heels. He'd braved the icy water to save a litter of newborn kittens. The sheriff would have laughed if his teeth hadn't started chattering. Who else would go out for fish and come back with kittens?

Still, it was a cruel thing to do to such helpless creatures. And Cubiak had no tolerance for wanton cruelty. Which is why when he saw a familiar blue pickup outside the Tipsy Too, he swerved into the parking lot... Dubiak didn't care that he appeared ridiculous to the crowd in the car. Ignoring the sniggers and sideways glances from the clientele, he searched through the cluster of regulars until he found the owner of the truck...The sheriff slapped the wet pillowcase in front of the burly, bearded man. "This yours?" 

~~~

Death in Cold Water:

A Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery

By Patricia Skalka

University of Wisconsin Press published the third in series from Patricia Skalka, who has quickly gained recognition for her outstanding mystery series. It took me until this novel to identify Dave Cubiak in my mind... If you have either read the Jesse Stone series by my top favorite author, Robert B. Parker, or seen the television movie series, I think you'll see a similarity in the two characters, making Tom Selleck the perfect man to play Cubiak. I loved Parker's Spencer series first, but Jesse Stone quickly won a place in my heart, just as Dave Cubiak has... If you're a mystery fan, Patricia Skalka should become a must-read for you!

Skalka quickly pulls readers in when the son of a local legend is pulled in for drunk driving. He was actually already on his way to report that his father was missing. Of course Cubiak didn't know who the man was and his deputy, who is an excellent character that adds greatly to the duo law officers, quickly explained that he was called "Mr. Packer" due to his strong loyalty and financial support of the team.

The missing person was Gerald Sneider who had made a fortune in lumber. His son and family were with him in Chicago at the latest game when his father got a phone call. 

Andrew had been amazed that his father actually left since the game was tied and he'd never left a game until it was completely over. Andrew responded to Cubiak's question, that he'd never asked his father about his leaving--that he'd learned long ago not to question or cross his father... Great! How would they even get a beginning hold on where his father had gone?!

As Cubiak began his investigation at the victim's home, they discovered a super bowl ring hanging from a light fixture with a thin piece of cardboard underneath with the words. Pay or he dies...

But this is not a simple kidnapping...

One of the things I most enjoy about this series is that the author takes the time to provide readers with parts of the main character's life. He becomes real to us and we come to care about him. For me, it is very important that the characters come alive so that we can more fully sink into the story... Cubiak had lost his family and had moved to Wisconsin to a small town where he was trying to make a new life for himself. At least he seemed to be making it on the job, but his personal life was still in question...

Maybe last night's business with
Andrew Sneider had been a
dream and in reality he and Cate
had flown to the tropics as they'd
so often planned. Or they were
starting another morning at
home in Door County with Cate
in the kitchen fixing breakfast.
When he'd returned from Ellison
Bay, Cubiak had expected to find
her sound asleep, with Burch
curled up at the foot of the bed.
But at a quarter past three,
when he finally got in, the house
was empty. Had Cate come in
later or had he spent the night
at her condo? He ran a hand
over her side of the bed. The
sheet was smooth and cool.
~~~

Cubiak woke to the smell of coffee and the sound of music, classical guitar, floating in from the hall. He was groggy and lay still, imaging himself somewhere far from his little house on the Lake Michigan shore. Mexico, perhaps, Or Belize, even. He'd never been to either but after listening to Rowe's chatter about his vacation the sheriff couldn't help but fantasize about palm trees and water sports, the kind that didn't include swimming into shark caves.

In the shower, Cubiak faced up to the real truth about why he'd been fishing the day before. Yesterday was the day his daughter should have turned eleven. He'd spent the afternoon away from home to avoid seeing reminders of Chicago flashed on the TV screen during the game and being reminded of Alexis' birthday, but...all he could think of was the cake lit with candles, the party, and her gleeful delight as she ripped the wrapping off her gifts. This was the nature of grief and its litany of perpetual reminders.

He was still learning what it meant to forfeit one reality, to lose those he loved, and still trying to understand what it meant to try to create a different and separate existence. How to be faithful to what had been, while being true to what was now. His friend Evelyn Bathard had found a way forward following the death of his wife. Could Cubiak do the same? And how did Cate fit in?...

~~~

Still this case was bound to be different because of the victim. And he was not surprised when the Packers became interested in the case, after all, he was a major funding source for them.
And the FBI soon got involved...

But it was Butch, Cubiak's dog that moved the case forward when he, during a trip to the beach with Cubiak and Cate, had found a bone, probably human... And that's when the story moved from a simple kidnapping mystery to an unbelievable murder cold case!

They'd waited for him, Cubiak realized. After thanking them, he approached the platform for one last look. Bathard had talked about Milton's concept of good and evil, but all Cubiak could think of were Dante's nine circles of hell. Those who acted violently against others were consigned to the outer ring of the seventh circle, where they were immersed in a river of boiling blood and fire for eternity. A fitting punishment for...., Cubiak thought.     The sheriff bowed his head and prayed...

~~~

Skalka has moved into a darker topic in this novel, but one that constantly needs to be brought to light. Thank you, Patricia...

This author continues to get better and better, providing a novel that pulls together wonderful characters, a beautiful setting, and a masterful mystery that places her as one of the best in the genre, in my opinion. You really need to check her out... This book is highly recommended!

GABixlerReviews

See my Review...http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2014/08/new-door-county-mystery-series-by.html

See my Review of Second Book

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2015/06/second-in-dave-cubiak-door-county.html

Second in Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery Series by Patricia Skalka Another Winner! Out June 23, 2015!

For the second time in three days, Cubiak made the drive north. Nature had not wasted time extending spring's verdant hue up the peninsula. Grass and trees were kissed with a rich halo of green. In Ephraim, golden forsythia bloomed alongside the crocuses and daffodils. Even the landscape past Sister Bay had shed its gloomy mantle.  Only the farthest tip of the land retained winter's somber tones.

The last mile to Huntsman's home was almost a repeat of Saturday: the statue-like gulls perched on the rocks, the barking dog still tethered to the willow. The only difference was the clothesline behind the Smitz house. Before, empty; now, laden with laundry: yellow checked sheets and pillowcases, two faded pink towels, several blouses, and a pair of men's long underwear, dingy from overuse and stiff with frost.  Cubiak started the turn into Huntsman's driveway when he braked and stopped. Something was different. On the other side of the road, three of the plumbing vans had been moved from the lot and parked bumper-to-bumper along the front of the building, obscuring the company logo. That's odd, Cubiak thought. As he walked over for a closer look, a woodpecker started hammering into the trunk of a nearby tree. Although the sheriff couldn't see the bird through the foliage, he sensed that his every move was being telegraphed through the forest. Leaning around the hood of the first van he discovered what was hidden behind the lineup of vehicles--a white wall defaced with angry strokes of red paint that spelled out a nasty farewell: Good Riddance.
Cubiak whistled quietly. The bird's staccato concert paused but began again when he picked up a stick and poked at the crimson streak that underlined the message. The paint was fresh. He looked around but the hard group yielded no footprints.
The vandals hadn't stopped with defacing the shed. At the Rec Room, they'd dislodged the cardboard from the broken window, smashed several other panes of glass, and made deep scratches in the picture window. The woodpecker transmitted a flurry of reports.
Two for two. Had the house been vandalized, as well? Had Ida been harmed? Cubiak was sure Walter would have said something if his mother had been injured. The sheriff passed the area where the bodies had been laid out the previous Saturday. The gazebo was unscathed but splotches of red paint bloomed like algae on the pier and the side of the power boat. The most spiteful damage was to the cabin cruiser in the sling where large red x's crossed over the name Ida Mae. Again the paint was still wet. And again there were no tracks in the damp grass. Had the vandals been so bold they'd used the brick walkway rather than cut across the lawn?
Walter waited at the back door...he blocked the sheriff's way.
"This was in the mail," he said, jabbing a white envelope at Cubiak. The envelope, a standard number ten, was unstamped, the address typed: Ida Nils Huntsman...Cubiak pulled a sheet of pale blue paper through the slit in the top of the envelope. 

THEY GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED...

~~~

Death at Gills Rock:

A Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery

By Patricia Skalka

There are two major things that attract me to Skalka's writing: She writes a great mystery... and she's chosen a wonderful setting which she uses to complement that mystery with almost a poetic prose that is so descriptive of the surrounding nature that readers are captured first by entering into place in the book, and only secondary on to what brings in the mystery... I think the above excerpt illustrates exactly what I mean!

It is obvious, for instance, that Dave Cubiak loves where he is now living and while he may be traveling to a crime scene, he cannot help noticing the surrounding beauty and sounds capture his interest and attention. For those who are lovers of God's natural beauty, Skalka helps us visualize her home first, and then moves on to carve out a mystery within the parameters of that setting. I have already become enchanted with Door County!

Check out my review of Death Stalks Door County for many more pictures than I have here, including a Fish Boil! Enjoy or refresh your memory of her first book!

Everybody had thought it had been a tragic accident...Three prominent businessmen had died of carbon monoxide poisoning during a card game in what they had called the Rec Room. What made it even sadder was that planning was already underway to honor the men for their military heroics as WWII veterans. It would be a loss to the whole town...

Or would it?

Cubiak had gotten there as soon as possible after they were found and he immediately began to notice things--like the door being locked from the inside, so that a window had to be broken to get in...

Like the initial inspection of the heater not showing any major problems, even though they did find a lot of leaves and debris in the bottom part of the outside pipe...

But what really was confusing was that in beginning the routine interviews with family and neighbors, he began to discover evidence of lies, deceit and possible criminal activities. How had these three men become so wealthy in comparison to those in the same type of town businesses?

The funeral was performed for all three at the same time--the men had been good friends since they were young, had been in the service together and it seemed appropriate to have just one, especially since it would be a full military honor service.

By then the messages that had been written had been discovered. But nobody could have planned for what happened as the after-service luncheon began!

Seconds later, there was a crash in the church basement, followed by a scream. Cubiak hurtled through the open doorway and down the stairs. In the cramped foyer, he collided with the woman in brown, who stood facing the three widows. The trio's black dresses dripped with red wormy strands and blood-like splotches. Pieces of crockery lay in a pool of red at their feet. 
Cubiak grabbed the woman in brown by the shoulders and spun her around. Her hands were smeared red as well. An ugly yellow bruise spread above her right eye.
"Who are you?" he said.
She blinked and said nothing.
Several men rushed from the dining hall but Rowe and Bathard elbowed past them into the entryway.
"Keep everyone inside. And close the doors," the sheriff told the deputy. 
While the doctor tended to the three stunned women, Cubiak propelled the assailant up the stairs into the church. The aroma of incense lingered in the air. Sunlight filtered through the stained-glass windows and lit the funeral flowers on the altar, creating an air of softness and peace.
"Who are you?"
"God's servant." The woman's voice was hard and defiant.
"What's this all about?"
"Justice. I killed the son-of-a-bitch."
"What do you mean? Who did you kill?"
"My husband. The man who ruined my life." The woman held her hands out as if expecting him to cuff her. "He got what he deserved. They all did.
"Who?" Cubiak said.
The woman spat on the floor. "All of them--four of a kind."

~~~

This is the type of mystery where you slowly pick up potential clues and possible suspects. But this story is so tightly woven, with so many different surprises that mystery fans will begin to despair of even grabbing at options that seem to make sense.

What was so intriguing to me, most of all, was the heartbreaking lies that had been told to family members and that's really all I can say without giving anything away...

While murder is the prime topic, with a total of five by the time they are all counted, there is some light romantic moments as Cubiak is dating while still missing one special young woman...and his best friend, the coroner, has decided to remarry, but still has some wavering discussions with Dave as the time grows near. There are some tender scenes between the two men as they work to restore an old boat, with Dave putting up with the mandated music that his friend supplies...

It was late afternoon when he got to Bathard's. The door to the boat barn was rolled back, and once again Bathard was on the scaffolding alongside the Parlando. A mallet in one hand and a black chisel-like tool in the other, he stared at the skylights and listened to Pavarotti...

Inside the barn, Bathard's phone vibrated on the counter, raising a small cloud of dust. He checked the screen. "Time for tea. Sonja and her granddaughters have been fussing in the kitchen all afternoon."

"I can't..."

"You must. You're the guest of honor."

~~~

These allowed for a comfortable closing for readers, while I have to say that I was completely satisfied with the ending of the murder investigations...

Cubiak is a formidable character--he is tenacious and driven as he investigates crime, but is endearing as his thoughts often flashes back to his wife and daughter who were killed, while he's trying to make some way for himself for the future--a lonely man who readers will all be looking forward to becoming a much happier man in future books!

This second novel stepped up the quality of the mystery--will Skalka be able to continue to satisfy the fans with such top quality, for those who are already reading her? Somehow I have no doubt that her writing and stories will continue to get better and better. Watch this relatively new fiction author and get caught up with this fantastic series! You won't be sorry!

GABixlerReviews

Couldn't pass this up when I saw the two - Stevie Wonder and Pavarotti! Wow!

ABOUT THE SERIES

The Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries pit a former troubled Chicago cop against a roster of clever killers on the Door County Peninsula in the heart of the Midwest. Set against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty, the series kicks off with Death Stalks Door County and continues with Death at Gills Rock.

ABOUT DOOR COUNTY

Door County Peninsula juts out between the pristine waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan in northern Wisconsin. With 300 miles of scenic shoreline, five wooded state parks and a collection of quaint, waterfront villages, the area is a mecca for artists, musicians, outdoor enthusiasts and tourists. Every year, some two million visitors come to Door County, the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patricia Skalka is the author of Death Stalks Door County and Death at Gills Rock, the first two books in the popular Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery series.

Skalka, a Chicago writer, turned to fiction following a successful career in nonfiction. Her many credits include: Staff Writer for Reader’s Digest, freelancer, ghost writer, writing instructor and book reviewer.

Guest Blogger Patricia Skalka. Author of Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries, Answers "Where do you get your ideas from?"

There are always surprises in writing.  “Where do you get your ideas from?” a reader recently asked. Good question; and when I thought about the process I’d followed, the answer surprised me.

The Dave Cubiak Door County mysteries are set on a very real Wisconsin peninsula buffeted by the waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Door County is a magnificent location – “the Cape Cod of the Midwest” – and it seems logical that the setting would come first and foremost in generating ides for the series.

This certainly was true for Death Stalks Door County, the first book. Sitting on the beach on a splendid day, I was struck by the natural beauty of the setting; but sitting there again that night, with no moon and clouds shrouding the stars, stunning beauty gave way to a sense of the sinister. Anything can happen here, I thought.  From the contrast between day and night, I jumped to light and dark, good and evil and on to the notion of a beautiful locale with sinister forces at play beneath a travel brochure veneer. The story grew from there.

For Death at Gills Rock, the second book, my focus was totally on people.  The idea evolved from my interest in World War II and the long reach that sad, horrible event had on the world.  My father had served, as had many of my relatives. One aunt lied about her age in order to enlist in the WAVES. I knew the old veterans were dwindling in numbers and looked for a way to build a story linked to the war.

The Coast Guard Station in Sturgeon Bay is just a few miles from my summer cottage.  Had the Coast Guard been involved in the war effort? I asked one of my beach neighbors. Yes, indeed, and men from Sturgeon Bay had fought in the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska. A few simple facts unfolded into a mystery about war, treachery and deadly secrets….

For book three, plot came first. Death in Cold Water (my working title) is a work in progress that started with the action. First, I knew what I wanted to have happen, and then I had to figure out who was involved and where on the peninsula the story took place. Important elements, certainly, but only to be determined after the seed of the story was planted. 

I plan to have six books in the series, which leaves me with two down, one to finish and three to spin out of my imagination. From where will the inspiration come?  Will the pattern repeat: setting, character, plot? Or will there be different jumping off points? I have no idea but look forward to following the path of discovery that will give me the answer.

~~~

Why you should visit the Cape Cod of the Midwest

Review of Death at Gills Rock Coming Tomorrow!

New Door County Mystery Series by Patricia Skalka Promises Much for Mystery Lovers! Or, just come from the Fish Boil

Ever been to Wisconsin? I haven't, but after reading this book it sounds like a wonderful place to consider for a vacation! And I even found this beautiful aerial video which shows a number of the locations.. .where murder took place! Not one, not two... well, I'll tell you more later... But be prepared to learn about the setting of the series... It reminded me of Nevada Barr, who as a forest ranger always shared about the particular state forest at which she was stationed...
And, yes, our main character, Dave Cubiak, starts out working as a ranger, but by the end of the book, he's back as a cop!

Death Stalks Door County:

A Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery

By Patricia Skalka

Johnson started and pushed away from the tower. Rain or was it tears glistened on his weathered face. "Looks like some kid took a nose dive off the top." The park super stuck out his chin as if challenging his new assistant to disagree. Cubiak said nothing. "He's cold. I can't find a pulse," Johnson went on. "You want to check?" No." Damp with sweat, Cubiak shuddered. He didn't need to look any closer. The odd twist to the victim's neck told him enough. Maybe you should." Cubiak shook his head. He hadn't been near a dead body in two years, not since his family had been killed. "Have you called the sheriff?" "Can't, Radio's busted. You'll have to get him from the station."

The killer might have taken the tour of the State Park and planned to later take his victim up to the top of Eagle Tower, or maybe it had been an accidental meeting... But by the time the autopsy had been done, some considered it the first murder, even if the sheriff had declared it an accident and did little further investigation.

Halverson brandished the victim's wallet in the
air. "Anybody know this guy? Names's Wisby.
Lawrence Wisby. He's from Illinois...
Despite the damp cold, a layer of sweat crystallized
on Cubiak's neck. Nausea toiled his gut. He
imagined the others watching him, but when he
looked, the coroner was again kneeling next to the
body and the sheriff was grilling Johnson for
details of the gruesome discovery...
In an uneasy lull, Cubiak spoke. "I recognize
the name. Wisby. Lawrence Wisby." He swallowed
hard and when he went on, the words came fast,
as if they were toxic and had to be spat out quickly.
"His brother killed my wife and daughter."
~~~

Cubiak seemed to be right back where he had been prior to his relocation to Wisconsin as his partner and friend had suggested. They both thought that a short stint away was needed. Cubiak had been drinking far too much since his wife and daughter were killed by a DUI. The guy was in prison, but that had not been enough to take away the pain, anger, and helplessness that Cubiak was drowning in...so he had used alcohol just to deaden the drowning... Now here he was, barely on the job, and they find a dead body that apparently had fallen from the forest fire tower. Cubiak took one look at the body and knew that its placement would not have been possible if he had jumped... But he definitely was not responsible for handling this investigation!

Yet...

The other thing about that body when Cubiak heard the man's name...well, it was the brother, Lawrence Wisby, of the man who had killed his family... Of course, Cubiak was immediately suspected, but as facts were compiled, he could breathe a little easier during the day, but his dream was back...the one that had plagued him since his family had died...

Cubiak had just sat down at the counter of one of his favorite diners when Evangeline had poured his coffee and mentioned about the boy being found. The next thing they heard was a huge blast and they both started running... The next murder had just occurred.

There's a tough old bird for you,.. "Good ol' Benny. Love him or hate him...  His true love, the Betsy Ross."

The explosion blew a crater into the water and rocked the diner. Under a cascade of splintering glass, Cubiak dove to the floor. He counted to ten out of  military habit and then scrambled to his feet. "You okay?" he called to Evangeline, who ws plastered ghostlike against the back wall... Cobiak bolted out the door and raced toward the ugly orangeball of fire dancing on the water. Thick black smoke barreled upward from the flames, releasing the sharp smell oif creosote into the air.

~~~

...the Reverend Waldo Thorenson, in the
small yard between the parsonage and the
church thus delaying the start of the service...
"Benjamin Macklin was not a man of God.
He doesn't  deserve church burial," they
insisted all of a voice. "What will people
think?" trumpted one, the obviously ring-
leader,...
"They will think we are good Christians,"
Thorenson replied evenly...
The women fell into a shocked silence,
though Miss Cooper was quick to recover.
"You're an avowed abstainer. How can
you eulogize a confirmed drunk?"
"Why don't you come in and see?"
Thorensen said...
~~~

And then another, this time, a female teenager is killed. Everybody is upset not only because of the deaths but because the annual festival is about to start. This is the town's primary source of income for all businesses and nobody can afford to have something stop the activities!

Just as Cubiak had, I stopped to ponder what happened at Benny's funeral. It seems that there are always church members, no matter what church, who never hesitate to voice their personal opinion against the decisions of the pastor. But the issue Cubiak confronted was more personal, as the parents of  the Wisby boys were there. He didn't say anything, but he couldn't stop himself from standing where they could see him, and falter, as he made them remember that their other son was the man who had ensured Cubiak had to face the funeral of his wife and daughter... Would he ever get over it?

And then the next morning he again had to face something he didn't want to. His boss had delegated the meeting regarding the July celebration to Cubiak! He had to attend the meeting at Beck's house as a command performance...

Actually, the event sounded like a great occasion, The celebration kicked off the official summer session for what many called the "Cape Code of the Midwest" and would bring thousands into the area and into the park...
But Cubiak was not convinced that the terror had ended... So he soon found himself in charge of security for the event, including the staff of the Sheriff's office. And nobody was given a choice. Cubiak would be fired if he didn't accept the assignment...
And then they started coming!

 

 

The fish boil was a Scandinavian tradition imported to Door County as an efficient and economical way to feed settlers, logging teams, and fishing crews at the end of the workday. It became a popular tourist attraction, and at the festival it was transformed into high culinary art. This was no small undertaking. On a long, narrow stretch of sand, ten campfires burned, each one straddled by a raised metal frame that held an oversized black from kettle filled with salted water. A crew of men directed by Les Caruthers fed pieces of dried wood into the flames to heat the water.
Outfitted in a yellow slicker with matching pants, tall heavy boots and a fisherman's cap pulled tight over his ears. Caruthers waves a flag. When the water began to simmer, he blew on a sailor's whistle. At the signal, the boil masters, twenty burly men i white chef's hats, emerged from the shadows. The cooks bowed to the crowd, then paired off and carried in ten large metal baskets filled with small red potatoes. One  container was ceremoniously lowered into each cauldron. While the potatoes cooked, the chefs stood arms akimbo and sang sea chanteys to entertain the hungry diners.

They had just finished one of the numbers when Caruthers gave another toot, a signal for onions to be added to the broth. After more songs and another blast from
Caruthers, the men carried in a second set of smaller baskets, brimming with chunks of locally caught whitefish, and set them into the kettles.
A cooking fires whipped up and licked the sides of the kettles. A gray foam of fish oil formed over the surface of the roiling water.
Caruthers blew a long and two shorts. "Boil over," he yelled as the chefs tossed kerosene onto the fires. Flames skyrocketed into the air. The supercharged water bulled over the sides of the cauldrons, spilling fish oil onto the burning logs and sending plumes of black smoke into the air. The crowd cheered. When the last whistle sounded, the boil masters, still working in pairs, slid heavy metal poles through the wire handles and lifted the heavy baskets from the kettles. Water streamed off the fish--the thick fillets, sweet and delicate, cooked to perfection--as the cooks carried the baskets from the beach to the tents where they sere set on solid wooden tables that bore the scars from past boils. Using red, white, and blue plastic dishes, the local ladies served up the potatoes, onions, and fish, the famous Door County fish boil dinner--each meal complete with a slice of cherry pie.

The first visitor killed was visiting the lighthouse. When they found him, he was nailed to the door with an arrow holding him up...

Cubiak jogged up the trail. The forest was hushed, void of the usual early-morning chatter of birds and squirrels. At the top of the rise, the path emerged in a small clearing and the view opened to the tower. From a distance of fifty feet, Cubiak confronted the madness that had stilled the forest and frightened his boss.
A man, tall and angular, in worn jeans and torn sweatshirt, was skewered to the shiny oak door of the building. An arrow pierced his chest. Blood flowed down his torso and legs and pooled on the ground...
~~~

And then on the last day, when a race was scheduled,  a sniper started shooting...


Got to say that this writer presents us with a literary mystery that will in no way give you a hint... Sure, you'll get some ideas, and Cubiak will interview many and even outright declare they had the motive, the means...and all that jazz...

But I guarantee you're not going to guess in advance who was behind the terror that stormed into Door County and never let up until everybody was...gone...

This is the debut of a new series. I loved the main character and hope he stays there in Door County for the long haul...Might even schedule a trip during the annual festival... Wanna come? Cause, after all, this is just fiction... Enjoy!


GABixlerReviews

A lifelong Chicagoan, Patricia Skalka is a former Reader’s Digest Staff Writer and award-winning freelancer, as well as one-time magazine editor, ghost writer and writing instructor. Her nonfiction book credits includeNurses On Our Own, the true-story of two pioneering, local nurse practitioners. Death Stalks Door County, released in May 2014, marks her fiction debut.

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