Review: Wildwood: A Novel by Amy Pease

Wildwood: A Novel by Amy Pease is the second book in the series that began with the very good Northwoods. As the book begins, it is October in North Wisconsin and Eli North is in a far better place mentally. He’s quit drinking, is in therapy for PTSD and other issues, and is coping with everything better than he has been in  some time. He’s still working for his mom, the sheriff, who ordered him to take the day off. So, he started the day chopping wood. Not only is it therapeutic for him, it is being proactive as winter is coming.

 

His day off is soon out the window when his mom calls him in. With only three members of the Sherman County Sherrif’s Department, one of whom is the dispatcher, she did not really have a choice. Sheriff Marge North might have dealt with the missing woman case on her own.

 

But, she got into the home, and judging from the blood sprayed on the bedroom walls, probably Trinity Campanella is dead. If so, they are looking for a body and a killer. There are other troubling signs in the home as well.

 

So, she needs her son and fellow officer, Eli North, and other outside resources. She had not reached out to the FBI and yet they have shown up in form of FBI Agent Alyssa Mason. They dealt with her last summer and now she is suddenly back in Shaky Lake, Wisconsin, and has arrived, unannounced, at her crime scene. She has also brought an undercover DEA agent with her. For good reasons too in an increasingly complicated case and a mighty good read.

 

While this could be read first, if one so desired, I recommend reading the series in order to see how things are evolving for the characters involved. Both books are very good and strongly recommended.

 

As I was with the first book, I am indebted to a comment on Lesa Holstine’s What Are You Reading blog posts. I had no idea this was even out until I saw the news there and requested the book via my library. The read is also available by way of Kindle Unlimited (as is the first) so I read it that way in a larger font than the hardback library book.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3TmDgyH

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Series Link: https://amzn.to/4pEdG4l

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Lesa's Book Critiques: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon, and More by James Norbury

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon, and More by James Norbury

In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday

In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday: It's the start of a new week and that means it's time for a brand-new roundup of crime drama news: THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES Josh Lucas ...

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 40 Writing Contests in August 2026 - No entry fees!

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 40 Writing Contests in August 2026 - No entry fees!: This August there are more than three dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes rang...

Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Amateur: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian

The Amateur (Doubleday, 4 August 2026) is the latest crackerjack thriller from critically acclaimed author Chris Bohjalian. Set in the 1970s in the posh suburb of Tallmadge in Westchester County, New York, where everyone who is anyone is a member of the country club, the story is a memoir told by Mira Winston in later life and with the benefit of considerable hindsight.

Mira fell in love with the game of golf as a tween and became notably proficient, practicing relentlessly and working with a coach to the point she’s won a few regional tournaments. Now upon graduation from high school she’s been promised a place on the golf team at Yale, where she expects to begin classes in a month. On an ordinary summer day she’s at the club, driving golf balls into the practice net one after another. The net breaks with the force of her swing and the sphere weighing an ounce and a half becomes a lethal weapon as it strikes the temple of one of the high school students working as a caddy that day.

At first the practice net seemed to be faulty, and the manufacturer was the focus of attention, then upon closer investigation Mira took the brunt of the blame, as a secret affair with a married man 30 years older was made public and some of her impulsive acts from the past were spun as indicators of instability and viciousness. The entire town turned against her; she eventually was charged with involuntary manslaughter. While she waited for trial, she was targeted in every way possible by acquaintances and neighbors. The stress of false accusations and societal disapproval hit the heretofore privileged teenager like an anvil falling from the sky.

A strikingly good book, with complex characterizations, a carefully layered plot, and a flawless duplication of the 1970s social code. Mira was subjected to societal censure that from the vantage point of 2026 belonged somewhere else and it is agonizing to read. Along with toxic social issues, the mechanics surrounding the failure of the net was examined from all aspects. Considering the damages likely to be awarded the dead boy’s family in a civil lawsuit, the manufacturer, the country club, and Mira’s family all pointed at each other. The real cause of failure was a last-minute surprise I should have seen coming but of course I didn’t.

Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist. A riveting read, highly recommended!

 

·         Publisher: ‎Doubleday

·         Publication date: ‎August 4, 2026

·         Language: ‎English

·         Print length: ‎336 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎0385551290

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-0385551298

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4bdgShj

 

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026 

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

Lesa's Book Critiques: August Book Tasting

 Lesa's Book Critiques: August Book Tasting

Kathleen Kalb: No Assumptions

 Kathleen Kalb: No Assumptions

Little Big Crimes: Noir Canal, by Manu Causse

Little Big Crimes: Noir Canal, by Manu Causse: "Noir Canal," by Manu Causse, in Toulouse Noir, edited by Charles-Henri Lavielle, Akashic Press, 2026. Akashic Press sent me a fre...

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Murder on the Yellow Brick Road: Stuart M. Kaminsky

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Murder on the Yellow Brick Road: Stuart M. Kaminsky: The Toby Peters mystery series is set primarily in Hollywood, California. Each book in the series is centered around a celebrity. Toby is a ...

Review: Waves of Burden: A Novel by Curtis Ippolito

Waves of Burden: A Novel by Curtis Ippolito is an intense crime fiction read. Published by Rock and a Hard Place Press, the read takes the usual crime fiction stereotype of the problematic family member that is always in a jam and shakes it up a bit. It’s also good to have friends you can call on for help.

 

Drew Jones works hard for the money in San Diego, California. He is a contractor with a baby on the way as the baby is due in less than three months. Drew needs every penny he can earn as Gaby and he live on the edge as it is and their baby is going to need things. As he finishes up a job one day, he gets a call from his former foster brother, Jake. He hasn’t seen him in months and his older brother is back in town.

 

They get together, eat, hang out, Jake crashes at their place, and things are seemingly okay. He has a tendency to bring trouble with him. It has been that way since Drew was left to clean up the mess when they were kids and he is still that way as he lives a nomadic lifestyle. But, this time seems a bit different, at first.

 

That was  a mirage. It soon slowly becomes clear that, Jake being Jake, has really screwed up things this time. Before long, cops want to talk. If that was not enough, some very dangerous people have started showing up and are making demands that must be met. Everything and everyone Drew holds dear is under threat of prison or worse. With next to no frame of reference for the mess they have been shoved into, Drew has to figure out a way to save them all.  

 

What follows is a complicated crime fiction read full of rich characters, plenty of action, and a world where almost nothing is clear. The author loves San Diego and that is clear as the area is its own character from start to finish. What isn’t clear is how Drew will save those he loves.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4yxgEvk

 

 

 

My PDF ARC came from the publisher shortly before publication day with no expectation of a review.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Lesa's Book Critiques: Getting Naked by Valerie Bertinelli

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Getting Naked by Valerie Bertinelli

Dru's Book Musings: New Releases ~ Week of July 26, 2026

 Dru's Book Musings: New Releases ~ Week of July 26, 2026

KRL Update

 Up on KRL this week a review and giveaway of the latest Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson, "The Brothers McKay" https://kingsriverlife.com/07/25/the-brothers-mckay-by-craig-johnson/

We also have reviews and giveaways of 3 more fun mysteries for your summer reading-"Dead Men Don’t Play Fetch" by David Rosenfelt, "Sweet Spot" Ghostwriter Mystery by Kemper Donovan, & "I, Spy" by L.M. Kemp https://kingsriverlife.com/07/25/end-of-july-mystery-catchup/

 

And a review and giveaway of "Murder at Haddonford Manor” by Irina McGrath https://kingsriverlife.com/07/25/murder-at-haddonford-manor-by-irina-mcgrath/

 

And the latest Queer Mystery Coming Attractions from Matt Lubbers-Moore https://kingsriverlife.com/07/25/queer-mystery-coming-attractions-august-2026/

 

Up on KRL during the week we posted an excerpt from "The Girl on the Beach" by Carol Snow https://kingsriverlife.com/07/22/excerpt-from-the-girl-on-the-beach-by-carol-snow/

 

Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of the latest Marlow Murder Club mystery, "The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts" by Robert Thorogood https://www.krlnews.com/2026/07/the-mysterious-affair-of-judith-potts.html

 

And a review and Kindle giveaway of "The Corpse at the Cottage" by Kathleen Bridge https://www.krlnews.com/2026/07/the-corpse-at-cottage-by-kathleen.html

 

And a review and giveaway of "The Taverna at the Edge of Night" by H.Y. Hanna https://www.krlnews.com/2026/07/the-taverna-at-edge-of-night-by-hy.html

 

Happy reading,

Lorie 

_._,_._,_

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 19 Awesome Writing Conferences and Workshops in August 2026

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 19 Awesome Writing Conferences and Workshops in Au...: This August there are more than a dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will...

Scott's Take: A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl series) by Matt Dinniman

A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman is the eighth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I read this as an eBook so I did not have access to the short story. At the time of writing this review at the end of May, the hardback version is still on order at the Dallas Public Library System. I have a hold on one, whenever they get them in, so that I can read the short story.

 

In this action-packed installment, Princess Donut, Carl, and the remaining Crawlers, compete in various races and must try to survive and win them. Then, once the races are done, the evil AI is planning to have “A Parade of Horribles.” The AI is calling it a coming out party for himself.

 

This one is heavy on the lore building at the end. There is a lot of violence, but it is a lot less than one would expect in this series.  I also found the races to be very different than what I was expecting. I was kind of disappointed in that aspect of the read.

 

Carl and Donut get some more quality character development but some of the gimmick jokes drag on longer than I think they should have. Also, a lot of the plot points that have been running in the background for more than one book are still not followed up on  here. I kind of wish we would get a novel focusing on the kinder facility or the human resistance on Earth against the aliens.  Instead of a few sentences here and there. I feel like a lot happened in this book,  but mostly towards the end.

 

I enjoyed this read, but maybe I was overhyped for it. I thought this one was one of the weaker books. In the next book,  The Ascendery Games begin as the Crawlers will attempt to escape various floors while trying to stop one of the gods from becoming the King of The Gods.  There should be quite a lot going on as the large cast of the series has been scattered to so many other places by this point. It is going to require some very good scene switching to make it all work.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dCSpDE

 

 

My reading copy came through the Libby App by way of the Dallas Public Library system. I have a hold on the hardback through the system. Sometimes the short stories are important, sometimes not, but either way I want to read it.

 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2026

Lesa's Book Critiques: A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron

 Lesa's Book Critiques: A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron

The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers: 7-23-26

 The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers: 7-23-26

ButtonDown.Com: Private Eye July: Dry County

 ButtonDown.Com: Private Eye July: Dry County

Happiness Is A Book: Friday’s Forgotten Book: Crime in Kensington by Christopher St John Sprigg

 Happiness Is A Book: Friday’s Forgotten Book: Crime in Kensington by Christopher St John Sprigg

Patricia Abbott: FFB-DIE AGAIN, MACREADY, Jack Livingston

 Patricia Abbott: FFB-DIE AGAIN, MACREADY, Jack Livingston

In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: Death of a Busybody

In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: Death of a Busybody: In her 67 years, California author Elizabeth Linington (1921-1988) wrote some 82 crime fiction novels, published between 1955 and 1990, unde...

In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange

In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: The winners of the Shirley Jackson Awards for outstanding literary achievement in psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic wer...

Review: Dirty Little Town: A River City Novel by Frank Zafiro

When I recently read and reviewed Frank Zafiro’s cozy mystery novellas (Hallmarks of the Job, Shades of the Job), I was reminded that I was way behind in my reading of his police procedural River City series. I knew I was behind. I had no idea how far behind I was. Dirty Little Town: A River City Novel is the seventh book in the series and was released back in November 2021.

 

The read opens in August 2003 and a bit after the events in Place of Wrath and Tears. Officer Katie Macleod has been through some things. In the here and now, she’s getting a provisional promotion to detective and being assigned to assist Detective Browning on his hunt for a serial killer. No pay bump due to contract issues, and it leaves patrol shorthanded due to ongoing staffing issues due to budget and contract issues, but it could give the department some positive PR at a time when that is very much needed. It also gives her a chance to shine. She’s been an officer for twelve years. But being a detective is like starting all over again.

 

As is the department as a whole because the mayor has installed a new chief of police. Chief of Police Richard Sannael has arrived and Captain Robert Saylor is way less than impressed. It does not help that Saylor had been the acting Police Chief after being appointed to the position by the previous mayor.

 

The recent election went way different than planned or expected, and the new mayor has been a micromanager and problematic. This new chief selected by the mayor seems to be focused on casting blame and making changes that will make things worse and sacrifice loyal officers to do it. He is a political animal and maybe something worse.

 

These are just two of a number of storylines at work in Dirty Little Town: A River City Novel. I have long said that if you loved the work of Ed McBain, the tv shows Hill Street Blues, Southland, Line of Duty, Blue Lights, and other authors and shows, you will love this series. These books detail police work and the men and women who do the job. It showcases them off shift just as much and how their jobs affect their personal lives.

 

This series has evolving and ageing characters, like any really good series, and that always results in good reading. Such is the case here. As always with any good series, start at the beginning and work your way forward. In this case begin with Under a Raging Moon.

  

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4b80yye

 

 

According to Amazon, I picked this up back in November 2021. I suspect it was by funds in my Amazon Associate account, but I do not know that for sure.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Lesa's Book Critiques: What Are You Reading?

 Lesa's Book Critiques: What Are You Reading?

Writer Beware: Anthropic Settlement Update: Final Settlement Approved

 Writer Beware: Anthropic Settlement Update: Final Settlement Approved

The First Two Pages: “Stranger” by Jennifer Slee

 The First Two Pages: “Stranger” by Jennifer Slee

Jerry's House of Everything: SUSPENSE: THE BLACK CURTAIN (NOVEMBER 30, 1944)

Jerry's House of Everything: SUSPENSE: THE BLACK CURTAIN (NOVEMBER 30, 1944): Cornell Woolrich's classic 1941 mystery novel of a man who wakes up with three year's of amnesia, finding himself accused for a crim...

Thursday Treats: 7/23/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

SMFS list member Mia Dalia announced that her short story, B Minor, was published online at The Sunlight Press. You can read it for free here.

 

SMFS list member James Patrick Focarile announced that his short story, What Whiskey Won’t Cure, was published online at The Saturday Evening Post. You can read it for free here.

 

Black Cat Weekly #255 is out and includes short stories by SMFS list members N. M.  Cedeño (Mirror Life Meltdown), Stacy Woodson (She Loves You), and others. You can pick up the latest issue here. 

 

SMFS list member James W. Ziskin announced that his latest novel, The Prank, comes out on the 28^th. “Set in Christmas 1968, a thirteen-year-old sociopath befriends his teacher, unaware she loved the man his prank accidentally killed.” Published by Level Best-Historia, the read is available in both digital and print formats at Amazon and other vendors.

 

As I told you earlier this month, Level Best—Level Short is scheduled to release on the 28^th the anthology, What the World Needs Now: Mystery Stories Inspired by the Music of Burt Bacharach. SMFS list members Joseph Goodrich (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) and Josh Pachter (Me Japanese Boy) are included in the charity anthology edited by Martin Edwards. Funds raised are for autism charities in the US and UK. The digital version is up for preorder at Amazon.

 

Coming early next month. and edited by SMFS list members, Editors Gigi Pandian and Tom Mead, All the Crime in the World: Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Puzzles. According to the synopsis, the anthology will feature 14 short stories by Victor Bonini, James Scott Byrnside, Shelly Dickson Carr, S.A. Cosby, Anne van Doorn, Martin Edwards, Sulari Gentill, Paul Halter, Christopher Huang, Vaseem Khan, Josh Pachter (The Allegory of the Five Senses), Masaya Yamaguchi, Ovidia Yu, and a brand-new collaboration from the editors. It is currently available for preorder at the publisher, Crippen and Landru.

 

And, finally, for something completely different, the fantasy novel, Immortalized Memories of the Omniverse: Rise of the Draconic Hero, by Alex Rosen  is now out. Epic Fantasy and more are present in this read. I am reading more than one book right now, always a dangerous practice on my part, and this is one of them. I am not one for fantasy these days, but I am enjoying it. Sent to me by the publisher, you can get it at Amazon or many other vendors.

 

 

Until next time…. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Lesa's Book Critiques: Country Christie: Country Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Country Christie: Country Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie

In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday

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George Kelly: WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #280: LOVECRAFT’S BROOD Edited by Ellen Datlow

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Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: ICU

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Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "Kill Now—Pay Later" by Rex Stout

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "Kill Now—Pay Later" by R...:   I read "Kill Now—Pay Later" in June, I think. Or it may have been early July. I have been having trouble reading short stories l...

Short Story Wednesday Review: The Last Laugh by Robert Jakues (Thriller Magazine: June 2026)

  

The police procedural short story, The Last Laugh, by Robert Jakues appears in the Thriller Magazine: June 2026 issue and it is a very good tale. The story opens with Detective opens with Detective Pilsudski being awakened by Sergeant Jack Couch calling him at home long before dawn. Pilsudski is the weekend on call Homicide Detective in South Central Los Angeles. There is a body and he is needed. Before long he meets his partner Detective Jim Hampton at their 77th street station house. Together, they head to the scene.

 

It is mid-winter and the chilly night air off the Pacific certainly isn’t warming anything or anyone on the deserted streets.

 

The dead man is sprawled out on the sidewalk mid-block on Dalton Avenue. He’s been shot in the back of the head. When the body is rolled on its side by the coroner investigator, he found an open black wallet. Inside, the driver’s license identifies the dead man as Gaylord Pettis. Now it is up to Detective Pilsudski and Hampton to determine who killed Mr. Gaylord Pettis and why in this very good short story by Robert Jakues.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4futRwr

 

 

My digital reading copy came by way of my ninety-day free Kindle Unlimited trial.

  

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026