Wildwood - (Northwoods) by Amy Pease (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"Amy Pease proves herself a master of modern literary crime fiction." --Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling author

From the award-winning author of the "riveting debut" (People) Northwoods, a mother-son law enforcement team confront buried secrets in their small town as they work to expose a conspiracy that goes far beyond the tight-knit community.

Deputy Sheriff Eli North has spent the last year getting his life back together. He hasn't touched a drop of alcohol, he's working through his PTSD from his military deployment, and he's repairing his most important relationships. When an undercover informant disappears and all signs point to murder, Eli must expose the dark underbelly of his idyllic Wisconsin small town while safeguarding his newfound stability.

Then, with the unexpected arrival of FBI Agent Alyssa Mason, Eli and his mother, the sheriff, are pulled deeper into a violent criminal network built on the backs of the lost and forgotten.

As the case deepens, loyalties fracture and the line between justice and survival begins to blur. In a town where everyone has something to hide, exposing the truth may cost them everything.

Review Quotes

"Pease impresses with her gritty second mystery featuring mother-son law-enforcement duo Marge and Eli North...Pease elevates her plotting with rich atmosphere and well-shaded characters. William Kent Krueger fans will want to check this out."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Dark, moody, and evocative....With powerful prose and unflinching insight, Amy Pease deftly unearths the depravity of human nature amid the tangled wilderness of the Northwoods to expose an insidious truth--even the sleepiest towns have shadowed underbellies." --Hannah Morrissey, USA Today bestselling author of The Unlucky Ones

"With WILDWOOD, Amy Pease proves herself a master of modern literary crime fiction. This is a layered, unputdownable exploration of place, loyalty, and the cost of truth. The prose is luminous, the suspense quietly devastating. Pease writes with heart and gravity in equal measure."--Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Puzzle Box

"Tough and tender in equal measure, WILDWOOD lays bare the raw ache of addiction, the pain of modern loneliness, and a father's dogged devotion. At its heart is Deputy Sheriff Eli North, not the hardened cop of tropes & conventions, but a complex man in recovery, whose resilience and his own ghosts shape his detective work. A fascinating, totally unexpected, and gripping dive into rural crime storytelling."--Margot Douaihy, bestselling author of SCORCHED GRACE, BLESSED WATER, and DIVINE

"Wildwood is a masterfully-crafted crime novel, a pitch-perfect blend of characters you want to root for, a propulsive plot with danger at every turn, and an evocatively chilling rural setting. Amy Pease's follow up to Northwoods is sure to satisfy readers who want to catch up with Eli and Alyssa--or who are meeting them for the first time."--Andrew DeYoung, author of STAY AWAY FROM HIM

"WILDWOOD is a gripping story of troubled people trying to do the right thing despite the enormous odds stacked against them. Within the pages of this rural crime novel with its working-class protagonists, Amy Pease has created something warm, wise, terrifying, and indescribably human. I hope to be reading the tales of Eli North - and his mom, Sheriff Marge North - for a very long time."--Nick Petrie, author of THE DARK TIME

"Pease weaves an immersive tale full of creeping dread, deftly exposing the dark underbelly of an idyllic Wisconsin resort town--all while proving a crime scene is even more compelling when the body is missing."--Cayce Osborne, author of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID

"I loved this book. Interesting characters rooted in a place I could believe in, a great plot with enough tension to keep the pages turning, and tight, assured writing. I can't wait until the next one."--Ann Cleeves, New York Times bestselling author of The Long Call and Vera Stanhope novels.

"Evocative, tense, and absolutely gorgeous! This heartbreakingly realistic rural noir will captivate you from page one. With intensely drawn characters, sophisticated emotional depth, and an atmospheric setting--this is part procedural, part family drama, and wholly immersive. As tough as CJ Box and as tender as Heather Gudenkauf, WILDWOOD again proves Amy Pease is a superbly powerful storyteller--and a truly lasting talent."--Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author

"Riveting...a suspenseful, well-paced peek into the dark currents running through Wisconsin's otherwise bucolic northern woods....Will linger in readers' minds long after the last page is turned."--Annelise Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of the Monster Hunter Mysteries

About the Author

Amy Pease is the award-winning author of Northwoods and its sequel Wildwood, small-town thrillers rooted in the natural beauty and close-knit communities of her native Wisconsin. She writes emotionally rich, atmospheric stories across genres that explore the relationships that define us. A nationally recognized HIV specialist and longtime nurse practitioner, she is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the Madison Writer's Studio. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children.