Synopsis

Autumn in Stone’s Throw, Michigan, is filled to the brim with hot apple cider, chunky pumpkins, and football rivalries. The entire town is gearing up for Homecoming festivities against rival Hemlock Pond, bringing together old friends and new, to the Lake Michigan town.

With the support of her loyal (and cheeky) dog, Martin Short, State Park Ranger Maudy Lorso is determined to keep her head above water. She’s running for local office, tending to a burgeoning relationship, and scrounging to keep the park’s doors open. Already trying to mend a rocky relationship with her best friend Eli, things take a darker turn when his childhood friend, State Senator Paige Ramos, is found dead on his front porch on Halloween night. As secrets surface and old bonds fray, Maudy’s not sure who she can trust.

Stone’s Throw may seem like a postcard-perfect coastal town, but someone is hiding a much larger plan, and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep it buried.

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Review

Welcome back to Stone’s Throw, Michigan. Maudy is a Park Ranger who has gotten wrapped up in a murder, is fighting to keep the park open, and has been wrangled into running for city council. When someone turns up dead at her friend’s home, she is on the case to help exonerate him and find the true killer. And the answer might surprise you as much as it surprised me.

There many characters and sub-plots that keep this story moving forward. First, there is Maudy’s relationship with Jeremy. I was surprised she ended up with him from the first book, but this is the kind of relationship that won’t last. Her neighbor and long time friend, Eli, has been acting strange for months. Part of it was her rejection of his declaration from book one, but he is also doing something that is a secret. Turns out, it is a good surprise, but you have to wait to find out. Then there is Paige found dead on Eli’s porch Halloween night. Not a good sign.

Despite the circumstances, this novel improves over the first one. The characters feel more solid, the mystery is well paced and not obvious (at least not to me), and there are plenty of people to despise. Sadly, some of those aren’t the ones who die…but there is always the next book.

I enjoyed this journey back, and was intrigued about the tunnels discovered under the town. They dated back to bootlegging days, but probably used for other nefarious purposes. There is also the person (or persons) out to discredit Maudy while she was running for city council. We still don’t know who that is, but I am sure that will all come to light in future books.

We give this book 4 1/2 paws up. I can’t wait to see what happens in book three.

About the Author

Author Eloise Corvo finds inspiration and peace of mind while wandering in the woods. Her work draws upon her time living in Northern Michigan where she’s also active in environmental advocacy. When she isn’t writing, she spends much of her time putzing around her home library which her husband affectionately (?) says embodies an “Edgar Allan Poe meets Applebee’s” aesthetic. Her debut novel is set to release in March of 2025 through Level Best Books.

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