Bookseller Recommendation for Spring: A new Northwoods Mystery

 

 

Karen Casebeer’s third book, the latest in her Northwoods Mystery series, is a sure-fire winner. Set in northwest lower Michigan, with action stretching from the Platte River in the south to Cathead Bay in the north, and featuring various parts of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Wayfinding is a tight, cohesive story of a few months in the life of forensic detective Quinn Macarthy. 

On medical leave following a traumatic incident with career criminals, Quinn rents an A-frame cottage on Sleeping Bear Bay, planning to rest, hike with her dog, and take time to heal, but her plan is interrupted when her dog, Ruby, trained in search and rescue as well as drug detection, discovers a human hand in the dunes, uncovered by an overnight storm. Will Quinn be able to remain uninvolved as the mystery of the skeleton’s identity and cause of death are investigated? (What do you think?)

Wayfinding has several plot lines: the investigation following the finding of the skeleton; Quinn’s therapy sessions dealing with multiple past traumas; the gentle beginnings of a new romantic relationship; and quite a lot of recent developments in genealogical research. All are masterfully woven together by the author. Case never drops a single thread in her story, and eventually everything comes together in surprising ways not at all apparent beforehand. 

As with every good mystery series, it isn’t necessary to have read the preceding two books before diving right into this third novel. An added enticement for locals and annual visitors is that anyone familiar with Benzie, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau counties will recognize the territory and its landmarks, which is always fun.