Synopses & Reviews
After tracking a clever killer in
Death Stalks Door County, park ranger and former Chicago homicide detective Dave Cubiak is elected Door County sheriff. His newest challenge arrives as spring brings not new life but tragic death to the isolated fishing village of Gills Rock. Three prominent World War II veterans who are about to be honored for their military heroics die from carbon monoxide poisoning during a weekly card game. Blame falls to a faulty heater but Cubiak puzzles over details. When one of the widows receives a message claiming the men and#147;got what they deserved,and#8221; he realizes that there may be more to the deaths than a simple accident.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Investigating, Cubiak discovers that the menand#8217;s veneer of success and respectability hides a trail of lies and betrayal that stems from a single, desperate act of treachery and eventually spreads a web of deceit across the peninsula. In a dark, moody tale that spans more than half a century, Cubiak encounters a host of suspects with motives for murder. Amid broken dreams, corruption, and loss, he sorts out the truth. Death at Gills Rock is the second book in Patricia Skalkaand#8217;s Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery series.
Review
and#147;Lean, eloquent prose . . . an intricate web of deceit and revenge.and#8221;and#151;John Smolens, author of
Cold and
QuarantineReview
and#147;A mesmerizing mystery, bucolic setting, bodies dropping everywhere, plenty of prime suspects, and in Dave Cubiak, a man with a tragic past, the right guy to solve it.and#8221;and#151;Charles Salzberg, author of Shamus Awardand#150;nominated Swann's Last Song and Devil in the Hole
Review
and#147;A terrific mystery that captures both the beauty and wildness of this wonderful peninsula.and#8221;and#151;Mary Logue, author of the Claire Watkins mystery series
Review
and#147;Skalka takes us back to Door Countyand#151;this mystery is even better than the first.and#8221;and#151;Mary Logue, author of the Claire Watkins mystery series
Review
and#147;
Death at Gills Rock is an expertly crafted, impressively researched novel with a gripping, multilayered plot; colorful, well-drawn characters that leap right off the page; tight, punchy dialog; and a pace that grabs you by the throat and doesnand#8217;t let go.and#8221;and#151;Michael Norman, author of
Haunted WisconsinReview
andldquo;Death at Gills Rockand#160;is a well wrought, tightly plotted police procedural with a nuanced, brooding detective, set on the gorgeous lakefront of a frigid Wisconsin peninsula.andrdquo;andmdash;Hallie Ephron,and#160;New York Timesand#160;best-selling author ofand#160;Night Night, Sleep Tight
Review
andldquo;A compelling, complex whodunit saturated with long-ago sins and festering hatreds. The author skillfullyand#160;uses asand#160;her backdrop an outwardly idyllic corner of Wisconsin.andrdquo;andmdash;Robert Goldsborough, author ofand#160;Archie in the Crosshairs, a Nero Wolfe Mystery
Synopsis
Introducing The Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries: smart, hard-edged detective fiction in a setting of stunning natural beauty along the pristine shores of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Haunted by death, former police detective Dave Cubiak must confront his own heartache before discovering whatand#8217;s behind the tragic incidents plaguing the tourist mecca of Door County, Wisconsin.
Synopsis
Six deaths mar the holiday mood as summer vacationers enjoy Wisconsinand#8217;s beautiful Door County peninsula. Murders, or bizarre accidents? Newly hired park ranger Dave Cubiak, a former Chicago homicide detective, assumes the worst but refuses to get involved. Grief-stricken and guilt-ridden over the loss of his wife and daughter, heand#8217;s had enough of death.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Forced to confront the past, the morose Cubiak moves beyond his own heartache and starts investigating, even as a popular festival draws more people into possible danger. In a desperate search for clues, Cubiak uncovers a tangled web of greed, betrayal, bitter rivalries, and lost love beneath the peninsulaand#8217;s travel-brochure veneer. Befriended by several locals but unsure whom to trust or to suspect of murder, the one-time cop tracks a clever killer.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; In a setting of stunning natural beauty and picturesque waterfront villages, Death Stalks Door County introduces a new detective series, and#147;The Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries.and#8221;
Synopsis
After tracking a clever killer inand#160;Death Stalks Door County, park ranger and former Chicago homicide detective Dave Cubiak is elected Door County sheriff. His newest challenge arrives as spring brings not new life but tragic death to the isolated fishing village of Gills Rock.
About the Author
Patricia Skalka is a former freelance staff writer for
Readerand#8217;s Digest specializing in medical and human interest stories. She has worked as a magazine editor, ghost writer, and writing instructor. A native of Chicago, she lives in the city and takes time off at her cottage in Door County, Wisconsin.