Dead In The Water by Annelise Ryan is the 8th book in the Mattie Winston mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, February 28, 2017

Deputy coroner Mattie Winston is starting to feel like she’s in way over her head . . .

As the single mom of an energetic toddler and an investigator working for the medical examiner’s office in small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin, Mattie is used to her life being a juggling act. But now that she’s moved in with Detective Steve Hurley and his teenaged daughter Emily, and has started planning their wedding, her home life is looking more like a three-ring circus. And with her boss and friend, Izzy, suddenly having a health crisis, she could not be more grateful for the newest staff member in the ME’s office, Hal Dawson.

All too quickly her gratitude turns to shock when a floating body found trapped against a dam turns out to be Hal, but the cause of death isn’t drowning—his throat’s been slashed. Hal was supposed to be fishing on his day off with his girlfriend. And when their empty boat is found in a nearby lake, the whereabouts of the woman becomes an even more urgent question.

To find out what really happened to her coworker, Mattie may need to rock the boat. But a killer is just as determined to keep the truth from ever surfacing, even if that means making Mattie the next one to go under.

I enjoyed this latest foray into the life of Mattie Winston. Three deaths occupies her time with two hitting close to home. The more she digs, the more apparent there is something sinister happening in Sorenson, Wisconsin and it’ll be up to Mattie and her friends to sort this all out.

The narrative speaks for itself in this well-written tome where I was immersed in all that was transpiring in this fast-paced, action-packed drama that quickly became a page-turner as I had to know how this was going to end. The author did a great job in setting up this multi-plot mystery with a band of suspects hovering in the background until one by one a motive was found that took the discovery in another direction that I did not see coming. All the main characters, especially the scene with Mattie and her mother, played pivotal roles that truly enhanced the telling of this tale. The multiple deaths, secrets exposed, a missing relative’s appearance, questions answered and that surprise twist at the end, wow. . .l love this book. I love the personal side of this book where we get to enjoy Mattie’s interaction with Izzy, Hurley, Emily, Desi and of course little Matthew. Boasting a superb cast of characters with engaging dialogue, this was the best book yet in this delightfully endearing series.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.