The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert

 It's February in the Thousand Islands and, cut off from civilization by endless ice, eight people are overwintering on tiny, remote Running Pine. Six year-rounders, used to the hard work, isolation and freezing temperatures . . . and two newcomers: social media stars Cary and Sylvie, whose account documenting their year on the island is garnering thousands of followers, and thousands of dollars' worth of luxury gifts.

The long-term islanders will tell you Running Pine can be perilous - especially for city slickers who'll do anything to get the perfect shot. So when Cary doesn't return from ice fishing one morning, his neighbors fear the worst.

With the clock ticking to find the missing influencer, a police team is dispatched to take the dangerous journey to the island . . . but Sylvie, his frantic partner, will only talk to one person: newlywed Senior Investigator Shana Merchant.

Where is Cary - and what is it that Sylvie's not sharing? With aspects of the case reminding Shana of an unsolved homicide from her past that haunts her still, she risks her own safety to help. But little does she know that a storm is coming - and if she doesn't solve both crimes soon, she may become the island's next victim . . .

Pick up your copy here...

The Coldest Case (A Shana Merchant Novel, 6): Wegert, Tessa: 9781448314232: Amazon.com: Books

Tessa Wegert is the author of the Shana Merchant series of mysteries. A former freelance journalist, Tessa has contributed to such publications as Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, The Economist, and The Globe and Mail. Tessa grew up in Quebec and now lives with her husband and children in Connecticut, where she studies martial arts and is currently at work on her next novel.

My Thoughts...

This series has been such a blast to read. I love a chilling read. The Coldest Case is the sixth book in the Shanna Merchant series. It can be read as a stand-alone but why would you not read them all. When someone goes missing, I am always glued to the pages.

I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert

 A suspicious drowning throws New York State senior investigator Shana Merchant's life into turmoil in this taut, thrilling small-town mystery - perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware.

Sixteen-year-old Henrietta used to be happy. But that was before her family hit the national news. Before she - and the whole world - knew she was related to one of New York's most prolific serial killers.

Senior Investigator Shana Merchant readily agrees when her brother asks her to take in his troubled, rebellious daughter for the fall semester. Doug's convinced that spending a few months in Alexandria Bay with Shana will straighten Hen out.

But when Hen arrives, Shana's not so sure. She can't help but distrust the strange and manipulative teen, who binge-watches bloody movies and roams the house at night, taking things that aren't hers.

Soon, though, Shana has more to worry about than missing heirlooms when she's called to investigate the suspicious drowning of a local teenager, only to discover her niece at the scene of the crime.

What happened that night on the dark, uninhabited island of Devil's Oven? With Hen and her new friends not talking, and a community determined to keep their secrets dead and buried, Shana knows it's a race against time to uncover the truth before her niece is upgraded from key witness to prime suspect.

Pick up your copy here...

Devils at the Door (A Shana Merchant Novel, 5): Wegert, Tessa: 9781448311385: Amazon.com: Books

Tessa Wegert is the author of the Shana Merchant novels, which include Death in the Family, The Dead Season, Dead Wind, The Kind to Kill, and Devils at the Door. A former journalist, Tessa grew up in Quebec and now lives with her family in Connecticut, where she studies martial arts and is currently at work on her next novel.

My thoughts...

This is book 5 in the Shana Merchant series, and this has been a really good series. I cannot put the books down. This is not like a mystery you figure out right off the bat. You never see this coming.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Kind to Kill by Tessa Wegert

 A missing tourist spells trouble for Senior Investigator Shana Merchant in this page-turning twisty mystery set in an atmospheric island community with a small-town vibe.

Former NYPD detective Shana Merchant is a skilled Senior Investigator keeping New York's beautiful Thousands Islands community safe. She's a loving partner. A strong woman. A survivor.

She's also bound by blood to a serial killer. And after months of concealing the truth from the world as she hunted Blake Bram down, her secret is finally out.

Shana just wants to get on with her life and win back her community's trust. But as Alexandria Bay fills up with tourists in advance of the annual festival known as Pirate Days, a visitor goes missing, and the case threatens to destroy not just the celebrations, but what remains of Shana's reputation.

Shana's not to blame for the killer in her family, but people are starting to whisper that she attracts trouble. That A-Bay was safer before she arrived. And as the investigation deepens, Shana starts to fear that they may be right.

Because while Bram is gone, he is far from forgotten.

Pick up your copy here...

The Kind to Kill (A Shana Merchant Novel, 4): Wegert, Tessa: 9781448307135: Amazon.com: Books

Tessa Wegert is the author of the Shana Merchant mysteries, including Death in the Family, The Dead Season, Dead Wind, and The Kind to Kill (2022). A former freelance journalist, Tessa has contributed to such publications as Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, The Economist, and The Globe and Mail. Tessa grew up in Quebec and now lives with her husband and children in Connecticut, where she studies martial arts and is currently at work on her next novel.

My Thoughts...

I have really enjoyed this series. I love a good suspense read this one was done so well I read this book in no time. I hated to see it come to an end. After the first 3 books in this series, I could not wait to read this one.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Dead Wind By Tessa Wegert

 

The body is discovered on Wolfe Island, under the shadow of an enormous wind turbine. Senior Investigator Shana Merchant, arriving on the scene with fellow investigator Tim Wellington, can't shake the feeling that she knows the victim - and the subsequent identification sends shockwaves through their community in the Thousand Islands of Upstate New York.

Politics, power, passion . . . there are dark undercurrents in Shana's new home, and finding the killer means dredging up her new friends and neighbors' old grudges and long-kept secrets.

That is, if the killer is from the community at all. For Shana's keeping a terrible secret from almost everyone around her: eighteen months ago she escaped from serial killer Blake Bram's clutches. But has he followed her, to kill again? 

The Shana Merchant novels are a brilliant blend of chilling psychological thriller and gripping police procedural, set in an atmospheric island community with a small-town vibe. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Dead Wind (A Shana Merchant Novel, 3): 9781448307128: Wegert, Tessa: Books

Tessa is the author of DEATH IN THE FAMILY, THE DEAD SEASON, and DEAD WIND (2022), all part of the Shana Merchant series of mysteries. A former freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, and The Economist, Tessa grew up in Quebec near the border of Vermont and now lives with her husband and children in Coastal Connecticut. 

My Thoughts...

I absolutely loved book one in the Shana Merchant series it is my favorite one. They can be read as stand alones. But why would you want to. I love the mysteries and the characters I just want to keep reading this series.

You have to read this twisty mystery and let me know what you think.

4 stars and I recommend it.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Dead Season By Tessa Wegert

 

Senior Investigator Shana Merchant has spent years running from her past. But she never imagined a murder case would drive her to the most dangerous place of all—home. 

After leaving the NYPD following her abduction by serial killer Blake Bram, Shana Merchant hoped for a fresh start in the Thousand Islands of Upstate New York. Her former tormentor has other plans. Shana and Bram share more than just a hometown, and he won’t let her forget it. When the decades-old skeleton of Shana's estranged uncle is uncovered, Bram issues a challenge: Return home to Vermont and solve the cold case, or the blood he spills next will be on her hands.

As Shana interviews members of her family and the community, mining for secrets that could help her solve her uncle's murder, she begins to realize how little she remembers of her childhood. And when Bram grows impatient and kidnaps again, leaving a trail of clues Shana alone can understand, she knows his new victim will only survive if she wins the psychopath’s twisted game. In order to solve one mystery, Shana must wade into her murky past to unravel another.

Pick up your copy here...

The Dead Season (A Shana Merchant Novel): Wegert, Tessa: 9780593097915: Amazon.com: Books

Tessa Wegert is the author of DEATH IN THE FAMILY and THE DEAD SEASON, part of the Shana Merchant series of mysteries. A Canadian-born former freelance writer whose work appeared in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, and The Economist, Tessa now lives with her husband and children in Coastal Connecticut.

My Thoughts...

After reading Death in the Family, I was so excited to dive into The Dead Season.  I loved all the twists and turns. I really loved the ending it lets me know that there is another book in this series and i can't wait to get my hands on it. This is a mystery worth reading, I highly recommend this book.

4 stars and I recommend this one.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Death in the Family By Tessa Wegert

A storm-struck island. A blood-soaked bed. A missing man. In this captivating mystery that's perfect for fans of Knives Out, Senior Investigator Shana Merchant discovers that murder is a family affair.

Thirteen months ago, former NYPD detective Shana Merchant barely survived being abducted by a serial killer. Now hoping to leave grisly murder cases behind, she's taken a job in her fiancé's sleepy hometown in the Thousand Islands region of Upstate New York.

But as a nor'easter bears down on her new territory, Shana and fellow investigator Tim Wellington receive a call about a man missing on a private island. Shana and Tim travel to the isolated island owned by the wealthy Sinclair family to question the witnesses. They arrive to find blood on the scene and a house full of Sinclair family and friends on edge.

While Tim guesses they're dealing with a runaway case, Shana is convinced that they have a murder on their hands. As the gale intensifies outside, she starts conducting interviews and discovers the Sinclairs and their guests are crawling with dark and dangerous secrets.

Trapped on the island by the raging storm with only Tim whose reliability is thrown into question, the increasingly restless suspects, and her own trauma-fueled flashbacks for company, Shana will have to trust the one person her abduction destroyed her faith in—herself. But time is ticking down, because if Shana's right, a killer is in their midst and as the pressure mounts, so do the odds that they'll strike again.

Pick up your copy here...
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Family-Shana-Merchant-Novel/dp/0593097890/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1582338095&sr=8-1

Tessa Wegert is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, and The Economist. She grew up in Quebec near the border of Vermont and now lives with her family in Connecticut. Tessa writes mysteries set in Upstate New York while studying martial arts and dance. DEATH IN THE FAMILY is her first novel. 

My Thoughts...
Book number one of the Shana Merchant series, This is Wegert's debut novel. Let's say this avid reader can't wait for book number two in this series.
This is more a mystery than a thriller. I loved the setting the characters. It was a fun whodunit read.
If you loved Agatha Christie you are going to have a new author to fill that void.
I gave this book 4 stars and can't wait for the next book. I recommend this new author.
 The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.