UW Press: Death in Cold Water

On a bracing autumn day in Door County, a prominent philanthropist disappears. Is the elderly Gerald Sneider—known as “Mr. Packer” for his legendary support of Green Bay football—suffering from dementia, or just avoiding his greedy son? Is there a connection to threats against the National Football League?

As tourists flood the peninsula for the fall colors, Sheriff Dave Cubiak’s search for Sneider is stymied by the FBI. When human bones wash up on the Lake Michigan shore, the sheriff has more than a missing man to worry about. With the media demanding answers and two puzzles to solve, Cubiak must follow his instincts down a trail of half-remembered rumors and local history to discover the shocking truth.

Patricia Skalka is the author of Death Stalks Door County, Death at Gills Rock, and Death Rides the Ferry, the fourth book in the Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery series. She is president of the Chicagoland chapter of Sisters in Crime and divides her time between Chicago and Door County, Wisconsin. A former staff writer at Reader’s Digest, she presents writing workshops throughout the United States.

“A deftly crafty mystery set in Door County, Wisconsin, Death in Cold Water showcases author Patricia Skalka's genuine flair for originality, her narrative storytelling skills, and her mastery of the genre.”
—Reviewer’s Bookwatch

“A haunting depiction of heartbreaking crime. Skalka does a wonderful job of showing how people can both torment and help each other.”
—Sara Paretsky, author of Brush Back

“Patricia Skalka has pulled off the near impossible—a tale of grisly murder filled with moments of breathtaking beauty. Sheriff Dave Cubiak is the kind of decent protagonist too seldom seen in modern mystery novels, a hero well worth rooting for. And the icing on the cake is the stunning backdrop of Door County, Wisconsin. Another fine novel in a series that is sure to satisfy even the most demanding reader.”
—William Kent Krueger, author of Windigo Island

“Skalka has created magic with this excellent police procedural. She confronts Sheriff Dave Cubiak with a kidnapping, snakes, and even a bag of nearly drowned kittens, deftly brought together in crisp, evocative prose. A great read!”
—Libby Fischer Hellman, author of Jump Cut

“With lyrical prose, Skalka uncovers Door County’s darkest secrets.”
—Brian Freeman, author of Goodbye to the Dead

Other Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries by Patricia Skalka
Death Stalks Door County	Death at Gills Rock