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Death Casts a Shadow
Patricia Skalka
“Moving and suspenseful.”
—Nick Petrie
The final book in the Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery Series
With Door County caught in the grip of a fierce winter storm, Sheriff Dave Cubiak agrees to do a simple favor for a friend of his wife: he stops by to check in on an affluent widow with a questionable new suitor. His initial disquiet is easily dismissed—until she is found dead the next morning in her home. Lying at the bottom of a flight of stairs, clutching a valuable bronze sculpture, she points her outstretched hand in the direction of a nearby, nondescript ring.
The scene bears all the characteristics of an accidental fall, not unheard of for a person of her age, but something is not adding up. Later that week, an explosion in an ice fishing shack on the frozen bay leads to the discovery of another body, burned beyond recognition. Was this the widow's missing handyman? Could the two deaths be related? With what has become a hallmark for books in the series, past and present collide as Cubiak's search for answers uncovers the sad legacy of loneliness and the disquieting links between wealth and poverty on the peninsula.
Praise
“Skalka’s descriptions of the wintery landscape ring true, as does the relationship between Cubiak and his wife and son. His many fans will miss him.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Skalka’s brisk pace keeps the pages turning.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Death Casts a Shadow is a moving and suspenseful tale of greed and heartbreak during a vivid Wisconsin winter. Protagonist Dave Cubiak is in fine form, and Skalka’s award-winning storytelling chops make clear, yet again, the enduring appeal of this elegant and haunting series.”
—Nick Petrie, author of The Runaway
“Sheriff Dave Cubiak is back! Patricia Skalka’s Death Casts a Shadow is a tight, sleek, satisfying installment in her Door County mystery series. What a wonderful writing style! What seamless dialogue! Readers know right off the bat they’re in capable hands. Can Cubiak figure out what connects a woman’s fall down the stairs, an exploded fishing shack, and stolen Remington statues before a killer strikes again? You bet, but it’s a kick watching him get there. I’ll miss Cubiak, but my fingers are crossed Skalka returns soon to enchant us anew.”
—Tracy Clark, author of the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series
“A finely crafted mystery where past meets present and murder isn’t the only type of revenge, Death Casts a Shadow is a masterpiece. Skalka expertly integrates two crimes with two victims with more than enough reasons to kill in this exciting conclusion to the Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery series.”
—Tracey S. Phillips, author of Best Kept Secrets
“After the summer tourists go home, Door County locals settle their quarrels and feuds during the swirling snows of Wisconsin winter. I eased into the slipstream of Skalka’s smooth writing and cruised effortlessly to the end. She’s brought Sheriff Dave Cubiak a long way since Death Stalks Door County.”
—John DeDakis, author of the Lark Chadwick mystery novels
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Larger images
July 2022
LC: 2021049362 PS
270 pp. 5.5 x 8.5
1 map
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