Strike Dog: A Woods Cop Mystery (Woods Cop Mysteries) - Hardcover

Heywood, Joseph

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1599211602 ISBN 13: 9781599211602

Publisher: Lyons Press, 2007

Synopsis

The newest Joseph Heywood mystery novel set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula finds Grady Service out to avenge the murder of his girlfriend and his son. Conservation officers in several states are being gruesomely slaughtered and Service, alone and devastated, navigates the mind of a serial killer before he becomes the next victim. Hunting the hunter through Wisconsin and Missouri, this is Heywood's most suspenseful and psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Thomas Perry, James Lee Burke or Nevada Barr. The fifth book in the series, STRIKE DOG is the perfect introduction to Heywood's fiction for outdoorsmen and animal lovers as well.

Joseph Heywood is the author of several novels, and lives in Portage, Michigan.

About this title

From the Back Cover

“Taut and assured writing that hooked me from the start. Every word builds toward the ending, and along the way some of the writing took my breath away as Heywood reveals his love of the land and makes the country Grady Service moves through in the way I imagine a great painter works. I'm an instant fan. I can't wait for the next one. This is a writer and a series to catch on to.”
―Kirk Russell, author of Deadgame

“Heywood just keeps getting better. His colorful, unpredictable, and compelling characters―and the backwoods and backwaters where they live―come vividly
to life in this rollicking yarn. Strike Dog is a page-turner in the grand tradition.”
―Jerry Dennis, author of The Living Great Lakes

“Heywood details his mystery with deftly presented facts that take the reader on an exciting ride down the rocky roads of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In a chase that begins with a knockout punch in the first page, Heywood doesn't let up. With richly developed characters, an intricately woven plot, and an undercurrent of humor, Strike Dog will hook you right from the start. Don't miss this one.”
―Sue Harrison, author of Mother Earth Father Sky

In praise of the Woods Cop Mystery series:

“Top-notch action scenes, engaging characters both major and minor, masterful dialogue, and a passionate sense of place make this a fine series.”
―Publishers Weekly, for Chasing a Blond Moon

“Blue Wolf in Green Fire has enough plot threads for two or three books,
but author Heywood handles them with aplomb, bringing them all together
in an exciting and surprising climax that ties up every loose end in
a satisfying manner.”―The Grand Rapids Press

“Crisp writing, great scenery, quirky characters, and an absorbing plot add
to the appeal of the memorable first entry in a promised series of
Woods Cop mysteries.”―Wall Street Journal, for Ice Hunter

From the Inside Flap

Strike Dog, the fifth in the critically acclaimed Woods Cop Mystery series, opens with Grady Service facing crippling personal tragedy. Both his fiancée, Maridly Nantz, and his son, Walter, have been killed in a car crash. Service is blinded by grief and rage.

Meanwhile, a serial killer is being tracked by the FBI. This killer has nearly completed his perfect and gruesome record of killing the top conservation officer in every state. The killings are particularly grisly, following an ancient ritualized Viking method of slaughter. The victims are all found in the woods, in the conservation officers' home turf. Lately, they've been killed one a year, and the FBI now pulls Grady Service onto the case. The question is why. Because of Service's legendary tracking abilities? Or is it because he may be next on
the list?

Service was a Marine in Vietnam. He knows discomfort. He knows how to survive. When Service suspects that the deaths of Nantz and Walter were not accidents, he vows revenge, planning to turn the table on the killer. In this brilliant psychological drama with nail-biting suspense, the hunted becomes the hunter. Service must draw on all he has learned in the jungles of Vietnam and the dense woods of the Upper Peninsula to stalk the killer. Will the killer succeed in achieving his twisted glory of a perfect record? Or will Service be able to outwit him and enact his own grim revenge?

Edition details

• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1599211602
• ISBN 13: 9781599211602
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 304