River Gold

by Jeff Nania

A nationally acclaimed historian has his briefcase stolen during a contentious sheriff’s race in Namekagon County, and John Cabrelli is pulled into a murder investigation with more questions than answers. The victim refuses to cooperate, a political rival circles like a vulture, and Cabrelli’s only suspect turns up dead—run down before he can speak.

As the case spirals, Cabrelli follows a trail leading through cryptic journals, whispers of lost French gold, and long-buried secrets in the Northwoods. But every lead is a dead end.

Under pressure from a relentless county executive, Cabrelli must untangle fact from folklore, ambition from truth—and catch a killer before it costs him everything—his badge, his reputation, and maybe even his life.

River Gold, the fifth book in the award-winning Northern Lakes Mystery series, is a gripping small-town mystery packed with murder, buried secrets, and the haunting pull of lost treasure that keeps you guessing to the last page.

Genres: Mystery

280 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2025

About the author

Jeff Nania draws upon careers in law enforcement, conservation, and his passion for our natural resources to weave together his award-winning Northern Lakes Mysteries. Whether he’s cutting wood, sitting in a wetland, fishing muskies, or snorkeling Spider Lake for treasure, Jeff spends as much time as possible outdoors.
Get "Autumn: a short story" when you sign-up at: https://feetwetwriting.com/.

Reviews

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like small town mysteries set in rural communities then you should try the Northern Lakes Mystery series by jeff Nania. Its main character is the location but John Cabrelli plays a big part there. I really love this series and it gets better for every book. The scenery, stories and the characters are very well put together and it's a pleasure reading this series. In this book we get a mystery that goes back in history and it has some great twists, we also have an upcoming election for sheriff that complicates things. I can recommend this book to all lovers of great storytelling. I also thank Edelweiss and Feet Wet Writing for supplying me with this advance copy. It hits the shelves in the end of June.

[Judy Barnicle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series. Just a little disappointed in this one. Didn’t seem to have the punch at the end.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the fifth novel in this fun mystery series, the characters feel like familiar neighbors—flawed, endearing, and deeply rooted in a northern Wisconsin town that’s as charming as it is troubled. The small-town setting is rich with atmosphere, complete with shady backroads, beloved local haunts, and a cast of citizens you won’t soon forget.

Sheriff Cabrelli remains the steadfast moral compass of the community, working tirelessly to maintain order—even as his re-election is threatened by an ambitious and unworthy council member with dubious intentions.

This time, the mystery is steeped in the legend of Poverty Island—a little-known but real piece of Wisconsin lore. In 1863 a schooner, whose destination was to be Chicago, carrying gold from France reportedly vanished near the island, either lost to a violent storm or attacked by pirates. The gold was said to be thrown overboard, sinking into the depths of Lake Michigan, never to be recovered. Today, Poverty Island lies in the Potawatomi Archipelago, federally owned and sitting at the gateway to Green Bay—an interesting legend to incorporate into the mystery and mayhem.

The story unfolds across local landmarks like Musky Falls, Spider Lake, and the Namekagon River, weaving together murder, legend, and suspense. Shady characters and unexpected twists make this a perfect summer read—especially for those who enjoy mysteries with a touch of history and a strong sense of place. Even longtime Wisconsinites may learn something new.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book. Thank You.

This is the 5th book in the series, and I have never read the first 4. I was able to read and enjoy this book, without having read the earlier ones, but I really enjoyed this book and now plan to go back and read the entire series.
This book has a lot going for it. The characters of well-developed and the storyline is very interesting.
The action begins right away, when a renown historian, Professor Schmutz, is mugged and his briefcase, holding very important documents is taken. Sherrif Cabrelli starts to investigate and finds initially the historian is reluctant to share too much. He is on the verge of a real breakthrough. As the Sherrif continues the investigate, leads are not going anywhere, in fact the main lead ends up murdered, and there is concern in the town. This concern is being fueled my Scott Stewart, who is also running for Sherrif. At any and all opportunities, Stewart shows up, full of bluster and bragging. Cabrelli keeps his cool, but the stress of the investigation and watching his back for Stewart is wearying. What Professor Schmutz is pursuing is piracy, confederate spies and lost treasure of the Great Lakes. I never realized how important the Great Lakes were during the Civil War. The Confederacy needed the lumber from the North and the Lakes were heavily traveled. This is a great book and I plan to read the others soon.

[Jo Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Nania’s protanganist, John Cabrelli, must solve an unusual case involving a stolen briefcase with unknown contents, while battling a Board member’s challenge for the election of sheriff. Scott Stewart insists he is more qualified to solve crime in Namekogen County than Cabrelli, who comes from an urban area. Cabrelli decides the case is more important and if he loses the election, he can still enjoy life in the north woods. While working on the case, we see police practices explained and demonstrated which helps the reader learn about the legal system and why Cabrelli does what he does. Along with the missing briefcase, the reader learns about some valuable gold coins that were discovered in the area and may be a key to the case. Nania keeps the reader guessing with some twists and turns encountered to solving the mystery.

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading many of William Kent Krueger’s novels, River Gold proved again and again, other writers do not compare to Krueger’s writing style. River Gold by Jeff Nania bored me immensely. Nania used first person narrative and spent too much time in dialogue. So many meaningless characters that did not further the story. In one chapter, Marie Bennett, explains something to the Sheriff, John Cabrelli, concerning her friend, Hugh Olsen, and says “we were both widows.” Not possible as one is a widow and the other is a widower. That faux pas ruined the book for me. Then the last few chapters focus on an event in the 1860’s and this discussion lasted too long. Too little attention is given to the setting and how this setting instigated the lost treasure. Also, the main characters, especially John Cabrelli, thinks too highly of himself.

[Valerie Biel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book in the Northern Lakes Mystery series! I always love coming back to this cast of interesting characters—their unique personalities bring so much depth (and fun) to the plot. I love how River Gold gives us something extra as a legend involving a lost treasure is intriguingly woven into the story. But the heart of the book (and the entire series) is top-notch, police procedural suspense set in the beauty of Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Creatively written with thrilling twists you won’t see coming!

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in a small town in Wisconsin, this is a police procedural regarding a crime with a connection to historical artifacts. It worked fine as a standalone. Unfortunately, the story (and subplots) didn’t interest me at all, and I felt that it could have been much shorter. I was tempted to quit reading multiple times (but felt obliged to persist as I had won the book in a giveaway) and ended up skimming towards the end, so that I could get through it.
I won a free copy of this book (thanks to the author & publisher!) and am voluntarily providing an honest review.

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

River Gold is a love letter to Northern Wisconsin, filled with hunting, fishing, hiking, a much-admired sheriff, an annoying contender for the sheriff’s job, a murder, a villain on the loose, and a hunt for the legendary gold sent by France (to meddle in the Civil war), and lost 160 years ago near Lake Michigan’s Poverty Island. Honored to have interviewed the author -https://newbooksnetwork.com/river-gold

[Leah Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery

I have read all of this series. You will learn the characters more if you read them in order. I appreciate no bad language or sex scenes.

This is the slowest of his mysteries, but it weaves an interesting story around the Great Lakes. The last chapters tell what all the fuss was about!! A bit of history weaved in this story.

[Tracey Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unwilling hero, John Cabrelli has my vote in this gripping tale of history laced with mystery. A fascinating tale woven with the history of Wisconsin. As Cabrelli dodges insults from a rival county executive he takes the hits with calm, cool grace proving once again, he's the best man for the job. I highly recommend this book!

[Lance Maerz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the biggest fan. I’ve liked his other books but this one felt forced and didn’t seem like similar writing style even. Seemed to drag on coming back to characters that left me feeling “come on already.” Last 40 pages felt like they were reaching to meet a quota— though I like the nods to historical events. I certainly hope the next book is better if another in the series is written.

[Diane L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

River Gold

This book was amazing, a lot of research went into this book. I live in Holland Michigan not far from Lake Michigan. I found the history of Wisconsin and Great Lakes very fascinating, and the the story great.

[Kurt Kamperschroer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ive read all of Jeff's book and have really enjoyed them. I was a bit disappointed with this one. It was a good mystery but also a history story too. By the end there's a lecture by a historian that I skipped through because I just didn't find interesting enough to hold my attention.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the characters Nania has created, but this book just did not work. The plot was too involved and not easy to follow. The summary at the end was way too wordy and only confused the reader. A good editor might have helped this one.

[Linda Spyhalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great mystery written by Jeff Nania! Love his books!

[Wenda Bowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book immensely! He made the Wisconsin Northwoods come alive.Good suspense and some history thrown in.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series! I characters develop further with every novel and the stories are more unique each time! Great and fun read! Hoping there will be more to this series!!!!!!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, engaging book. Love that it takes place in NW Wisconsin.

[Kim Repinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first 4 and really enjoyed them. This one was not as good and was a little slow. Not a fan

[Sue Ostergaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too short!!!

This novel was over with way too soon!!!! I have enjoyed every book in the series! Wish this novel was longer!

[Theresa Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series! Police procedural with surprising things!

[Jerod Fischer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guy sure likes writing about cougars. He also thinks Superior, WI is what Duluth, MN is.

[Frances A. Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Nania has hit it out of the park again. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. His characters are believable. The story kept you guessing until the end of the book. Well done, Jeff.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - the characters, the story line and history, and especially the location, the northern woods of Wisconsin and Lake Michigan. Super excited to discover this is part of a series, and even though I'll have to go back and catch up, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them.

[michelle Dumdie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was good and I was surprised by the murderer