What do you think?
Rate this book
Woods Cop #6
Death Roe: A Woods Cop Mystery
In the sixth and newest title in the successful Woods Cop Mystery series, another suspenseful who-done-it finds Grady Service with an unexpectedly complex, truly rotten, and important case on his hands. This time tainted eggs are showing up in caviar and Service must expose a ring of corruption in state government and perhaps within his own beloved DNR, one that could lead him all the way to the top.
Making enemies at every level of the state, Service rousts out the people on the take. Can he get to the source of the contaminated eggs and prove it? Pitting corporate greed against the health of the general public isn't something Service takes lightly. He doesn't rest until there has been full exposure in a case that takes him from the wilds of the Upper Peninsula to the jungles of the state capital, into the maw of the Ukrainian mafia in New York City and onto distant beaches of Central America.For more on Joseph Heywood and the Woods Cop Mysteries, visit the author's website.
Making enemies at every level of the state, Service rousts out the people on the take. Can he get to the source of the contaminated eggs and prove it? Pitting corporate greed against the health of the general public isn't something Service takes lightly. He doesn't rest until there has been full exposure in a case that takes him from the wilds of the Upper Peninsula to the jungles of the state capital, into the maw of the Ukrainian mafia in New York City and onto distant beaches of Central America.For more on Joseph Heywood and the Woods Cop Mysteries, visit the author's website.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2008
49 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Heywood
50 books189 followersSee also Joe T. Heywood
Joseph Heywood is the son of a career USAF officer. His dad was from Rhinecliff, New York on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, and his mother is from Mize, Mississippi in Sullivan County. His mother’s maiden name was Hegwood and she had only to change one letter to convert to her married name.
He is a 1961 graduate of Rudyard High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Chippewa County). Played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track.
1965 graduate of Michigan State University (BA-Journalism). Joseph played on the Michigan State Lacrosse Club for three years, crease attack, tri-captain in 1965. He was in the last class of mandatory ROTC for land grant universities and predictably chose the Air Force.
In 1965, he married Sandra V. Heywood (1943-2002) of East Lansing. Five children, one dog. Widower.
1965-1970, USAF Instructor Navigator, KC-135 tanker, honorably discharged as captain. Vietnam veteran. Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Graduate studies, Western Michigan University, 1974-75, completed course work for MA in English Literature; no degree.
Joseph worked for The Upjohn Company [now Pfizer], 1970-2000, retiring as vice president for worldwide public relations.
He walks every day in all weather conditions, and have hunted and fished Michigan since 1958, mostly alone.
Joseph Heywood's Woods Cop mysteries are based on the lives of Upper Peninsula conservation officers, and for going on seven years has spent about one month a year on patrol with officers, in all kinds of weather, all times of day and under sundry conditions. He worked in all 15 Upper Peninsula Counties as well as in another 15-16 counties BTB (Below the Bridge).
In preparation for work with COs, he often hikes alone at night (flashlight for emergencies) using only ambient light. He has spent nights alone in jungles and on mountains. Has canoe-camped in Michigan, Missouri and Arkansas, over the years he has had one close encounter with a wolf (six feet away in tag alders on the Iron River), and with a cow elk and her calf (in Idaho). Too many close meetings with black bears to count, no injuries.
He loves to take photographs while walking, hiking and fishing, and use some of the pix for his paintings.
Joseph always carry a ruck with emergency equipment, compass, etc. even for short sorties on foot in the U.P. It’s too easy to get under cedars and old growth in an overcast and get hopelessly turned around. He does not use a GPS. "When it comes to lost in the woods there seem to be two categories of people: Them that have been and them that will be. Iron ore deposits can make compass navigation interesting…."
The Upper Peninsula is not just a setting and base for Joseph Heywood but serves as a character in many of his novels. "When I write, I try to take readers to places and events in the U.P. they might not have occasion to visit or experience on their own. For me, the U.P. is a natural jewel and I am always surprised by how little people from BTB know about it."
"The day we arrived in the U.P. to report to Kinross Air Force Base (later renamed Kincheloe, and since decommissioned) my mother cried as we drove up the several-mile two-lane to the front gate; looking at all the woods passing by, I had a feeling I was coming home."
Joseph Heywood is the son of a career USAF officer. His dad was from Rhinecliff, New York on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, and his mother is from Mize, Mississippi in Sullivan County. His mother’s maiden name was Hegwood and she had only to change one letter to convert to her married name.
He is a 1961 graduate of Rudyard High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Chippewa County). Played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track.
1965 graduate of Michigan State University (BA-Journalism). Joseph played on the Michigan State Lacrosse Club for three years, crease attack, tri-captain in 1965. He was in the last class of mandatory ROTC for land grant universities and predictably chose the Air Force.
In 1965, he married Sandra V. Heywood (1943-2002) of East Lansing. Five children, one dog. Widower.
1965-1970, USAF Instructor Navigator, KC-135 tanker, honorably discharged as captain. Vietnam veteran. Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Graduate studies, Western Michigan University, 1974-75, completed course work for MA in English Literature; no degree.
Joseph worked for The Upjohn Company [now Pfizer], 1970-2000, retiring as vice president for worldwide public relations.
He walks every day in all weather conditions, and have hunted and fished Michigan since 1958, mostly alone.
Joseph Heywood's Woods Cop mysteries are based on the lives of Upper Peninsula conservation officers, and for going on seven years has spent about one month a year on patrol with officers, in all kinds of weather, all times of day and under sundry conditions. He worked in all 15 Upper Peninsula Counties as well as in another 15-16 counties BTB (Below the Bridge).
In preparation for work with COs, he often hikes alone at night (flashlight for emergencies) using only ambient light. He has spent nights alone in jungles and on mountains. Has canoe-camped in Michigan, Missouri and Arkansas, over the years he has had one close encounter with a wolf (six feet away in tag alders on the Iron River), and with a cow elk and her calf (in Idaho). Too many close meetings with black bears to count, no injuries.
He loves to take photographs while walking, hiking and fishing, and use some of the pix for his paintings.
Joseph always carry a ruck with emergency equipment, compass, etc. even for short sorties on foot in the U.P. It’s too easy to get under cedars and old growth in an overcast and get hopelessly turned around. He does not use a GPS. "When it comes to lost in the woods there seem to be two categories of people: Them that have been and them that will be. Iron ore deposits can make compass navigation interesting…."
The Upper Peninsula is not just a setting and base for Joseph Heywood but serves as a character in many of his novels. "When I write, I try to take readers to places and events in the U.P. they might not have occasion to visit or experience on their own. For me, the U.P. is a natural jewel and I am always surprised by how little people from BTB know about it."
"The day we arrived in the U.P. to report to Kinross Air Force Base (later renamed Kincheloe, and since decommissioned) my mother cried as we drove up the several-mile two-lane to the front gate; looking at all the woods passing by, I had a feeling I was coming home."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 30, 2019
Grady has a plethora of women. Or maybe it's a plethora of women problems.
Two are fellow COs (conservation officers), one is a strange duck of an IRA investigator, another is a woman helping him with his investigation, another is his daughter-in-law (well not technically but in spirit if nothing else), yet another is the newborn granddaughter and one is a ghost. You'll need to READ THE BOOK to understand that ghost reference.
Oh, Grady is Grady Service, an old timer conservation officer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources who is just coming into the realization that he is indeed an old timer and is not all that happy with the thought.
Joseph Heywood writes about the DNR and the U.P. - the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as if he knows it; and he does. He's passionate about it and the denizens of the U.P. both human and otherwise. I don't think he's a tree hugger; I think he would rather step back and admire the beauty of that tree and it's fellows in the woods. I believe he is an advocate for conservation and part of that includes reasonable culling in herds through hunting. I don't think he's a trophy hunter but would enjoy a good venison steak. I don't know this, it's just what I gather from his words.
Snagging is a method of fishing that is outlawed in many if not most venues. It isn't baiting a hook and using your skills to lure the fish to the bait and then bring it in. Rather it is when you throw a hook into the water on the end of the fishing line and snag the fish in the body. It's hardly in the area of sporting.
Grady catches a team of snaggers in the act, a father he's dealt with before, and the man's 3 daughters. The man does it to earn money to support his family. Still, it's against the law and Grady is all about enforcing the law, especially as it pertains to hunting and fishing. But maybe the man has something to trade?
And so Grady, whose title is detective more than conservation officer builds a case against a man and his organization that is selling death in contaminated salmon roe; hence the name of the book.
Heywood writes with passion, humor, knowledge of the area and the subject. His characters are believable, the action realistic. The stories are filled with action and I love that I learn things from reading his works. I love being out in the woods with Grady or any of the other COs. And I can do that in this series.
Two are fellow COs (conservation officers), one is a strange duck of an IRA investigator, another is a woman helping him with his investigation, another is his daughter-in-law (well not technically but in spirit if nothing else), yet another is the newborn granddaughter and one is a ghost. You'll need to READ THE BOOK to understand that ghost reference.
Oh, Grady is Grady Service, an old timer conservation officer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources who is just coming into the realization that he is indeed an old timer and is not all that happy with the thought.
Joseph Heywood writes about the DNR and the U.P. - the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as if he knows it; and he does. He's passionate about it and the denizens of the U.P. both human and otherwise. I don't think he's a tree hugger; I think he would rather step back and admire the beauty of that tree and it's fellows in the woods. I believe he is an advocate for conservation and part of that includes reasonable culling in herds through hunting. I don't think he's a trophy hunter but would enjoy a good venison steak. I don't know this, it's just what I gather from his words.
Snagging is a method of fishing that is outlawed in many if not most venues. It isn't baiting a hook and using your skills to lure the fish to the bait and then bring it in. Rather it is when you throw a hook into the water on the end of the fishing line and snag the fish in the body. It's hardly in the area of sporting.
Grady catches a team of snaggers in the act, a father he's dealt with before, and the man's 3 daughters. The man does it to earn money to support his family. Still, it's against the law and Grady is all about enforcing the law, especially as it pertains to hunting and fishing. But maybe the man has something to trade?
And so Grady, whose title is detective more than conservation officer builds a case against a man and his organization that is selling death in contaminated salmon roe; hence the name of the book.
Heywood writes with passion, humor, knowledge of the area and the subject. His characters are believable, the action realistic. The stories are filled with action and I love that I learn things from reading his works. I love being out in the woods with Grady or any of the other COs. And I can do that in this series.
December 2, 2017
I now know more about Caviar then I ever wanted to. This was my least favorite of the series to date. Still an enjoyable read, but Im hoping for more of a outdoor mystery focus in subsequent books.
August 1, 2022
A perfect read for this time in our schedule. Good characters, good descriptions. good plot and and construction . This is a good series.
In the sixth title in the successful Woods Cop Mystery series, another suspenseful who-done-it finds Grady Service with an unexpectedly complex, truly rotten, and important case on his hands. This time tainted eggs are showing up in caviar and Service must expose a ring of corruption in state government and perhaps within his own beloved DNR, one that could lead him all the way to the top.
Making enemies at every level of the state, Service rousts out the people on the take. Can he get to the source of the contaminated eggs and prove it? Pitting corporate greed against the health of the general public isn't something Service takes lightly. He doesn't rest until there has been full exposure in a case that takes him from the wilds of the Upper Peninsula to the jungles of the state capital, into the maw of the Ukrainian mafia in New York City and onto distant beaches of Central America. For more on Joseph Heywood and the Woods Cop Mysteries, visit the author's website,
In the sixth title in the successful Woods Cop Mystery series, another suspenseful who-done-it finds Grady Service with an unexpectedly complex, truly rotten, and important case on his hands. This time tainted eggs are showing up in caviar and Service must expose a ring of corruption in state government and perhaps within his own beloved DNR, one that could lead him all the way to the top.
Making enemies at every level of the state, Service rousts out the people on the take. Can he get to the source of the contaminated eggs and prove it? Pitting corporate greed against the health of the general public isn't something Service takes lightly. He doesn't rest until there has been full exposure in a case that takes him from the wilds of the Upper Peninsula to the jungles of the state capital, into the maw of the Ukrainian mafia in New York City and onto distant beaches of Central America. For more on Joseph Heywood and the Woods Cop Mysteries, visit the author's website,
June 15, 2022
If this was not the best of the series, than it was the most different to date. Grady Service seemed different and who wouldn't be after the deaths of his son and the love of his life. Service is very, very intense in this novel. I think it is the best written of the six so far.
I went back earlier this year and read the authors book, "The Bercut" which was a masterpiece and I gave it 5 stars mostly for the writing. Joseph Heywood is more than just an author of outdoor books about the "Woods Cop". He's a damn fine novelist and wordsmith.
I loved the character, Zhenya Leukonovich. I hope we see her again. Some of the others were pretty interesting too. My biggest complaint was that there were too many characters for me to easily keep track. I also couldn't figure Grady's choice of women, McCants and not Denninger? Come on now!
I went back earlier this year and read the authors book, "The Bercut" which was a masterpiece and I gave it 5 stars mostly for the writing. Joseph Heywood is more than just an author of outdoor books about the "Woods Cop". He's a damn fine novelist and wordsmith.
I loved the character, Zhenya Leukonovich. I hope we see her again. Some of the others were pretty interesting too. My biggest complaint was that there were too many characters for me to easily keep track. I also couldn't figure Grady's choice of women, McCants and not Denninger? Come on now!
May 21, 2024
This is another great addition to this series. In this one, Grady Service becomes involved in an investigation into the deliberate contamination of caviar that is being sold in numerous locations across the globe. This tainted caviar may be so dangerous as to pose a life-threatening consequence to those who consume it, and it is developed from salmon eggs harvested, and canned, in Service's own home territory. As his investigation delves deeper into all involved, Grady finds links to Michigan state government, and to his own DNR agency. Joseph Heywood always includes personal changes in Grady's personal life, and this certainly in true in this one, as Grady deals with great losses he experienced in past parts of this series. I am glad to see that I have several titles still to read in this series.
January 30, 2023
Tainted eggs are showing up in caviar and Conservation officer Grady Service must expose a ring of corruption in state government and perhaps within his own beloved DNR, one that could lead him all the way to the top. Making enemies at every level of the state, Service rousts out the people on the take. Can he get to the source of the contaminated eggs and prove it? Pitting corporate greed against the health of the general public isn t something Service takes lightly. He doesn t rest until there has been full exposure in a case that takes him from the wilds of the Upper Peninsula to the jungles of the state capital, into the maw of the Ukrainian mafia in New York City and onto distant beaches of Central America.
May 22, 2017
I picked this book up because it was set in Michigan. Interesting intrigue with DNR involved in bringing those engaged in illegal activity to justice. I liked reading about places was familiar with but it wasn't my favorite type of story.
October 11, 2017
This was another solid addition to the series. Heywood has a good senses for the realities of working for the state of michigan and that realism lends plausibility to the story line. unfortunately politics suck when it comes to resource work.
August 6, 2018
Love reading about Grady Service, his antics as a Wood Cop, this story involved trying to stop criminals mixing salmon roe with mirex (dangerous ingredient)..and how he goes about it - fighting all the way right up to the top guns in law enforcement..
November 29, 2020
Quite a change from the usual U. P. setting, as this time Grady Service gets all over Michigan, as well as to Alaska, NYC, and Costa Rica, as he investigates multi-level corruption involving salmon roe.
October 1, 2022
Death Roe is number six in the Woods Cop mystery series, and I have read one through five. This thriller revolves around salmon eggs and the company that has a contract with the state of Michigan to harvest them. Grady Sizemore once again exhibits his perseverance; as he battles internal corruption, legal foot dragging, New York territorial protectionism, the Ukrainian mafia, the DNR bureaucracy, and a company, Piscova, with no moral compass. It is all rather complicated, and his grieving for Maridly Nantz continues, in spite of efforts by Dani Denninger, Candace McCants, and Zhenya Leukonovich to lead him astray. This book was OK, but it lacked the gripping thread that I seek in these novels. Nevertheless, there is a lot to unpack here, and I look forward to book 7.
January 31, 2017
not as good as the others in the series. this was dry and weak on story
May 15, 2023
This was definitely not my favorite Grady Service story. He was literally all over the place, traveling as far as Costa Rica to help solve his case. Just couldn't get into the whole illegal caviar thing. Is this really what DNR COs do? And really, what is it with every woman he meets throwing themselves as him?
September 22, 2016
I find the forest stories much more fun. This had a satisfying ending.
November 1, 2012
#6 in the Woods Cop series. Piscova, and it's president Quint Fagan, are generating huge profits by selling contaminated salmon roe as red caviar for the cruise ship trade. Piscova has bribed its way into a monopoly in Michigan and is diluting Michigan roe with chemically contaminated New York roe to increase profits. Grady Service gets involved when he finds that Piscova is also buying roe from illegally snagged salmon. The novel effectively portrays Grady's frustration with the roadblocks he encounters in unpeeling the levels of municipal corruption involved. As lighter spots in the narrative are the strange IRS investigator involved and the arrival of Grady's granddaughter.
Woods Cop has an unexpectedly complex case on his hands. Tainted eggs are showing up in caviar and Service must expose a ring of corruption in state government and perhaps within his own beloved DNR, one that could lead him all the way to the top. Making enemies at every level of the state, Service rousts out the people on the take. He doesn’t rest until there has been full exposure in a case that takes him from the wilds of the Upper Peninsula to the jungles of the state capital, into the maw of the Ukrainian mafia in New York City and onto distant beaches of Central America.
Woods Cop has an unexpectedly complex case on his hands. Tainted eggs are showing up in caviar and Service must expose a ring of corruption in state government and perhaps within his own beloved DNR, one that could lead him all the way to the top. Making enemies at every level of the state, Service rousts out the people on the take. He doesn’t rest until there has been full exposure in a case that takes him from the wilds of the Upper Peninsula to the jungles of the state capital, into the maw of the Ukrainian mafia in New York City and onto distant beaches of Central America.
September 14, 2011
Somehow, I missed this one when it first came out in 2009. I read the 2011 trade paperback version. Grady Service is a Conservation Officer (Woods Cop) based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In Death Roe, he is tipped to a conspiracy to add contraband salmon roe to Michigan roe by a state contractor. The contractor is responsible for harvesting salmon roe, returning some to the state, and uses the rest of it for commercial purposes. Grady steps on many toes trying to prove that the contractor and many state officials are corrupt.
In this "episode", Grady has been promoted to the detective division of the state DNR. He frequently wishes he could return to his regular policing duties arresting poachers. He is full of angst because of the death of his fiancee and son in the last book, and the impending birth of his grandchild. Grady is like Jane Rizzoli from the male perspective.
Had to get up in the middle of the night to finish it - couldn't wait.
In this "episode", Grady has been promoted to the detective division of the state DNR. He frequently wishes he could return to his regular policing duties arresting poachers. He is full of angst because of the death of his fiancee and son in the last book, and the impending birth of his grandchild. Grady is like Jane Rizzoli from the male perspective.
Had to get up in the middle of the night to finish it - couldn't wait.
March 20, 2010
PROTAGONIST: Grady Service, game warden
SETTING: Michigan
SERIES: #6 of 6
RATING: 2.25
WHY: Grady Service is a game warden who is investigating tainted fish eggs. It appears there is a nefarious company that is mixing lower grades of eggs from New York with pristine eggs from Michigan and passing them off as caviar. Isn't that an exciting premise? There was zero urgency to the plot; things were revealed through interrogation rather than action. Too many characters and government agencies; never connected to the protagonist at all. The replication of dialogue didn't succeed--2 characters were into "dude" speak; 3 spoke like dose New Yorkers. The only reason that the rating isn't lower is because the writing was not horrible; I was able to finish the book.
SETTING: Michigan
SERIES: #6 of 6
RATING: 2.25
WHY: Grady Service is a game warden who is investigating tainted fish eggs. It appears there is a nefarious company that is mixing lower grades of eggs from New York with pristine eggs from Michigan and passing them off as caviar. Isn't that an exciting premise? There was zero urgency to the plot; things were revealed through interrogation rather than action. Too many characters and government agencies; never connected to the protagonist at all. The replication of dialogue didn't succeed--2 characters were into "dude" speak; 3 spoke like dose New Yorkers. The only reason that the rating isn't lower is because the writing was not horrible; I was able to finish the book.
August 16, 2010
This is Heywood's sixth in his Michigan Woods Cop mystery series. He keeps getting better. With a career in and around policing and conservation at all governmental levels, including a stint training with the Michigan State Police, I appreciate the author has a keen grasp of the workings of law enforcement and interagency relationships - not to mention wildlife. I seldom read fiction, but after reading "Ice Hunter" - his first book about the challenging experiences of warden Grady Service - I could not resist Heywood's followups.
May 6, 2015
This is somewhat of a departure from previous books in the woods cop series in that there is not a lot of action, very few people die and he spends very little time in the UP. Service is truly a detective in this one and he is called upon to deal with another great cast of characters. It's these characters who make it worth the read. Plus, I know you want to know how he's getting along as a de facto widower and a new grandpa.
January 4, 2015
This book was a slow starter for me. I was confused by the convoluted politics of the department and all the myriad new characters that were introduced. The mystery wasn't that interesting, either. After the nasty shock in the last book and the slow nature of this book, I may not read any more of this series.
January 23, 2009
Although my son attending NMU in the UP and an outdoorsman tends to be a little anti CO, I've enjoyed Heywood's Grady Service mystery series. He seems poised to become more well-known outside the Michigan area.
September 20, 2010
Another great woods cop novel, a little shorter and I think a little rushed. But the story was well developed but I think it begged for more, left me a little wanting for more. Over all a great book that kept me entertained the whole time.
July 7, 2013
Another great book in this series. This novel, like the others, is chock full of intriguing characters and compelling story lines. I love Service's bull-headedness and the way he plows along trusting his gut when everything and everyone else is telling him to play it safe.
January 12, 2009
This is an excellent novel. It exposes the intricacies of attempting to expose corrupt politicians and working with other government agencies. A very good read.
March 19, 2009
Love the series -- and the Michigan details add so much. Lots of layers, sometimes tricky to keep up with who's who, but worth it.
Read
February 16, 2010Woods cop Grady Service #6
December 29, 2010
Very good. I am slowing down because I am reading these so fast I am catching up with the author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2011
Like the setting but the story was weak.
May 11, 2012
I love the woods Cop series!!!!
May 31, 2013
almost to many details to keep track off
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews