Painting the Lake

by Jody Wenner

Winter in Minnesota can be deadly. George has always plunged into the season with a sense of contentment, but as the snow begins to fly he hits a patch of icy luck. Newly retired, he heads up north to escape his troubles and do some painting. There he meets a young woman who begins pursuing him for more than his art. When she takes him on a wild ride, George isn't surprised to find Detective Nancy Simmons at his cabin door. For Nancy, winter comes with a much harsher reality. She feels the bite as she investigates who dumped a young woman's body in Lake Superior's frigid waters. Maybe George isn't as innocent as he seems.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

315 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2016

About the author

Jody Wenner is a Midwestern author with several independently published mystery novels as well as two works released by The Wild Rose Press. Shorter stories and articles can be found in the pages of Mystery Magazine Weekly, Punk Noir, Urban Pigs Press, Pistol Jim Press, The Keepthings, and Thriller101. When not writing, reading, or editing, you can find her walking her dog or obsessively knitting. Visit her at www.jodywenner.com

Reviews

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

George is 65 and now retired so him and his wife are deciding what to do when she suddenly dies. George is so sad so since he always loved to paint, he rents a small cottage in Duluth, MN near his daughter. When the realty sends a young woman to give him the key, she keeps coming back to see his paintings.......then she gets killed.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melinda Altman (wife, breast cancer retired elementary school teacher) had setup a meeting for George Altman (65, husband, retired St. Paul factory) to meet with Michael Olson (Olson & Sons Realty, Lexington Ave).
Jane Doe’s body had been pulled out of the Lake.
Detective Nancy Simmons (Duluth PD), & Roger Simmons (husband, steel sales) were having a few drinks/dinner.

Melinda was rushed to the ER.
Later the Dr. came to give George the bad news.
Ella (46, daughter, divorced, environmental scientist) had flown back home for the burial/funeral service.
The First Mutual Insurance Group had sent George Altman (widower) a letter.
Duluth, MN. George was renting a cabin by the lake.
Mona Clark (26, boss) was his neighbor & worked at The Grind Coffeehouse as a barista.
Mona invited George who was an avid artist/painter to an art showing.
3/21, Mona had been murdered.
Detective Simmons was keeping close tabs on George.
Detective Simmons (Duluth PD) had called Mr. Michael “Mike” Olson (34, The Grind Coffeehouse owner) to tell him about Mona.
What did Officer Rinken call Detective Simmons about?

Ella George’s daughter is in the hospital ICU.
Will Mona’s murder be caught & brought to justice?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great crime thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons (Washburn; MSW)

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior, so this story was a good fit for me. And, sadly after I finished this book, there was a murder in Duluth. The person killed was also young and someone my daughter knew-her boss' son! Far too coincidental IMO. Like I said, I liked the book and enjoyed the storyline but what the author said towards the end particularly bothered me. She insinuated that Duluth was kind of the "ends of the Earth-type town," and she couldn't wait to leave it. Before I read that phrase, I thought she could take the place of Brian Freeman's mysteries which have always taken place in Duluth, but reading that changed my mind. If she doesn't like Duluth, then move on. But, I thought she had something going and could perhaps have written a series of mysteries based in Duluth. Brian Freeman has moved on to place his stories in San Francisco and I am not pleased. The main reason I've read his books was because of "place," namely Duluth. But, I digress, here. I enjoyed reading the book because of all the places the story took us, like "The Grind," UofM-Duluth, Canal Park and more. I give this book 4 stars.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know when I won this, but I won a giveaway at some point and my to read pile is pretty much never ending so I've just gotten around to reading it.

The story was ok. At some point near the end, but before it was revealed who the murderer is, I managed to guess who it was. There were a few grammar mistakes and some typos. Nothing too major I suppose, but those things bother me for some reason. Anyhoo, I didn't really like any of the characters. I can't really explain why, sometimes that just happens. The switching of POVs did get annoying though. Most of the time it was every other chapter, and then near the end it added two more people, so that didn't help. Once you got comfortable reading one POV it switched to another that you had to get used to. I mean, that might not bother other people, but it can get a little confusing.

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book, good mystery

Surprisingly good mystery. From the detailed descriptions of the locale, to the wonderful character
facets, I found myself pulled into the lives of these fictional yet wholly realistic people.
It's nice to read about older, senior citizens, the newly retired, rather. So many stories today focus on youth and beauty, it's refreshing to read about normal, every day people...easier to relate to, which I believe was at the heart of this successful novel. Believability and very good mystery, along with self-analysis, makes one think.

[kenneth m gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Painting the Lake by Jody Wenner is an excellent read. The author takes the lives of some ordinary characters and weaves them into a murder investigation. I found myself very involved in the lives of the victim, the detective, and the prime suspect: rooting for, doubting, and hoping.
Throughout this story, the author executed the drudgery of police procedure and the excitement of discovery well. Before reading Painting by the Lake, I was only familiar with Jody Wenner's short fiction, but I can now say she can write a fine novel as well.
I plan to read all of Jody Wenner's novels .

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying read...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and especially the personalities of Nancy and George. I say "satisfying" because I feel just that. Though we know that their lives will continue and play out, I , for one, am satisfied that they "will be alright." A very nicely constructed story!

A cold dreary afternoon in coastal Rhode Island was well spent reading this book! THANK YOU!

[Antigone Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

A recently widowed and retired man rents a small lake side cabin. He is befriended by a beautiful young woman with a hidden agenda. When she is murdered he becomes a person of interest to an experienced homicide detective with issues of her own.

I really enjoyed this book. It unfolds in an interesting fashion. The characters have depth and the resolution was satisfying. Good read.

[Kevin Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. I thought it was going to be a crime thriller/murder mystery and it is, but that's only the shell for the story of the two main characters going through huge life changes. But the path to the life changes isn't obvious when the murder mystery starts. This was cleverly constructed. Nothing was obvious, everything was character-driven.

Time to find another book of hers.

I do have one question though - how does one cheat at tag?

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery

Good skills demonstrated in personality development. Would like to see female detective protagonist again in other stories: Really enjoyed background details as someone who lived 100 miles due east of Duluth and remember the beauty and danger of the seasons there: Good read. Highly recommended:

[Marcena Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

First, I like books that take place in areas familiar to me, and the main character, George, could have been any of my friends pondering life after retirement. The author did a good job with descriptions of life in Minnesota in the winter and how the local people handle it. All in all a good story that makes me want to read more from this author.

[Ronnie Rigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Painting lake

This is a great book I read it in a very short time it keeps you reading .This book keep a good flow of experience and was very well wrote ,this is the first book by Jody that I have read look like I will look a more titles to read thanks Jody Winner for a great book

[Francisco Martini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one very much. Jody Wenner has a great style and a very good pacing to her storytelling. I had a hard time putting it down. I appreciated the characters and thought she did a very good job of painting (no pun intended) a compelling portrait for the two main protagonists.

I am happy I have found this author and plan to keep reading more of her work.

[Chris Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got Me!

First book in ages to capture my interest. I just kept turning pages, wanting to know what happens next! Engaging characters, good plot, and the locations interesting. I never thought Minnesota was appealing until this author set her story there. It's a very good read!

[linda lipinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book. George after his wife dies goes to rent a cabin on Lake Superior. He paints and contemplates life. Mona has an interest in him

I love the setting of the book and the description of the area and people

A well written book

[Sharon Grim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

I really enjoyed this book. Not a story I've read before, and interesting. Just like a nice vacation with quiet surroundings and characters. I love how the story just kept unloading. Thank you Ms Wenner.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good over-all. Certain plot points can be nit-picked, but A+ in readability. A murder mystery with the personal struggles of those involved woven into it. Enough suspects and motives to keep one guessing.

[Tami Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books set on the North Shore in Minnesota, as that is my happy place. I could imagine where every scene of this book was taking place and I felt like it was there. A nice murder mystery, which kept me guessing, and I liked the authors writing style. I love discovering new local authors!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent mystery from MN author about Duluth, the north shore and Lake Superior.

[Hon. Peter J. Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story of the snowy Midwest.

A Good yarn about love and life in the snowy Midwest; good plot with a surprise ending. Excellent description of place and character development.

[Norma Rios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great readd

I enjoyed this book. I could not put it down. Great characters and location. I will be looking for more books from this author.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

I really enjoyed reading this not so typical murder/mystery. So many emotional ups and downs, I look forward to reading more of this author's works.

[Keith Meagley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it very much

I read this book from the first page to the last without putting it down. It is Very well written.

[Chipbogie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Really enjoyed the book and characters in the book. Read it in one day, kept my attention. I would recommend it.

[Lori Jurek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice murder-mystery set in Duluth, MN. It was a little slow for me to get into but once Wenner developed the characters, I was all-in and anxious to see how the story would unfold.

[Donna B. Maness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Bebe

Very good book, had me guessing till the end.. Would recommend to others. Will read other books by this author.

[Candy Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the feeling of winter is this mystery!

[Barbara Gillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good detective novel. The story was interesting and characters were well-developed. The story line did keep the read guessing as to who really committed the murder and why.

[TJ Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Painting the Lake is a terrific read with great, realistic characters. Wenner knows how to write a compelling story with relatable characters.

[Maureen Tumenas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of the Audible version of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is more of a "cozy mystery" novel than I personally prefer. Nice storyline, although it got too preachy for me. The narrator's tone and style are well suited for this book.

If you enjoy a lighter type of mystery (yes, I know it's a murder mystery), you will enjoy the audible version of Painting the Lake as it keeps you engaged and has a few unexpected turns.