A shattered career. A crooked lawyer. An unsolved murder. Seeking peace in the Northwoods is fraught with danger. 2020 Midwest Book Awards Mystery/Thriller Winner Every night John Cabrelli relives the tragic events that ended his career. While struggling to find himself again, John inherits his uncle's cabin and returns to the lake where he spent much of his youth. Little does John know that danger waits for him when he uncovers suspicious circumstances of his uncle's death. Few people will talk about it as John unravels a mystery that could forever change the landscape.Award-winning author, conservationist, and retired decorated law enforcement officer Jeff Nania weaves a thrilling tale of murder and deceit, family and traditions, redemption and second chances. John Cabrelli’s story continues in book two, Spider Lake and book three, Bough Cutter. C. J. Box, William Kent Krueger, Dana Stabenow, Louise Penny, and Victoria Houston fans love this new mystery series set in Wisconsin’s Northwoods."Jeff Nania’s Figure Eight features a spellbinding storyline with more twists and turns than the number in its title. Nania writes with power and precision, humor and grace about land, legacy, loss, love, and the mysteries of (human) nature." — Joel Pace, Ph.D. Professor of English, University of Wisconsin"Nania presents us with well-developed and at times quirky characters, a fast-paced plot line, and some of the best twists in anything I've read this year." — Valerie Biel, 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/.
Nania can’t write particularly well, but he does have an interesting plot, an interesting story structure and, actually, despite my obvious ambivalence, an interesting story. It’s kind of like when you overhear Normally Boring Uncle Ron telling a story, and then you listen a little longer because you hear something that catches your interest–whoa, a shooting–and then you listen a little longer–now he’s up Nort’ with a million dollar lakefront property–then pull up a chair to rest your feet while he really digs into it, and suddenly an hour has passed and you are in until the end.
The simple structure might be a reflection on deliberate character voice, and frankly, that’s just fine, but I appreciate it when an author changes it up away from the main character. I’ll tell you a secret though: Nania was a member of Dane County Sheriff’s Department, so I’m 100% convinced he came by his writing style honestly, from writing too many police reports. Hopefully book two is better. Nonetheless, he nails Wisconsinites, mostly, particularly the old-school males. “At that point I doubled the number of items on my to-do list. Find Uncle Nick’s killer and kick the shit out of Officer Lawler.”
Yep, nailed it. Oh, and Nurse H.: “Doctor’s orders, enforced by Nurse B. Holterman, a very tough old girl with the bedside manner of a night shift jailer. She was probably over a hundred and had clearly made her bones in a tent hospital in World War II cutting off limbs.”
Stop it now. I resemble this remark.
Nania uses a retrospective set up of former police officer John Cabrelli telling the story from his hospital bed. It is a great set-up that helps produce the suspense that is initially lacking from the casual tone and slow development of the mystery. Eventually though, things happen, causing John to stumble into a mess that no one wants him involved in, and the drama rachets up. “Another lesson in the book of lessons I will someday write: Never make the deal in the room the first time you see it. If it is a straight deal, it will be there tomorrow. Take your time.”
Simplistic writing style aside, my quibbles were few. I was rather annoyed by the extreme emotional reactions John Cabrelli encounters with the woman renting his uncle’s house; I feel as a former officer, he would have been more inclined to be concerned about mental illness or violence potential than patient and generous with her. Along the same lines, John is cagey for far too long about the disposition of the property. But these are quibbles. "The tea tasted like it was brewed from lawn grass, but I decided to drink it anyway."
I am from Wisconsin and perhaps a little younger than the author. I can attest to it all; the cowboy officers, the ‘good guy’ mentality, the drinking culture, the ol’ boy network, the reflexive politeness, the deep ambivalence of locals on the tourist/vacationing F.I.B.s (effing Illinois Bastards), the transition from south to north parts of the state, the still beauty of a northern lake at sunrise, the occasional feeling that you are still touching the same forest from 1800. I’ll definitely be reading the next in the series and strongly pushing this book on both the mom and the dad to gage their reactions. “I was excited to get to the cabin and out on the lake. The jeep did run great and had a substantial feel to it. Man, from Italian loafers, pressed jeans, and a fancy Japanese sports car to work boots, a sweatshirt, and a jeep. Things do have a way of changing.”
I really wanted to like this. I had high expectations, hoping for something along the lines of William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor series. Sadly, I was highly disappointed. The only thing that was reminiscent of Krueger was the northern lakes setting.
Nania's writing is very workmanlike...short simple sentence followed by short simple sentence. The book reads something like an outline that has been filled in with details just enough to make it book length. Those details are most often presented as tiny little mini-lectures, rather than being incorporated into the plot. Descriptions are equally simple and straightforward, with nothing lyrical or beautiful about the writing itself. Characters are mostly caricatures, and while the main character is more fleshed out, he is also one of those annoying characters who seems more amused with himself than anyone has any right to be. The plot was formulaic, with no other aspect of the writing making up for its predictability.
The book is best when skimmed, just to get down to that central outline. I found reading it word for word tiresome but, at least for the first half of the book, I wanted to give this new (to me) author a chance. I think I will pass on future books in the series.
Figure Eight by Jeff Nania is another great surprise for me this year. His Northern Lake Mystery series featuring John Cabrelli is a masterpiece. I really do like this kind of small town mysteries and this one is great. We get to follow Cabrelli from the emergency room while he tells a story to a reporter. I must say that the writings of Nania is fantastic, his description of the various stages in Johns life and the environment around Spider lake is wonderful. I am so glad that #LittleCreekPress #FeetWetWriting and @this_is_edelweiss let me read this book and that @jeffnania wrote it. I really recommend that you try this author.
Figure Eight, the first novel of Jeff Nania’s Northern Lakes Mystery series, has authenticity and appealing characters. Nania’s narrator, no-nonsense cop John Cabrelli, has a well-seasoned nature: a little salty and a little pungent. Both qualities factor into how he deals with personal tragedies and criminals. He’s tough as nails with a soft side that makes him likable. This novel begins in the present with most of the story taking place in the recent past as Cabrelli relates his tale to a reporter, in a confessional style. Nania’s crime details are as authentic as it gets since the author was a former police officer, but the technicalities of crime fiction are tempered by beautiful details of life in the northwoods of Wisconsin. Current issues relating to the environment feature in this novel, making it realistic and relevant. I’m looking forward to reading Book 2, Spider Lake, to see how Cabrelli’s life progresses and what kind of trouble he lands in the middle of next.
A great introduction to the series, we learn John’s tragic backstory while launching into his current dire circumstances. A former big-city cop in an idyllic small Wisconsin town creates friction John doesn’t want. But his childhood retreat may be the thing he needs the most if he can stay alive long enough to enjoy it. Read this, and you’ll be planning a Spider Lake fishing trip in the hopes of catching a mystery of your own!
Jeff Nania is a former police officer, hailing from Wisconsin, who now writes mysteries set in the Northwoods. I read his second book Spider Lake a few weeks ago and while I had no trouble following the story and characters, it was evident that I would be better prepared for future adventures with John Cabrilli, "battle weary" former Madison police officer if I read the first book. So I backed up to read Figure Eight, the first book in the series. A split second decision ends his stellar career, leaving him with nightmares on auto-loop. When he learns he has inherited property in Northern Wisconsin, the same place that he enjoyed as an innocent child, John heads north and begins to heal. But the circumstances of his uncle's death are troublesome, and soon John finds that greed and crime have arrived in the most tranquil of places. Like Victoria Houston's Wisconsin fishing mysteries, there is plenty of local color and atmosphere interspersed with the mystery. I love connecting with those little bits of Wisconsin -- imagining the lakes, rivers, small towns, and even the fish dinners caught and cooked. I hope that Jeff Nania is a fast writer because I am looking forward to meeting John, Julie, and Bud again.
Jeff Nania is a very gifted storyteller...I could barely put the book down to attend to real life needs. A fast paced mystery that started in an unusual manner. The main character John Cabrelli is in the hospital fighting for his life, telling his story to a reporter to ensure the truth is known. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I bought this signed copy at Main Street books, a used bookstore in Reedsburg, WI. They carry a small selection of new books by local authors in this used book store.
Go check it out if you are in the area. A great selection, and the owner is wonderful.
A new mystery series. A little over written, but I am giving it a pass because it makes me so homesick. It takes place in Hayward, Wisconsin, thinly disguised as Musky Falls. I would say everything I love about Hayward is in this book, but in actuality, none of the things I love about Hayward are here. Mary, Larry, their kids, their friends, their house, their yard, the rest of my family. And we never had any murders. We'll, not while I was visiting, anyway. R..I.P. Larry. You were my favorite.
What do you get when you mix together a good guy who's weighed down with heavy emotional baggage, a bad guy you love to hate, and a dash of romance? A page-turning read!
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast moving and didn’t give up the bad guys until the end. Being from Wisconsin I enjoyed reading about familiar places. I was thrilled to see one of my favorite authors, (Dana Stabenow), mentioned in the story.
4 Stars. I actually loved it despite a couple first time growing pains not really worth mentioning. The mystery was excellent as were the characters. I have confidence will clean things up in the remaining books in this series.
I really enjoyed the location as I, too, own a home on Little Spider Lake. It’s not in Musky Falls, but another small North Woods town. We also have a candy shop where you can see fudge being stirred in two large copper kettles. I fish for Musky with several replicas on the wall that exceed 50 inches. I’ve been going up there for 53 years or since I was 6. Two of the four most important people in my life were integral to my love of the place, my father and brother. My dad died very early at 57, 27 years ago. My little brother this past October at only 52. I know the pull and memories that drive John and Nania. I love that I found this series. The memories it spawned about “the Northern Lakes” were wonderful, even though many were sad. I can’t wait to see where these books go.
Loved it!!! Definitely a page turner from beginning to end. It certainly helped that I am familiar with the area and could connect fictional places with the real locale. The writing was suspenseful, the vernacular relatable, and the storyline addicting!! I look forward to book two!!!
Great escape reading today in this northwoods Wisconsin mystery! I'd heard the author on the radio & the story appealed and did not disappoint. Our library system didn't have it so I had to get it through another system.
John Cabrelli was a "full-fledged crime fighter" for the Madison, Wisconsin Police Department until a split-second decision ruins his career and changes his life. He was a broken man. After being holed up in what had become a "toxic waste dump" of a house for two months his friends broke in for an intervention. They helped bring back some order to his life but his life needed focus.
Then he receives a letter informing him that his uncle had passed away and he was named as the sole heir. He hadn't seen his uncle for quite some time but he has so many great memories of his summers spent in the Northwoods at his uncle's cabin and the lake growing up. Maybe it will be the perfect place to find the clarity he seeks.
Upon arrival, he realizes the place has changed, and not for the better. He also learns his uncle's death may not have been an accident. He needs to find the truth not knowing at first the danger he is putting his own life in and what the truth will mean to everyone around him.
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Mr. Nania takes an unusual route to introduce readers to his main character John Cabrelli. The story has John relaying his recent life to a reporter from a hospital bed. At first, this felt awkward but it worked. It was an interesting twist to the entire story.
John was a seasoned by-the-book cop until that one call, one error, one deadly mistake, which shook him to his core. It was easy to get invested in his life. It was also easy to understand him going back into full cop mode to get to the truth about his uncle's death. It's just who he is.
Through his recollections, we meet several characters who all seem to be hiding something. They are well crafted and those that I hope will appear in book 2 and beyond have a lot of room for development. There is one character that I unexpectedly enjoyed. Nurse B. Holterman. With my history and hospital stays I know every small town hospital has a Nurse B. Holterman. As John noted, she is tough, sometimes more like a jailer than a caregiver, older and more old-school, but she will do anything to protect her patients and be sure they receive proper care. They are the nurse you want in your corner but you probably don't appreciate them until you are checking out to go home.
Mr. Nania's background shows in the tangled-up mystery he has encased his characters in. There are new clues around every turn and John doesn't know who he can trust. He thinks well on his feet which is important when he finds himself in dicey situations, but he gives as good as he gets most of the time. John does get some information from his friends back in Madison which helps bring all the pieces together. That sets up a dangerous, deadly, and shocking showdown.
I enjoyed how Mr. Nania details the beauty of the Northwoods in Wisconsin. The included current hot-topic environmental issues that face areas like where the story takes place give the story relevance. Trying to protect the land, water, and wildlife is always a concern.
I had purchased the Northern Lakes Mystery Series for my husband who loved them. He told me I had to read them. So now I have read Figure Eight and have Spider Lake moving up on my To-Be-Read stack. I have to give him credit, he was right. I am glad he pushed me to read this book.
Figure Eight is a compelling fast-paced story by a writer who writes about what he knows. His law enforcement background as well as his work as a conservationist gives him the knowledge that makes him a credible source to mix real-life happenings with his intriguing mysteries. I am very interested to see how the series continues.
A good story, with enough twists to keep it interesting - though those don't show up until almost too late to hold your interest in the story line, having decided that you've figured it out. The way the story is told is also interesting - again with a couple of twists that don't come together until late in the book (a good thing).
So why only three stars? Mainly because the dialog is stilted. Most people use contractions in every day speech, only using complete words when trying to put some emphasis or express strong emotion. For example, "I'm tired of this" vs. "I am tired of this." Unfortunately the characters in the book seem to have a very low tolerance for contractions, and that changed how the dialog read.
This series really reminds me of one of my favorite series in this genre ( Loon Lake Mysteries by Victoria Houston) this story revolves around former police officer John Cabrelli who retires after a shooting he was involved in when a teenage girl is killed. He is notified by a northern Wisconsin lawyer that he has inherited his uncles lake home in northern Wisconsin, the only bad thing, someone else wants this property and their willing to kill to get it. I’ve already started book two in this series!
It’s always fun to read a local author. I usually don’t care for murder mysteries but I couldn’t wait to find out “who done it.” I loved the picturesque Wisconsin northwoods backdrop that provides respite to an otherwise suspenseful story. Characters are well developed. Can’t wait to read the next one.
This book is a fun mystery/thriller. I especially enjoyed the setting in the Northwoods area of Wisconsin. Jeff's writing is very descriptive and keeps you turning the pages. I highly recommend this book!
Such a fun book and love that the story took place in Madison (my hometown) and in ‘the great north woods,’ where I have such amazing memories from my youth (and dream to have a place on a lake someday - with my wife and sister). Mystery/story was pretty good. I am excited to read the second book as well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This detective/mystery novel draws you in immediately! It’s easy to empathize with former police officer, John Cabrelli, as he despairs over a mistake made in the line of duty. With that backdrop, we follow him to northern Wisconsin where he learns of an inheritance, but things quickly turn fishy (no pun intended) as he learns there’s more interest in this property than there really ought to be. Nania presents us with well-developed and at times quirky characters, a fast-paced plot line, and some of the best twists in anything I've read this year. The unusual format is equally intriguing with Cabrelli telling his story from his hospital bed as the clock is ticking on his life.
Written by an author who is local to our summer residence - it kept me up one entire night captivating me with the exciting journey it propelled me through!