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As DEATH AT GILLS ROCK opens, Dave Cubiak, Door County, Wisconsin sheriff, is called to the scene of an apparent accidental death of three WWII heroes. The three are credited with trying to save their friend, a fourth Door County boy, during an Aleutian Island offensive. The legend goes that there was not enough room on the rescue boat they piloted, so they had to leave their buddy behind, although they were valiant in their efforts to bring him to safety. The three were just about to be recognized for their heroism when they were found dead in the game room of the most successful of the three successful veterans. When Cubiak arrives at the scene, he decides to investigate even though the initial determination is that all three died because of an accidental heater malfunction.
As he digs into the relationships surrounding the heroes, Cubiak wonders how three working class veterans happened to become so wealthy. The widows seem united in their support of their husbands, but other relatives (sons and grandsons) seem less enamored of the three. Cubiak's search for the truth leads him to question not only the accidental nature of the heroes' deaths, but also the heroism from the distant past with which they have been credited. If the mythology that has been built up around the dead men is put into question, then virtually everyone connected with the men has a motive for killing them. That is, if they were killed and did not just die accidentally.
Some readers will find the resolution of the mystery of the men's deaths unsatisfying, while others will find it appropriately obscured. But Cubiak's trip into the past should resonate with all. As he unearths the history of the purported war heroes, he revisits his own past. For those who did not read the first in the series, DEATH STALKS DOOR COUNTY, the author does a terrific job of providing Cubiak's background through his memories. In addition, Cubiak's introspection helps the reader get to know the character, providing depth that will carry into future books. The kind gentleness that Skalka helps us see in Cubiak as the sheriff cares for his adopted dog and her four newborn puppies adds a tender dimension to the book that balances the deaths at the heart of the mystery.
Door County is brought to life, both in the characters that populate the peninsula and in the descriptions of the locales. The reader is provided with a map that helps give context to Cubiak's investigation as well as to the isolation of the area. In the end, I will return to this series as much to learn what happens in Cubiak's life as to read about the complexities of his next investigation. Both aspects of the Skalka's fully developed Door County add to the enjoyment of her book.
§ Sharon Mensing is the Head of School of Emerald Mountain School, an independent school in the mountains of Colorado, where she lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors.
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, September 2015
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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