Death at Gills Rock

Dave Cubiak, the newly elected sheriff of Door County, WI, responds to an emergency call from the small fishing village of Gills Rock. Three World War II veterans have been found dead in the cabin where they held their weekly card games. The men were to be honored for their heroic war service in an upcoming ceremony. Their official cause of death is carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty space heater, but the evidence Cubiak discovers points to something more sinister. As he investigates, Cubiak uncovers decades of corruption and abuse, with silent acquiescence from participants and victims alike. He also finds a remarkable number of people with motives for murdering the three. With this second “Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery” (following Death Stalks Door County), Skalka creates a complex plot that stretches across decades. The sheriff she creates is thoughtful and methodical, with good instincts and a strong moral core. Speaking with a perfectly pitched Midwestern accent, narrator Peter J. Borys brings out Cubiak’s calm public face and the many emotions that bubble just below the surface.