Lost at Starvation Lake (Starvation Lake series Book 2)

Gus, like the paper, has seen better days. As a youth he was a major hockey star--a goalie who led the local team to the state championship game only to lose the game when he allowed th This is the third novel in Brian Gruley's Starvation Lake trilogy, following Starvation Lake and The Hanging Tree. As a youth he was a major hockey star--a goalie who led the local team to the state championship game only to lose the game when he allowed the winning goal in a moment of inattention. Gus has never forgotten it; he's really never gotten over it, and there are any number of townspeople who won't let the memory die either.

The championship game was Starvation Lake's moment in the sun and the team, and the town, fell one goal short of greatness. The town, like Gus and its newspaper, has fallen on hard times. The local economy is in the dumpster and efforts to revive the town as a tourist destination have fallen woefully short. If that weren't bad enough, the town is now under threat from the "Bingo Night Burglar" who is breaking into homes while the occupants are away playing bingo. Oddly, the burglar doesn't ever seem to steal anything, but naturally the town's residents are nervous and more than a little angry with the local sheriff who seems incapable of bringing this crime spree to an end.

At the same time, a group of fundamentalist Christians have moved into town and are excavating land that they have recently purchased for reasons that no one can figure out. In addition, some mysterious purchaser is suddenly buying up land at the north end of the lake for which the town is named, hiding behind the cover of a law firm. Things take a nasty turn when someone, presumably the Bingo Night Burglar, kills an elderly woman who was the best friend of Gus Carpenter's mother and who was also the mother of Gus's ex-girlfriend, Darlene.

Gus's mother, Bea, was in the house at the time of the killing, but she is suffering from advancing dementia and doesn't remember much about what happened that night. Gus puts on his investigative reporter's hat and attempts to sort out the multiple mysteries that are plaguing Starvation Lake, with the assistance of his new ace reporter, Luke Whistler. Before long, he's up to his neck in mysterious developments both ancient and current, and before things are settled out, some of these mysteries will hit way too close to home. This is another very engaging book from a very good writer.

Gruley is best at setting the scene and describing the nature of life in this small struggling town. He's also very good at developing the characters who populate Starvation Lake. If I have any complaint about the book, it would be that the plot seems unneccessarily convoluted and left me shaking my head a bit by the time I got to the climax.

For that reason, I'd probably rate this book a 3. I've now read all three books in this trilogy set in Michigan. Too bad the author doesn't plan to write any more books in this series. Jun 11, Lou rated it really liked it Shelves: In a quiet town called starvation lake there are no murderers. Well that is what they thought. A series of burglaries during bingo nights started occurring in Starvation lake.

They were attended mostly by the elder folk of the community, one turns ugly with a murder. Past murders become revisited with question marks on the guilty. Secrets that others want buried come to the surface and up in the communities faces. One old soul believes the truth will not set you free. Suspects some laughable and ha In a quiet town called starvation lake there are no murderers.

Suspects some laughable and have nothing to do with burglaries or murder are brought in. With a community who has not dealt with murderer recently you only hope Starvation lake learns from this crime and secret. Some people of the town tried to forget the break in that had left one of their own dead.

The Skeleton Box

They would channel their fear and confusion into cheering for the boys taking their first step toward the towns first state title. I enjoyed this little town mystery. You find yourself really involved in the search for truth. The story wraps up quite neatly with a great scene of unveiling of truths and closure of the mystery in Starvation Lake and what lies in a box others prefer lost forever.

I have been meaning to read this authors debut novel 'Starvation Lake' for quite a while but never got to doing it, i hope to this year some time. Mar 20, Tyler rated it liked it. I'm sad to see the Starvation Lake series go but it was good run. This one had a pretty good mystery compared to the last one. A lot of this story rings true. The character writing was solid as always except for Darlene who is terrible but is supposed to be some great love of Gus's life or something.

Can't figure that one out. She has an excuse every book for her wretchedness but still annoying character. The worlds of journalism and hockey are again interesting aspects of Gus's life and investi I'm sad to see the Starvation Lake series go but it was good run. The worlds of journalism and hockey are again interesting aspects of Gus's life and investigation in his dealings with the town. There's never a good moment that isn't spoiled by two more things going wrong which is more realistic than I'd like to admit.

Jun 08, Ali rated it really liked it Shelves: He moves back home after a failed journalism career in Detroit, and this sleepy northern Michigan town is suddenly a hotbed of crime and murder. A big part of what I enjoyed about this book is that it reminds me of home. Northern Michigan isn't quite the same as northern Minnesota, but small-town life in the upper Midwest is fairly consistent no matter what state you're in, and I loved the little details and characters that made me homesic Gus Carpenter is the Jessica Fletcher of Starvation Lake.

Northern Michigan isn't quite the same as northern Minnesota, but small-town life in the upper Midwest is fairly consistent no matter what state you're in, and I loved the little details and characters that made me homesick. I think my biggest problem with this book is related to the Jessica Fletcher-effect, though. If it were a stand-alone novel, I probably would've enjoyed it more. Yes, the plot builds on the previous two books in the series, but not so much that it really matters, and the suspension of disbelief that it takes to accept all that's gone down in this little town in just a few years is a bit much for me.

The Skeleton Box (Starvation Lake, #3) by Bryan Gruley

I love Gruley's style, though. His books are very readable, well-paced, and his characters are realistic. I'm hoping he'll branch out more like Laura Lippman's stand-alone books, where they all feel a bit similar, but have different characters and write some new stuff, but that he'll leave Gus and Darlene in peace up in Starvation Lake. They deserve a break after all they've been through.

Jun 07, Michael rated it really liked it Shelves: Starvation Lake is a small community in upper Michigan. Someone has been breaking into the homes of some elderly residents while they were at Monday night bingo. Nothing seemed to have been taken but it made people nervous.

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Then, Gus Carpenter, editor of the "Pilot" is asked to accompany a police officer to Gus's mother's home. Her home had been broken into and her friend and next door neighbor, who was there taking care of her, was killed. The only clue is the name of a former priest who had been Starvation Lake is a small community in upper Michigan.

The only clue is the name of a former priest who had been at the local parish when a young nun disappeared in After this comes out, media and some officials wonder if the Catholic Church had anything to do with the murder and break-ins. Much of the novel's enjoyment comes from Gus Carpenter's narrative voice.

There is also good dialog and it is easy for the reader to imagine that they are right there in many scenes of the story. Beneath the central story is the story of the town heading toward a possible state hockey championship and one of the players becomes a pawn of a religious group. This is a well written, smoothly plotted mystery novel with good characterizatin and an interesting plot.

Third and ostensibly final book in the "Starvation Lake series". In this one Gus investigates and solves the murder of his long time girlfriend's mother and solves a perplexing cold case murder as well. The story is based on the murder and cover-up of a nun that occurred in a church in the early s at the then town of Isadore, Michigan, about twenty miles Northeast of Traverse City in Leelanau County.

I myself live about four miles from there. The church is still active but the town has long Third and ostensibly final book in the "Starvation Lake series". The church is still active but the town has long ago faded into obscurity. There was a movie based on the Isadore story starring Dick VanDyke in However they changed the venue to a church in a different state.

Gruley is able to restrain his passion for hockey in this book and doesn't focus so much on the exploits of the "River Rats" Mar 21, Gatorman rated it really liked it. Another highly enjoyable mystery in the Starvation Lake series from Gruley. The characters are well-developed and the writing, especially the dialogue, is always spot-on. The mystery takes a bit of time to develop and play itself out but the denouement is satisfying and, for fans of the series, a bit sad.

Jan 03, Sandi rated it it was amazing Shelves: Another excellent book in the Starvation Lake series. I thought the author captured the small economically depressed town feel in the three books really well and the characters always seemed so realistic. The plot in this entry was my favorite secrets of the past type and kept me totally engrossed. I do hope he will publish another work soon.

May 09, Kevintipple rated it it was amazing. A Starvation Lake Mystery is the third book in the series and opens in March with somebody breaking into houses in Starvation Lake on bingo nights. Despite the break-ins, the victims report that nothing has been taken. The motive as well as the identity or identities of those involved remain a mystery. Pine County Sheriff Dingus has no suspects and the town is on edge.

Then, apparently in the course of a break-in, a murder happens and for Gus his life will change forever. T The Skeleton Box: Childhood best friend of his mother and a woman who was almost as much a mother to Gus growing up as his own. In the course of the investigation into the murder Gus learns things he just might have been better off never knowing. This third novel from award winning author Bryan Gruley throws shock after shock at the reader all the way to the end. One hopes not as the character of Gus has become a cherished friend to many readers.

Against a back drop of Gus being a reporter and editor of a small local paper and the decline of the newspaper business, across three powerful books Gus has had to deal with issues of an aging parent, pain and regret over the past and various actions, and having had to come back home to where it all began. Then there have been the crimes and mysteries that Gus has helped investigate in his role as reporter and editor of the local paper. None of that has really prepared him, or the reader for that matter, for the events in this book.

This is a very difficult book to sum up and explain the raw emotional power here in this work of fiction without giving up possible plot point spoilers. While it could be read as a stand-alone novel, the power of this book is more evident if you take the time to read the preceding novels, Starvation Lake: A Mystery and The Hanging Tree: A Starvation Lake Mystery. Clearly author Bryan Gruley has crafted another award winning novel and quite possibly his best book so far. Jul 17, Luanne Ollivier rated it really liked it. Bryan Gruley is another new to me author.

Starvation Lake is a quiet, small town in Michigan where nothing dangerous really ever happens, but a recent series of break-ins has the town worried. The break-ins are occurring on bingo nights - when most of the town's elderly residents are out. Nothing is ever taken, but their belonging are being rifled through.

The pressure is on for the sheriff to solve these cases - it's a re-ele Bryan Gruley is another new to me author. The pressure is on for the sheriff to solve these cases - it's a re-election year. And the stakes are upped when a break-in turns to murder. Gus Carpenter, editor of the local paper is covering the biggest story of his career. The victim is someone near and dear to him. And as he digs deeper into the story, he finds it taking him places he never expected - and much closer to home than he could have imagined. Gus is Gruley's recurring protagonist.

I really liked Gus - he just came across as real, down to earth and believable. He's not painted as an infallible, intrepid reporter, but just a regular guy.

The mystery in The Skeleton Box is timely and features a good solid plot. But for me, it was the town of Starvation Lake and its' residents that took centre stage. Characterization is Gruley's strong point. I loved all the colourful citizens. My only problem was that everyone has a nickname as well. I had a wee bit of trouble keeping everyone straight.

Take note - Bryan Gruley's nickname is Grules! Gruley has painted a vivid, accurate portrait of the town. The River Rats hockey team, their players and the town's support is so spot on I thought Gruley was writing about my small town. The various hockey analogies used were quite effective. Even though I have missed the first two in the series, I was able to enjoy this book as a stand alone.

But it would be definitely worth looking up the first two Folksy is a term that popped to mind when I was trying to think of how to describe Gruley's writing.

1. Lewis Carroll: 125 Photographic Reproductions!
2. Survival at Starvation Lake;
3. Survival at Starvation Lake by Gary P. Hansen;

Jul 02, Larry H rated it really liked it. A number of homes have been burglarized while their residents were out playing bingo, but strangely, nothing was taken from any of the houses. And then one night, a break-in at the home of Gus' mother, Bea, results in the murder of her closest friend, Phyllis, who also happens to be the mother of Gus' ex-girlfriend, deputy sheriff Darlene. Bea, whose dementia has been getting wor In his third novel featuring local newspaper editor Gus Carpenter, Bryan Gruley returns to Starvation Lake, Michigan. Bea, whose dementia has been getting worse and worse, appears to know something about what happened, but she is unwilling to share the truth.

With the help of his new reporter, Luke Whistler, who left the Detroit Free Press to head north in search of more old-fashioned reporting, Gus tries to figure out who killed Phyllis. He wonders what connection Breck, the mysterious stranger who has taken up residence in the makeshift religious camp that has suddenly sprouted up on Gus' friend Tatch's land, has to the burglaries and the murder. And when his mother gives him a lockbox she has kept hidden for years, what he finds leads to more questions, more shocking discoveries, and a lot of potential pain.

I've really come to enjoy Bryan Gruley's Starvation Lake mysteries. Much like Steve Hamilton's Alex McKnight series and others like it, I love the opportunity to get to know a town and its residents, as they factor in each book. The Skeleton Box is another well-written addition to the series, and it definitely kept me guessing. While it sounds as if Gruley planned this as a trilogy, and he certainly worked to tie up a few loose ends toward the end of the book, I really hope he reconsiders and takes us back to Starvation Lake again.

Gus Carpenter is a terrific character and I'd hate not to read any more books featuring him again! Jul 01, Jon rated it really liked it. The third and latest in a very good series set in tiny Starvation Lake, a town in northern Michigan. Susan had spent her whole life in the Canadian bush but the local saw mill had closed. The saw mill's closing caused the local school to close for lack of students. That meant Susan would lose custody of her daughter Lilly if they didn't move to somewhere Lilly could attend school. Susan thought her only hope to find a job in the middle of a major economic recession was to move to Sault Ste.

She didn't know anyone there and lacked the finances for the move. Susan knew she would feel out of place in the big city and didn't want to move.

The move seemed like her only option, until a mysterious stranger left her a large financial gift which meant a job wouldn't be essential. This would allow her to move to the much smaller town of Wawa. The stranger left a note and a very large check, then disappeared. From the note, it was obvious the woman knew a lot about Susan and Lilly but Susan couldn't understand how. The lady had signed the note Sally Sinhuna but name wasn't familiar to Susan or anyone she asked. Months later the lives of this stranger and Susan were destined to become entwined. Overview Music Video Charts.