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Woods Cop #8
Force of Blood
Late spring, 2007. Michigan in economic freefall, state budgets being slashed, politics reduced to nastiness, state jobs being erased, and personnel furloughed without pay. Grady Service, detective for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Upper Peninsula, watches as his colleagues leave the department one by one, leaving him without his old support system. Upon being asked by an old friend to look into unspecified problems his son is facing on the shores of Lake Superior, Service has no idea how complicated his life is about to become. All he knows is that the situation involves something his friend calls “bleeding sand”—and that his new partner, Conservation Officer Donna “Jingo” Sedge, is the oddest young officer he’s ever met, both jealous and suspicious of his role in what she views as her case on her turf.
Service and Sedge become immersed in a centuries-old mystery they must solve in order to deal with the current and more pressing problem: people willfully looting and tearing up a Native American archaeological site. As past and present intersect, summer lightning ignites a forest fire in northern Luce County, and the blaze quickly covers 20,000 acres. The story moves at breakneck speed as Service, nearing three decades as a Woods Cop, finds that expectations seem to be changing on all fronts, personal and professional, and he is not certain he can live up to them.
Service and Sedge become immersed in a centuries-old mystery they must solve in order to deal with the current and more pressing problem: people willfully looting and tearing up a Native American archaeological site. As past and present intersect, summer lightning ignites a forest fire in northern Luce County, and the blaze quickly covers 20,000 acres. The story moves at breakneck speed as Service, nearing three decades as a Woods Cop, finds that expectations seem to be changing on all fronts, personal and professional, and he is not certain he can live up to them.
366 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
46 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Heywood
50 books188 followersSee also Joe T. Heywood
Joseph Heywood is the son of a career USAF officer. His dad was from Rhinecliff, New York on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, and his mother is from Mize, Mississippi in Sullivan County. His mother’s maiden name was Hegwood and she had only to change one letter to convert to her married name.
He is a 1961 graduate of Rudyard High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Chippewa County). Played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track.
1965 graduate of Michigan State University (BA-Journalism). Joseph played on the Michigan State Lacrosse Club for three years, crease attack, tri-captain in 1965. He was in the last class of mandatory ROTC for land grant universities and predictably chose the Air Force.
In 1965, he married Sandra V. Heywood (1943-2002) of East Lansing. Five children, one dog. Widower.
1965-1970, USAF Instructor Navigator, KC-135 tanker, honorably discharged as captain. Vietnam veteran. Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Graduate studies, Western Michigan University, 1974-75, completed course work for MA in English Literature; no degree.
Joseph worked for The Upjohn Company [now Pfizer], 1970-2000, retiring as vice president for worldwide public relations.
He walks every day in all weather conditions, and have hunted and fished Michigan since 1958, mostly alone.
Joseph Heywood's Woods Cop mysteries are based on the lives of Upper Peninsula conservation officers, and for going on seven years has spent about one month a year on patrol with officers, in all kinds of weather, all times of day and under sundry conditions. He worked in all 15 Upper Peninsula Counties as well as in another 15-16 counties BTB (Below the Bridge).
In preparation for work with COs, he often hikes alone at night (flashlight for emergencies) using only ambient light. He has spent nights alone in jungles and on mountains. Has canoe-camped in Michigan, Missouri and Arkansas, over the years he has had one close encounter with a wolf (six feet away in tag alders on the Iron River), and with a cow elk and her calf (in Idaho). Too many close meetings with black bears to count, no injuries.
He loves to take photographs while walking, hiking and fishing, and use some of the pix for his paintings.
Joseph always carry a ruck with emergency equipment, compass, etc. even for short sorties on foot in the U.P. It’s too easy to get under cedars and old growth in an overcast and get hopelessly turned around. He does not use a GPS. "When it comes to lost in the woods there seem to be two categories of people: Them that have been and them that will be. Iron ore deposits can make compass navigation interesting…."
The Upper Peninsula is not just a setting and base for Joseph Heywood but serves as a character in many of his novels. "When I write, I try to take readers to places and events in the U.P. they might not have occasion to visit or experience on their own. For me, the U.P. is a natural jewel and I am always surprised by how little people from BTB know about it."
"The day we arrived in the U.P. to report to Kinross Air Force Base (later renamed Kincheloe, and since decommissioned) my mother cried as we drove up the several-mile two-lane to the front gate; looking at all the woods passing by, I had a feeling I was coming home."
Joseph Heywood is the son of a career USAF officer. His dad was from Rhinecliff, New York on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, and his mother is from Mize, Mississippi in Sullivan County. His mother’s maiden name was Hegwood and she had only to change one letter to convert to her married name.
He is a 1961 graduate of Rudyard High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Chippewa County). Played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track.
1965 graduate of Michigan State University (BA-Journalism). Joseph played on the Michigan State Lacrosse Club for three years, crease attack, tri-captain in 1965. He was in the last class of mandatory ROTC for land grant universities and predictably chose the Air Force.
In 1965, he married Sandra V. Heywood (1943-2002) of East Lansing. Five children, one dog. Widower.
1965-1970, USAF Instructor Navigator, KC-135 tanker, honorably discharged as captain. Vietnam veteran. Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Graduate studies, Western Michigan University, 1974-75, completed course work for MA in English Literature; no degree.
Joseph worked for The Upjohn Company [now Pfizer], 1970-2000, retiring as vice president for worldwide public relations.
He walks every day in all weather conditions, and have hunted and fished Michigan since 1958, mostly alone.
Joseph Heywood's Woods Cop mysteries are based on the lives of Upper Peninsula conservation officers, and for going on seven years has spent about one month a year on patrol with officers, in all kinds of weather, all times of day and under sundry conditions. He worked in all 15 Upper Peninsula Counties as well as in another 15-16 counties BTB (Below the Bridge).
In preparation for work with COs, he often hikes alone at night (flashlight for emergencies) using only ambient light. He has spent nights alone in jungles and on mountains. Has canoe-camped in Michigan, Missouri and Arkansas, over the years he has had one close encounter with a wolf (six feet away in tag alders on the Iron River), and with a cow elk and her calf (in Idaho). Too many close meetings with black bears to count, no injuries.
He loves to take photographs while walking, hiking and fishing, and use some of the pix for his paintings.
Joseph always carry a ruck with emergency equipment, compass, etc. even for short sorties on foot in the U.P. It’s too easy to get under cedars and old growth in an overcast and get hopelessly turned around. He does not use a GPS. "When it comes to lost in the woods there seem to be two categories of people: Them that have been and them that will be. Iron ore deposits can make compass navigation interesting…."
The Upper Peninsula is not just a setting and base for Joseph Heywood but serves as a character in many of his novels. "When I write, I try to take readers to places and events in the U.P. they might not have occasion to visit or experience on their own. For me, the U.P. is a natural jewel and I am always surprised by how little people from BTB know about it."
"The day we arrived in the U.P. to report to Kinross Air Force Base (later renamed Kincheloe, and since decommissioned) my mother cried as we drove up the several-mile two-lane to the front gate; looking at all the woods passing by, I had a feeling I was coming home."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 9, 2012
I am a fan of Grady Service, but this is not one of my favorites in the series. In this one he is looking into the purported garve robberies of native American graves and in the middle of the investigation, he is also involved with a gigantic forest fire that is started by a lightning bolt activating some very dry vegetation. All well and good, but a little contrived from start to finish. The other thing that I read pointed out by another reviewer that rang true is that he is always invovled with women who want to have sex from morning to night, he is always performing well above average in these couplings and all these women want is more of the same--is it really possible to believe this aspect? The author is either rewriting his fantasy over and over again, or he has had a unique experience himself, but it is not the only distractor in this book.
November 28, 2012
Incredible, amazing, stunning, superior, the best one yet, Heywood is in a class by himself.....I could go on and on and on! I am in panic however because I am at the point in the series where I have read the entire backlist and there isn't a mention of the next book!!!! ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
If you are a suspense/mystery fan give this a try. If you like Patterson or Grisham or Parker give this author a try. If you are looking for complex character development and vivid imagery give it try. If you are from Michigan or the midwest give it a try. If you are interested in conservation and wildlife issues give it a try. Oh just give it a try!!!!!!!
If you are a suspense/mystery fan give this a try. If you like Patterson or Grisham or Parker give this author a try. If you are looking for complex character development and vivid imagery give it try. If you are from Michigan or the midwest give it a try. If you are interested in conservation and wildlife issues give it a try. Oh just give it a try!!!!!!!
March 31, 2021
On June 20, 2010 Joseph Heywood wrote "Be advised: Grady's not done yet, but the time will come as it surely does for all of us." Yet Mr. Heywood has not shared Service with us since this novel, copyrighted in 2011. I may be disappointed in this but I'm very glad to have had Grady Service for eight quite good reads.
For those that aren't acquainted with Grady Service, he is a conservation officer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The UP, as it's known, is a unique area of the United States. It is what many would call back woods with a somewhat unique social system. It is in many ways a hunter's paradise, filled with various game for both sport and food. Heywood, through Service's cases takes us there and introduces us to the land and its denizens. both 2 and 4 legged.
This, the last novel to date, takes us on a tour of both current times and pre European immigrant history. It's filled with information that a history buff such as myself, would love. And I did.
Mystery, mayhem, humor; Heywood includes it all. Additionally he teaches us about the UP and I found it a lesson I enjoyed.
Thank you Mr. Heywood.
For those that aren't acquainted with Grady Service, he is a conservation officer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The UP, as it's known, is a unique area of the United States. It is what many would call back woods with a somewhat unique social system. It is in many ways a hunter's paradise, filled with various game for both sport and food. Heywood, through Service's cases takes us there and introduces us to the land and its denizens. both 2 and 4 legged.
This, the last novel to date, takes us on a tour of both current times and pre European immigrant history. It's filled with information that a history buff such as myself, would love. And I did.
Mystery, mayhem, humor; Heywood includes it all. Additionally he teaches us about the UP and I found it a lesson I enjoyed.
Thank you Mr. Heywood.
October 17, 2011
Couple days prior to writing this review, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing on air the author, Joe Heywood, at Kalamazoo, Michigan’s WMUK radio station, the local NPR affiliate. Am I now too star-struck to write an unbiased review? Nah. I’m convinced the author is fully as tough (and as entertaining, and with the same spicy sense of humor) as his main character, DNR detective Grady Service, the woods cop of Heywood’s now eight-book mystery series. He can take it.
My bias is of a different kind. I was born with a compass embedded inside me, I’m sure of it by now. It always points north and that’s increasingly the only direction I seem to comfortably travel. Heywood’s series is set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and the woods cops in the books solve their mysteries in the thick woods and breathtakingly beautiful wilderness of the U.P. That’s why I picked up the first in the series, Ice Hunter (2001), in the first place. I don’t read mysteries. I do read all things U.P.
That bias could have worked against Heywood, actually. I expect the author of stories set in my beloved U.P. to do them right. Describe those surroundings accurately, capture the life sense of the “Yooper” truthfully, bring vividly alive that unique northern territory I have known since childhood. He did.
And in the newest of the series, Force of Blood, he has—again. The story opens in the Mackinac area, that point between Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas, in 2007. It’s a time when the economy is running thin, and funding for state jobs such as those of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is no exception. As jobs are cut, those dedicated to their work sometimes find themselves working without pay—and so Grady Service takes on a favor for a friend, checking out the unethical handling of Native American artifacts on the shores of Lake Superior.
From there, the story takes off at top speed. As he does throughout the series, Heywood keeps the reader turning pages (or clicking forward furiously on their Kindles) as fast as possible, no turning back. It’s the kind of book you read standing in line, waiting in the waiting room (irritated when it’s finally your turn), on your lunch break, propped against your plate.
Grady Service is a sharp, by now slightly aging, cop who loves walking his woodsy beat, no matter how high he rises in the ranks. He’s tough but fair, a man of integrity. His ongoing relationship with his arch enemy, Limpy Allerdyce, Yooper savvy criminal and delightfully colorful character, is a treat. Once again, Limpy helps him solve the mystery, along with a long list of other memorable characters. As usual, their names are hilarious (Heywood told me he gets many of these gems out of U.P. telephone books): Jane Rain, Belphoebe Cheke, Tuesday Friday, Lacey Lucey, Delmure Arcton Toliver, Flin Yardley, Odetta Trevillyan, Karylanne Pengelly, Ladania Wingel, Luticious Treebone, Persia Hunger, Crispin Franti, Marldeane Youvonne Brannigan, Godfroi Delongshamp, Summer Rose Genova, Honeypat, Zhenya Leukonovich, Ozzien Shotwiff, a cat called Cat, and on it goes.
Yet for all the laughs—oddball names, witty Grady Service lines, hilarious scenarios (a woods cop partner who paints her own WHAT?)—the topics can also get serious. The title, Force of Blood, alludes to the call in our blood to be who we really are. Call it genetics, call it cultural upbringing, call it being in touch with our innermost selves, but no matter what you do to a person to bury their personal reality, it will still win out in the end. In this case, the force of blood refers to Native Americans, who have historically been repressed and mistreated by the white man, sometimes forced to abandon their own language and traditions, yet will always bounce back in accordance to their truth. This particular story is about how to protect and handle the artifacts of an ancient culture.
Also of note in the storyline is how the DNR handles a 20,000-acre-wide sudden forest fire. It’s fascinating to read how such an emergency is handled, how quickly fire spreads, how people respond each in their own way.
My only gripe about the entire series is the usual love interest Service entertains. There’s always one—or several. This is where the well-researched reality of the woods cop adventures takes a detour, as these women tend to be, well, what one unfortunately expects from too many mystery/detective series—the stereotypical hot female with only one thing on her mind. Indeed, it almost seems that Grady Service has only one conversation with any of his women, even though they are said to be educated and smart and could surely enjoy relationships of broader scope. Each one seems identical to the others. At least Service’s relationship with his granddaughter has greater range.
Watch for other fun moments in this book, such as a surprise appearance of the author himself crossing paths with Grady Service. Drool-worthy pages appear again when Service enters the kitchen. He’s quite the cook. But it’s Service’s honing in on his target that will keep us coming back for more, and more, and more. If there are hints in this book that the woods cop is thinking about retirement, we hope it’s not too soon. Not for at least several more books …
Joseph Heywood is a resident of Portage, Michigan, but regularly spends many months of the year in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, riding along with woods cops as research for his books. He also writes poetry and nonfiction, and paints.
My bias is of a different kind. I was born with a compass embedded inside me, I’m sure of it by now. It always points north and that’s increasingly the only direction I seem to comfortably travel. Heywood’s series is set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and the woods cops in the books solve their mysteries in the thick woods and breathtakingly beautiful wilderness of the U.P. That’s why I picked up the first in the series, Ice Hunter (2001), in the first place. I don’t read mysteries. I do read all things U.P.
That bias could have worked against Heywood, actually. I expect the author of stories set in my beloved U.P. to do them right. Describe those surroundings accurately, capture the life sense of the “Yooper” truthfully, bring vividly alive that unique northern territory I have known since childhood. He did.
And in the newest of the series, Force of Blood, he has—again. The story opens in the Mackinac area, that point between Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas, in 2007. It’s a time when the economy is running thin, and funding for state jobs such as those of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is no exception. As jobs are cut, those dedicated to their work sometimes find themselves working without pay—and so Grady Service takes on a favor for a friend, checking out the unethical handling of Native American artifacts on the shores of Lake Superior.
From there, the story takes off at top speed. As he does throughout the series, Heywood keeps the reader turning pages (or clicking forward furiously on their Kindles) as fast as possible, no turning back. It’s the kind of book you read standing in line, waiting in the waiting room (irritated when it’s finally your turn), on your lunch break, propped against your plate.
Grady Service is a sharp, by now slightly aging, cop who loves walking his woodsy beat, no matter how high he rises in the ranks. He’s tough but fair, a man of integrity. His ongoing relationship with his arch enemy, Limpy Allerdyce, Yooper savvy criminal and delightfully colorful character, is a treat. Once again, Limpy helps him solve the mystery, along with a long list of other memorable characters. As usual, their names are hilarious (Heywood told me he gets many of these gems out of U.P. telephone books): Jane Rain, Belphoebe Cheke, Tuesday Friday, Lacey Lucey, Delmure Arcton Toliver, Flin Yardley, Odetta Trevillyan, Karylanne Pengelly, Ladania Wingel, Luticious Treebone, Persia Hunger, Crispin Franti, Marldeane Youvonne Brannigan, Godfroi Delongshamp, Summer Rose Genova, Honeypat, Zhenya Leukonovich, Ozzien Shotwiff, a cat called Cat, and on it goes.
Yet for all the laughs—oddball names, witty Grady Service lines, hilarious scenarios (a woods cop partner who paints her own WHAT?)—the topics can also get serious. The title, Force of Blood, alludes to the call in our blood to be who we really are. Call it genetics, call it cultural upbringing, call it being in touch with our innermost selves, but no matter what you do to a person to bury their personal reality, it will still win out in the end. In this case, the force of blood refers to Native Americans, who have historically been repressed and mistreated by the white man, sometimes forced to abandon their own language and traditions, yet will always bounce back in accordance to their truth. This particular story is about how to protect and handle the artifacts of an ancient culture.
Also of note in the storyline is how the DNR handles a 20,000-acre-wide sudden forest fire. It’s fascinating to read how such an emergency is handled, how quickly fire spreads, how people respond each in their own way.
My only gripe about the entire series is the usual love interest Service entertains. There’s always one—or several. This is where the well-researched reality of the woods cop adventures takes a detour, as these women tend to be, well, what one unfortunately expects from too many mystery/detective series—the stereotypical hot female with only one thing on her mind. Indeed, it almost seems that Grady Service has only one conversation with any of his women, even though they are said to be educated and smart and could surely enjoy relationships of broader scope. Each one seems identical to the others. At least Service’s relationship with his granddaughter has greater range.
Watch for other fun moments in this book, such as a surprise appearance of the author himself crossing paths with Grady Service. Drool-worthy pages appear again when Service enters the kitchen. He’s quite the cook. But it’s Service’s honing in on his target that will keep us coming back for more, and more, and more. If there are hints in this book that the woods cop is thinking about retirement, we hope it’s not too soon. Not for at least several more books …
Joseph Heywood is a resident of Portage, Michigan, but regularly spends many months of the year in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, riding along with woods cops as research for his books. He also writes poetry and nonfiction, and paints.
September 18, 2014
I was hunting down a new mystery series for my father (because Crais, Child and Baldacci won't fill his reading year and, like me, he's given up on Connelly and Grisham), when I came across Heywood's Woods Cop series. Here the central role goes to Grady Service, a Michigan detective for the Department of Natural Resources who patrols the vast territory of that state's Upper Peninsula. This volume is the eighth in the run and revolves around the theft of ancient artifacts.
Heywood has an underground rep for taut, action-filled work and this is deserved. Half a dozen too many people for my taste, but the pace is good and the relationships intriguing. I could have done without the rather outrageous conceit dealt at the end, when the author introduced himself as a character in the story, but I suppose that after eight installments he's getting a little antsy.
Not bad. Probably has more cachet for the Michigan native, though.
Heywood has an underground rep for taut, action-filled work and this is deserved. Half a dozen too many people for my taste, but the pace is good and the relationships intriguing. I could have done without the rather outrageous conceit dealt at the end, when the author introduced himself as a character in the story, but I suppose that after eight installments he's getting a little antsy.
Not bad. Probably has more cachet for the Michigan native, though.
November 18, 2011
I still can't quite figure out what about this latest Heywood book rubbed me the wrong way, but something about this one definitely did. I've been a huge fan of this series since the beginning, and I've even gone so far read a couple of them twice. There was just something very disjointed going on in Force of Blood. The yooperease that I normally read quite easily (I hail from just below the bridge) seemed more over the top than usual. Also, Heywood seemed to spend a lot of effort developing a number of situations and characters that ended up being totally irrelevant to the main story. Finally, "cheesy" is the only way I can think of to describe his blatant and totally unnecessary insertion of himself into the story near the very end. But I did finish it, and I'm sure I'll read the next one too so I'll just chalk this one up to a fluke. I am curious to hear what others thought.
March 2, 2022
OMG. Can this guy go 2 days without sex? That is one thing I have noticed about this series. In all the books there are multiple references to his having sex. It's not explicit, but there is always some woman waiting for him and ready to go.
This particular entry in the series was a bit confusing. I like that Heywood always includes a map, but this time the book mentions many towns and geographic locations that are not on the map. In addition, the story involves Native American history,a particular incident, and how groups of warriors travelled and their routes. The start and end points of these routes and many of the locations along the way are not on the map.
One other thing that bugged me about this specific book in the series was the way that rural white characters adopted "ghetto" speech, for lack of a more appropriate word.
This particular entry in the series was a bit confusing. I like that Heywood always includes a map, but this time the book mentions many towns and geographic locations that are not on the map. In addition, the story involves Native American history,a particular incident, and how groups of warriors travelled and their routes. The start and end points of these routes and many of the locations along the way are not on the map.
One other thing that bugged me about this specific book in the series was the way that rural white characters adopted "ghetto" speech, for lack of a more appropriate word.
December 25, 2016
Another enjoyable entry in the Wood's Cop series.I am wondering if there is an end to Grady's carreer given his increasing age - hopefully he does not give in and get stuck in Lansing? As usual there are multiple plot lines going on and I found it challenging to keep everything straight at times -especially with the names he uses. How can you not like these names-
Limpy Alderdyce
Honeypat Alderdyce
Tuesday Friday - Grady's current girlfriend
Professor Shotwiff
Jingo Sedge
Elza "Sheena" Grinda
and finally a guy who looks like Kermit the Frog
Limpy Alderdyce
Honeypat Alderdyce
Tuesday Friday - Grady's current girlfriend
Professor Shotwiff
Jingo Sedge
Elza "Sheena" Grinda
and finally a guy who looks like Kermit the Frog
April 6, 2012
Something about outdoor mysteries. You need to start at the beginning of the series. my mistake. The attention to weather detail and the scenery is out standing. So was the native american history lesson to boot.
October 1, 2012
I love this series...written by a Michigan author, who has spent time shadowing the Conservation Officers in the upper part of the lower peninsula, as well as the UP. In this book he even has the main character, Grady Service, take a jab at the author, as part of the story.
March 29, 2023
"Michigan in economic freefall, state budgets being slashed, politics reduced to nastiness, state jobs being erased, and personnel furloughed without pay. Grady Service, detective for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Upper Peninsula, watches as his colleagues leave the department one by one, leaving him without his old support system. Upon being asked by an old friend to look into unspecified problems his son is facing on the shores of Lake Superior, Service has no idea how complicated his life is about to become. All he knows is that the situation involves something his friend calls “bleeding sand”—and that his new partner, Conservation Officer Donna “Jingo” Sedge, is the oddest young officer he’s ever met, both jealous and suspicious of his role in what she views as her case on her turf.
Service and Sedge become immersed in a centuries-old mystery they must solve in order to deal with the current and more pressing problem: people willfully looting and tearing up a Native American archaeological site. As past and present intersect, summer lightning ignites a forest fire in northern Luce County, and the blaze quickly covers 20,000 acres."
The 8th in the Grady Service saga. Moves fast.
Great story
Service and Sedge become immersed in a centuries-old mystery they must solve in order to deal with the current and more pressing problem: people willfully looting and tearing up a Native American archaeological site. As past and present intersect, summer lightning ignites a forest fire in northern Luce County, and the blaze quickly covers 20,000 acres."
The 8th in the Grady Service saga. Moves fast.
Great story
March 14, 2018
I enjoyed this addition to the Woods Cop series, although it wasn't at the top of the list for me. It wasn't my 'least' favorite -- that award goes to "Death Roe", the only book I didn't finish-- but once I got into the book, it held my interest. A little hard to follow sometimes (as an example, had to figure out who was talking at times) and it got a little muddled with so many characters (but that's normal for these books - tons of characters and most interesting and pretty darn strange too ;-)
I liked the character of Sedge and would like to see more of her (and Allerdyce!) The storyline was a little boring at first but picked up. Regarding the author putting his name into the story, I didn't have a problem with that (it's his book after all :-) but it did seemed forced and out of the blue. The appearance on the TV seemed kind of forced also, a gimmick to end the story and kind of lame. I'm looking forward to reading the next one, but I think I missed one because I don't remember his girlfriend "Tuesday Friday" (the strangest name in a long list of strange names) and I certainly would have remembered her!! I'll have to look at what I missed.
I liked the character of Sedge and would like to see more of her (and Allerdyce!) The storyline was a little boring at first but picked up. Regarding the author putting his name into the story, I didn't have a problem with that (it's his book after all :-) but it did seemed forced and out of the blue. The appearance on the TV seemed kind of forced also, a gimmick to end the story and kind of lame. I'm looking forward to reading the next one, but I think I missed one because I don't remember his girlfriend "Tuesday Friday" (the strangest name in a long list of strange names) and I certainly would have remembered her!! I'll have to look at what I missed.
February 8, 2024
Force of Blood was number eight in the Woods Cop Mystery series, and I read the first seven. This book is a ramble, and I felt like it lacked a finishing punch. Michigan conservation officer, Grady Service, receives a promotion; and the move coincides with his involvement in a conflict over an archaeological area of interest. The land in question is within the territory of conservation officer, Jingo Sedge, who turns out to be quite a character. As the story moves along, the reader learns that there is a conflict between Duncan Katsu, a native American attempting to protect a sacred site and a Professor Toliver, who is attempting to excavate the area. The affair leads to a wild goose chase, as Grady attempts to identify who has jurisdiction over the area and whether some sort of crime is in progress. The investigation touches on horse thievery, trophy deer tranquilizing, governmental turf wars, budgetary shortfalls, and a wild fire. The introduction of Jingo Sedge added interest, and Grady's budding relationship with Tuesday Friday fired things up, but overall I found the novel to be rambling and out of focus.
September 9, 2021
I've been enjoying working my way through the Mike Bowditch, Joe Picket and Grady Service mysteries. The Grady Service Woods Cop series is one that I started long ago, and its been a great pleasure to catch up with him. Up to this point, the books were all solid 4 or 5 stars, even when Maridly and Grady's son were killed off (and I still am not happy about that!). This entry was a bit disappointing. Too many characters to keep straight, and perhaps too much information about the Native American tribes and their warfare. I appreciate complex plotting and multiple storylines, but in this case, it was too much. I felt the book lost focus, and I thought that Grady's appearance on Letterman, and Joseph Heywood butting into the book as a character, was ludicrous and contributed nothing. I look forward the next book in the series to see if the books get back on track.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2021
Sorry, but when a book has numerous references to obscure Indian tribes, groups and off shoots topped with too many people involved I tend to get overwhelmed. The names and places put this in the same league and trying to decipher the words and names in a sci- fi novel. If I were to start this book over I’d have a very large white board and plenty of colored markers to keep track of all the players and their relationship to the story. Way too much work!
February 4, 2021
Grady Service is taking on new roles for the DNR in this book and is looking back on his career while assisting a newer CO on an artifacts case. Heywood understand how the work actually get's done which adds realism to the story. This story also touched on the firefighting aspect of the work performed by DNR. Lots of twists and interesting tidbits of natural resource law enforcement in this one.
December 2, 2017
This is my eight book in this series, which up in till now I have enjoyed. Perhaps my taste is changing. I found the dialog in this book hard to read, it's local slang overdone. The storyline didn't engage me. Of the 55 plus books I've read in 2017, this is the one I did not finish. I stopped 200 pages in.
June 19, 2025
I enjoy this series. Don’t care about the plots. Just enjoy hanging with the characters and meeting new ones, Yooper culture and Native tribal traditions, politics. Every woman shamelessly throwing herself at Grady gets old. Love when he’s asked to let a writer named Heywood who writes crap about COs shadow him. Not gonna forgive him for killing off characters unnecessarily
December 19, 2017
First, let me say I love this series and have rated all them quite high however this one was terribly difficult to follow.
March 31, 2018
I enjoy Joseph Heywood and his Wood COP series! Hopefully another one will be published soon!
August 21, 2018
Another excellent read; started from Service Grady trying to locate artifacts from old Indians to battling a forest fire...
October 2, 2019
Another excellent adventure in the life of Grady Service! I love this series! Can't wait to read book 9!
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February 3, 2021I liked this book. I’m curious as to using the word ‘pitcher’ when it should have been ‘picture’. I noticed this three times in the text. Is it bad proofing or a secret message?
July 22, 2021
In general, I love this series, but this one seemed kind of draggy until 3/4 through when the forest fire started.
January 16, 2013
#8 in the Woods Cop series. Grady Service is still grieving the murder of his lover and his son, but he rejoices in his granddaughter. He has a love affair going on with state cop Tuesday Friday, complicated by their unpredictable schedules. The book is a great read with poaching, a 20,000 acre fire and theft of Indian artifacts - and add to this more than you could ever want to know about the conflicting theories about a centuries old battle between the Ojibwa and Iroquois on the shore of Lake Superior.
Woods Cop series - Late spring, 2007. Michigan in economic freefall, state budgets being slashed. Grady Service, detective for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Upper Peninsula,watches as his colleagues leave the department one by one, leaving him without his old support system. Upon being asked by an old friend to look into unspecified problems his son is facing on the shores of Lake Superior, Service has no idea how complicated his life is about to become. All he knows is that the situation involves something his friend calls “bleeding sand”—and that his new partner, Conservation Officer Donna “Jingo” Sedge, is the oddest young officer he’s ever met, both jealous and suspicious of his role in what she views as her case on her turf.
Woods Cop series - Late spring, 2007. Michigan in economic freefall, state budgets being slashed. Grady Service, detective for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Upper Peninsula,watches as his colleagues leave the department one by one, leaving him without his old support system. Upon being asked by an old friend to look into unspecified problems his son is facing on the shores of Lake Superior, Service has no idea how complicated his life is about to become. All he knows is that the situation involves something his friend calls “bleeding sand”—and that his new partner, Conservation Officer Donna “Jingo” Sedge, is the oddest young officer he’s ever met, both jealous and suspicious of his role in what she views as her case on her turf.
September 9, 2012
As always this series is one of my favorites because the main character is the Upper Peninsula. The human main character is becoming older and so it seems that the time in the woods is less intense as he becomes less a line officer and more a detective/NCO. This story is a little more detailed and cerebral. Native American history, artifacts etc was interesting but I think I personally enjoyed some of the other books where the land or wildlife was more central to the plotline. However I'm sure that is reversed for many who are history buffs. Still plenty of UP, I've only been a few times but recognize some of the names and place and can't get enough of this series or recommend it highly enough to nature loves.
Not sure what is going to happen as Grady ages, hope the series or a parallel series continues with one of the other younger characters.
Not sure what is going to happen as Grady ages, hope the series or a parallel series continues with one of the other younger characters.
July 26, 2013
The last in the series so far and one of my favorites. A majority of the book takes place in Newberry, MacMillan, & East Lake...some of my favorite places in the UP. Heywood is able to take multiple plot lines and characters that seem disconnected and bring them all together by the novel's end. Only part that seems a bit contrived is Heywood becoming part of the novel himself. I found that a little cheesy, but Grady, Friday, Jingo, Waco, & Allerdyce make the reading interesting. This novel, as with the others in the series, provides compelling reading and make an extended excursion through the UP a must.
September 29, 2011
I love Grady Service and all of the charaters that Joseph Heywood created in this series. Thank goodness Grady did not suffer any personal losses but the action keeps the reader involved.
If I have one critism is that Heywood interjected himself into the story line and was not very subtle with the intrusion. It added nothing to the story line and was an unnessary distraction.
I also recommend you read the whole series. The action between characters is very well developed between books and makes the relivance of each person to the story clear.
If I have one critism is that Heywood interjected himself into the story line and was not very subtle with the intrusion. It added nothing to the story line and was an unnessary distraction.
I also recommend you read the whole series. The action between characters is very well developed between books and makes the relivance of each person to the story clear.
September 13, 2015
Number 8 in the Woods Cop series, this one brings in a lot of cultural, historical and archaeological aspects of the UP. Pretty interesting stuff. As the cases are getting more interesting, though, the reasons are becoming more obscure for a CO's involvement in them - not only to the reader, but to some of the characters, as well. The author manages to insert himself into this story toward the end as a character who is referenced, but never seen. Cute.
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