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On the Road to Death's Door
Emily and Stan Remington’s maiden voyage in their newly inherited RV takes a lethal turn when a body falls off the top of their vehicle. The retired couple find themselves at the center of a murder investigation involving a politician, a corporate executive, and a hippie priest. The rookie RVers inevitably butt heads with the local sheriff as their investigation takes them from a backwoods cabin in Wisconsin’s scenic Door County to the Bishop’s Chancery in Madison to an abandoned island in the infamous Death’s Door Straits.
279 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2011
18 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Peggy Joque Williams
4 books67 followersAward-winning author Peggy Joque Williams writes historical fiction inspired by her discovery of her 7th- and 8th-great grandmothers who emigrated from France to Canada in the 17th century as Filles du Roi (Daughters of the King). Her first book, Courting the Sun: A Novel of Versailles, imagines a life for her heroine unlike anything her own ancestors likely experienced in France. It’s sequel, Braving the Dawn: A Novel of New France, however, is rooted in her deep research about her French-Canadian and Ojibwe ancestors of that era. She has also co-writtern two mystery novels under the penname M.J. Williams. A retired elementary school teacher, Peggy is an alum of both Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin. She lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit her at www.peggywilliamsauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 8, 2020
A page-turner with a strong female protagonist and a few twists and turns along the way. I do like local Wisconsin settings, and Door County is a wonderful locale to center this mystery. Good read. I look forward to more stories from M.J Williams.
April 20, 2013
On the Road to Death's Door by M. J. Williams is a story about a group of friends getting together in a small Wisconsin town. The reunion was setup to help with Father Victor's scandalous book. When they all go out for dinner, and the Father doesn't show, the mystery begins.
Emily is a retired police officer. Stan is her scholarly husband. Jeremiah is running for office. His wife is Glenna. Malcolm and Audrey are a pair too.
Emily and Stan are on an RV excursion to see their daughter. Before the trip, Emily stopped at a few garage sales to hunt down some treasures. She ended up with more than she bargained for. Sheriff Pelletier and Emily are on a mission to solve the mystery.
The story is like a traditional mystery novel. I love a crime fighting duo such as Sherlock and Holmes, Inspector Lewis and Detective Sergeant Hathaway and the like. There are also notable solo detectives like Miss Marple, Luther, Wallander, Hercule Poirot, etc.
The actuality that I love a good mystery makes me like the book. I appreciate the wit too. The matter that Sheriff Pelletier calls Emily "Miss Marple" is amusing.
A good mystery never gives the answer away until the end. I couldn't figure the puzzle out which made me keep reading. I would definitely read more in the series.
Emily is a retired police officer. Stan is her scholarly husband. Jeremiah is running for office. His wife is Glenna. Malcolm and Audrey are a pair too.
Emily and Stan are on an RV excursion to see their daughter. Before the trip, Emily stopped at a few garage sales to hunt down some treasures. She ended up with more than she bargained for. Sheriff Pelletier and Emily are on a mission to solve the mystery.
The story is like a traditional mystery novel. I love a crime fighting duo such as Sherlock and Holmes, Inspector Lewis and Detective Sergeant Hathaway and the like. There are also notable solo detectives like Miss Marple, Luther, Wallander, Hercule Poirot, etc.
The actuality that I love a good mystery makes me like the book. I appreciate the wit too. The matter that Sheriff Pelletier calls Emily "Miss Marple" is amusing.
A good mystery never gives the answer away until the end. I couldn't figure the puzzle out which made me keep reading. I would definitely read more in the series.
January 14, 2017
On the Road to Death's Door: On the Road Mystery Series, Book 1
: M J Williams
A cozy mystery with a strong female protagonist.The husband is a bit scatterbrained but intriguing. Emily is a recently retired police officer. She and her husband set out in their newly inherited RV to travel the country. People and events from their past re-enter their lives setting up this story. A body turns up in an unusual place and the investigating begins. Many twists and turns bring the listener into the story. A great way to spend a Saturday.
The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed. Jane Oppenheimer brought the story to life.
I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys cozy mysteries.
"I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator."
June 11, 2019
Not too good but the references to Madison and other parts of WI made it interesting.
July 21, 2019
Great Mystery!!
There were a few twists & turns that kept u guessing until the end!! A real page turner. On to book 2!!
There were a few twists & turns that kept u guessing until the end!! A real page turner. On to book 2!!
August 4, 2015
This is only my second book read in the murder mystery genre and I have to say...I am now a huge fan! Just when you think you've got the mystery figured out it takes you for a wild spin in a completely new and twisted direction!
The Story
The story focuses on an ex-cop and her husband. Both now retired, they plan to travel the country in their new Winnebago. One man's trash is another man's treasure, at least that's what Emily Remington believes. As she searches the local garage sales in Wisconsin, she comes across a stained rug that would be the perfect addition to their new home on wheels. What she doesn't know is later that evening one of the Remington's dear friends would come rolling out of that rug, dead from a bullet wound. And so the mystery begins!
Characters
Emily Remington is the center of the book. She's a retired cop that still has a drive to serve the public and put her skills to use when there's a crime to solve. When her husband's college friend turns up dead she stops at nothing to figure out who did it. I loved Emily the most because she was a fresh character for me. Usually the books I read (and write) focus on someone in their twenties. Emily is at retirement age, but that doesn't mean the vigor has gone from her life. She has wit, energy, but also is going through changes that age brings for all of us women. She was very real and extremely likable.
Stan Remington is Emily's husband and equally likable. He seems to be Emily's opposite almost. Where Emily is all about action, Stan loves research. They make the perfect team because what one lacks, the other loves. He wasn't as memorable, but he played a huge role in the mystery and figuring out the killer. I still felt for him as he grieved the death of his friend.
Malcolm Hoover is a college friend of Stan's who is doing really well in life. He is traveling Wisconsin as well with his wife on their large, expensive boat. I liked Malcolm a lot because he was pretty blunt, funny, and a bit of a silver fox if you ask me. Even though he is a suspect in the murder, the entire time I was like "NO! It can't be Malcolm!"
Audrey Hoover is Malcolm's wife and a bit annoying. She's loud, a little self-centered and spoiled, and a bit dense. She's the perfect trophy wife. Her character doesn't do much for the story except break up the likability of all the characters. She's the one person I didn't care for much, not because she wasn't well written. She was. So much in fact I truly disliked her as a person.
The local cop, whose name I honestly can't remember as I write this, was a decent character. You want to not like him because he's kind of a jerk at first when the body is found, but he warms up to Emily and they soon become a dynamic duo in solving the crime. By the end of the book I really liked him and hoped they all stayed in touch.
The Writing
I loved the author's style of writing. She didn't over complicate her wording, but still used words I'd completely forgotten about like "curmudgeon". It was an easy read. The chapters ended in all the right places to keep me wanting to turn the pages. The only complaint I might have is that it was a tiny bit predictable. I didn't know EXACTLY who the killer was from the begging, but I was in the general vicinity of knowing. By 75% through the book, I knew who it was. Even still, I kept the pages turning because it was so exciting to see how that person was caught.
On The Road to Death's Door by M.J. Williams is an fresh, exciting page turner! I give it 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads and will definitely be reading the next book in the series, On The Road to Where The Bells Toll soon.
The Story
The story focuses on an ex-cop and her husband. Both now retired, they plan to travel the country in their new Winnebago. One man's trash is another man's treasure, at least that's what Emily Remington believes. As she searches the local garage sales in Wisconsin, she comes across a stained rug that would be the perfect addition to their new home on wheels. What she doesn't know is later that evening one of the Remington's dear friends would come rolling out of that rug, dead from a bullet wound. And so the mystery begins!
Characters
Emily Remington is the center of the book. She's a retired cop that still has a drive to serve the public and put her skills to use when there's a crime to solve. When her husband's college friend turns up dead she stops at nothing to figure out who did it. I loved Emily the most because she was a fresh character for me. Usually the books I read (and write) focus on someone in their twenties. Emily is at retirement age, but that doesn't mean the vigor has gone from her life. She has wit, energy, but also is going through changes that age brings for all of us women. She was very real and extremely likable.
Stan Remington is Emily's husband and equally likable. He seems to be Emily's opposite almost. Where Emily is all about action, Stan loves research. They make the perfect team because what one lacks, the other loves. He wasn't as memorable, but he played a huge role in the mystery and figuring out the killer. I still felt for him as he grieved the death of his friend.
Malcolm Hoover is a college friend of Stan's who is doing really well in life. He is traveling Wisconsin as well with his wife on their large, expensive boat. I liked Malcolm a lot because he was pretty blunt, funny, and a bit of a silver fox if you ask me. Even though he is a suspect in the murder, the entire time I was like "NO! It can't be Malcolm!"
Audrey Hoover is Malcolm's wife and a bit annoying. She's loud, a little self-centered and spoiled, and a bit dense. She's the perfect trophy wife. Her character doesn't do much for the story except break up the likability of all the characters. She's the one person I didn't care for much, not because she wasn't well written. She was. So much in fact I truly disliked her as a person.
The local cop, whose name I honestly can't remember as I write this, was a decent character. You want to not like him because he's kind of a jerk at first when the body is found, but he warms up to Emily and they soon become a dynamic duo in solving the crime. By the end of the book I really liked him and hoped they all stayed in touch.
The Writing
I loved the author's style of writing. She didn't over complicate her wording, but still used words I'd completely forgotten about like "curmudgeon". It was an easy read. The chapters ended in all the right places to keep me wanting to turn the pages. The only complaint I might have is that it was a tiny bit predictable. I didn't know EXACTLY who the killer was from the begging, but I was in the general vicinity of knowing. By 75% through the book, I knew who it was. Even still, I kept the pages turning because it was so exciting to see how that person was caught.
On The Road to Death's Door by M.J. Williams is an fresh, exciting page turner! I give it 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads and will definitely be reading the next book in the series, On The Road to Where The Bells Toll soon.
February 21, 2017
Emily and Stan Remington are on the road for the first time in their newly inherited RV. The first stop is a reunion of college friends. They get a little worried when Vic, the Catholic priest, doesn't show up for dinner but they decide he must have been called to work to help a parishioner with a problem. After the meal 2 of the couples are relaxing and talking when they decide they would like to see the new rug Emily picked up at a yard sale. When they toss the rug off the roof of the RV and roll it out they find the body of their friend Vic. Naturally Sheriff Fred questions all the friends to try to figure out which one of them killed Vic. Emily, a retired police officer, ends up helping the sheriff with the case. Father Vic was working on his memoirs at the time of his murder. Everyone, from the Bishop's office to his other friends, is trying to find his notes and manuscript. Was someone so afraid of his memoir's they were willing to kill to keep them from being published? Vic's sister has entrusted the notes to Stan. Will Emily and Sheriff Fred solve the case in time to keep anyone else from being killed?
I received this audiobook for free from the publisher/author in exchange for my honest review.
I received this audiobook for free from the publisher/author in exchange for my honest review.
February 28, 2017
What a fun cozy mystery. Emily and Stan are great characters and I hope I can read more about this couples adventures. Jane does a wonderful job of narrating this book. I would listen to more read by Jane she is great. This story takes place in Door County in Wisconsin I have never been here but after listening to this book I would like to visit. I received this audio book free with the understanding I would leave an honest review.
April 15, 2012
My kind of 'cozy' with a strong, sensible main character, retired female police officer. I'm not familiar with the area but it seemed accurate, the small town attitudes were realistic and the ties to events years in the past were brought it smoothly. Competent writing, good plot, vivid characters.
The one issue I had was the almost too-obvious role swapping of the main character and her husband. He was portrayed at times as a male version of the feather-brained, impulsive, illogical wife/girlfriend in many mysteries. I found it a bit exaggerated and uncomfortable at times. Seems difficult to believe an intelligent person who had been married for years to a very competent police officer would be so clueless. Just family discussion over that many years would have provided some basis for rationality I would think.
The one issue I had was the almost too-obvious role swapping of the main character and her husband. He was portrayed at times as a male version of the feather-brained, impulsive, illogical wife/girlfriend in many mysteries. I found it a bit exaggerated and uncomfortable at times. Seems difficult to believe an intelligent person who had been married for years to a very competent police officer would be so clueless. Just family discussion over that many years would have provided some basis for rationality I would think.
January 24, 2017
As a Wisconsin native, mystery addict, and law enforcement supporter, I had some expectations, and the good ones were fulfilled. It was fun following their antics as new RVers and also the adjustment of living in each other's pockets after a lifetime of working and raising children. Finding a corpse yet being a civilian for a change, was another adjustment for Emily. There is plenty of humor, vivid scenic descriptions, clear characterizations, and a solid plot at a comfortable speed. I intend to look for more of these.
Jane Oppenheimer is remarkably well suited and adds good things with her narration.
I requested and received this audio free from the publisher, author, or narrator courtesy of AudioBookBOOM.
Jane Oppenheimer is remarkably well suited and adds good things with her narration.
I requested and received this audio free from the publisher, author, or narrator courtesy of AudioBookBOOM.
July 15, 2013
Follow retired police officer, Emily Remington and her husband, Stan, as danger and drama find them in their Winnebago on a trip to Door County. Emily and Stan intend on meeting up with some of Stan's college buddies and get caught up in a web of mystery and intrigue that had been following them along since their time at UW-Madison. An abandoned island in Lake Michigan with a dilapidated dock and an old Coast Guard Station (hint, hint) figures prominently in the storyline . . . walk in their steps, feel their uneasiness, share in their dismay. I am looking forward to following Emily and Stan on their journey in the next series!
April 30, 2012
Interesting to someone who grew up in Wisconsin and attended the UW and is familiar with Door County. Fairly decent murder mystery but takes liberties with the 1970 bombing at the UW which bothered me.....
June 15, 2012
This is a fast summer read. I enjoyed it but doubt anyone
but Wisconsin and Door County residents would really like it.
The authors are from Madison and planned on making a series
of mysteries from this book, but I don't think that will happen.
It was good though.
but Wisconsin and Door County residents would really like it.
The authors are from Madison and planned on making a series
of mysteries from this book, but I don't think that will happen.
It was good though.
August 4, 2012
It was a fun read. Though people who are familiar with Door County might like it a bit more than the average reader, you don't have to be familiar with the area to enjoy the book. If they (M.J. Williams) write another Emily & Stan mystery (and according to their FB page, they are), I'd buy it.
November 12, 2015
This was a fun mystery romp. Stan and Emily are recently retired and taking their maiden voyage in an inherited motor home. They end up involved in a murder investigation. I especially like that it takes place in Wisconsin, my favorite state.
April 19, 2012
TOO CUTE. Can a murder mystery be cute? I enjoyed Emily and Stan greatly. I will confess that I acquired it as a feebie on my kindle and didn't regret it at all.
May 24, 2012
A well written fun mystery. Fun because the setting is in Door County, Wisconsin, a place with which I am very familiar.
July 31, 2014
Fun, quick read. Was interesting reading about many of the places i visited during a recent trip to Door County in a fictional context.
April 17, 2017
( Format : Audiobook )
"'Bout time you got here, Miss Marple!""
What a delightful book. Retired Michigan police officer, Emily Remington, and her history professor husband, Stan, have inherited a ten years old camper van and intend to put it to good use, enjoying a fun holiday without hotel bills. They are also meeting up with old college friends: the four men of the couples had once been known as the Fractious Four. But everything starts to go wrong when one of their number, a priest, turns up not at their prearranged dinner but dead, rolled up in an old carpet. Then another murder victim is found at a local hotel, Stan and his other surviving friends instantly become suspects and Emily jumps into police mode, to the annoyance of the local inspector - well, for the reader, at least, it's going to be a memorable holiday.
The characters are all beautifully portrayed and the emotional chaos of an anticipated holiday and reunion of friends totally disrupted is perfectly observed, with excellent, natural and, sometimes, humerous dialogue. This is further brought to life by Jane Oppenheimer's narration. The conversations are well nuanced, the text read clearly and well paced. Her reading gives even greater reality to this warm hearted, inclusive book - and the mystery story is pretty good, too.
I was very fortunate in that i was gifted this book by the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. This is a gentle, pleasurable stand alone story which I recommend to anyone looking for an enjoyable way to pass a few hours, perhaps whilst on holiday.
"'Bout time you got here, Miss Marple!""
What a delightful book. Retired Michigan police officer, Emily Remington, and her history professor husband, Stan, have inherited a ten years old camper van and intend to put it to good use, enjoying a fun holiday without hotel bills. They are also meeting up with old college friends: the four men of the couples had once been known as the Fractious Four. But everything starts to go wrong when one of their number, a priest, turns up not at their prearranged dinner but dead, rolled up in an old carpet. Then another murder victim is found at a local hotel, Stan and his other surviving friends instantly become suspects and Emily jumps into police mode, to the annoyance of the local inspector - well, for the reader, at least, it's going to be a memorable holiday.
The characters are all beautifully portrayed and the emotional chaos of an anticipated holiday and reunion of friends totally disrupted is perfectly observed, with excellent, natural and, sometimes, humerous dialogue. This is further brought to life by Jane Oppenheimer's narration. The conversations are well nuanced, the text read clearly and well paced. Her reading gives even greater reality to this warm hearted, inclusive book - and the mystery story is pretty good, too.
I was very fortunate in that i was gifted this book by the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. This is a gentle, pleasurable stand alone story which I recommend to anyone looking for an enjoyable way to pass a few hours, perhaps whilst on holiday.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews