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Smoke and Mirrors: A Ray Elkins Thriller
Sheriff Ray Elkins returns in this haunting crime thriller.On the 4th of July, what should have been a quiet night explodes into horror when two bodies are found brutally murdered in the dunes of a remote beach. A couple, naked and vulnerable, lies dead, sparking a complex investigation that dives deep into the darker corners of human nature.
The victims' identities lead the investigation down a path filled with drugs, secrets, and a past that refuses to stay buried. Ray and his team come face to face with a culture of poverty, addiction, and fragmented family bonds that explodes both lives and beloved landscapes.
The victims' identities lead the investigation down a path filled with drugs, secrets, and a past that refuses to stay buried. Ray and his team come face to face with a culture of poverty, addiction, and fragmented family bonds that explodes both lives and beloved landscapes.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2024
About the author
Aaron Stander
13 books117 followersAaron Stander spent most of his adult years in the Detroit area, where he taught English and trained writing teachers. In 2000 he and his wife left college teaching positions and moved permanently to their cottage near Traverse City. Aaron is the author ten mysteries set in northwest lower Michigan. He is also the author of numerous articles, stories, poems, and reviews, and the host of Michigan Writers on the Air on Interlochen Public Radio. When not writing or thinking about writing, Aaron spends a lot of time kayaking along the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 30, 2026
Smoke and Mirrors
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Aaron Stander
A Ray Elkins Thriller
After a long hiatus author Aaron Stander has brought us another Ray Elkins thriller and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. This is book number 12 in the series and, like the others it takes place in Northern Michigan in a mythical "Cedar County” that is very similar to many actual areas of the state.
It is the 4th of July and many people are out celebrating on Michigan’s beautiful beaches. One celebration takes a dark turn when the partiers discover a couple naked and dead, just a ways from the beach. Nothing else is found, no clothing, no identification, etc. The teenage female is from the area, from a struggling family caught in generational poverty, living with a mother that is not capable of parenting. The man is unknown, a "John Doe”; however, he is believed to be European and perhaps part of a wave of people who snuck into the US during the first years of Covid.
As that investigation continues, the sheriff’s department must respond to several fires set within the State Forest, abandoned buildings and a privately owned home. All of this, plus a recurring problem of vandalism, has left the sheriff’s department, along with state and local police and fire departments badly stretched. Another death or two has the sheriff and his department overworked and desperately in need of sleep.
In Smoke and Mirrors Ray Elkins continues as the County Sheriff and most of the same crew are with him. One big difference is Ray is beginning to feel his age more and more but then, aren’t we all? A terrific mystery with a darker (but not too dark) side than we’ve seen before. I love books that take place in my home state of Michigan and this is one of my favorite series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#emptynestreader #SmokeAndMirrors #RayElkins #AaronStander #fiction #mysterythriller #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #SeptemberReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks #librarybooks
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Aaron Stander
A Ray Elkins Thriller
After a long hiatus author Aaron Stander has brought us another Ray Elkins thriller and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. This is book number 12 in the series and, like the others it takes place in Northern Michigan in a mythical "Cedar County” that is very similar to many actual areas of the state.
It is the 4th of July and many people are out celebrating on Michigan’s beautiful beaches. One celebration takes a dark turn when the partiers discover a couple naked and dead, just a ways from the beach. Nothing else is found, no clothing, no identification, etc. The teenage female is from the area, from a struggling family caught in generational poverty, living with a mother that is not capable of parenting. The man is unknown, a "John Doe”; however, he is believed to be European and perhaps part of a wave of people who snuck into the US during the first years of Covid.
As that investigation continues, the sheriff’s department must respond to several fires set within the State Forest, abandoned buildings and a privately owned home. All of this, plus a recurring problem of vandalism, has left the sheriff’s department, along with state and local police and fire departments badly stretched. Another death or two has the sheriff and his department overworked and desperately in need of sleep.
In Smoke and Mirrors Ray Elkins continues as the County Sheriff and most of the same crew are with him. One big difference is Ray is beginning to feel his age more and more but then, aren’t we all? A terrific mystery with a darker (but not too dark) side than we’ve seen before. I love books that take place in my home state of Michigan and this is one of my favorite series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#emptynestreader #SmokeAndMirrors #RayElkins #AaronStander #fiction #mysterythriller #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #SeptemberReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks #librarybooks
December 26, 2024
Another Winner from Aaron Stander
I love this series. I have to admit it’s partly because I get to figuratively visit my beloved northern Michigan. But I also appreciate the character development and the plots. I was delighted when this new book came out, and look forward to the next one.
I love this series. I have to admit it’s partly because I get to figuratively visit my beloved northern Michigan. But I also appreciate the character development and the plots. I was delighted when this new book came out, and look forward to the next one.
December 23, 2024
Good, but
It was an interesting mystery and a fast read, however it seemed a little wandering. Things were known in the end, but things were scattered around. I look forward to his next book.
It was an interesting mystery and a fast read, however it seemed a little wandering. Things were known in the end, but things were scattered around. I look forward to his next book.
February 2, 2025
Excellent read.
If you like rural thrillers, you'll love this series. Smoke and Mirrors ties up loose ends from a previous novel and the relationships of the main characters grow. Recommended.
If you like rural thrillers, you'll love this series. Smoke and Mirrors ties up loose ends from a previous novel and the relationships of the main characters grow. Recommended.
September 12, 2026
Excellent entry for a new series. Quick but interesting read on my Kindle. Summer visitors of a certain ilk keep dying in a variety of ways. The answer lies in the past, leading to an unusual but satisfying conclusion.
August 14, 2025
Another Exciting Book!
As always this Series has been so exciting. I have read all but one book and that one is next! Love Aaron Stander novel! Keep writing Me Stander!
As always this Series has been so exciting. I have read all but one book and that one is next! Love Aaron Stander novel! Keep writing Me Stander!
February 25, 2026
Great read
I love sue and ray. The cases they work always bring out the best in each other. Which is good for the community they serve.
I love sue and ray. The cases they work always bring out the best in each other. Which is good for the community they serve.
June 23, 2025
This is the second mystery I have finished today. Maybe I am getting jaded, but I didn't find this Ray Elikins story as compelling as previous books in this series.
In this book, I am starting to get what I call the James Bond/Dirk Pitt vibe. If you have read or watched any of the Bond/Pitt stuff, you know they are like the Energizer bunny. They take a licking, but keep on ticking. I realize that an author is trying to condense possible scenarios that could occur in the career of a police officer, but when so many things happen to a couple of characters in such a short space of the story's timeline, it feels unrealistic. On top of that, they recover or move on from bad stuff in a very short time. Even with the counseling available, most characters are like Teflon. It all just slides off. I do expect this from Bond/Pitt, but the history of this series has always been more down to earth, so it is a turn, in my opinion, in the wrong direction.
In this book, I am starting to get what I call the James Bond/Dirk Pitt vibe. If you have read or watched any of the Bond/Pitt stuff, you know they are like the Energizer bunny. They take a licking, but keep on ticking. I realize that an author is trying to condense possible scenarios that could occur in the career of a police officer, but when so many things happen to a couple of characters in such a short space of the story's timeline, it feels unrealistic. On top of that, they recover or move on from bad stuff in a very short time. Even with the counseling available, most characters are like Teflon. It all just slides off. I do expect this from Bond/Pitt, but the history of this series has always been more down to earth, so it is a turn, in my opinion, in the wrong direction.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews