The Audacity of Goats

North Of The Tension Line #2

by J.F. Riordan

All is not well north of the tension line. A series of unsettling nighttime incidents have left the islanders uncertain whether to be nervous or annoyed. Are they victims of an elaborate teenage prank, or is there a malevolent stranger lurking on the island? Meanwhile, out-of-state owners of a new goat farm seem to consider themselves the self-proclaimed leaders of the island; Pali, the ferry captain, is troubled by his own unique version of writer’s block; and Ben, the captain’s ten year-old son, appears to be hiding something. But it is only when the imperturbable Lars Olafsen announces his retirement and Stella announces her candidacy for his office that the islanders realize that trouble is brewing. Fiona must decide whether
it is time to leave the island for good, or to make another reckless gamble.

Second in the award-winning North of the Tension Line series, The Audacity of Goats is the continuing tale of Fiona Campbell, and her reluctant adventures among the pleasures, mysteries, and exasperations of small town life.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Novels

493 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2016

Reviews

[Mark Schug · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Review of The Audacity of Goats
Mark Schug
My wife and I were recently on a cruise that left from Venice. I took The Audacity of Goats by J.F. Riordan along with me. It is the type of book I normally do not pick up but I loved it.
This is Riordan’s second novel which takes place on Washington Island in Door County, Wisconsin. The location is important. Its isolation and small town context make for close observations of the characters and their environment.
Goats has a nice, quick pace and engaging characters. You find you have smiles and concerns in equal amounts. Fiona and Elisabeth are the main ones to watch. They have great insights but they do have their blind sides as well which makes them all the more human. Roger, the coffee shop owner, is a unique character. He is aware of his own painful shortcomings but his solution is completely unexpected. And, then, there is the return of the often hilarious (if it wasn’t so serious) goat adventures.
The subplots are fun and engaging. Young Ben's story was very poignant and loaded with insights. His conversation with Fiona and then his father were touching. Emily and Jason are a nice addition to the scene that holds some real promise for twists and turns in the future.
The humor – the hardware store scene and the Lutheran Prayer Club – reminded me of something out of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion.
None of this gets to the substance of the book, however. The author has deep insights about people and their surroundings. It is a satisfying and very uplifting book.

[Mary C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this continuation North of the Tension Line. I'll stick with my opinion and not give any spoilers. The story was fast paced and again you fall right in with the memorable characters that J.F. Riordan creates for this small island tale. Would it be too much to ask that she starts writing another of the same? Enjoy!

[Darlene Leroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully written book, full of twists and turns and lighthearted humor. If you read North of the Tension Line, you will love this book which is the second in the series. Such an array of interesting characters come to life and warm your heart. I highly recommend it~

[Diane Klajbor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in a series. It takes place on Washington Island, off the coast of Door County in Wisconsin. The island residents are quirky, bossy, lonely, compassionate and surprising. You'll have to read the book to find out which resident has which traits. Since the island itself is so much a part of the story, I wish there was more about how different living on Washington Island was from living on the mainland. There wasn't much about the extreme weather that can be experienced or the isolation.

This is a delightful series. I'd advise starting with the first book, "North of the Tension Line," to understand how the characters grow.

[LaRae☕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Audacity of Goats was a bit of a slow start for me. Initially, I found Riordan‘s skipping back-and-forth between storylines a bit distracting, but as I got into the book I felt it worked well. She expertly weaves together the different stories of the Islanders, (and those in Ephraim, as well). I was completely pulled in, and continue to love Washington Island and feel as though I’ve actually been there. (As an aside, I’ve experienced the ice on Lake Michigan and her description of that wintry scene is spot on.) Simply put, she is just a good storyteller, and she’s created memorable characters and a fantastic sense of place in the island. I look forward to the next installment.

[Mary Beth Sancomb-Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the delightful sequel to “North of the Tension Line,” and is even better than the first book in the series! The characters are delightful, there is a delicious mystery, and an eerily familiar political battle. You will love this book! (I actually read it in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down.) Highly recommended.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona's nemesis, Stella, announces that she'll run for mayor on the small island. Nobody wants Stella in charge, but there doesn't seem to be a viable alternative until Fiona steps up. In the meantime, the island is being terrorised by a screaming noise at night. All the lovely characters of the first instalment, with a tighter plot and writing makes a nice, light read. It's not essential to read the first instalment, but it will enhance your enjoyment of this one.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute sequel. I could have used more of Fiona’s time with Pete, but I enjoyed Ben’s storyline.

[Webb Hubbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight! I could not put this book down and look forward the the third in the series coming out this month. I will be first in line at my bookstore. Riordan makes this southern soul want to move "North of the Tension Line," except when she so vividly describes the winters. You will fall in love with all the characters, the towns, and yes even the goats. A must read!

[Molly]

This is the second in a trilogy (well, now there are four...) of books about life on an island at the the north end of Door County, Wisconsin. The books are relaxing, giving a picture of small town life and of living on the island. There is some adventure, but not enough to make me anxious, so I have enjoyed these books, and found them relaxing.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Character development continues with the mains in this book. Fun to see where each one goes and was sad when I had no more pages to read. Looking forward to #3.

[Lynn Hudy]

I loved the first book, North of the Tension Line, but not quite as taken with this one. I was a bit disappointed.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a lot of fun.

I had to back up, since I began with Book 3, and now that I have read Book 2, Book 3 makes a lot more sense in some regards.

Fiona's first year on Washington Island at the tip of the Door County peninsula is drawing to a close, and it coincides with the retirement of the chairman of the island's governing body. This is a tough one for the residents because there doesn't appear to be a single person whose name comes up in any conversation as being suitable for the job.

Fiona's nasty neighbor, Stella, whose family has inhabited the island for generations, decides to run. No one is particularly happy about this, and Fiona finds herself the most likely candidate. This was NOT in her plan, but her own feelings about the disaster that would be Stella as chair push her to agree to run.

Meanwhile, she is still sad about her goat's demise in the barn fire from Book 1. And the island is abuzz with the sudden occurrence of some very frightening shrieking noises that come out of nowhere and seem to happen in different spots around the island.

Pete is still in the picture, but that's pretty literal, since it's on Skype for the most part. Nevertheless, he returns as he can. Roger and Elizabeth return from a very long honeymoon in Italy, and the next thing you know, Roger takes up yoga. Seriously takes up yoga! Pretty soon he is joined by others who show up before Ground Zero opens, and daily yoga becomes a thing.

Young Ben discovers a wounded deer during his rambles, but it turns out not to be a deer. He also is working on his animal husbandry badge for Boy Scouts, so is learning about goats. Mysterious goings on at the goat farm are explained by Ben when he gives his presentation for his badge. He estimates there are an additional number of does pregnant, and gives their due date.

However, one night, he finds himself in a bad jam - and lucky for him, the adult he trusts, Fiona, is nearby. They get help and rescue a goat in distress. He could be Robert, the missing goat!

But is he really?

The election is called, Pete shows up, and a few pieces of the puzzle about Stella's malicious gossip-mongering come to the surface.

That's pretty sketchy, and of course, reading it is a lot more fun than a summary that is trying hard not to be a spoiler.

I'm looking forward to the next one. This is not great literature, but this is enjoyable, fun and is developing into a series that I hope will continue.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Audacity of Goats because I read North of the Tension Line, the first book in J. F. Riordan’s series, and loved it. Book Two is a second date that goes as well or better than an exciting first date. Riordan’s cast of memorable characters are back along with a few new ones, and their daily walks through the pages of life provide plenty of laughs, groans, gasps, and an occasional misty eye.

Audacity, defined as boldness, daring, courage, bravery, and fearlessness. All the characteristics people need for everyday life, like how to manage a long-distance romance, how to get along with a spouse, how to fit in, how to stand your ground, how to deal with unreasonable neighbors, how to win a local election, how to tell a lie if it’s for the greater good, how to let your child grow into adulthood, how to takedown a corrupt politician, how to master a difficult pose in yoga.

In addition to its share of fog and snow, Washington Island in Door County, Wisconsin, becomes shrouded in mystery. Blood-curdling screams shred the night. At first, Islanders who hear the shrieks worry someone is being hurt, but no bleeding bodies, alive or dead, are found. Some Islanders think it’s bored youth having fun, some think it’s ghosts, others think a crazed person is hiding on the Island. Curious but rather unfazed, the Islanders carry on. They’re more concerned about long winters and the upcoming local election.

Fiona Campbell reluctantly decides to run for town chairman against her conniving, nasty neighbor, Stella DeRosiers. Inhabitants who were born on the Island mostly admire Fiona but consider her an outsider. Conversely, Islanders detest Stella, but she’s one of them. Jim, the local DNR officer, is crazy about Fiona, but she’s in a relationship with Pete, whose work takes him to dangerous parts of the world.

Roger and Elizabeth return from their Italian honeymoon, and Roger worries about how to be a good husband. The Angel Joshua, advises Roger to join his yoga class, so he can get in touch with his feminine side and improve his relationship with Elizabeth. Never one to do things halfway, Roger embraces the whole downward-dog-savasana-namaste yoga scene.

Pali, full-time ferry captain and part-time poet, thinks his writing muse had departed. Not being able to write steeps him in moodiness. He contemplates giving up poetry so he can be a good husband, father, and captain, instead of a melancholy shadow in his own life.

Ten-year-old Ben, Pali and Nika’s son, has a secret he can’t share with adults because he knows they won’t understand. Ben has been taught that lying, breaking rules, and shirking one’s honor are wrong. But he’s facing circumstances that aren’t colored in black and white, so he bends his moral code.

Riordan deftly portrays ten-year-old Ben’s coming-of-age dilemma. His predicament takes me back to my childhood and the struggle between the clarity youth and the murkiness of growing up. When Emily Martin, a new character, shows up on the page, I have fun rolling my eyes and thinking, “Oh, please, Emily, do you hear yourself?” right along with the Islanders.

The stakes for the characters in this book are small when compared to a thriller where the hero is striving to save the world, but Riordan’s use of structure and point of view create suspense around the ordinary, making The Audacity of Goats both a page turner and a meditation at the same time, all while making us smile and laugh.

[Adrienne Hugo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed North of the Tension Line but I was truly delighted by The Audacity of Goats. I read it after spending a day biking around Washington Island and contemplating what life must be like for its yearlong residents. The author clearly has done more than contemplate the life of Islanders and she does amazing work at developing complex characters like Fiona, Pete, Jim, Roger, Terry, Pali, Nika, and Ben (especially young Ben, in this novel.) At times, I truly didn't want to put this book down! I found myself really caring about the characters and, as the story jumps around from the perspectives of the different characters, I just HAD to know what happened in a particular storyline. I found myself sharing bits and pieces of the story with my husband who was also entertained.

As soon as I finished The Audacity of Goats, I had to go out and buy a copy of the third book in the series, Robert's Rules. Luckily, we were vacationing on the mainland of Door County and a local bookseller had a copy. He said that this series is the most popular series of books in his store... for good reason, in my opinion!

[Thomas Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

J. F. Riordan’s The Audacity of Goats offers, from start to finish, a funny, wise, and completely engaging sojourn on a remote Great Lakes island where no one is close to perfect but where community matters¬¬ and open-minded decency wrests just endings out of a welter of mystery, misunderstanding, and just plain malice. Riordan has been likened, with some justice, to Jane Austen, but her ability to keep dozens of characters afloat at the same time--developing, motivating, and deepening them in always interconnected ways--is more Dickensian. The humor, too, is consistently rich--whether or not the characters mean to be funny. You’ll put this book down feeling you have spent the winter in a strange but manifoldly beautiful spot almost at the ends of the earth¬—and feeling, as well, that your room and board have been covered by a shrewd and talented storyteller.

[Deb Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of the stories based on Washington Island in Door County, WI. It is a really cute tale about Fiona, who moved there the year prior and as time goes on, is becoming more accepted in the tight knit, small community. Her best friend, Elisabeth and Elisabeth’s husband, Roger, have their own challenges which unfold throughout the book. Fiona’s boyfriend is still out of the country with his job, taking him to sometimes dangerous locations, so they must communicate via Skype. And awful Stella, (Fiona’s neighbor and nemesis) continues her hateful ways, making Fiona wonder if she can survive Stella’s awful behavior toward her. Pali, the Ferry Captain gets writer’s block, and can’t seem to conjure the poetry he’s been so good at producing in the past. Pali’s son Ben ( 10 years old) has discovered a secret in the woods that he’s afraid to tell anyone about. This is a page turner, just to see what happens to all of the people in the sub-stories. I recommend this “light and wholesome escape”.

[Diana G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Audacity of Goats, book two in the North of the Tension Line series, picks up the story of Fiona Campbell's trials and triumphs on Washington Island where book one ended. An expanding cast of colorful characters and a "fingers-crossed" sub-plot combined with a situation that threatens Fiona's island existence keeps the page-turner pace going from start to finish. The experience is as uplifting and enjoyable as book one, and I am eagerly looking forward to book three, Robert' Rules, which is also available for late-comers to the series.

[MsAliceP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as engaging as the first in this series. This book would have benefited from a good editor as there are enough repeated words, words out of order, and dropped letters in words to distract from smooth reading.

The flow of the story is choppy, as it skips from Island character to character. All of the threads of the story eventually come together, but the short chapters and jump from one character to another does not make for comfortable reading.

Otherwise, droll and amusing, as was the first book.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's nice to see the advancements in writing from the first book of this series. I loved this plot, the characters, the setting. It was engaging and entertaining. At the end of the first book, I was ambivalent about reading further. Now I am univalent, assuming another entry appears! Some of the plot was silly, and yet Riordan makes it delightful. Other plot elements were more serious, yet not stuffy. Very enjoyable.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read North of the Tension Line which prompted me to read this book. Even though, it is not necessary to have read the book, reading it would make events in this book richer. I was not as thrilled with this book as the other, even though the writing is interesting. The two main characters are at it again. There's some interesting devlopments with the story. The story is worth the time to red.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series. It brings me so much joy! Reading Riordan's books makes you feel like a part of something. You grow to love the quirky characters & community & you want the best for all, except maybe that nasty Stella. I'm in love with these small town stories because they always remind me of Gilmore Girls. The town meetings, the grumpy diner (coffee shop) owner, the town know-it-all... Can't get enough!

[Natalie Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this series awhile ago and couldn't find any of the other books nearby. Decided to pick it up again and bought them on B&N. It's a cute series. The characters are pretty likeable, even if they are a bit one dimensional. The island is charming and quirky, and everyone is up to something interesting. Having visited the island myself, it is fun to picture it and Door County as you read the story.

[Bud Mallar · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read the my review of the first book in the series, you'll also know how I felt about this one and why I'll read #3 and #4 - as soon as I can get them on sale.

It just makes you feel good all under.

And, yes, it is about goats, happily, and dogs, of course, and some pretty interesting people.

[Jacki Prettyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly enjoyable

The saga of Fiona, her friends and Washington Island continue in the sequel to North of the Tension Line. You'll find laughter, love, friendship and wisdom inside the covers of The Audacity of Goats. Reading this book is like having a glass of whiskey and lovely conversation with old friends in your favorite place.

[Scott Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’ll love the characters as you see all their strengths and weaknesses. There’s not much plot but the writing carries the reader forward.

One annoying, nonlinear aspect that I blame on the editor: a few times we’re in one place the morning, another place at night then back to the first place the previous morning…

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great second book in the series that began with "North of the Tension Line". I wish I didn't have to wait until the third book is published in April 2018 to find out what happens to all the characters!

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to North of the Tension Line. Enjoyable read but I have to say the author is focusing more on character development than on the continuing story of the life of Fiona on the island and her constant battle to be accepted. Good filler to lead to book 3.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in the North of the Tension line series- with the same Washington Island setting, and the same characters. In these books, the main "character" to me is Door County, and while reading, I feel transported.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it a bit more than the first one actually--maybe because I knew the characters now. Basically a mindless entertaining read about an area I know--a bit. Will I read another? Remains to be seen.