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A Merry Folger Nantucket Mystery #6
Death on Tuckernuck
A hurricane ravages New England, and bodies and secrets are piling up on a secluded island off Nantucket. It would be just another case for Detective Folger, expect her long-anticipated wedding is in three days.
As a violent nor’easter bears down on New England over the final weekend in September, a luxury yacht grounds on the shoals surrounding a deserted barrier island off the western end of Nantucket. When the Coast Guard responds, they find two people shot in the boat’s cabin, one of whom dies before reaching the hospital. Nantucket Police Detective Meredith Folger is called in to investigate—three days before her long-anticipated wedding—as the storm morphs into a Category 5 hurricane. Caretaker Dionis Mather has spent the past week evacuating Tuckernuck’s last summer residents to safety from the isolated island. But as the hurricane nears, Dionis fights her way back across Madaket Harbor one last time. When she stumbles on a bloody trail leading to an empty summer house, Dionis makes a fateful decision that may cost her life.
As the hurricane batters her beloved island and house full of wedding guests, Merry Folger struggles to unravel a tangle of false identities, missing guns, and a cargo of heroin that’s left one man in a coma, fighting to survive. But is he a victim, or a killer? And what does Merry’s police chief, a man with his own secrets to keep, have to do with the wounded figure holding Dionis Mather hostage on Tuckernuck?
As a violent nor’easter bears down on New England over the final weekend in September, a luxury yacht grounds on the shoals surrounding a deserted barrier island off the western end of Nantucket. When the Coast Guard responds, they find two people shot in the boat’s cabin, one of whom dies before reaching the hospital. Nantucket Police Detective Meredith Folger is called in to investigate—three days before her long-anticipated wedding—as the storm morphs into a Category 5 hurricane. Caretaker Dionis Mather has spent the past week evacuating Tuckernuck’s last summer residents to safety from the isolated island. But as the hurricane nears, Dionis fights her way back across Madaket Harbor one last time. When she stumbles on a bloody trail leading to an empty summer house, Dionis makes a fateful decision that may cost her life.
As the hurricane batters her beloved island and house full of wedding guests, Merry Folger struggles to unravel a tangle of false identities, missing guns, and a cargo of heroin that’s left one man in a coma, fighting to survive. But is he a victim, or a killer? And what does Merry’s police chief, a man with his own secrets to keep, have to do with the wounded figure holding Dionis Mather hostage on Tuckernuck?
264 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2020
156 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Francine Mathews
27 books312 followersFrancine Mathews was born in Binghamton, NY in 1963, the last of six girls. Her father was a retired general in the Air Force, her mother a beautiful woman who loved to dance. The family spent their summers on Cape Cod, where two of the Barron girls now live with their families; Francine's passion for Nantucket and the New England shoreline dates from her earliest memories. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a two hundred year-old Catholic school for girls that shares a wall with Georgetown University. Her father died of a heart attack during her freshman year.
In 1981, she started college at Princeton – one of the most formative experiences of her life. There she fenced for the club varsity team and learned to write news stories for The Daily Princetonian – a hobby that led to two part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. Francine majored in European History, studying Napoleonic France, and won an Arthur W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities in her senior year. But the course she remembers most vividly from her time at Princeton is "The Literature of Fact," taught by John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and staff writer for The New Yorker. John influenced Francine's writing more than even she knows and certainly more than she is able to say.
Francine spent three years at Stanford pursuing a doctorate in history; she failed to write her dissertation (on the Brazilian Bar Association under authoritarianism; can you blame her?) and left with a Masters. She applied to the CIA, spent a year temping in Northern Virginia while the FBI asked inconvenient questions of everyone she had ever known, passed a polygraph test on her twenty-sixth birthday, and was immediately thrown into the Career Trainee program: Boot Camp for the Agency's Best and Brightest. Four years as an intelligence analyst at the CIA were profoundly fulfilling, the highlights being Francine's work on the Counter terrorism Center's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sleeping on a horsehair mattress in a Spectre-era casino in the middle of Bratislava.
Another peak moment was her chance to debrief ex-President George Bush in Houston in 1993. But what she remembers most about the place are the extraordinary intelligence and dedication of most of the staff – many of them women – many of whom cannot be named.
She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Fifteen books have followed, along with sundry children, dogs, and houses. When she's not writing, she likes to ski, garden, needlepoint, and buy art.
In 1981, she started college at Princeton – one of the most formative experiences of her life. There she fenced for the club varsity team and learned to write news stories for The Daily Princetonian – a hobby that led to two part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. Francine majored in European History, studying Napoleonic France, and won an Arthur W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities in her senior year. But the course she remembers most vividly from her time at Princeton is "The Literature of Fact," taught by John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize winning author and staff writer for The New Yorker. John influenced Francine's writing more than even she knows and certainly more than she is able to say.
Francine spent three years at Stanford pursuing a doctorate in history; she failed to write her dissertation (on the Brazilian Bar Association under authoritarianism; can you blame her?) and left with a Masters. She applied to the CIA, spent a year temping in Northern Virginia while the FBI asked inconvenient questions of everyone she had ever known, passed a polygraph test on her twenty-sixth birthday, and was immediately thrown into the Career Trainee program: Boot Camp for the Agency's Best and Brightest. Four years as an intelligence analyst at the CIA were profoundly fulfilling, the highlights being Francine's work on the Counter terrorism Center's investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, and sleeping on a horsehair mattress in a Spectre-era casino in the middle of Bratislava.
Another peak moment was her chance to debrief ex-President George Bush in Houston in 1993. But what she remembers most about the place are the extraordinary intelligence and dedication of most of the staff – many of them women – many of whom cannot be named.
She wrote her first book in 1992 and left the Agency a year later. Fifteen books have followed, along with sundry children, dogs, and houses. When she's not writing, she likes to ski, garden, needlepoint, and buy art.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
October 31, 2022
A Cat 3 hurricane is on course for Tuckernuck: a tiny island in Detective Merry Folger’s jurisdiction. And it is just days away from her wedding to Peter.
What’s a girl to do?
Not to mention her new boss, Potock, is acting like a contemptible person on his best days.
There is a crime on a yacht, leaving one dead, one in critical condition and an escapee. Merry’s coworker’s love interest is possibly stranded on Tuckernuck with two palomino horses and, just maybe, the villain. With the extreme bad weather, it is driving him crazy.
What’s a guy to do?
Ms. Mathews packs quite a bit of drama in the latest MFN mystery. I often wonder who the villain is and why he/she acted the way they did. Not this time. I correctly figured out who was who and the whys of the crime.
I enjoyed this suspenseful story .
What’s a girl to do?
Not to mention her new boss, Potock, is acting like a contemptible person on his best days.
There is a crime on a yacht, leaving one dead, one in critical condition and an escapee. Merry’s coworker’s love interest is possibly stranded on Tuckernuck with two palomino horses and, just maybe, the villain. With the extreme bad weather, it is driving him crazy.
What’s a guy to do?
Ms. Mathews packs quite a bit of drama in the latest MFN mystery. I often wonder who the villain is and why he/she acted the way they did. Not this time. I correctly figured out who was who and the whys of the crime.
I enjoyed this suspenseful story .
April 28, 2020
If you want to read books that make you feel as though you're experiencing life on Nantucket Island, you need to read Francine Mathew's Merry Folger series. It also goes without saying that, if you want to "experience" a hurricane without actually living through one, you need to read Death on Tuckernuck.
The mystery is a cracker. Readers have a little inside knowledge that characters like Dionis and Merry don't-- how many people were on board that yacht for instance-- but that's certainly not enough to put all the pieces together until Merry's hard work begins to pay off. (And that hard work of hers will pay off in unexpected ways.) The only real question is: Is the wedding still on despite a murder investigation and a hurricane?
That you will have to find out for yourself, and you are going to enjoy yourself while doing so. New to the series? I'll be honest with you. I've read only three books in this series, the first and the most recent two, and I haven't felt lost. But the setting is superb and the characters and stories so strong that you might just want to start with the first, Death in the Off-Season and enjoy the sea breeze along with a murder or two.
The mystery is a cracker. Readers have a little inside knowledge that characters like Dionis and Merry don't-- how many people were on board that yacht for instance-- but that's certainly not enough to put all the pieces together until Merry's hard work begins to pay off. (And that hard work of hers will pay off in unexpected ways.) The only real question is: Is the wedding still on despite a murder investigation and a hurricane?
That you will have to find out for yourself, and you are going to enjoy yourself while doing so. New to the series? I'll be honest with you. I've read only three books in this series, the first and the most recent two, and I haven't felt lost. But the setting is superb and the characters and stories so strong that you might just want to start with the first, Death in the Off-Season and enjoy the sea breeze along with a murder or two.
March 8, 2024
This is my first Merry Folger mystery.
I didn’t feel that I was missing anything by not reading the first five in the series, although I would be interested in learning more about her characters by going back to the first book.
Still, it is important to note, that this is a stand-alone mystery.
This is a fast-paced page-turner murder investigation with a hurricane storm thrown in.
In many ways the storm feels like a leading character in the plot. It is chaotic, creates danger and confusion, yet also brings clarity, action and reaction to all that happens during the story.
I didn’t feel that I was missing anything by not reading the first five in the series, although I would be interested in learning more about her characters by going back to the first book.
Still, it is important to note, that this is a stand-alone mystery.
This is a fast-paced page-turner murder investigation with a hurricane storm thrown in.
In many ways the storm feels like a leading character in the plot. It is chaotic, creates danger and confusion, yet also brings clarity, action and reaction to all that happens during the story.
December 22, 2020
I have enjoyed this writer's other works, so I thought I would give this one a shot as a lover of Nantucket. The problem I was presented with off the block was a lack of knowledge of the main characters, since this is the sixth book of a series. This did not take away from the very exciting problems residents faced during the anticipation of a category 3 hurricane heading their way just as one policewoman was getting ready for her wedding.
It helps to know a bit about the coastal waters off Massachusetts, boating terms and a tad about the small nearby island few get to visit, Tuckernuck Island. In this episode there are very real threats against one of the young female cops along with a murder to solve involving a cache of heroin in the midst of the hurricane.
I felt like I was reading a script for production more than a literary effort as emphasis was on action and dialogue with little description of nature and or feelings. So...3.5 stars from 4 for me
Library Loan
It helps to know a bit about the coastal waters off Massachusetts, boating terms and a tad about the small nearby island few get to visit, Tuckernuck Island. In this episode there are very real threats against one of the young female cops along with a murder to solve involving a cache of heroin in the midst of the hurricane.
I felt like I was reading a script for production more than a literary effort as emphasis was on action and dialogue with little description of nature and or feelings. So...3.5 stars from 4 for me
Library Loan
July 22, 2020
I'm reading this on a hot July blue-sky day but when I look out the window I'm shocked not to see and hear a Cat 3 hurricane bearing down on me, such are the powers of Francine Mathews' narrative skills. Whether you're new to the Merry Folger mysteries or not, this is a terrific read. The setting is picture perfect, the characters vibrantly real, and the murder and the storm menacingly bracing. Hard to put this one down, there's hardly a moment to take a breath. Recommended.
April 18, 2020
2 Stars for Death on Tuckernuck by Francine Mathews.
The perfect storm is moving in on Tuckernuck. A Nor'easter is headed straight for Tuckernuck, the private island off of Nantucket where the police only set foot on it if called to a crime or accident scene.
One of the town's police officers has planned her wedding for the weekend, feeling it was the perfect time of year, historically slow and predictable for the rest of the force.
Three people are out on a yacht, one is jealous. One ends up dead. They talk about a secret, and what, "she," knows.
A man and his daughter are caretakers of the island. They make a living by seeing to the homes in the off season and during storms. They board up the homes, they carry the domestic trash off the island, and they run supplies to the residents from mainland when the island is hopping with vacationers, honeymooners, and families with a history of residence on the island.
Somewhere along the line, all of these lives are going to intersect. To be honest, I can't tell you more because by page 20, there were at LEAST 20 people introduced in the book. People on the police force, family members involved in the wedding plan, people from the island that are out of their nursing home for time on the island, the 3 people on the yacht. It went on and on. As a distracted reader right now, it's difficult for me to get consumed by books that begin this way. Give me a handful of characters at the beginning, show me their lives, shape them for me without introducing all of the people from their extended family.
I think it probably is okay as a standalone for those who can follow all of the multiple characters, for me I give it 2 stars. Something was building, but by no means was I sucked in to the island or invested in the all of the people Francine was introducing me to.
The perfect storm is moving in on Tuckernuck. A Nor'easter is headed straight for Tuckernuck, the private island off of Nantucket where the police only set foot on it if called to a crime or accident scene.
One of the town's police officers has planned her wedding for the weekend, feeling it was the perfect time of year, historically slow and predictable for the rest of the force.
Three people are out on a yacht, one is jealous. One ends up dead. They talk about a secret, and what, "she," knows.
A man and his daughter are caretakers of the island. They make a living by seeing to the homes in the off season and during storms. They board up the homes, they carry the domestic trash off the island, and they run supplies to the residents from mainland when the island is hopping with vacationers, honeymooners, and families with a history of residence on the island.
Somewhere along the line, all of these lives are going to intersect. To be honest, I can't tell you more because by page 20, there were at LEAST 20 people introduced in the book. People on the police force, family members involved in the wedding plan, people from the island that are out of their nursing home for time on the island, the 3 people on the yacht. It went on and on. As a distracted reader right now, it's difficult for me to get consumed by books that begin this way. Give me a handful of characters at the beginning, show me their lives, shape them for me without introducing all of the people from their extended family.
I think it probably is okay as a standalone for those who can follow all of the multiple characters, for me I give it 2 stars. Something was building, but by no means was I sucked in to the island or invested in the all of the people Francine was introducing me to.
January 10, 2020
It was a Wednesday near the end of September and a Cat 3 hurricane was headed in the direction of Nantucket and Tuckernuck , a small private island off the coast of Nantucket. Meredith Fogler, an officer with the Nantucket police department was planning for her weekend wedding to Peter, a wealthy man who also owned a farm.
Dionis Mathers and her father Jack ferried residents and supplies back and forth from Nantucket to Tuckernuck. They also acted as year round caretakers to the mostly seasonal homes on Tuckernuck. So they were very busy boarding up the homes of the summer residents. They informed the few year round residents still on that island of the danger and then ferried them back to Nantucket.
Jack had a heart attack during the evacuations and ended up in the small local hospital. Dionis realized that horses were outside alone at an estate on Tuckernuck and went back there to secure the horses in the barn.
It was on the way to see the horses that she saw a flare from a yacht in trouble near Tuckernuck. When the police and the Coast Guard found the yacht, they discovered 2 people who had been shot. Then a third person from the yacht ended up at the estate with a gun shot wound and found Dionis, who was waiting out the storm there.
Meredith and and another Nantucket officer, Howie Seitz, try to find out the identities of the people they found on the yacht as well as the source of the large quantity of cocaine they found on board.
This fast moving mystery will appeal to those who are familiar with Cape Cod and the nearby islands as well as the turbulent weather that can effect that area.
Dionis Mathers and her father Jack ferried residents and supplies back and forth from Nantucket to Tuckernuck. They also acted as year round caretakers to the mostly seasonal homes on Tuckernuck. So they were very busy boarding up the homes of the summer residents. They informed the few year round residents still on that island of the danger and then ferried them back to Nantucket.
Jack had a heart attack during the evacuations and ended up in the small local hospital. Dionis realized that horses were outside alone at an estate on Tuckernuck and went back there to secure the horses in the barn.
It was on the way to see the horses that she saw a flare from a yacht in trouble near Tuckernuck. When the police and the Coast Guard found the yacht, they discovered 2 people who had been shot. Then a third person from the yacht ended up at the estate with a gun shot wound and found Dionis, who was waiting out the storm there.
Meredith and and another Nantucket officer, Howie Seitz, try to find out the identities of the people they found on the yacht as well as the source of the large quantity of cocaine they found on board.
This fast moving mystery will appeal to those who are familiar with Cape Cod and the nearby islands as well as the turbulent weather that can effect that area.
April 6, 2021
Picked this up, without having read any other books in the series, for the "people isolated together by a storm" trope, which is one of my favorites. I didn't realize how much I'd also enjoy the Nantucket and Tuckernuck settings! Lots of fun.
ETA, with some spoilers: I am amused. I was thinking of reading Book 1 of the series, and when I looked at the synopsis, it's all, "New detective Merry Folger is investigating her first murder. Could the killer be the dead man's intriguing brother, Peter Mason?" (I'm paraphrasing). And I'm like, "Well, she marries Peter Mason in Book 6, so I'm thinking not." (Another Book 1 suspect, according to the synopsis, is the friend who later makes Merry's wedding dress, so again: probably not the killer.)
ETA, with some spoilers: I am amused. I was thinking of reading Book 1 of the series, and when I looked at the synopsis, it's all, "New detective Merry Folger is investigating her first murder. Could the killer be the dead man's intriguing brother, Peter Mason?" (I'm paraphrasing). And I'm like, "Well, she marries Peter Mason in Book 6, so I'm thinking not." (Another Book 1 suspect, according to the synopsis, is the friend who later makes Merry's wedding dress, so again: probably not the killer.)
July 25, 2021
Death on Tuckernuck by Francine Mathews is the 6th book of the Merry Folger mystery series set on contemporary Nantucket Island. It's just a few days before Merry's wedding, when a nor-easter turns into a Cat 3 hurricane, bearing down on Nantucket Island. Suddenly wedding preparations must be superseded by serious storm preparations, to save buildings, livestock, crops. Merry's boss, the Chief of Police Pocock, demands Merry be on call, wedding or not, otherwise she can't take a honeymoon. He's an outsider from Chicago; Merry's father and grandfather, when they were each Chief, would never have been so unreasonable. If Merry didn't love her job as so much....
Meanwhile, a pleasure yacht is 'holidaying' along the waterway; 2 of 3 aboard know its true purpose.
A father-and-daughter team have been caretakers for Tuckernuck island homes for years. As the storm approaches, they race against Mother Nature to evacuate residents (some quite reluctant) and supplies. Past the point of safe passage, they learn the wealthiest resident of all (not their client) has left a pair of palomino horses loose in a paddock, without protection.
Chapters delightfully alternate points of view and subplots, building suspense. Fascinating descriptions are provided of storm preparation measures as well as the storm itself: high winds, storm surges, the force it carries and damage it wreaks: flooding, erosion, shattered windows, blown-off roofs.
Detective Folger, Sergeant Seitz, and officers of the Coast Guard are first responders during the storm, to all the havoc created by 'Teddy'. Then a crime scene is discovered on a foundered pleasure yacht. A scene 'staged' to fool police (to hide what actually happened). It's exciting to read how the professionals coordinate efforts, balancing safety and compassion in rescue efforts. Not to mention the kind, brave, resourceful woman stranded on Tuckernuck with a stranger (the killer).
Merry follows stray clues until she can fit together the puzzle of what really happened - and why. The most enjoyable sequel yet, of a great series. Recommend read in order for full appreciation of each character, their background, and the island relationships.
Meanwhile, a pleasure yacht is 'holidaying' along the waterway; 2 of 3 aboard know its true purpose.
A father-and-daughter team have been caretakers for Tuckernuck island homes for years. As the storm approaches, they race against Mother Nature to evacuate residents (some quite reluctant) and supplies. Past the point of safe passage, they learn the wealthiest resident of all (not their client) has left a pair of palomino horses loose in a paddock, without protection.
Chapters delightfully alternate points of view and subplots, building suspense. Fascinating descriptions are provided of storm preparation measures as well as the storm itself: high winds, storm surges, the force it carries and damage it wreaks: flooding, erosion, shattered windows, blown-off roofs.
Detective Folger, Sergeant Seitz, and officers of the Coast Guard are first responders during the storm, to all the havoc created by 'Teddy'. Then a crime scene is discovered on a foundered pleasure yacht. A scene 'staged' to fool police (to hide what actually happened). It's exciting to read how the professionals coordinate efforts, balancing safety and compassion in rescue efforts. Not to mention the kind, brave, resourceful woman stranded on Tuckernuck with a stranger (the killer).
Merry follows stray clues until she can fit together the puzzle of what really happened - and why. The most enjoyable sequel yet, of a great series. Recommend read in order for full appreciation of each character, their background, and the island relationships.
February 21, 2023
I live in a small coastal town in Massachusetts where some have earned their living pulling lobster traps, fishing, and more recently, farming oysters. When a Northeaster or hurricane is anticipated, our small harbor is busy for days with people removing their boats and equipment to dry land. Depending on the category and the tides, windows may be boarded up and people evacuated. Reading the extensive preparations on Nantucket for a (fictitious) Category 3 hurricane described by the author, the commitment of those public servants responsible for responding to crises, and the stubbornness of some old Yankees reluctant to evacuate, all seemed very familiar to me. The details were so vividly described, I felt myself looking out the window several times to check on the weather, relieved to be safe inside.
Over the course of this series, characters have been carefully developed and the issues specific to Nantucket such as "old New England money" vs. Wall Street money carefully embedded in story threads. Tuckernuck, the private island off the coast of Nantucket, has its own stories and is especially vulnerable to a hurricane. Detective Meredith Folger hopes to get married on the weekend, hurricane or not; her new police chief is as abrasive and mysterious as in the previous novel; and her partner, Howie Seitz, reveals his love for an islander caught up with a murderer and worse. There are some especially sweet moments in this book: Dionis risking her life to attend to two horses left unattended on the Tuckernuck and then discovering how connected she felt to them; Howie's relentless search for Dionis; and every moment spent with Meredith's grandfather, Ralph.
The mystery and murder at the heart of this novel is dark, filled with selfishness and greed, and is solved by Merry and Howie's collaboration and commitment to avenging the death of the victim. The resolution, the connection of so many dots, was deeply satisfying as was the marriage of Merry to Peter Mason despite the hurricane.
Over the course of this series, characters have been carefully developed and the issues specific to Nantucket such as "old New England money" vs. Wall Street money carefully embedded in story threads. Tuckernuck, the private island off the coast of Nantucket, has its own stories and is especially vulnerable to a hurricane. Detective Meredith Folger hopes to get married on the weekend, hurricane or not; her new police chief is as abrasive and mysterious as in the previous novel; and her partner, Howie Seitz, reveals his love for an islander caught up with a murderer and worse. There are some especially sweet moments in this book: Dionis risking her life to attend to two horses left unattended on the Tuckernuck and then discovering how connected she felt to them; Howie's relentless search for Dionis; and every moment spent with Meredith's grandfather, Ralph.
The mystery and murder at the heart of this novel is dark, filled with selfishness and greed, and is solved by Merry and Howie's collaboration and commitment to avenging the death of the victim. The resolution, the connection of so many dots, was deeply satisfying as was the marriage of Merry to Peter Mason despite the hurricane.
April 10, 2024
So happy to have found a new author to read. great book
January 21, 2025
2.5 rounded up. This book was short. Took 80 pages for something to happen. There was more about the hurricane than the mystery.
June 12, 2020
This was a page-turner, and I loved it! The author took what could have been a run-of-the-mill drug heist/murder investigation into a novel that truly had my heart pumping.
Besides the heroine of the series, Det. Merry Folger of the Nantucket Police Department, her fiance, Peter Mason, and other characters who are well known in these mysteries, there is a Category Three Hurricane bearing down not only on Nantucket, but on the small, secluded island of Tuckernuck, where a good portion of the action takes place.
Mathews' description of the hurricane creates such a vivid picture, that the storm becomes a leading character in the plot. It is chaotic, creates danger and confusion, yet also brings clarity for two people and their relationship. The storm is the causative effect for virtually every action/reaction in this novel.
Yet, as the storm in nature passes, so do other storms pass. The ending is as we would wish it, with even a further plot twist at the very end.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Besides the heroine of the series, Det. Merry Folger of the Nantucket Police Department, her fiance, Peter Mason, and other characters who are well known in these mysteries, there is a Category Three Hurricane bearing down not only on Nantucket, but on the small, secluded island of Tuckernuck, where a good portion of the action takes place.
Mathews' description of the hurricane creates such a vivid picture, that the storm becomes a leading character in the plot. It is chaotic, creates danger and confusion, yet also brings clarity for two people and their relationship. The storm is the causative effect for virtually every action/reaction in this novel.
Yet, as the storm in nature passes, so do other storms pass. The ending is as we would wish it, with even a further plot twist at the very end.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
September 15, 2020
SPOILER ALERT
Det Merry Folger and Peter Mason are getting ready for their wedding. Dionis Mather and her father Jack as caretakers of Tuckernuck are preparing the homes on the tiny island for winter and getting the last of the residents off the island. There is also a $3 million Hatteras Panacera yacht that is motoring along the eastern coast, up to no good. And there is hurricane Teddy bearing down on Nantucket and Tuckernuck. Everything is speeded up as the residents prep to get hit with a Cat Three storm.
The groom of Northern Lights, the massive home of NFL player Todd Benson, who is a nasty piece of work, quits and forces the Mathers to take her on the boat, leaving two palominos in a paddock. They know that they will be sued if they don't take care of the horses, even though they do not contract with Benson to take care of his property. Then Jack has heart attack. Dionis leaves her father in surgery and returns to Tuckernuck, and on the way sees a distress rocket sent up, notifying the Coast Guard. In the process of taking care of the horses, she is faced with a strange man appearing with a gunshot in his hand and a wild story; says his name is Joe Williams. She takes care of his wound and she realizes that it is too late to return to Nantucket and they will have to ride out the storm. Her skiff will be lost to the winds if she doesn't get it hooked to the mooring buoy, but once there the dinghys are gone. She will have to swim back once the skiff is moored. It is a touch-and-go process and after barely making it to shore, near collapse, only Howie Seitz's voice in her head gets her up the bank and back to her truck. While this is happening the Coast Guard gets to the grounded yacht, and finds two bodies, with gunshots on board. Rescued, Merry and Clarence Strangerfield return to the floundering boat to get evidence and whatever they can find to identify the woman who is rescued, saying Matt before she dies. Her name is Ashley Russo. They also find 16 kilos of raw uncut heroin. The identification of the man with a head wound as Bradley Minot is fake. Merry does find out that the man is Kevin Monaghan.
They and the residents on Nantucket, including the Whitneys who have arrived early for the wedding, ride out the hurricane that causes massive damage. Throughout this story the current Chief of Police Bob Pocock is a pain, not amenable to Merry and the time she has wanted off for the wedding. Once he hears the name of the man in the hospital his manner changes, and Merry suspects that there is more to this case, with Pocock somehow involved. She follows up to determine that a case in Chicago, where Pocock is from ended with his having to resign along with Matt Rinehart. Kevin was engaged to Ashley before, but they broke up. He came to the East Coast to find the man he believed had framed his friend Minot.
Once the rain has let up, Merry and Joe go to get the skiff, and Joe turns his gun on her and leave without her.
This entire time Seitz is worried about Dionis. It seems that the skiff is gone and the truck is on the cliff, so they think she may have tried to return and gotten lost at sea. The skiff is found by a fishing boat with Joe in it, passed out from the infection in his hand. The Coast Guard takes him to the hospital on Nantucket. Merry confronts him, having figured out who he is, Matt Rinehart. He is arrested for Ashley's murder. Dionis returns to Northern Lights, knowing if she breaks into the house the security will notify the owner and the cameras will see her. She is rescued.
Merry and Peter marry, and honeymoon in Paris where the last conversation reveals that she has chosen to become the Chief of Police, like her father was. Convoluted story, but enjoyable.
Det Merry Folger and Peter Mason are getting ready for their wedding. Dionis Mather and her father Jack as caretakers of Tuckernuck are preparing the homes on the tiny island for winter and getting the last of the residents off the island. There is also a $3 million Hatteras Panacera yacht that is motoring along the eastern coast, up to no good. And there is hurricane Teddy bearing down on Nantucket and Tuckernuck. Everything is speeded up as the residents prep to get hit with a Cat Three storm.
The groom of Northern Lights, the massive home of NFL player Todd Benson, who is a nasty piece of work, quits and forces the Mathers to take her on the boat, leaving two palominos in a paddock. They know that they will be sued if they don't take care of the horses, even though they do not contract with Benson to take care of his property. Then Jack has heart attack. Dionis leaves her father in surgery and returns to Tuckernuck, and on the way sees a distress rocket sent up, notifying the Coast Guard. In the process of taking care of the horses, she is faced with a strange man appearing with a gunshot in his hand and a wild story; says his name is Joe Williams. She takes care of his wound and she realizes that it is too late to return to Nantucket and they will have to ride out the storm. Her skiff will be lost to the winds if she doesn't get it hooked to the mooring buoy, but once there the dinghys are gone. She will have to swim back once the skiff is moored. It is a touch-and-go process and after barely making it to shore, near collapse, only Howie Seitz's voice in her head gets her up the bank and back to her truck. While this is happening the Coast Guard gets to the grounded yacht, and finds two bodies, with gunshots on board. Rescued, Merry and Clarence Strangerfield return to the floundering boat to get evidence and whatever they can find to identify the woman who is rescued, saying Matt before she dies. Her name is Ashley Russo. They also find 16 kilos of raw uncut heroin. The identification of the man with a head wound as Bradley Minot is fake. Merry does find out that the man is Kevin Monaghan.
They and the residents on Nantucket, including the Whitneys who have arrived early for the wedding, ride out the hurricane that causes massive damage. Throughout this story the current Chief of Police Bob Pocock is a pain, not amenable to Merry and the time she has wanted off for the wedding. Once he hears the name of the man in the hospital his manner changes, and Merry suspects that there is more to this case, with Pocock somehow involved. She follows up to determine that a case in Chicago, where Pocock is from ended with his having to resign along with Matt Rinehart. Kevin was engaged to Ashley before, but they broke up. He came to the East Coast to find the man he believed had framed his friend Minot.
Once the rain has let up, Merry and Joe go to get the skiff, and Joe turns his gun on her and leave without her.
This entire time Seitz is worried about Dionis. It seems that the skiff is gone and the truck is on the cliff, so they think she may have tried to return and gotten lost at sea. The skiff is found by a fishing boat with Joe in it, passed out from the infection in his hand. The Coast Guard takes him to the hospital on Nantucket. Merry confronts him, having figured out who he is, Matt Rinehart. He is arrested for Ashley's murder. Dionis returns to Northern Lights, knowing if she breaks into the house the security will notify the owner and the cameras will see her. She is rescued.
Merry and Peter marry, and honeymoon in Paris where the last conversation reveals that she has chosen to become the Chief of Police, like her father was. Convoluted story, but enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2020
Nantucket Detective Merry Folger is working in the week before her wedding. If that is not stressful enough, her boss is a jerk making her work until Thursday afternoon. A hurricane is bearing down and may make a direct hit on the Island. The will impact the police, the travels of wedding guests, the outside venue, and life in general. And then a classy yacht runs aground on the isolated island of Tuckernuck. The Coast Guard checks to see if anyone is on board, injured, in need of help, and evacuates 2 gunshot victims. Did they shoot each other or is there someone dangerous on the loose?
Merry and Nantucket’s CSI officer rush to the yacht to gather what evidence they can before the boat is sucked off the shoals by the storm tides. Meanwhile, Dionis Mather is helping evacuate the few post season inhabitants of Tuckernuck and their belongings in very rough seas. Dionis’ father ends up in the hospital, and she is trapped alone (?) on the island.
The police find unexpected items on the yacht. Dionis is in serious danger. Merry’s partner Howie is in love with Dionis which adds to his fear and frustration. The storm is wicked dangerous. The story moves quickly and with significant suspense on several different fronts. The characters, for the most part, are likeable. The victims’ identities are unknown which adds to the tension. Who is a victim, and who is a threat? Recommended as a well-developed mystery with an interesting and unique setting. The suspense is palpable, and the storm descriptions both on the sea and in the air are riveting.
Readalikes:
Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite mysteries; Elin Hilderbrand – The Perfect Couple; Tim Johnston – The Current; John Grisham – Camino Island; James Patterson and Candice Fox – The Inn; Kate Morton – The Lake House; Alice Blanchard – Trace of Evil; Linda Greenlaw – Slipknot; David Baldacci – Zero Day.
Pace: Fast-paced
Characters: Established; likeable;
Storyline: Intricately plotted
Writing style: Compelling; richly detailed
Tone: Suspenseful
Frame: Nantucket and Tuckernuck Islands; contemporary
Theme: Small town police
Merry and Nantucket’s CSI officer rush to the yacht to gather what evidence they can before the boat is sucked off the shoals by the storm tides. Meanwhile, Dionis Mather is helping evacuate the few post season inhabitants of Tuckernuck and their belongings in very rough seas. Dionis’ father ends up in the hospital, and she is trapped alone (?) on the island.
The police find unexpected items on the yacht. Dionis is in serious danger. Merry’s partner Howie is in love with Dionis which adds to his fear and frustration. The storm is wicked dangerous. The story moves quickly and with significant suspense on several different fronts. The characters, for the most part, are likeable. The victims’ identities are unknown which adds to the tension. Who is a victim, and who is a threat? Recommended as a well-developed mystery with an interesting and unique setting. The suspense is palpable, and the storm descriptions both on the sea and in the air are riveting.
Readalikes:
Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite mysteries; Elin Hilderbrand – The Perfect Couple; Tim Johnston – The Current; John Grisham – Camino Island; James Patterson and Candice Fox – The Inn; Kate Morton – The Lake House; Alice Blanchard – Trace of Evil; Linda Greenlaw – Slipknot; David Baldacci – Zero Day.
Pace: Fast-paced
Characters: Established; likeable;
Storyline: Intricately plotted
Writing style: Compelling; richly detailed
Tone: Suspenseful
Frame: Nantucket and Tuckernuck Islands; contemporary
Theme: Small town police
May 31, 2020
Francine Matthews is the talented author of two mystery series. As Ms. Matthews, she writes the Merry Folger series and, as Stephanie Barron, she pens a series with Jane Austen as the protagonist. I have always preferred the Nantucket based series.
I had not read a book by this author for a number of years but the return was satisfying and easy. I remembered the characters, loved the settings and expected a good mystery. The author did not disappoint.
Throughout this novel, weather was a main character. There was a huge hurricane striking the island. As someone who has been at home for weeks, the awesomeness of Mother Nature really struck me.
Tuckernuck, the island named in the title of this book, is off the coast of Nantucket. It is a real place that sounds very beautiful. Much of the action of the novel takes place here.
I don't want to give any spoilers but suffice it to say that there are murders that need to be solved. Readers may think, early on, that they have figured everything out and may even think of putting the book down...Don't. There are sufficient complications to keep you turning the pages.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed spending time with this series, an old favorite, again.
I had not read a book by this author for a number of years but the return was satisfying and easy. I remembered the characters, loved the settings and expected a good mystery. The author did not disappoint.
Throughout this novel, weather was a main character. There was a huge hurricane striking the island. As someone who has been at home for weeks, the awesomeness of Mother Nature really struck me.
Tuckernuck, the island named in the title of this book, is off the coast of Nantucket. It is a real place that sounds very beautiful. Much of the action of the novel takes place here.
I don't want to give any spoilers but suffice it to say that there are murders that need to be solved. Readers may think, early on, that they have figured everything out and may even think of putting the book down...Don't. There are sufficient complications to keep you turning the pages.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed spending time with this series, an old favorite, again.
December 26, 2023
4.5 / A novel in the Merry Folger series. I read this book all at once, in several hours; the pacing is galloping. It's September and Nantucket police detective Merry is about to marry wealthy Peter Mason but their plans may change as a Cat 3 hurricane bears down on the island, and on Tuckernuck, a small island of about 40 families just off Nantucket. Dionis and her father Jack Mather are caretakers for some of the Tuckernuck families and are spending the 48 hours before the storm boarding up windows and ferrying the remaining people and goods off the island when, on her last trip over in driving rain and gusting winds to try to help some horses that have been left behind in their stable (by an uberwealthy absentee NFL quarterback with initials T.B.), she sees a rocket flare from what turns out to be a grounded yacht and calls it into the Coast Guard, who find two people shot on board. The excitement and urgency of the battering storm and of other life-threatening events make this book very suspenseful and atmospheric.
February 23, 2020
This was my first Merry Folger Mystery and the 6th in the stand alone books in the series. I was fascinated by the setting - an isolated island off Nantucket during a Category 3 hurricane. Merry is preparing for her imminent wedding to Peter but her boss in the police department insists she do her part in getting people ready for the approaching hurricane and continue to work till the very last minute before her two-week leave.
Dionis and her father Jack are caretakers on Tuckernuck Island and get involved in a murder case while boarding up houses and evacuating island dwellers to safety on the larger island of Nantucket. Merry and Dionis are central to the action of the book, as Dionis deals with a killer on the desolate island and Merry tries to find out the identities of two people found on a beached yacht on Tuckernuck.
Suspenseful and atmospheric, the mystery novel also takes you into the heart of a hurricane off the Cape Cod island group.
Dionis and her father Jack are caretakers on Tuckernuck Island and get involved in a murder case while boarding up houses and evacuating island dwellers to safety on the larger island of Nantucket. Merry and Dionis are central to the action of the book, as Dionis deals with a killer on the desolate island and Merry tries to find out the identities of two people found on a beached yacht on Tuckernuck.
Suspenseful and atmospheric, the mystery novel also takes you into the heart of a hurricane off the Cape Cod island group.
June 22, 2020
Intensely absorbing
Well I just wrote over 100 words and , poof, gone.
Superior plot line, extraordinary and finely thought out interesting characters . I started this late Saturday night and finished it at 11:30pm on Sunday.
Premiss starts out on a yacht, 2 men and an unexpected arrival of a young woman joining their trip . , Dionis, who works with her father as caretakers for an elusive island, at the beginning of a category 3 hurricane is hurrying to the island to take care of a private owners horses. On her way-she sees a rocket go off & contacts the coastguard. they send a helicopter , find the yacht & discover 2 bodies barely alive. They contact the Nantucket police department.
From there the story begins. You have the hurricane, the mystery of the 2 people, an upcoming wedding and too many things to go into.
So, borrow from the library or buy a copy.
Well I just wrote over 100 words and , poof, gone.
Superior plot line, extraordinary and finely thought out interesting characters . I started this late Saturday night and finished it at 11:30pm on Sunday.
Premiss starts out on a yacht, 2 men and an unexpected arrival of a young woman joining their trip . , Dionis, who works with her father as caretakers for an elusive island, at the beginning of a category 3 hurricane is hurrying to the island to take care of a private owners horses. On her way-she sees a rocket go off & contacts the coastguard. they send a helicopter , find the yacht & discover 2 bodies barely alive. They contact the Nantucket police department.
From there the story begins. You have the hurricane, the mystery of the 2 people, an upcoming wedding and too many things to go into.
So, borrow from the library or buy a copy.
April 19, 2021
Nantucket mysteries are fun!
I love mysteries set in Massachusetts, especially Cape Cod, my favorite spot. I’ve been to Nantucket only twice, though, because it’s about two hours away from the mainland. When I found this book, a Nantucket mystery Book 6, I realized that I can read Books 1-5 later, and they should be good, too.
Because I haven’t read books 1-5, I don’t know some of the people will show up. Police officer Merry Folger will, of course - Folger is a Nantucket name, as far as I can remember, and she’s the main character. She is about to marry Peter Mason, a wealthy man who still seems to be a good one (sorry!). Meanwhile, Dionis Mather (probably a distant relative of Cotton and Increase?) and her father, Jack, are caretakers at Tuckernuck Island, a private place west of Nantucket. There is an arrogant, wealthy football quarterback whose initials are T.B. - nope, it’s Todd Bennett! Anyway, I liked the book.
I love mysteries set in Massachusetts, especially Cape Cod, my favorite spot. I’ve been to Nantucket only twice, though, because it’s about two hours away from the mainland. When I found this book, a Nantucket mystery Book 6, I realized that I can read Books 1-5 later, and they should be good, too.
Because I haven’t read books 1-5, I don’t know some of the people will show up. Police officer Merry Folger will, of course - Folger is a Nantucket name, as far as I can remember, and she’s the main character. She is about to marry Peter Mason, a wealthy man who still seems to be a good one (sorry!). Meanwhile, Dionis Mather (probably a distant relative of Cotton and Increase?) and her father, Jack, are caretakers at Tuckernuck Island, a private place west of Nantucket. There is an arrogant, wealthy football quarterback whose initials are T.B. - nope, it’s Todd Bennett! Anyway, I liked the book.
June 6, 2025
I don’t usually reach for mystery novels, but Death on Tuckernuck completely pulled me in—and I couldn’t put it down! The suspense, the pacing, and the stormy, isolated setting made this a truly gripping read.
What made it even more special for me is the personal connection. I visited Tuckernuck once as a child during a summer trip to Nantucket, and reading this brought those memories rushing back. I could picture the islands so clearly in my mind—the wild, beautiful coastlines, the quiet mystery of Tuckernuck itself. Francine Mathews does an incredible job of capturing the feel of the place while keeping the tension high.
The plot kept me guessing the whole way through, and I found myself surprisingly hooked for someone who doesn’t usually read this genre. It’s the perfect blend of stormy atmosphere, island life, and heart-pounding suspense.
If you’re a Nantucket lover like me—or just want a mystery with a moody, coastal vibe—you’ll want to add this to your list.
What made it even more special for me is the personal connection. I visited Tuckernuck once as a child during a summer trip to Nantucket, and reading this brought those memories rushing back. I could picture the islands so clearly in my mind—the wild, beautiful coastlines, the quiet mystery of Tuckernuck itself. Francine Mathews does an incredible job of capturing the feel of the place while keeping the tension high.
The plot kept me guessing the whole way through, and I found myself surprisingly hooked for someone who doesn’t usually read this genre. It’s the perfect blend of stormy atmosphere, island life, and heart-pounding suspense.
If you’re a Nantucket lover like me—or just want a mystery with a moody, coastal vibe—you’ll want to add this to your list.
April 18, 2020
This is the 6th book in the Merry Folger series. I had not heard of this series before receiving an arc of this book from Net Galley. I am interested in reading the other books, and you can read and enjoy this book as a stand-alone.
Merry, a detective on Nantucket, is about to get married when a stage 3 hurricane is forecasted. As the storm reaches land, a luxury yacht with a dead body is found, The characters in the book prepare and endure the storm, prepare for the wedding, and try to solve the mystery as the storm whips around them creating havoc.
I enjoyed this book. I always like books set on Nantucket and books about storms, so the setting was a win-win. There are a lot of characters and it took a while at first to figure out who everyone was.
It was a fast-moving and fun read, that I enjoyed and recommend. I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Merry, a detective on Nantucket, is about to get married when a stage 3 hurricane is forecasted. As the storm reaches land, a luxury yacht with a dead body is found, The characters in the book prepare and endure the storm, prepare for the wedding, and try to solve the mystery as the storm whips around them creating havoc.
I enjoyed this book. I always like books set on Nantucket and books about storms, so the setting was a win-win. There are a lot of characters and it took a while at first to figure out who everyone was.
It was a fast-moving and fun read, that I enjoyed and recommend. I look forward to reading other books in this series.
May 21, 2020
Death on Tuckernuck - Francine Mathews
Thank you to @netgalley, author F.Mathews and the publisher for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is the first book I've read from this author and I am hooked, I'm going to read the others as well.
In this one, detective Merry Folger deals with a Cat Three Storm, a murder and her wedding.
I liked the authors description of the surroundings and nature, although at times it could get a bit boring. You arr gently pulled in into the story, and about half way through the book, the pace quickens and I just couldn't put it down. I had to find out who did it.
The characters are well built, nothing too much to make the story dull or to make you dizzy tryingto figure out who's who.
It's a nice read, I finished it in 2 days and I'm off to hunt the others... A solid 4 stars from me.
Thank you to @netgalley, author F.Mathews and the publisher for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is the first book I've read from this author and I am hooked, I'm going to read the others as well.
In this one, detective Merry Folger deals with a Cat Three Storm, a murder and her wedding.
I liked the authors description of the surroundings and nature, although at times it could get a bit boring. You arr gently pulled in into the story, and about half way through the book, the pace quickens and I just couldn't put it down. I had to find out who did it.
The characters are well built, nothing too much to make the story dull or to make you dizzy tryingto figure out who's who.
It's a nice read, I finished it in 2 days and I'm off to hunt the others... A solid 4 stars from me.
December 20, 2023
A review in one word? Hurricane. Cape Cod doesn't get many hurricanes. I've been through two there, and the author does give a vivid description of what it's like to hunker down against Mother Nature. Merry Folger has her usual problems with the new police chief while approaching her wedding. We hear a lot of build-up to the wedding, but the wedding itself is breezed through--leftovers from the storm, I reckon.
I'm now up-to-date on my re-reading of this series and am approaching the last volume written during Covid. So many authors feel compelled to write their story lines with Covid, having lived through it (hopefully.) Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it and yet yesterday I read that there's already a new strain out there.
As for the hurricane? The haves and the have nots, and the haves remain careless people, while the have nots clean up the mess.
I'm now up-to-date on my re-reading of this series and am approaching the last volume written during Covid. So many authors feel compelled to write their story lines with Covid, having lived through it (hopefully.) Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it and yet yesterday I read that there's already a new strain out there.
As for the hurricane? The haves and the have nots, and the haves remain careless people, while the have nots clean up the mess.
December 23, 2022
really enjoyed this short read! the mystery and back and forth between POVs kept me interested. i kept trying to read faster and faster for the last ~40 pages because i was anxious to see how it would end!!! the writing style was also very captivating and made me feel like i was also stuck in the storm.
the only thing that took a star off from this book, is the reflection back to multiple characters that are clearly ingrained into the book’s world, but didn’t necessarily add to the overall story. as someone who picked up this book as a standalone, it was still very enjoyable but sometimes put me off that i straight up had no idea who these characters were. plus, the wedding at the end? felt very quick and emotionless.
the only thing that took a star off from this book, is the reflection back to multiple characters that are clearly ingrained into the book’s world, but didn’t necessarily add to the overall story. as someone who picked up this book as a standalone, it was still very enjoyable but sometimes put me off that i straight up had no idea who these characters were. plus, the wedding at the end? felt very quick and emotionless.
January 10, 2020
This solid series set on Nantucket keeps getting better and better. Fans will enjoy this latest installment, which has police officer Merry in the middle of an incoming hurricane, investigating a puzzling murder while battling the new hostile police chief. Oh, and Merry is also just days away from her wedding. Mathews excels in providing a fascinating grounding in island place and culture. This time much of the action centers around a remote, off the grid, tiny island that is part of the Nantucket region. There's plenty of authentic detail and description, as well as tense action and a satisfying plot. All in all, a highly recommended series.
June 28, 2020
Gave this 3 stars more because I used to really like this series than what I thought of this book. The plot was convoluted and confusing, the characterizations simplistic, and most of all, much too much time spent on details of hurricanes, emergency preparedness, etc. This filler information does nothing to advance the story line and just acts as a means of showing the reader that the writer has done her research...akin to padding a term paper. This is the third book in a row (not all by Mathews) where it appears that the authors of long-running series are simply phoning it in. Whether their heart isn’t it anymore or they’re just getting lazy, this is becoming a disappointing trend.
December 20, 2020
Another in the series of wonderful Merry Folger mysteries set on Nantucket. This one has a distinctive feel, because the setting includes a Category Three storm (one imagined by the author based on research on past storms and projected outcomes should such a storm hit the island now) and it creates both an interesting series of adventure-style scenes and some significant obstacles in the detectives' path to solving the mystery and bringing the bad guys to justice. And I like that while some of the characters I like are put in harm's way (necessary for plot/conflict - I get it!), the ones I really are about survive - and Merry and Peter are finally married!
June 9, 2023
Far and away the best part is Dionis in the storm. There is some truly cinematic writing there. Also as someone who is afraid of horses, I liked the evolution of Dionis' chemistry with the horses. I wish the reader of this audiobook rendered the local dialect better - it seemed absent, even for the character of Clarence, whose accent is spelled out phonetically in the books (and I've never heard a Nantucketer pronounce Siaconset with 4 syllables; that sounded weird, but maybe it's an audiobook rule). I thought her best character was the cold and distant police chief. It's nice to see Merry stay true to her values. Even if they will get her fired.
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