Death by Drowning

Death by Drowning: Gary W. Evans

Within this small town there is a serial killer that is hiding in plain sight. Someone so crafty, lethal and deadly you won’t even see this person coming. The lives of many young people are being taken one every year since the first death of a young man named Shawn. Sorensen. Fifteen in all but now there is one more. Country Sheriff Deputy Charlie Berzinski and Detective AL Rouse both a member of La Crosse County Law Enforcement will face many roadblocks, deal with unexpected outcomes until the end or truth comes to light and you won’t believe the final scenes as the author brings to light who is causing and for what reason has created so my who have died as a result of Death by Drowning.

As the body is about to be pulled up Rick, the La Cross County Coroner and a pathologist at the Gundersen Clinic would aid in bringing the body in and helping to identify the latest victim. Delivering the news to the parents was not something anyone wanted to do but the 15^th young victim in a series of drownings that have occurred since 1997.

Julie Sonoma was a PA at a La Cross-clinic working for an ENT doctor. Her background is defined in chapter 5 and you will connect the dots when you learn more about the killings and the cause of death.

Dr. Patricia Grebin, Pat, Al Rouse, Chief detective with La Cross P.D. and Deputy Sheriff Charlie Berzinski along with Rick would handled the preliminary findings. The cause of death is something unexpected and the method of execution even odder.

Meet Peggy Russell as PA at the Kahn Clinic who has become close friends with Julia. Each one having an experience about losing someone close to him or her and this friendship will forge ahead in a different way. Their kids are best friends and soon they would decide to include them in their new found realization that they might have hidden feelings for each other not to be revealed to the children, but hoping they might buy a house together.

The setting for this book is based on the discovery of a college student in the Mississippi River. This is the 15^th college male to drown. Thinking the cause was too much alcohol. The detectives in charge, Al and Charlie soon realize that there is something else behind the deaths and it was murder with a capital M. When you get to know Julie and Peggy you begin to wonder not why she still mourns her boyfriend’s death, the first victim of a killer, but and raising Brody their son, as she reflects on something that alerts her to think she might be the one responsible for the drownings. The murder weapon is injected into the ear canal of the victims and it’s two anesthesia’s used to put patients to sleep during surgery. The twists and turns are odd and the revelation as to who the killer is comes later in the book but the author keeps it real and related to the real life killings in the past. No one really still knows who did the original killings: a serial killer or even a gang.

Gundersen Clinic is where the forensics are being done and the end result proves that Sarah Gile who has a stella reputation will find that the person used Etomidate to induce sleep in the victim and also there was another that had a sandy-colored border that turned out to be midazolam and together it’s a nasty knockout she stated.

Dwight Hooper and Police Chief Brent Whigg are the ones in charge as Dwight is the county Sheriff and feels that Charlie and Al are doing a great job and briefing them they go public and answer the questions of the press.

While Julie and Peggy have decided to move into a house together their relationship gets hot and steamy and their concern for the children’s education comes to the forefront before they agree to buy any new home. In real life the cases that took place in St. Cloud were linked and the Chief of Police whose department investigated the death of the St. Cloud State student stated it was an accident. But, this was not the end and there were 20 college age men from Minnesota to Ohio that I learned in my research that drowned after going to a party or drinking in a bar and 8 turned up in area rivers after leaving the bars and not being scene, like they vanished into thin air. How could these be accidents and what about the ones in La Crosse? Charlie, Al and the higher ups called a town meeting to speak with the public and the press hoping to let their fears rest. In real life they had to rethink what they thought and their conclusions in the book they realize it’s murder but how are they going to trap a killer? While they are investigating they meet Kelly a young girl who has come to work with Julie and things change for Charlie. His wife Charlene is wicked, unyielding and wants him out of her life and cannot stand him caring about his job. Al’ wife is amazing yet when he meets Julie his moral values take a backseat and that bothers me because Joyce is amazing. When Julie and Peggy decide on a house the price is over the top until the owner Genevieve decides that they are the right ones to live in her house and their children adopt her as a grandmother. But, learning more about her past and seeing the lab in her home the reader wonders just who this person might be and if she might be someone that the police need to look at.

Julie and Peggy get closer and Julie starts having visions about the murders too did she have something to do with them? Getting close to Al and Charlie seems the right way to go for them as Kelly falls for Charlie and Peggy eventually meets Rick. Hormones are on the alert and Al and Julie seem to hit it off too much as the investigation takes a turn and a killer admits his/her guilt. Taking the prisoner in a serious error is made and the killer uses the same type of injection and the next thing Al realizes he is out and when found the killer is gone.

Julie and Peggy do not believe that this person is guilty yet all points and evidence cannot deny what the police already know and the end result is that the Chief and Sheriff have to lay blame on their handling the prisoner and an all points in many places were sent but where is the killer.

The ending is quite startling and the search for the killer is still going on as no one knows where this person went and the clever way the killer manages to continue his/her work and prepare his/her potions and compounds leads this reviewer to think that there might be a sequel coming.

Who is so diabolical that they killed so many young people? Why does Julie feel drawn the murders? What about her past come backing down in the present? What does she learn that changes it all for her? What about Brody? Is her son involved? Characters and a story ripped out right out of the headlines author Gary Evans gives readers much pause for thought because in reality did they ever find the real killer in the present and in La Croix. Interesting plot and fast paced just who is the killer whose MO is: DEATH BY DROWNING?

Fran Lewis: Just reviews/MJ magazine