This was a very nice and interesting book. I really liked it and got into it quite quickly. Definitely recommend!

Ambrose, an investigative writer, is hired to write a book on the life of a Puerto Rican woman is enjoying her final days. As she interviews the aging woman, questions arise about her life in Puerto Rico during WWII…Questions about unethical government activities. Going down the rabbit hole might be more dangerous than she had imagined.

I found the main character, Ambrose, to be a very interesting person. She has a lot of trauma in her past that is not explicitly stated, but enough is referenced that the reader can get an idea of what she has suffered. As she deals with her own PTSD, she tries to find peace in her life and answers to her many questions her writing assignment comes with. She isn’t perfect and knows when she needs to push to find happiness though she continues to push others away. In researching for the book, she sees what other families go through even through visions that take her back in time.

The story itself moves to a small island off of Puerto Rico and introduces the reader to a different world than most vacationers would see. The simpleness of life that is lived in harmony with the island draws her in to give her much needed peace.

Is this a mystery story? Yes and no. There is so much more here than who did it. There is hints of conspiracy and personal betrayal. This is more a story of a woman’s fight to survive and how those around her can help.

There are several sections that are just reports Ambrose finds in her research. They aren’t exactly crucial to the story, but they are interesting if you want to do your own research.

A very interesting read that has me wanting to research the historical aspects of the book and dive into what has been reported. I was slightly confused with the title as the story is mainly on an island. The source of the title doesn’t appear until the very end and hints at so much more.

📖 Book Review 📖

Milwaukee Deep
Kirstie Croga
May 2023

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Inspired by the true events and mysticism of a small Caribbean island.
Amateur fighter and freelance writer Ambrose Nobel is a vocal advocate for those with traumatic pasts. Ambrose's own experiences have left her deeply suspicious and reclusive.

Researching a family history she is ghostwriting, Ambrose is drawn to Vieques, a small Puerto Rican island commandeered by the US military as a weapons dump and proving ground for over sixty years.

I really enjoyed learning more about Puerto Rico and Vieques in this book, but at only 141 pages I felt this book was too short and rushed in parts. I wish the author had given themselves more real estate to develop the characters and plot.

Thank you Amplify Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#MilwaukeeDeep #KirstieCroga #NetGalley #ARC #bookstagram #read #truecrimebooks #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram

Amateur fighter and freelance writer Ambrose Nobel is a vocal advocate for those with traumatic pasts. Ambrose’s own experiences have left her deeply suspicious, reclusive, and often unable to communicate under stress. We meet her in the delicate space between shedding destructive relationships and cautiously forming healthier ones.

Researching a family history she is ghostwriting, Ambrose is drawn to Vieques, a small Puerto Rican island commandeered by the US military as a weapons dump and proving ground for over sixty years. Immersed in the island, Ambrose’s personal struggles overlay the island’s storied history and the legacy of the natives who survived the decades-long assault.

Among the gentle, resilient hospitality of the locals, and coupled with the heady hoodoo and an expanded awareness of the sultry island, Ambrose verges between the wisdom of the dead and the cruelty of the living. She must decide which reality to believe, who to trust, and what constitutes right among so many wrongs. Vieques, the island itself, laden with biological and nuclear waste, and drenched in the blood of its people, remains eager for revenge. It teeters on the edge of the Atlantic’s deepest and most volatile fault point: Milwaukee Deep.

I found this story intriguing and it did not disappoint. The description of the places made me feel like I was there seeing what Ambrose was seeing. The plot was perfectly executed, the character growth was amazing. I will recommend this story to others.

If you break Milwaukee Deep down to its grassroots, you get a love story. It might be about an investigative journalist doing their due diligence and trying to release the facts about the crimes the American government and armed forces have committed against its people from a small island that America likes to forget about, but in reality it is all about how much this writer loves MMA, kickboxing, history, Puerto Rico, and most of all the truth. Read along as debut novelist Kirstie Croga does her best to give you all that information in 180 pages or less.

Honestly, it was a treat to read so much in a compact book that I binge read it in about two and a half hours. I highly recommend people who like mysteries, crime, and history to pick this up. Hey, you may just learn something. I hope the writer continues to write as she will no doubt get better after each piece of work. Yes, so people may not like that she over uses the comma, forgets what a period is, and tries to beat the world record for the longest sentence. Still, it was nice to see a writer feel so comfortable to tell the story as it was and not worry about readers who can't handle sentence structures that don't make their eyes feel sexy looking at words. Great Job! And keep up the great work.

Love Always Chris Humphrey