Devils at the Door

This was my 1st time reading this author and I have to say I am hooked! I flew through this one. I usually find small town mysteries a bit repetitive and unoriginal but this had me questioning everything and I couldnt put it down. The scenes are set perfectly, the characters well written, the atmosphere tense and creepy and its just the perfect book to get lost in on these cold dark nights

Great intrigue!

This is the first time I've read a book by this author Tessa Wegert!
Well written with intrigue, Devils at the Door, follows investigator Shana Merchant after a suspicious drowning case. A well-crafted plot! We also learn that a young girl named Henrietta is somehow linked to a serial killer. At the request of her own brother Doug, Shana agrees to take care of her, which will become a real challenge for her. Is Henrietta in danger? Well-kept secrets will resurface!

If you like stories filled with mysteries, you will surely like this fiction.

Thank you Severn House and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book!

The Shana Merchant series just keeps getting better. Shana's psychopathic cousin Bram is still wreaking havoc even after his death, and the scars he inflicted on his family are still raw. Henrietta, Shana's 16-year-old niece has been sent to her aunt in A-Bay and is quickly implicated in the suspicious drowning of a local teen. Despite a conflict of interest, Shana can't keep away from the investigation and puts her job--and her relationship with her fiance--at risk as she searches for the truth. Great storytelling kept me hooked and I couldn't put it down. If you haven't discovered this series, you're missing out!

Thanks to Severn House for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley & Severn House for an eARC of Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert, a Shana Merchant novel.

Yes! Another Investigator Shana Merchant novel in the books. Every time I see Tessa Wegert coming out with a new one, I get giddy. I know they can't go on forever, but I keep hoping and praying. I pushed this to the top of my TBR as soon as I was approved because I know that Wegert will always write an atmospheric mystery that will have me absolutely hooked - Just in time for September and this spooky season.

What's Shana up to this time?
Shana's 16 year old niece, Hen, moves in with her and fiance Tim. Moving to A-Bay doesn't help Hen fit in, everyone knows she was related to one of NY's most prolific serial killers. When Hen arrives, Shana finds her at the scene of a suspicious drowning of a local teenage boy. What happened that night? Was Hen involved?

I loveeee the small town mysteries in this series. As always, the community wants to keep their secrets dead and buried, but Shana won't give up until she finds the truth. This could be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the series from the start so you have the background on Shana, her connection to the famous serial killer and her relationship with Tim. This one explores the mystery aspect as well as Shana's personal life which I love to see. Did I cry at the end of this one? Tessa, how the hell did you manage to make me cry?

I really love this series. I'm familiar enough with the region (I'm also an upstate/Western NY resident) to enjoy the setting and references, and it's an area that doesn't see a lot of action, fiction-wise, so it's fun in that regard. But even more than that, I really love the characters she's crafted. Her protagonist is a survivor in the truest sense of the word - a woman who is strong, bent-not-broken, and forged by the events in her life into a steel sword seeking justice for those around her. Yet she never loses her humanity and remains fallible, like all of us, and this is what makes her such a relatable character. The pacing and plotting is, as always, strong and even. The mystery draws you in straightaway, and the character development (both in this installment and series-long) continues to be engaging and heartening. I hope Wegert sticks with these characters for a long time - because I intend to!

This is the fifth book in the senior investigator, Shana Merchant series.

Shana finally has her life in order after it was torn apart by her cousin, and later revealed serial killer Blake Bram. Shana has a fiancé and a stable career in Alexandria Bay. But then she receives a call from her brother Doug, her niece, Henrietta (Hen), is going through a rough patch, and he thinks it might be good for her to spend some time with Shana. Except Hen isn’t the innocent child that Shana remembers and she’s not sure if she can trust her. Soon after she arrives, Shana is called to a crime scene to investigate a suspicious drowning of a local teenage boy, at the uninhabited island, Devils Oven, only to discover her niece at the scene of the crime.

This has become one of my favourite series, and while it’s probably better read from the beginning, the author does provide enough background that you could just jump in to this novel. The story pulled me in from the very beginning. Small town setting, lots of secrets and new characters to shake things up.
Another one I highly recommend. 4.5*

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Severn House for this gifted review copy.

Although this is the fifth book in the series, it is the first for me. While there were lots of references to earlier books, I never had any trouble following the story as the author did a good job of providing all needed information.

The story is set in upstate New York on the St. Lawrence River. The main character is New York state troopers investigator Shana Marchant. She and her fiance, a fellow investigator, are busy renovating their home and preparing for their wedding when her brother calls. He begs Shana to take his troubled teenage daughter, Henrietta, for the school term in hopes that a change of scenery will straighten her out.

Stana quickly finds her hands full dealing with the strange and moody teen, and things take a turn for the worse when the girl is found at the scene of the death of another teen. Hen and her friends aren’t talking and seem obsessed with death and the occult.

I thought the author did a fine job of juggling all the doubts and fears in Shana’s personal life, with the mistrust and exasperation that comes with dealing with a teenage girl. Throw in a large dose of small town secrets and a suspicious death from the past, and you have a fine setting for a taut mystery. I know that my guesses at who done it was quite long and all were wrong.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good small town mystery and a psychological storyline. Many thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for an impartial review.

Another exciting Shana Merchant mystery! I was very excited to get this ARC from Net Galley. I have enjoyed this series so much. The mysteries are very well crafted. The settings- both in NY and VT are very familiar to me, which makes this series even more enjoyable. Wegert expertly captures year round life in a small, summer tourist town. Shana has been carefully developed throughout the series, as have the supporting characters. The series keeps getting better with each book.

Shana is a flawed person, with a lot of personal guilt to carry, in regard to a deceased relative, who is still managing to disrupt her life from the grave. But- she still is able to forge relationships and a have personal life in The Bay. In this book, her niece comes to stay with her, and quickly becomes embroiled in a suspicious death. Shana should stay out of the investigation because family is involved. But can she? You'll just have to read this book to find out!

Thanks Net Gallery!

Shana is finally starting to feel normal and happy, she is engaged to a great man, they are renovating their home and things are going pretty well. The town is finally starting to accept her and not glare at her when they see her. Can she finally put her serial killing cousin behind her? She agrees to look after her teenage niece for a while. Henrietta is going off the rails a bit and her parents are desperate for some help. Shane doesn’t realise what she is getting herself into with Hen, and soon she finds herself investigating a drowning, one where Hen was a witness,or is she the prime suspect?

This series has a way of getting you so invested in the characters and storylines. I found myself cursing Shana at times, she doesn’t always make the best decisions. We saw her and Tim in a different way in this instalment. I look forward to what comes next for them.

I love this author.
This series has kept my interest from the first to the last page every time.

The characters are strong and the spin on the story line will have you wondering who is the murderer.

A must read series and author for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House publishers. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

My favorite of the series so far. Giving myself a high five for figuring it all out before the reveal - not easy to do with this author. I like where the relationship is going between Shana and Tim. I love that Shana is so flawed - her life isn't tied up in a neat bow now that Bram is (mostly) out of the picture. This story features Shana's 16 year old niece, Henrietta; talk about throwing a wrench into your life! Again, I love how Shana handles her (or doesn't) and how she doesn't have all the answers. This series keeps getting better.

Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert is the 5th book in the Shana Merchant series.
I absolutely LOVE this series! While you can read it as a stand-alone novel, I highly recommend reading the other amazing books in the series.

Shana Merchant is doing well, engaged to Tim and putting the events of the past behind her. Things are going pretty well. She agrees to take care of her 16-year-old nieces, Henrietta (Hen) for a little while to get her back on track.

When Shane is called to investigate a drowning, things get complicated with Hen, as she was a witness. Or is she a suspect?

This is such a great book! I really enjoy Shana so much! Shana and Tim took on a different role in this book as guardians to Hen and it was a really nice dynamic.

The mystery was fantastic and there were some great twists and turns that left me gasping.

Another fantastic installment that I cannot recommend enough.

When Senior Investigator Shana Merchant agrees to let her teenage niece Henrietta (Hen, to her aunt) stay with her and her fiancé Tim while they simultaneously renovate their home, plan their wedding, and keep the Alexandria Bay area safe from crime, she thinks the challenge will be getting her niece to open up about her troubles. Shana knows firsthand that her family history can be difficult to navigate, even for an adult. But Shana doesn’t expect her duties as an aunt to intersect with her duties with the New York State Police.

Hen finds herself involved with a suspicious drowning and Shana finds herself on the outside of the investigation—one that could have implications for the rest of Hen’s life. Shana must do everything she can to get to the truth, combing through local secrets that have already done damage and continue to wreak havoc.

This is the fifth in Tessa Wegert’s twisty and atmospheric Shana Merchant series. Wegert is back with her tight prose and complex characters. Shana, the main character, is a complicated heroine, whose unique past and capable investigation skills, not to mention her badass martial arts prowess, make her a protagonist I love to root for, and this most recent chapter does not disappoint. Never fear if you haven’t read the others in the series. This book stands alone perfectly well. But if you haven’t, what in the world are you waiting for?

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

👀 OMG, she’s back again! The most BAD ASS Senior Investigator Shana Merchant returns in Book 5 of the series by Tessa Wegert! “Devils at the Door” surrounds the aftermath of the death of Shana’s cousin Blake Bram … a small town serial killer that will follow Shana like a shadow forever 🫣!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

When the news of Blake Bram’s true identity hits the national news, his family members take a huge hit for being related to a serial killer. Not just Shana. Her brother Doug asks Shana to take in his 16 year old daughter Hen who has been acting out and needed a change of scenery for one semester.

When Hen shows up, she begins to hang out with a rebellious crowd from school which leads to sneaking out, drinking, stealing and being secretive. One night when Shana is called to the crime scene of a teenager who drowned in the water surrounding Devil’s Oven island, she is SHOCKED to find her niece there when she was supposed to be at home sleeping. WHY were Hen and her “friends” on this deserted island in the first place??

Shana and her team are given the run around from the teenagers involved and it gets harder for them to keep their stories straight. When the drowning is suspected to NOT be accidental, Shana is desperate to find out the truth before Hen becomes the primary suspect.

This series is HANDS DOWN one of the best thriller series there is!! I have totally devoured every single book and highly recommend this series to everyone! If you enjoy GRITTY police procedurals, fast paced thrillers and atmospheric mysteries, then you need this book (and series) in your life 💯!!!!

Thank you kindly to @tessawegert @severnhouseimprint @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on December 5, 2023!

This is my favorite Shana read so far! This one was so good! Just when you think with how the last book left off, that just maybe she can try to move on from the horror she has endured at the hands of her cousin. But when her brother calls with a very large favor, she cannot say no. Her niece moves in and Shana not yet being a mother, is in uncharted waters with rules and expectations, what is right or wrong and just why is normal for a teenager. When she gets a call about a body out on Devil's Oven Island, she gets the shock of her life to find her niece in shock from having been the one to pull the lifeless teenage boy from the water. Just what in the heck is going on and what is the real reason Hen was pushing to come to her aunt Shana's? Now being directly tied to the investigation, Shana has to treat lightly with her niece being considered a suspect while trying to get to the bottom of what is really going on with Hen, and who are these friends of hers that always seems to bring about trouble and her past. This was such a crazy read and I loved every page! I am extremely curious to see what Shana's future looks like in the next novel. Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite and to the author and NetGalley for the free ebook. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert is another gripping crime fiction story.
I really enjoyed reading book five in the Shana Merchant series.
I love the atmosphere of this book. It’s written with the intensity and a feeling of dread.
Brimming with an eerie mystery and hair-raising details this was a compelling read.
A solid and convoluted plot, great characters, suspenseful writing, and perfect ending made this story so much fun and exciting.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Tessa Wegert, the Author of “Devils at the Door,” has written an intriguing and captivating novel. This is the 5th Shanna Merchant Novel, which can stand on its own, but I recommend reading the other books in the series because they are so good. The genres for this novel are mystery, thriller, suspense, and fiction. The story occurs near Alexandria Bay, on the New York Border near Canada. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past regarding the characters or events. This well-written novel has twists and turns, betrayals, danger, accidents, and murder.

The author vividly describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated, flawed, and dysfunctional. Investigator Shana Merchant has more complications in her life when her 16-year-old niece, Henrietta, is sent to live with her and Tim, Shana’s fiance. Shana’s brother and wife find that their rebellious daughter is a handful and hope that Shanna can straighten her out. The publicity still exists that Shana and Henrietta’s relative was a serial killer. Henrietta finds it difficult to make friends, but they seem to idolize her serial killer relative. These new “friends” of Henriettas also are interested in ghosts. When one of these friends drowns, and Henrietta is found nearby, Shana is forced to back away from the case.

The small town has very strange occurrences regarding these friend’s families. Will Shana be able to find out what is going on and protect her niece? I could not put this book down. I highly recommend this intense thriller.

Devil's at the Door by Tessa Wegert.
A Shana Merchant Novel Book 5.
Senior Investigator Shana Merchant is back. This time a drowning at uninhabited island of Devil's Oven. Is it suspicious. Shana will need to find out? Is her niece Henrietta a suspect or witness?
A good read. I did like Shana and Tim. Wasn't sure about Hen. I'm looking forward to the next book. 4*.

This is my third in a row by Tessa Wegert. I really like this series and Shana Merchant is my kind of girl - bad ass, take no prisoners, boss lady!

Shana gets tasked with “straightening out” her niece - can she do it? Should be easier than solving a murder, right? Well… maybe… or maybe not.

This one definitely kept me guessing. I truly sympathized with Hen (short for Henrietta) and I appreciated the lengths to which Shana went to try to help her niece.

I honestly can’t think of another detective series that I read that has a female lead - so this one is special.

What could be better on a wintery evening than sitting down to read the latest Senior Investigator Shana Merchant procedural? Shana is getting ready to marry Tim Wellington when her brother throws a wrench into her time. He asks her to let his teenage daughter, Henrietta, come live with her for a semester. It seems Hen, has been skipping school and become a behavioral problem. Hen is being bullied at school, after it was found out that her cousin, Abraham Skilton, killed more than a dozen women while living as Blake Bram.

Needless to say things do not go smoothly. Shana is called into investigate the death of Leif Colebrook at Devil's Oven Island. When she gets there she finds the young man has drowned and part of the group of teens there is Hen. The teens invited Hen to come because they are fascinated with Bram, having started a fan club for him.

This is a twisty, intriguing thriller. The characters are portrayed as flawed, strong and authentic. The author keeps the reader wanting more. This is the fifth book in the series, and so far it is my favorite. It can be read as a standalone, but I strongly recommend reading from the first in the series to get the full backstory.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Severn House, for an ARC. The review is my own.

I am such a huge fan of Tessa Wegert and this series! If you have not read them, what are you doing?? Start NOW! You will love the first in the series - Death in the Family - for its locked room Agatha Christie murder mystery vibes and you will stick around and continue through this series because of the lead character Shana Merchant.

There is so much I could say about this 5th installment - Devils at the Door - but what I am going to focus on is this character. You would think that after 4 books getting to know Shana and her history and how what she has gone through has shaped who she is now, that there wouldn't be anything left to learn about her. And how wrong you would be!

I am incredibly impressed with Wegert and the ways that she continues to develop and peel back the layers of this amazing, strong, complicated, flawed, beautiful character. The added introduction of her niece and the dynamic of Shana as an aunt, a caretaker, a fiance, and a survivor going through grief and stress and so many different emotions just elevated this character to a whole new level for me.

Bravo Miss Wegert! I am stunned that after 5 books - I desperately want to get back into Shana's world and watch you peel back even MORE layers of this brilliant character - I cannot wait to see what's next for one of my favorite female lead characters!

Thank you to Netgalley & Severn House for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Shana Merchant is back with another great book in the series. If this is your first read in the series you won’t be lost because the author provides the background so it can be read as a standalone. What I enjoyed most about this book was Shana. As the protagonist, she is central to the story but we not only see her investigative side but her personal side as she manages her relationships and her own past that won’t let go. Shana and Tim are overnight parents when Shana’s niece comes to live with them. Her niece, Hen, is a very relatable character and I hope she appears in future books. I loved reading this book!

The book follows police investigator, Shana Merchant, who assumes guardianship of her niece, Hen, for a few months. Hen used to be happy and full of life. That is, before her family was outed as relatives to a prolific serial killer. Now, she’s become someone Shana doesn’t recognize and she quickly realizes she’s gotten in over her head. Things get progressively worse as Shana is called to a drowning at Devil’s Oven, an isolated island, and finds Hen, and friends, at the scene of the crime.

With neither Hen or her new friends talking about the tragedy, Shana must work to piece together the events of that night and save her niece from certain doom.

This a proper thriller that will leave you wanting more! Thank you Net Galley and Tessa Wegert for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book. Please check your content warnings before diving in! Publishing date 12/5/2023.

Where have I been, this was my first book by Tessa Wegert and I have been missing out! While this is a part of a series, it can be read as a standalone, which is what I did! Now after finishing book #5, I need to read the first 4. This was a twisty and unexpected police procedural that really had you questioning everyone and so many shocking moments! I highly recommend that you add this book to your TBR if you are a fan of police procedurals!

****Many thanks to @Suzyapprovedbooktour and @tessawegert for the gifted copy in turn for an honest review.

My review will be posted on Instagram (thriller_book_sisters) on 12/8/23.

OMG, I absolutely loved this book!  This is the 5th book in the author's Shana Merchant Series, and it is SO good!  The books can be read as standalones, but I definitely recommend reading them in order.  I promise you, you won't regret it!   As the books progress, you'll find yourself completely attached to Shana and the 1000 Islands region of NY.

Senior Investigator Shana Merchant is finally starting to get her life back together after the events of her cousin/serial killer Blake Bram.  She & Tim have taken things to the next level, and her career in Alexandria Bay is stable.  But when she gets a call from her brother Doug about her niece Henrietta, Hen for short, things take a turn.  Hen is out of control, and Doug doesn't know what to do.  He asks Shana to take her in for a few months, hoping that will straighten her out. The cute, bubbly niece she remembers is no more.  Hen is now a troubled, rebellious teenager who manipulates and sneaks out of the house. Shana starts to think she may have gotten in over her head, especially when she catches Hen walking around the house at night and things start to go missing.  One night Shana receives a call to investigate a suspicious drowning of a teen at the uninhabited island of Devils Oven only to discover that Hen is there and may have been the last person to see the teen alive.  But Hen is not talking, and neither are 2 others that were there that night.  Can Shana find out the truth and keep her niece from being the prime suspect?

This book has now become my favorite in the series.  I loved the enticing plot that kept me guessing until the very end.  There were shocking twists that actually made my jaw drop.  Shana is one of my favorite book characters, and Hen was a great addition.  I say this every time I write a review about this series, but I absolutely love the setting! I don't ever want this series to end!  Full of mystery and suspense, this atomspheric, police procedural/crime thriller is just fantastic!  I would HIGHLY recommend it and the series.

𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤!

Tessa Wegert did it again, another unputdownable story. I read it in one sitting and it ended too soon. Shana has become one of my favorite characters hands down and I’m not ready to say goodbye.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗔𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿 by Tessa Wegert, Author releases December 5, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

It was so good to visit with Shana and Tim again and this time we have more family involved deeply in the story in the form of her niece Hen.
As with the previous book this was fairly fast paced with the clues coming to incriminate someone fairly regularly and seeming to circle through the cast of possibilities a couple of times at least where I believed it was one person then another around the group until I was back to the first person again!
This had a very interesting set of sub plots going alongside the main one but the main one needed those minor plot points to fill in the gaps so we could gain a resolution. The whole story was expertly woven together and finished on a very satisfying note where I am keen to read the next book already!

It’s no secret, I absolutely adore Tessa Wegert. This spunky little lady has produced best seller after best seller and has kept me thoroughly entertained with her wildly explosive thrillers.

Wegert does an incredible job leading you down the rabbit hole with a perfectly executed plot that will have you almost scared to flip the next page.

Devils At the Door

Yikes, I’ll be checking under my bed for weeks to come.

Check out this teaser :

A suspicious drowning throws New York State senior investigator Shana Merchant's life into turmoil in this taut, thrilling small-town mystery - perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware.

Sixteen-year-old Henrietta used to be happy. But that was before her family hit the national news. Before she - and the whole world - knew she was related to one of New York's most prolific serial killers.

Senior Investigator Shana Merchant readily agrees when her brother asks her to take in his troubled, rebellious daughter for the fall semester. Doug's convinced that spending a few months in Alexandria Bay with Shana will straighten Hen out.

But when Hen arrives, Shana's not so sure. She can't help but distrust the strange and manipulative teen, who binge-watches bloody movies and roams the house at night, taking things that aren't hers.

Soon, though, Shana has more to worry about than missing heirlooms when she's called to investigate the suspicious drowning of a local teenager, only to discover her niece at the scene of the crime.

What happened that night on the dark, uninhabited island of Devil's Oven? With Hen and her new friends not talking, and a community determined to keep their secrets dead and buried, Shana knows it's a race against time to uncover the truth before her niece is upgraded from key witness to prime suspect.

An exciting addition to this compelling series.
In this, the fifth book of the Shana Merchant Series, we find Shana trying to move on from the carnage that Bram left behind. When her brother asks for her help with his troubled daughter, Hen, Shana and her fiance, Tim, agree to take her in. When Hen's classmates learn she's related to the infamous murderer she struggles to make friends. One of her classmates, Mia, is obsessed with Bram and is all too happy to befriend her. When Hen sneaks out one night Shana and Tim find her on a local island next to the body of a young man. When it's determined the man's death was not an accident and Hen's a witness and possible suspect, Shana realizes she'll never really be free of Bram.

I really enjoyed this one. The author continues to come up with interesting twists, plots and mysteries for Shana to solve. Bram was Shana's cousin and family is at the center of her story. Dealing with family though is never easy and Shana has her hands full in this one. If you've read any of the books in this series I'm sure you'll like this one, if you're new to the series, I recommend you start with an earlier installment to get a better understanding of who Bram is and the history there in.

Our favorite serial killer surviving detective is back! And now she’s been put in charge of her teen niece, Henrietta who was being bullied at her old school for being related to Blake Bram. This is the 5th book in the series.

Hen has a penchant for bloody movies and snooping. She also stirs up mischief and poking her nose where it doesn’t belong. She’s had trouble making friends and is bullied at her new school too. Late one night, Shana is called to investigate the mysterious drowning of a local teenager and the last person she expects to find at the scene is her niece. Now Hen is considered an eye witness and possible witness. Can Shana get to the bottom of this? Was Hen involved?

I liked that this was a little different from the other books. It was more about Shana and her family and personal life. Being related to a famous serial killer will always follow anyone with the last name “Merchant” and it must be so hard for Hen to start over at a new school with such notoriety.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours @tessawegert and @severnhouseimprint for my gifted ebook. Devils at the Door is out now!

Shana Merchant is back! 🙌🏼 I jumped into this series on book 3, and it read so much like the Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell- which is one of my all-time favorite series!

In this one, Shana and Tim are moving on and happily creating their life together. Then she takes in her rebellious niece, and mayhem ensues. She's sneaky and stealing from them. Then Shana is called to investigate a teenage drowning and finds her niece at the scene, but she won't talk about what happened. She's kicked off the case, but of course, she can't just sit back and let her niece take the fall for this. And talk about a tangled web of lies and deceit. Such a great read!

Another great installment of the Shana Merchant series!! I really enjoy reading these books. Shana Merchant is such a strong female character, and as a reader, you can't help but love her. This book was so good! This is the first of the series that doesn't involve Bram (obviously - iykyk). And man, it was so good! Love that it still involves mystery and murder. Great read, highly recommend!!

*Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @tessawegert for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Devils at the Door is told in 1st person from Shana’s POV. First of all, I absolutely loved Hen’s character and how mysterious she was. I couldn’t tell if I could trust her for most of the book which I really enjoyed. This book was a little less “serial killer-y” (yes, I made that up) than the other books in the series but it was jam packed with drama as well as twists! I genuinely had no idea who the real killer was until the very end. Also, the very last page had me soooo excited but that’s all I will say. I’m not sure if this is the last Shana Merchant book or not but I really hope it isn’t because I’m not ready for it to end or to not read about Shana! Highly recommend this series.

After I finished this taut small-town mystery, I found myself wondering why I'd never met Shana Merchant before. As a main character she's so compelling: gutsy, brave, stubborn, flawed and emotionally vulnerable. In other words a thoroughly human and relatable character.
In this instalment of the series, Shana is struggling with the traumatic events of the past as well as the idea of settling down with boyfriend, Tim and maybe having children. Her life is complicated even further when her brother asks her to take in her troubled teenage niece, the rebellious and sullen, Hen. who lands on her doorstep and begins to cause havoc in their small town when she's found at the scene of a suspicious drowning that results in the death of a local teen.. Shana finds herself in a race against time to uncover the truth and find out how exactly Hen is connected to the crime.
The world of Alexandria Bay is so vivid and well drawn that I was immersed in the small town, its colourful characters and unique setting on the St. Lawrence, near the Thousand Islands and the Canada/US border. The story is thoroughly engrossing with so many twists and turns that keep you guessing right until the surprise ending. A great read that kept me luring me back for more.

I’m usually not a fan of book series, but I cannot get enough of the Shana Merchant series by Tessa Wegert!

In Devils at the Door, we meet Shana’s niece, Hen, and all the chaos that ensues after she arrives in town.

I am glad that we’re finally starting to move on from Bram in this book, even though he obviously is impacting the lives of those left behind.

There were some twists in this one that I didn’t expect, especially THAT ENDING ?!?!?

Now I eagerly await book 6!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

"The Devils at the Door" captivated me from start to finish with its spectacular storytelling. The settings breathed life into the narrative, emerging as almost a supporting character in their own right. The meticulous attention to detail made every scene vivid and immersive. This mystery thriller was a rollercoaster of suspense and intrigue, weaving a narrative that kept me guessing until the very end. The plot was rich with twists and turns, and the characters were well-developed, adding depth to the overall experience. "The Devils at the Door" is a gripping and satisfying read, a testament to its ability to deliver on the promises of a great mystery thriller. It left me thoroughly entertained and impressed.

Even though Bram is gone, he is still not out of Shana’s life. I liked how his was still apart of the investigation at times. With the arrival of Shana’s niece, Hen, secrets about not only Shana but a few others in the town start to rise to the surface and it changed the way Shana goes about investigating a crime. After reading the other installments of this series I was just as invested in Shana and Tim’s relationship as the crime. They hit some road bumps that they have not had to face as a couple before and I love Tim, so I was nervous about what was going to happen. I loved the mystery around not only the group of teens but the parents as well. The way the information was revealed kept me guessing the culprit until the end.

Thank you @tessawegert @severnhouseimprint @netgalley and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

This is the fifth book in Tessa Wegert’s Shana Merchant series and I cannot tell you how much I love this series. It really is the perfect combination of police-procedural and psychological thriller, with a locked-room mystery thrown in…and I just love it!

While these books can be read as stand-alones, I highly recommend reading this series in order. Yes, each book has a self-contained case, but besides the amazing character development that has been a critical part of these series, there are also a few main threads that continue to carry over from book to book and that continues with this latest one.

In this latest installment we see Shana and Tim trying to move on from all that has transpired to date…and they think things are going well until Shana’s niece comes to stay with them and they soon realize they couldn’t have been more deceived. Nothing has changed and the town is still focused on Bram.

One of my favorite aspects of this series has always been the character development and we continue to see that here. Shana is one complicated character who has already been through the wringer, but in this book, we see her take on the new role of caretaker. This brings a whole new dynamic to her relationship with her fiance as things are not easy with her niece, Hen. It makes Shana question a lot.

This book kept me glued to the pages and guessing as to what was going on. I loved all the twists and turns that it took and was quite surprised at all the revelations that popped up along the way. I also loved how the author included the fascination we have with serial killers – the “cult” that Henrietta finds herself involved in, one with an interest in dead serial killers, rang with shades of truth to it.

I do hope this isn’t the last of this series…I need more Shana, especially with that ending!

Another great page turning mystery featuring Senior Investigator Shana Merchant. I’ve read the entire series and encourage you to read all these books, but this book is easily read as a stand alone.

I won’t give any of the plot of this or any of the series away so all I’ll tell you is that the antagonist of the previous books isn’t physically in the picture, but is part of the plot.

This book has Shana’s 16 year old niece, Henrietta, staying with Shana after getting into some trouble at home. Trouble seems to follow Henrietta as she is on the scene at the death of a teenager.

This read is fast moving and had some interesting twists. It is atmospheric enough that I felt the dampness off the water at parts.

Also, if you like main characters that are strong yet imperfect, Shana is a perfect example.

As always, I look forward to seeing what happens next in the small town of A-Bay, New York.

Sixteen year old Hen goes to stay with her aunt, senior investigator Shana Merchant. Shana wanted to get Hen away from her troubles back home and at school. It soon becomes clear that Hen is being bullied for being related to Blake Bram, one of NY's most prolific serial killers. This is something Shana knows all too well.

Their lives are turned upside down when shortly after Hens arrival, she sneaks out and a teen boy she is with drowns. When Shana finds Hen at the scene of the crime, she is forced off the case because Hen is now a suspect. Shana should stay out of the investigation because family is involved. But can she? What she discovers unravels a tangled web of lies and betrayals that stretch beyond Alexandria Bay.

This is book five in a series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed the well laid out story of the investigation of the drowning and could not have guessed where everything was going. Definitely a first for me with this type of twist. If you love a good mystery, this is a great book, not to be missed.

My thanks to Severn House Publishing, The Author Tessa Wegert, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Devil’s At The Door

Another FIVE star read for me!!
I just can’t get enough of this atmospherics small town series that keeps getting complicated and drama filled. This time around Shana, now a New York State senior investigator is in a better place and things are looking up until her troubled niece comes to stay with her and Shana has no idea what she’s getting into. On top of that she is called to investigate a suspicious drowning where her niece who is not cooperating might be a suspect. Along the way there are secrets uncovered and unexpected twists.
What mostly attracts me to this series is Shana’s personality, her faults and decisions that keep me wanting more. This is definitely a great book to add to your TBR.

Omg!! I loved this book. This is such an addicting series and this book didn’t disappoint. I highly recommend reading them in order. I can’t wait to see how this continues.

Devils At The Door is the newest book in the Shana Merchant series. Shana’s 16 year old niece, Henrietta, has moved in with her and her fiancé, Tim. Then a local teenager is found dead with links to Shana’s serial killer cousin.

This is the first book I have read by this author but it will not be my last! I really enjoyed this crime thriller novel with its twists and turns. I fully plan to read the rest of this series! I highly recommend reading this book if you enjoy crime fiction surrounding serial killers in small towns.

Thank you @severnhouseimprint for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

Devils at the Door is book #5 in the Shana Merchant Novel series by Tessa Wegert.

Shana Merchant’s brother asks her to take in her 16-year-old niece to live with her and her fiancé. The notoriety of being related to a prolific serial killer makes life difficult for both. Henrietta sneaks out and is found in the vicinity of a dead teenager. No one is talking about what happened. Was she involved?

This is the first book I’ve read in the series but had no trouble getting into the story. This was quite a story. I couldn’t put it down. It was a wild ride. I liked the characters and never in a million years would have predicted the who and why of the murder. And I loved the ending. I’ll be reading the earlier books to catch upon the series.

Thank you to the author, Severn House, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

DEVILS AT THE DOOR (Shana Merchant #5) by Tessa Wegert was a huge reminder to me of why I’m SO glad that my own teenagers are grown AND GONE!

When Shana’s brother, Doug asks her to take in his sixteen year old daughter for a semester, he’s hoping that their time together will straighten Hen out. But Shay’s never had children, isn’t even sure she wants them, and cannot get a handle on what is happening with Hen. Shortly after her arrival, Shay notices that Hen seems to be addicted to horror, movies, roams the house at night, takes things that don’t belong to her and shares a fascination with the locals regarding a family member who was a convicted serial killer. Needless to say, Hen falls in with a very weird crowd of friends. Meanwhile, a local boy, Leif Colebrook drowns at Devil’s Oven and Hen is the last one to have been seen with him and she’s not talking, not to Shay or the police investigating the case. Was it an accident? Or something more sinister? Will Shay. break through with Hen or send her packing back to Doug and Josie? As the clues pile up Hen is looking less like a possible witness and more like a suspect in Leif’s drowning.

I enjoyed this book. The writing was smooth and easy, which led to an interesting, entertaining read. I did think, however that it drug at times, and I would notice my mind wandering somewhat. It was good enough, however, that I will certainly look into the other Shana Merchant books in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn house for this arc opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This might now be my favorite book in this series. I really liked that Shana was still the main character, but that there were A LOT of new characters in this book and I think that made it more interesting and gave some new life to the series. I liked where the series went in the earlier books, but this direction allows it to continue. I enjoyed the introduction of Hen and the twist that was revealed later in the book that was later on developed to add a unique twist on the deaths.

Thank you so much to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy!

This one started out slow for me. I had trouble getting into it. But as I read on, I started to love it. I love Shana and the recurring characters in this series, as well as the atmospheric setting in upstate New York. The story had a lot of buildup and then multiple twists, which I liked a lot. Didn’t love the ending, but I do plan to keep reading the series.

I love this entire series - it's right up there with Penny's Three Pines. I love how the story of Bram is interwoven into each case, and loved the summertime feel on the island. Highly recommend all of Wegert's books!