Island Lost in Time

“Little did Roy suspect that his noncontroversial, nonpolitical, academic life would be plunged into turbulent chaos and life threatening entanglements, both controversial and political” (4). 


The Book  

Murder in Mackinac (Mackinac is pronounced Mack-i-naw) by Ronald J. Lewis is a mystery novel that you read just for fun. It follows the story of Roy Nelson, a college professor who gets caught up in solving a series of murders. The mystery takes the reader from Mackinac Island to Hawaii, from World War II to the present day, from politics to organized crime. The fiction might be hard to believe at times, but that is what is great about reading. Sometimes you just need a book that doesn’t make you think.

The best part about this book is Lewis’s decision to include destinations in and around Mackinac Island. This is my favorite part of the novel because I can picture the places I saw when I visited Mackinac Island. 

The Place   

Mackinac Island is a place where time has stood still. No cars are allowed on the island, visitors and residents must take a boat across Lake Huron to reach the island. Once there, you can take a tour of the island on a carriage pulled by horses. Highlights on the tour include: the Grand Hotel and Fort Mackinac. One of my favorite parts of the tour was the Arch Rock. High above the lake is a look-out point that shows visitors a rock formation in the form of an arch. Visitors can also rent bikes to ride around the island.

Mackinac Island is also known for its fudge. Down by the harbor are several local shops that sell fudge and other gift items. When we visited, we had lunch in Fort Mackinac and had a beautiful view of the harbor below. You can also see the Mackinac Bridge, the third largest suspension bridge in the world and the longest in the western hemisphere.