The UP

“It wasn’t going to be all fun, but they didn’t know it yet. This would be the beginning of an experience that all three would never forget” (48). 


The Book  


Terror at the Soo Locks by Ronald J. Lewis is a follow-up mystery novel to Murder at Mackinac. The characters are different, but there are slight nods to the characters and themes in Lewis’s first novel. The story follows Professor Bradley Kendall as he travels the globe and dodges international crime plots. Assassins follow him from Michigan to Hawaii to Singapore. Along with his friends, Professor Kendall works to stop a plot to bomb the Mackinaw Bridge when two high-ranking politicians are participating in the annual Labor Day walk across the bridge.

Once again, Lewis pays close attention to detail and proves that he has traveled to the places he writes about. Because the Soo Locks are one of the largest locks for international shipping, the reader learns a lot about the ships and shipping procedures in the Upper Peninsula (UP).



The Place   


Michigan’s UP has many attractions for visitors. The Soo Locks are a fascinating lesson in international shipping. When my family and I visited, we rode a tour boat into the lock and watched as the water lifted our boat high enough for the next lock. During the tour you can see Canada across the lake. There is also observation tower where you can watch the large international ships go through the locks. Farther north in the UP is Whitefish Point on the shores of Lake Superior. Whitefish Point is home to a lighthouse and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The waters of Lake Superior are some of the most treacherous and the museum pays homage to the many shipwrecks. The most well known shipwreck is that of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.

If you are looking for a fun place to eat after exploring the UP, The Antlers provides good food and an interesting atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with stuffed wild animals like polar bears and lions. Hanging from the wall are mounted heads of deer and various antlers.  

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.