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bkwrm1317's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Received this book as part of an author giveaway on StoryGraph. Wasn't familiar with the author prior to reading and was a solidly middle of the line read for me. Characters weren't particularly complex/developed through the novel, and characters weren't particularly compelling for me. I generally enjoy more complex and compelling characters, hence the lower rating for this novel. Having read many thrillers and mysteries, the plot didn't make up for the weaker character development from my perspective.
Do check CWs, especially around self-harm, addiction, and domestic abuse for those who may be impacted by these.
Do check CWs, especially around self-harm, addiction, and domestic abuse for those who may be impacted by these.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Addiction, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse
Minor: Drug use and Sexual violence
bearystarry's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
A very quick and time-passable read if you're into this type of thing, but definitely check trigger/content warnings before you pick it up. Also there were some mistakes that I think could've used editing, weird turns of phrase and typos and a few clunky sentences. I think the character POV switching was a little much at times, too.
Overall this was Fine for me. The characters are very trope-y and the plot is pretty typical.The motive the killer gives at the end feels very... flimsy. Your dad is a cop so you have to die? Ok. And the whole book had a kind of conservative air to me. But I do think it was very readable.
Overall this was Fine for me. The characters are very trope-y and the plot is pretty typical.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Car accident, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Murder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, and Cursing
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Cancer, and Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
kuritsahreads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I won this book in a StoryGraph giveway. All opinions in this review are my own.
This was a very quick read that I enjoyed overall. The intrigue definitely had me turning the pages, as I tried to figure out how the different POVs connect to each other.
This is a very dark book, and I can't say that the ending left me happy. The book touches on a handful of topics in gloomy details, from self-harm to alcoholism to how families can fall apart after losing a child. After each reading session, the story weighed on me, but I must say that I like how to author described and navigated through these topics.
Two things I sadly did not enjoy were the POVs with time changes (I think ? There were 2 really bizarre passages aboutKevin ), as well as the first few chapters that felt like the author was trying to cram in as many American brands, bands and locations as possible. While naming all the roads and highways makes sense, I could have done without all the food brands and album names. I felt like I was reading a commercial.
This was a very quick read that I enjoyed overall. The intrigue definitely had me turning the pages, as I tried to figure out how the different POVs connect to each other.
This is a very dark book, and I can't say that the ending left me happy. The book touches on a handful of topics in gloomy details, from self-harm to alcoholism to how families can fall apart after losing a child. After each reading session, the story weighed on me, but I must say that I like how to author described and navigated through these topics.
Two things I sadly did not enjoy were the POVs with time changes (I think ? There were 2 really bizarre passages about
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Grief, Car accident, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death, and Drug use
ziemia_do_nany's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It was an amazing read! And I say it as a person who generally hates crime books!
~ I won it in Storygraph giveaway
~ I won it in Storygraph giveaway
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Addiction, Self harm, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Drug use, Gun violence, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Cancer
Minor: Sexual content
lavenderbtcpodcast's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Terminal illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Stalking, Torture, and Toxic relationship
sophee_568's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Disclaimer: I won this book in a giveaway on The Storygraph. The author sent me the book, but all opinions are my own. This review is for readers only.
The Fear of Winter is a multiple-POV crime thriller/mystery set in Fraser, Colorado. On a cold December night in 1996, Megan Floyd went missing without a trace. A year later, Tom Floyd, her father, hires a private investigator, Marshall York, to uncover what happened to Megan. Both Marshall and Tom are ex-policemen with sad backstories. Marshall works with a 24-year-old assistant - Hannah Jacobs. They are Tom's last hope of learning what happened to his daughter. Will the two private investigators be able to solve the mystery of Megan's disappearance?
The Fear of Winter is a classic thriller mystery with no plot twists, no red herrings, a surprising lack of suspense, and a dark atmosphere. It offers nothing new or original to the genre. The characters are painfully one-dimensional, and their personalities are formulaic. As a character steps on the scene, you know to what archetype they belong: alcoholic ex-cop turned PI, a drug addict young woman forced into prostitution with a heart of gold...
The plot is interesting enough to keep you mildly entertained and turning the pages, but you have to suspend your disbelief.
The Fear of Winter is a plot-oriented novel, but when the plot hangs on by a thread, you do not feel satisfaction when you reach the end. One of the plot inconsistencies is the lack of follow-up after Tom's car accident. The book starts with Tom hitting a deer on the highway. He might have a concussion, his car is damaged, and he killed a deer. Nowhere in the book is the incident mentioned or alluded to. Did he see a doctor? Did he fix his car? Why did he not tell his wife he was in an accident? He immediately forgets about it when he arrives home.
While reading, I could not help but notice the infamous 'men writing women' phenomenon. Hannah is described as a 'petite female' because she is 5'5" and weighs under 100 pounds (165cm and 45kg). She survives by eating cereal. She constantly gets hit on by men wherever she goes, which could be a small-town thing. All of that shows how this author does not know how to write a proper woman without turning her into an object of desire.
Another problem I had with Hannah's character is her alleged OCD. The author aimed to paint her as obsessive by having her constantly avoid cracks in the pavement, checking if she locked her door once, and claiming she becomes obsessive about other people's issues if she pays attention to what they are saying. That is only an appalling but horrid OCD representation.
Tom's wife, Lisa, is grief-stricken to the point of becoming an alcoholic and mixing alcohol with Xanax. Her and Tom's inability to cope with Megan's disappearance wrecks their marriage. Lisa admits she hates Tom. Although their struggle is realistic, both characters remain bland and invoke no sympathy.
Katie is Megan's friend and a drug addict. Katie's character is a plot device that compensates for the lack of communication between Marshall and Tom. Tom and Marshall share two conversations throughout the novel. The first conversation is their first meeting, which is crucial to the plot, but the second one has little relevance. It is a poor attempt at them bonding over their similar histories.
Furthermore, Marshall and Hannah are disorganized in how they run this investigation. They share maybe 3 or 4 conversations in total. Their communication is sparse and short. Hannah attempts to call Marshall twice, and both times goes to voicemail. How do they even cooperate during this investigation if they do not have proper communication? Also, they never remember to share any findings with Tom. Instead of teaming up with them, Tom is on his own. Not to mention that Marshall's lack of reliance on other people puts him in danger.
This book lacked emotion. I did not care about any of the characters. I had no idea who they were or what they looked like. Megan is the only character with an actual, albeit vague, description, even if it's on a missing persons poster.
The writing style is detailed and creates a strong sense of place. The author lives in Colorado, and he perfectly transferred that experience to his story and characters. I could easily imagine every scene. A good sense of place and orientation is important to me.
In conclusion, if you want to read The Fear of Winter, suspend your disbelief to the maximum. That's why I think it's a perfect airport/flight read. Content warning for heavy alcohol use, graphic depictions of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide, domestic violence, mentions of drug abuse.
The Fear of Winter is a multiple-POV crime thriller/mystery set in Fraser, Colorado. On a cold December night in 1996, Megan Floyd went missing without a trace. A year later, Tom Floyd, her father, hires a private investigator, Marshall York, to uncover what happened to Megan. Both Marshall and Tom are ex-policemen with sad backstories. Marshall works with a 24-year-old assistant - Hannah Jacobs. They are Tom's last hope of learning what happened to his daughter. Will the two private investigators be able to solve the mystery of Megan's disappearance?
The Fear of Winter is a classic thriller mystery with no plot twists, no red herrings, a surprising lack of suspense, and a dark atmosphere. It offers nothing new or original to the genre. The characters are painfully one-dimensional, and their personalities are formulaic. As a character steps on the scene, you know to what archetype they belong: alcoholic ex-cop turned PI, a drug addict young woman forced into prostitution with a heart of gold...
The plot is interesting enough to keep you mildly entertained and turning the pages, but you have to suspend your disbelief.
The Fear of Winter is a plot-oriented novel, but when the plot hangs on by a thread, you do not feel satisfaction when you reach the end. One of the plot inconsistencies is the lack of follow-up after Tom's car accident. The book starts with Tom hitting a deer on the highway. He might have a concussion, his car is damaged, and he killed a deer. Nowhere in the book is the incident mentioned or alluded to. Did he see a doctor? Did he fix his car? Why did he not tell his wife he was in an accident? He immediately forgets about it when he arrives home.
While reading, I could not help but notice the infamous 'men writing women' phenomenon. Hannah is described as a 'petite female' because she is 5'5" and weighs under 100 pounds (165cm and 45kg). She survives by eating cereal. She constantly gets hit on by men wherever she goes, which could be a small-town thing. All of that shows how this author does not know how to write a proper woman without turning her into an object of desire.
Another problem I had with Hannah's character is her alleged OCD. The author aimed to paint her as obsessive by having her constantly avoid cracks in the pavement, checking if she locked her door once, and claiming she becomes obsessive about other people's issues if she pays attention to what they are saying. That is only an appalling but horrid OCD representation.
Tom's wife, Lisa, is grief-stricken to the point of becoming an alcoholic and mixing alcohol with Xanax. Her and Tom's inability to cope with Megan's disappearance wrecks their marriage. Lisa admits she hates Tom. Although their struggle is realistic, both characters remain bland and invoke no sympathy.
Katie is Megan's friend and a drug addict. Katie's character is a plot device that compensates for the lack of communication between Marshall and Tom. Tom and Marshall share two conversations throughout the novel. The first conversation is their first meeting, which is crucial to the plot, but the second one has little relevance. It is a poor attempt at them bonding over their similar histories.
Furthermore, Marshall and Hannah are disorganized in how they run this investigation. They share maybe 3 or 4 conversations in total. Their communication is sparse and short. Hannah attempts to call Marshall twice, and both times goes to voicemail. How do they even cooperate during this investigation if they do not have proper communication? Also, they never remember to share any findings with Tom. Instead of teaming up with them, Tom is on his own. Not to mention that Marshall's lack of reliance on other people puts him in danger.
This book lacked emotion. I did not care about any of the characters. I had no idea who they were or what they looked like. Megan is the only character with an actual, albeit vague, description, even if it's on a missing persons poster.
The writing style is detailed and creates a strong sense of place. The author lives in Colorado, and he perfectly transferred that experience to his story and characters. I could easily imagine every scene. A good sense of place and orientation is important to me.
In conclusion, if you want to read The Fear of Winter, suspend your disbelief to the maximum. That's why I think it's a perfect airport/flight read. Content warning for heavy alcohol use, graphic depictions of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, suicide, domestic violence, mentions of drug abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Self harm, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Misogyny
skillyillian's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
For starters, I won a digital copy of this book from a storygraph giveaway. It's not my usual genre, but I do like true crime, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The first thing I want to say is, holy shit, trigger warnings. Check the trigger warnings. Sexual assault and abuse, self harm, domestic violence, suicide, drug addiction, it's checking all the boxes. I didn't realize this would include graphic, detailed descriptions of someone self-harming, otherwise I probably wouldn't have read this. I skimmed those parts but it was very detailed. The same with someone committing suicide, and someone else contemplates it multiple times, considering multiple ways to do it.
The plot isn't bad, the writing is fine, but some stuff was oddly specific while other things were extremely vague. Every time music was playing, it was listed by specific songs, albums, and artists. Which is fine, other than it being the same 5-10 artists no matter who was playing music or where. But there were almost no actual character descriptions? Like we know Tom has a beard, but not his hair color? The best description we got of the murder victim was when her mother saw a missing persons poster at a liquor store, and it just said "hair: brown" etc and that was it. We know almost nothing about what these people look like.
It became clear pretty early on where the story was going and what had happened to Megan, but I don't think the author was going for some big, surprise plot twist anyway.
One thing I found odd was the way the POVs switched. Another reviewer said it would've been easier to divide the POVs into their own chapters, and I agree. Having eight long chapters feels unnecessary when you're switching characters every few pages. Another thing I found odd was that it was almost impossible at times to tell how much time had passed, or what day it was. For example:
Katie gets captured by Nathan and we find out she's been there for days, but when we go back to someone else's pov, it doesn't seem like days have passed, like it goes back and forth, instead of one clear timeline everyone follows.
Early on, Tom thinks Kevin Strand killed Megan, and after we hear about Kevin, it cuts to a summary of Kevin's career as a serial killer? And says something like "he would be executed x amount of time later" but why tell us Kevin's future? It would make more sense to let the reader wonder if it was Kevin, without us knowing what happens to him until later. Even then, I don't think Kevin's fate is relevant. We learn later when Tom interviews him that he's on death row and set to die, so why specify earlier? I feel like that could've been cut. But anyway, after that, we go back to another pov, and then back to Kevin, but it's Kevin's past, where he was burning a purse. Like, I guess, but?? Why in the past? And why not clarify that was in the past? We just had to use context clues to realize it was before Kevin was caught.
Anyway, overall this is fine? Not my favorite, the story didn't feel like it flowed super well. Minor details were very specific while important things were left too vague. Some things could've been taken out but they didn't necessarily ruin the story? But yeah, not my favorite.
The plot isn't bad, the writing is fine, but some stuff was oddly specific while other things were extremely vague. Every time music was playing, it was listed by specific songs, albums, and artists. Which is fine, other than it being the same 5-10 artists no matter who was playing music or where. But there were almost no actual character descriptions? Like we know Tom has a beard, but not his hair color? The best description we got of the murder victim was when her mother saw a missing persons poster at a liquor store, and it just said "hair: brown" etc and that was it. We know almost nothing about what these people look like.
It became clear pretty early on where the story was going and what had happened to Megan, but I don't think the author was going for some big, surprise plot twist anyway.
One thing I found odd was the way the POVs switched. Another reviewer said it would've been easier to divide the POVs into their own chapters, and I agree. Having eight long chapters feels unnecessary when you're switching characters every few pages. Another thing I found odd was that it was almost impossible at times to tell how much time had passed, or what day it was. For example:
Early on, Tom thinks Kevin Strand killed Megan, and after we hear about Kevin, it cuts to a summary of Kevin's career as a serial killer? And says something like "he would be executed x amount of time later" but why tell us Kevin's future? It would make more sense to let the reader wonder if it was Kevin, without us knowing what happens to him until later. Even then, I don't think Kevin's fate is relevant. We learn later when Tom interviews him that he's on death row and set to die, so why specify earlier? I feel like that could've been cut. But anyway, after that, we go back to another pov, and then back to Kevin, but it's Kevin's past, where he was burning a purse. Like, I guess, but?? Why in the past? And why not clarify that was in the past? We just had to use context clues to realize it was before Kevin was caught.
Anyway, overall this is fine? Not my favorite, the story didn't feel like it flowed super well. Minor details were very specific while important things were left too vague. Some things could've been taken out but they didn't necessarily ruin the story? But yeah, not my favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Violence, Self harm, Blood, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Animal death
emory's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Some of the best writing I've seen in my adventures through middle to low quality thriller books recently. It was especially refreshing to read a book with multiple POVs that was able to keep them distinct and the characters moving through independent investigations. It had a very nice flow and tone to it (although one of my complaints is that this tone, while compelling at first, never changes and grows a bit flat).
The plot itself is pretty decent (even if I found it a bit annoying to make the case a cold case but then have three different characters discover the culprit independently through three different extremely simple investigative avenues); however, it lacks the suspenseful turns of a gripping thriller and also the character interiority that drives a tragedy about grief. Since I'm not sure exactly which one this book is going for, I'm not sure which to be more disappointed about. Hannah's character shone through (I would assume the series will follow her investigations, with this installment serving as a bit of an origin story), but even in her segments of narrative, we're told her emotions bluntly and clinically rather than shown through actions or relayed with any kind of warmth. Though emotional turmoil makes up a large part of each character's story, both the narrator and the characters themselves talk about them in the same flat tone as the rest of the novel. The death of the main investigator in the case had absolutely no emotional impact, trimmed of all detail or decorum . It just felt empty and one note. Time and space are nebulous, with little description of any space the characters inhabit and random moments within a chapter that mention it has now been weeks or months worth of time since an event. I think if the story leaned a bit harder into its characters rather than formulaic thriller speak--the killer actually says "your precious Megan" at one point--it really couldve shined! I especially would've liked more focus on Hannah's OCD(?)(that isn't represented for once as a nagging desire to wash her hands and nothing else; it's a miracle, even if the depiction could've been better in other ways), or Tom's feelings of guilt over "causing" his daughter's disappearance. As it was, though, the characters felt a bit cardboard.
One last little reservation I have is a bit of an odd tone surrounding vigilantism and the PIs using aggressive tactics that cops cannot. It's nothing you won't see in a typical police procedural, but still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
Overall I had my criticisms, but I did like the style of writing even with my reservations about the details it chooses to give or withhold. I wouldnt rule reading out more of the series.
The plot itself is pretty decent (even if I found it a bit annoying to make the case a cold case but then have three different characters discover the culprit independently through three different extremely simple investigative avenues); however, it lacks the suspenseful turns of a gripping thriller and also the character interiority that drives a tragedy about grief. Since I'm not sure exactly which one this book is going for, I'm not sure which to be more disappointed about. Hannah's character shone through (I would assume the series will follow her investigations, with this installment serving as a bit of an origin story), but even in her segments of narrative, we're told her emotions bluntly and clinically rather than shown through actions or relayed with any kind of warmth. Though emotional turmoil makes up a large part of each character's story, both the narrator and the characters themselves talk about them in the same flat tone as the rest of the novel. The death of
One last little reservation I have is a bit of an odd tone surrounding vigilantism and the PIs using aggressive tactics that cops cannot. It's nothing you won't see in a typical police procedural, but still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
Overall I had my criticisms, but I did like the style of writing even with my reservations about the details it chooses to give or withhold. I wouldnt rule reading out more of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Self harm, Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, Rape, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Gun violence
A main character struggles with self harm and there are two scenes that feature a very explicit description.abbigirl97's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
It just feels sloppy and unfinished. The characters don't feel like real people, there are certain details given that don't add anything to the story. It jumps around pov's quite frequently and with no rhyme or reason. It felt very much like a first draft. And there's really no mystery. It's very obvious from the start what happened to Megan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcoholism
knkayaktel's review against another edition
1.5
what don’t they contact the freaking police? this book was confusing with many characters being focused on and most of them had no resolution. I’m embarrassed to say I wasted time reading this book. Check out the TW, it basically covers everything you could think of in such a short book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Self harm, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, and Gun violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Physical abuse, and Torture
what don’t they contact the freaking police? this book was confusing with many characters being focused on and most of them had no resolution. I’m embarrassed to say I wasted time reading this book. Check out the TW, it basically covers everything you could think of in such a short book.