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takeme2wonderland's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Sexism, Death of parent, and Ableism
brandt_sch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
Samuel W. Gailey’s debut release Deep Winter is a dark, gritty and extremely violent yet compelling novel. The town of Wyalusing, PA is stunned by the brutal murder of Mindy Knolls, but even more shocking is the apparent identity of her killer-Danny Bedford, a gentle giant whose near drowning as a child left him with diminished mental capacity.
Ostracized by most of the townspeople, Danny lives a quiet and mostly solitary life. He and Mindy have been friends since childhood and Mindy can always be counted on to defend Danny from the town's bullies. They share a long and complicated past with Mike Sokowski, a local Deputy and Mindy's violent on again/off again boyfriend. Danny, Mindy, and Sokowski's worlds tragically collide one snowy night in 1984 in a horrific act of violence and the biggest mystery is not who killed Mindy, but what will become of Danny Bedford.
Told from multiple points of view, Deep Winter is a riveting, character driven novel. Of course, Danny is the most sympathetic character and the unfolding events are mostly beyond his comprehension. One of the other likable character is the Lester, the town sheriff. Close to retirement age, he is still sharp as a tack but it takes him a while to piece together the evidence from the crime scene. Called in to assist in the investigation, State Trooper Bill Taggart is an alcoholic who is more of a liability than an asset. Deputy Mike Sokowski is not only at the bottom of the law enforcement barrel, but he is the personification of evil. Alcoholic, corrupt and self-indulgent, he is unrepentant and ruthless as he continues on his unrelenting path of destruction with the help of his spineless lackey, Carl.
Deep Winter is a disquieting read that I found impossible to put down. It is not traditional mystery but there is plenty of action and suspense. The story is desolate, and while it seems like any type of positive outcome is impossible, Samuel W. Gailey ends the novel on a surprisingly hopeful note.
All in all, Deep Winter is an impressive first novel and I am looking forward to Samuel W. Gailey's next release.
Ostracized by most of the townspeople, Danny lives a quiet and mostly solitary life. He and Mindy have been friends since childhood and Mindy can always be counted on to defend Danny from the town's bullies. They share a long and complicated past with Mike Sokowski, a local Deputy and Mindy's violent on again/off again boyfriend. Danny, Mindy, and Sokowski's worlds tragically collide one snowy night in 1984 in a horrific act of violence and the biggest mystery is not who killed Mindy, but what will become of Danny Bedford.
Told from multiple points of view, Deep Winter is a riveting, character driven novel. Of course, Danny is the most sympathetic character and the unfolding events are mostly beyond his comprehension. One of the other likable character is the Lester, the town sheriff. Close to retirement age, he is still sharp as a tack but it takes him a while to piece together the evidence from the crime scene. Called in to assist in the investigation, State Trooper Bill Taggart is an alcoholic who is more of a liability than an asset. Deputy Mike Sokowski is not only at the bottom of the law enforcement barrel, but he is the personification of evil. Alcoholic, corrupt and self-indulgent, he is unrepentant and ruthless as he continues on his unrelenting path of destruction with the help of his spineless lackey, Carl.
Deep Winter is a disquieting read that I found impossible to put down. It is not traditional mystery but there is plenty of action and suspense. The story is desolate, and while it seems like any type of positive outcome is impossible, Samuel W. Gailey ends the novel on a surprisingly hopeful note.
All in all, Deep Winter is an impressive first novel and I am looking forward to Samuel W. Gailey's next release.
erinshultz's review against another edition
3.0
A unique immersive book with shocking twists & turns. The writing was vulgar at moments, and there are a couple of trigger warnings. There was also a disconnection from the characters, yet the novel was entertaining with a deeper meaning overall.
5/10
5/10
atjelea's review against another edition
4.0
***I received an ARC of this novel from a Goodreads Giveaway***
I greatly enjoyed this novel! The story line focused on the murder of a local woman and the subsequent violence that erupted as a consequence of this act. A gentle man with a traumatic brain injury was wrongly named as the perpetrator (it was made evident early on in the novel, who actually committed the murder). Each chapter in the novel alternates between the different characters, and sheds light on each of their weaknesses/motivations (whether it be a vice or the way they chose to view the world) and allows for greater character development. As the suspense in the novel built, I had to stop the urge to flip to the end of the novel to see what happened and to ease some of the tension (a sign that I was truly gripped by this story...I did, however, manage to stymie this impulse!) I would most definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a fast paced suspenseful read!
I greatly enjoyed this novel! The story line focused on the murder of a local woman and the subsequent violence that erupted as a consequence of this act. A gentle man with a traumatic brain injury was wrongly named as the perpetrator (it was made evident early on in the novel, who actually committed the murder). Each chapter in the novel alternates between the different characters, and sheds light on each of their weaknesses/motivations (whether it be a vice or the way they chose to view the world) and allows for greater character development. As the suspense in the novel built, I had to stop the urge to flip to the end of the novel to see what happened and to ease some of the tension (a sign that I was truly gripped by this story...I did, however, manage to stymie this impulse!) I would most definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a fast paced suspenseful read!
daynpitseleh's review against another edition
3.0
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I almost didn't finish this. By a few chapters in, I was so frustrated by the unfairness of the situation Danny faced. I kept going and finished this, and it was ... alright. The characters were a bit one dimensional and stereotypical, which kept me from enjoying the novel more.
I almost didn't finish this. By a few chapters in, I was so frustrated by the unfairness of the situation Danny faced. I kept going and finished this, and it was ... alright. The characters were a bit one dimensional and stereotypical, which kept me from enjoying the novel more.
amysbrittain's review against another edition
3.0
What an absolute cluster.... of a mess these characters get into, surrounded by and stuck in incessant cold and snow, just to top it off. Mindblowingly sickening amounts of drinking and cruelty and ongoing destructive choices. Worse and worse and worse. A few annoying inconsistencies with point of view/perspective, and the bad guy is so fully evil that it feels way too easy. But I read quickly--to find out if anything ever improved for anyone at any point. Ever
patriciaeff's review against another edition
3.0
Reading Deep Winter makes it very clear that Gailey is a good writer, possibly a great writer. Unlike some authors who switch POV but always use the same voice, each character in the novel has a unique voice; if you opened a page at random you would be able to tell from which perspective you were getting the story. That said, the characters were really one dimensional. Danny is slow, but he's nice. The sheriff may smoke, but that's his only flaw. The deputy is angry; he drinks and does drugs. Carl is cowed by the deputy. None of the characters had any growth throughout the story or seemed to learn anything real. Honestly, I most enjoyed reading the acknowledgements at the end because it was my first chance to just get Gailey's voice, and I want to read more of that. Deep Winter is a fine enough story, but I wish it had been a 90 minute made-for-tv movie where the plot twists may not have been so obvious.