The Hounds of Winter

Everyone has secrets. David Neisen is a literary agent in New York City. His daughter, Maya, had found a summer internship at a Wolf Project in Wisconsin, near his boyhood home. He buys a cabin in the area so they can spend time together during the summer, but he has never told her that he was under a cloud when his family left the area, accused of responsibility in the death of a childhood friend. It is a small town and people have long memories, including the sheriff who is the brother of the child who died. There are problems between David and some townspeople, problems between David and Maya, and problems between Maya and people in the area because of the project. When Maya is killed by an intruder, people muddy the crime scene, and David finds himself a suspect. He goes on the run, and the story develops from there. There are flashbacks to previous happenings. The prime suspects tend to change as the plot develops and various information is revealed. The author takes the plot through various twists and turns, and there are some surprises as the plot reaches a conclusion. Just when you think the guilty party has been found, there is a final twist (maybe a couple twists). Along the way, David finds out who his friends are. You can never be sure who you can trust, and you should be careful about who you accuse. David ends up a lot the worse for wear, and one has to wonder if life could go on. The tale ends leaving him scarred and partially crippled. I personally think this is an excellent novel, and added it to my Listmania List of recommended summer reading. The 273 pages are separated into 21 chapters, with some chapters split into several scenes. I had the pleasure of hearing the author give a reading from the novel at a book signing. The writing is exceptionally good, and the words flow very well describing both the action and the settings. Readers might also like the author's previous novel, "Windfall."

This is not your typical murder mystery. While it qualifies, it's more. It's an investigation into a man's past,a past that connects him but also leads him away from the ultimate truth. There's a tolkeinesque reference to nordic hounds haunting the living and other good literary imagery. It's pretty wild. I could see it on a large screen appealing to viewers on lots of different levels. Great ending. Must read.

In the first pages a young woman is murdered in her northwoods cabin, her father finding her moments later. He's driven to find her killer as he also confronts elements of his past. The book maintains an emotional pitch throughout. The father's search for the murderer was harrowing. But what really drew me into the book was the father's search to find out who his daughter truly was. The book captured the universal truth that sometimes the people you love the most are the people that keep the most from you.

I loved this book! It starts off with a brutal murder of a young woman on the first few pages and for the rest of the book you are swept away on a fantastic chase with truly original twists as the woman's father is the suspect. The book is set in the middle of winter in the Midwest, and let me tell you the author really manages to make you feel like you are freezing. I really enjoyed this thriller.