Winter and Night: A Bill Smith/Lydia Chin Novel

From one Rozan book to the next, my respect for her as an author keeps rising. You can't just judge her on a single one of her novels the way you can with most authors. Because unlike most other writers (and especially those who partake in the genre, mystery/thriller theater) Rozan goes out of her way to reinvent herself with every book. Every story she tells is either from the standpoint of one of her two vastly different protagonists or it churns in a completely different landscape of emotions. I have only read three of her novels now and they have run the gambit from a modern day Agatha Christy to 1950's MGM noir, to a distinctive contemporary Hitchcock style. This is important because she is not repeating herself and destroying a very promising career as so many other authors have (See Patricia Cornwell). I would easily place Rozan up there with `Mystic River' author Dennis Lehane as the very best of today's genre writers. Every one of her books, including this one `Winter and Night' have some quirky silly bits that are a little hard to take. But in the end they are easily over looked when you take in the scope of her prowess as an author. The main beef I had with this book is that it is centered around events in a small New Jersey community called Warrenstown. This is a place contrived only for the purposes of this book and lacks any credibility. High school football is foremost in every ones minds here and it becomes a little far-fetched after a while. I think that Rozan could do well to read a little of Russo's work, like `Nobodies Fool' and gleam a little small town life from him. Her secondary characters could have used more than a little fleshing out. But that aside, this is still a great book. I would suggest that you try this book if you are on the fence about it. It is rare indeed when an author can string together a whole series of books in such a remarkable manner and it would be a shame for you to pass such a great series by.

As another reviewer here says, Rozan's strongest books are the ones written from the Bill Smith point of view--Concourse, No Colder Place, Stone Quarry, and Winter and Night. Bill is far more internally conflicted (i.e., dumber) than Lydia, and that leads naturally into more dramatic situations. Like some of the other great heroes/antiheros created by Raymond Chandler, Ross McDonald, and Robert Parker, Bill desperately wants things to turn out right in a world where that is not always possible. Rozan continues to improve her formidable skills, weaving character development, dialog, plot, motivation, and current events/fears together seamlessly in Winter and Night. Her previous novels have occasionally had a flat spot or two, but this one is both thought-provoking and a real page turner--I dare you to put it down! For any of you who have read Lehane's Mystic River I would say that Winter and Night is every bit its equal. It's easy to see why this book won the Edgar, Nero, and Macavity awards. Rozan's next book, about the aftermath of the WTC attack, is due out shortly and I can't wait to read it.

Ok. This woman is my favorite author. Ever. And I can say that in absolute truth. Her distinctive, yet extremely hard to describe writing style, is in a word, incredible. And that's a pretty ambiguous word, but somehow works with every aspect of her novels. Each one reveals more and more the depth and complexeties of Bill and Lydia, and they become real people to us. Especially in "Winter and Night," we are shown that the connection between Bill and Lydia goes way beyond the physical (it's like a Mulder/Scully relationship, as weird as that sounds), and also just how much Bill's experiences are going to change their relationship (ultimately strengthens it, in my opinion).On a lighter note, I think, another reason these novels are great is the extremely witty/clever dialogue. Bill and Lydia have the best lines, and when they play, they play with words, and it's just VERY amusing to read. I'm always thinking to myself, "How does Rozan DO it?""Winter and Night," like most Bill books, are very psychological (not science-psycho, but more like emotional-psycho), and the fluid, intricate writing style reinforces the depth of Smith's character. There's also a big theme in this story about young adulthood and the pressures of society - and their consequences, good along with bad. Very important and thought-provoking theme, I think, and Rozan manages to bring that out in this book with deft skill.I would recommend reading "China Trade" first, just so you'll get to know the characters and a little about where they're coming from. Otherwise "Winter and Night" will seem too personal (as opposed to VERY personal for those who've read her other novels). "Winter and Night" is my favorite out of her, what is it, eight novels? Second fave is "Reflecting the Sky," written from Lydia's point of view. Third is "Stone Quarry," another one from Bill's POV. Oh by the way, Rozan captures the life and times of FOBs and Chinese-New York Americans perfectly, from their interactions with each other to their interactions with whites. And the fact that Bill is the epitome of Caucasion, and Lydia is a Chinese-American woman, makes for quite a few interesting conversations. But they're perfect for each other, and you can tell. When serious is serious, one's always there for the other, and that's all they need. Loyalty, trust, respect...love? Yeah, was there even a doubt? Love is there, and then some, and that's what holds these books together.

Without doubt, the Bill Smith books are considerably stronger, moodier and more powerful than the Lydia Chin half of the series. Interestingly, even Lydia is more viable a character (and less of a ditz) when viewed through Bill's haunted eyes.This time out, author Rozan tackles the hot-potato issues both of school sports and of school violence. And as always, via Bill, she brings a clear-eyed view of the absurdity of parents' expectations of their children (football, in this case, and new-age nonsense). The characters are all fully fleshed, particularly Bill's estranged sister, her odious husband Scott, and their lovable, do-right son, Gary. The search for Gary, the tour of fictional Warrenstown NJ (and a viewing of its citizens) leads to the search for a second boy. Along the way, dark facts are revealed about Bill's past that account for his solitary, soul-searching existence and his quest for meaning via music.This is Rozan at her best, giving us authentic views of Manhattan, of people, of headline issues, and of the vagaries of the human heart, while never succumbing to false sentimentality.Most highly recommended.

WINTER AND NIGHT is as good as I hoped! I'd heard about it, and if you heard what I heard, it's true. This book is a knock out. If you want to know why high school students are killing each other, read this book. And find out the demons in Bill Smith's past, too. This one is GOOD.