Winter Haven

Athol Dickson scores another knockout with Winter Haven. Simply put, Dickson produces the best prose in all of Chritian fiction. Winter Haven, told in the first person by its heroine Vera, answers one great question; is it wrong to ask God why? When we meet Vera she has retreaed into an orderly world of numbers as an accountant. There she finds refuge from her tortured past as the daughter of a faith healer who could not heal his own family. But a call revealing the discovery of her long lost Savant brother changes everything. As in River Rising, Dickson manages to drag us along with Vera into a totally foreign world. In that world we are no more sure than Vera whether she is loosing her mind, being judged by God, or on the verge of making sense out of a once unanswerable question. Like all of Dickson's books this is one to savor like a good steak rather than race through like fast food.

Dickson's Winter Haven has the thoughtful prose of a literary novel, the brooding damsel in distress of a Gothic novel, the intrigue of a mystery and a great romance to boot. What I noticed first was the writing itself which was so lovely, at times it distracted me from the story. Athol writes from the point of view of a woman and manages to do this convincingly. He sets wonderful scenes, making me feel as though I were really on this island off Maine. I didn't realize until the conclusion just how complicated a plot he was weaving, but he pulls it off beautifully with an ending I can't imagine any reader will see coming. Without giving a spoiler, I did feel one small plot line had a Scooby Doo sort of wrap up, but even that thread was fun to read. All in all, I think Dickson pulled off a very fine Gothic romantic mystery literary romance inspirational novel. How many writers can claim that? This excellent book has something every reader can enjoy, no matter what genre they prefer.

Winter Haven by Athol Dickson is the suspenseful tale of a woman on a mysterious isolated island off the coast of Maine. Vera Gamble has traveled to Winter Haven to retrieve the body of her brother Siggy, who disappeared 13 years ago. But from the moment she sets foot on the island, everything seems strange: Siggy hasn't aged at all, black stones rain down from the sky, a strange hissing creature follows her, and tree limbs bleed red. Vera, a CPA, has retreated from the world and shelters herself from it by clinging to numbers and facts. Her faith in God is a fragile one. After losing every member of her family tragically, she's too afraid to trust Him, and she's terrified if she questions Him, her life will be shattered even further. Dickson packs a lot of wallop into this thin book: romance, mystery, suspense, even horror, all tied with faith. Vera's narration is surreal and hesitant, as if she's not even sure of herself, and there's no one else she can trust on this island. I was deeply moved by her realization that by refusing to trust God, she didn't trust anyone else in her life, and once she allowed herself to love God, love for others and from others flowed easily. This dark, suspenseful book gave me the shivers!

Winter Haven, by Athol Dickson, is a wonderful gothic mystery. Vera Gamble, a young bookkeeper, gets a call that her brother, Siggy, has been found dead, washed up on a beach on an island off the coast of Maine. He had disappeared thirteen years before from their home in Texas. Vera travels to Maine to take her brother home. Only one problem--he still looks like he did thirteen years ago at age 15. Because of the many questions surrounding his disappearance and death, the sheriff refuses to release Siggy's body. Hearing stories of ghostly pilgrims and an avenging spirit named Evangeline, Vera determines to find how Siggy got to Winter Haven and why he died. She meets a mysterious man, Evan Frost, who owns half the island, as well as a spooky mansion he is trying to fix up. Evan clains to have found Viking artifacts which promises to help the island economy, but Vera recalls Siggy's fascination with all things Viking. Did Evan have anything to do with her brother's death? Winter Haven reminded me of all the Phyllis Whitney mysteries I read as a teenager. A mysterious island, fog, a determined heroine, and a hero with more secrets than answers. The character of Siggy is especially intriging because he was an autistic savant. He memorized the Bible and answered every question in the form of a Bible verse. Vera and Evan are not really the typical hero/heroine as they have imperfections that made them more relatable. I highly recommend Winter Haven and any other Athol Dickson book. His others include River Rising and The Cure.

Vera Gamble leads a quiet life as a CPA in Dallas. Haunted by her past, she hides behind the numbers to keep from facing the pain. A stranger calls out of the blue bearing news that forces Vera to remember things that she longs to forget. Her brother, Siggy, has been found dead washed up on the shores of Winter Haven, a small island community just off the coast of Maine. Reluctantly, Vera embarks on the long journey to claim the body of her older brother who has been missing for thirteen years. Upon arrival at Winter Haven, Vera is instantly aware of how unique this place is. Trees of seemingly unnatural height tower overhead and the streets are lined with antiquated homes and buildings that look as if they have been untouched by time. The people are quite and keep to themselves and seem bothered by the presence of a stranger. Vera is lead to the old shack where her brother's body has been preserved. She is shocked to discover that that not only is the body indeed her brother, but he also hasn't aged a day since he vanished thirteen years ago. Vera stets out on a quest for the truth behind this startling revelation and along the way learns the dark history of Winter Haven. Her search for truth will bring her face to face with her greatest fears and her troubled past. The truth that is uncovered will forever change Vera and the people of Winter Haven. Athol Dickson is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Winter Haven is further proof of the depth of his talent and his storytelling ability. At its core this is a mystery novel, yet it is so much more. Dickson treats us to a wonderfully drawn story that includes suspense, chills, a hint of romance, and a search for spiritual truth that will resonate with the reader long after the last line. Dickson's strength is found in his ability to cause readers to slow down and savor every word. I often find myself flying through the pages of a book that I love, but this time I constantly found myself holding back to enjoy the rich imagery and the methodical character development. Dickson paints word pictures like no one else and he effortlessly drops us into the strange and beautiful world of Winter Haven. Even though we are presented with more and more questions as the story unfolds, Dickson cleverly ties up all the loose ends in a way I never anticipated. This is Athol Dickson at his best and fans of unique mysteries and suspense will love this story. Clear your schedules, kick back, slow down, and prepare to enjoy every word of this rich, mesmerizing tale.