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Winter at the Door: A Novel
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Winter at the Door: A Novel
Unavailable
Winter at the Door: A Novel
Audiobook9 hours

Winter at the Door: A Novel

Written by Sarah Graves

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Moving from Boston to remote Bearkill, Maine, isn’t homicide cop Lizzie Snow’s idea of a step up. But breaking away from tragedy and personal betrayal is at least a step in the right direction. Her dead sister’s fate still torments her, as does her long-missing niece’s disappearance.

The town is full of people who see everything, say little, and know more than they’ll share with an outsider. The only exceptions are the handsome state cop who once badly broke Lizzie’s heart and desperately wants another chance- sheriff Cody Chevrier. A rash of freak accidents and suicides has left a string of dead men - all former local cops.

Now the same cruel eyes that watched them die are on Lizzie...

©2015 Sarah Graves (P)2015 Dreamscape Media, LLC

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 20, 2015
ISBN9781633794399
Unavailable
Winter at the Door: A Novel
Author

Sarah Graves

Sarah Graves lives with her husband in an 1823 Federal-style house in Eastport, Maine, where her mystery novels are set. When she is not scraping, painting, glazing, sanding, hammering, or otherwise repairing (or failing to repair!) the old house, she is working on her next cozy mystery.

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Reviews for Winter at the Door

Rating: 3.3387097290322574 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

93 ratings31 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The author does a great job of portraying life in this small Maine town in Aroostook County. I liked her touch on the art of potato picking...moose...and meth dealings...although the Chamber of Commerce may not think it was so funny. Lizzie, Dylan, Cody, and the rest of the characters were all likable and believable. There were a few things that were a little peculiar. We never really saw Lizzie investigate any of the crimes. She was more like a bystander than a trained investigator....and it seemed that the murders of the retired lawmen was more of an after thought than a bigger part of the story. Still, it was a good read and I will read another in the this series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An involved listen because the characters are many, and much is hidden from the reader, as the characters frequently talk from their own point of view, which I found could be confusing. Provided drama but I had some difficulty connecting with the characters, I will need to read or listen to book 2 before I decide I want to read more in the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lizzie Snow has moved from Boston to the County (northern Maine) to become a deputy sheriff. She has an ulterior motive as she's received a tip that her kidnapped niece might be hidden up there. Meanwhile, she has her hands full with a number of retired policemen suddenly dying; they appear to be suicides, but her new boss thinks they're murders. She also has to contend with her ex, a State policeman who seems to be hanging around a lot. I enjoyed this novel. The author captures life in Aroostook County pretty well, touching on potato picking, moose, and some meth dealing. Lizzie, Dylan, Cody, and the rest of the characters were enjoyable to read about, and I look forward to the next book in the series. The author writes well though I found a few things just a bit too coincidental to help solve various mysteries. The main reason that Cody brought Lizzie to Maine, the murders of the retired lawmen, was dealt with more as an afterthought. Still, it was a good read in the vein of Paul Doiran and James Hayman, and I recommend it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lizzie Snow is a homicide cop before transferring to the small Maine town of Bearkill. In this first in a new series, Lizzie assists the sheriff in trying to solve the mystery surrounding the deaths of four former law enforcement officers, while also doing all she can on the personal mission of finding her missing niece. I liked the characters, and look forward to seeing how the author develops their story further.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Unusual, in that we have a fairly ambivalent/favorable character who turns out to be a serial killer, and that there are 3 large mysteries here that end up connecting. I found the connections to be plausible and firmly grounded in contemporary reality. I found the romantic stuff to be awkward and annoying, but that does seem to be how the character feels, too, so there's that. I'm having a hard time with Lizzie's quest to find her niece -- I'm just not sure why it's plausible that her niece is traceable in some way, nine years after the fact. Unless she DNA tests every nine year old blonde in Maine, I don't see how she's likely to find her. And why wouldn't the person who took the child move out of state? It's just a weird and unlikely premise, given how realistic and grounded the rest of the book is. Pretty interesting community, pretty interesting cop, interested to see where it goes next.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked how the character of Lizzie was introduced to us - just the physical description / outfit that was spelled out for us was a great visual for me as what to expect of her and her attitude. I guess the way her past with Dylan came up turned me off on him and any desire to see Lizzie with him. I liked the vet and the sheriff. Overall I found some the story choppy and disconnected so while I did finish the book I didn't feel the story compelled me to come back for any other books in the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I first became acquainted with Sarah Graves through her Home Repair Is Homicide cozy series featuring Jacobia Tiptree. When I saw her name on this new series that looked much edgier, I knew I had to give it a try. I'm glad I did.Lizzie Snow is definitely a city girl with her city clothes, hair, and makeup. But don't let that fool you. She's smart, tough, and intuitive. She also has a good sense of humor, and her one-liners often bring badly needed comic relief after something dire has occurred. I really enjoyed Lizzie's voice-- and the setting of the Great North Woods of Maine. As an outsider myself, I appreciated following along with Lizzie as she became acquainted with the local residents.One of the strengths of Winter at the Door is its cast of characters. Yes, Lizzie is front and center, but she's not the only interesting face in the crowd. Her boss, Sheriff Cody Chevrier, has some of the traits of a more famous fictional Wyoming sheriff, and it definitely makes me keep an eye on him whenever he appears. Then there's a young woman named Missy; Lizzie thinks Missy would be top notch working in her office-- and I agree. Trey, the local veterinarian, is easy on the eye and the heart, but unfortunately Lizzie keeps getting distracted by an old flame who broke her heart. Dylan is the heartbreaker, and I wish he'd leave Lizzie alone. Romantic triangles get old really fast. Then there's the young boy called Spud. Is he a good kid? A bad one? Can he be put on the right path? I learned a lot about both Spud and Lizzie in their scenes together.Graves had me in the palm of my hand with her setting, story, and characters. The only thing that kept me from giving this book the highest rating that I could was the fact that there was a bit too much going on all at once for such a sparsely populated area-- and a few inconsistencies (a radical personality change, smoking wood that had just been completely soaked with water, a gunshot victim who's a miracle healer) that could've been taken care of with more careful editing. I can see these things throwing some readers completely out of the story. Thankfully I just filed these tidbits away and kept on enjoying-- so much so that I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, The Girls She Left Behind.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was a good introduction to Sarah Graves and what appears to be a new mystery series. The character development was very good. The characters were compelling enough to support a series. We didn't learn all that there was to learn about Lizzie's search for her niece or her feelings for either of the men in her life. There seems to be lots of room for additional stories starring these characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lizzie Snow, an experienced homicide detective from Boston, has come north to the farthest reaches of Maine to take a job in a small town where the sheriff is concerned about a string of suspicious deaths among former police officials. We quickly learn that Lizzie is there only because she's looking for her missing niece, although we never quite seem to find out much about this missing girl.In the meantime, the plot thickens as Lizzie settles into small town, winter-time life in rural Maine. I've enjoyed Sarah Graves' "Home Repair is Homicide" series set in the same general locale, and actually thought this one was better written. The characters are edgier and more sketched in, and the place descriptions are spectacular. However, the plot really became very much like the runaway logging trucks that are the stuff of legends in the Maine wilds. Way too much going on with no brakes on the wild ride. We had little vignettes of quirky town characters, we had Lizzie fending off two suitors, both too good to be believed and too edgy to be comfortable about. We had those suspcious suicides, out of control teen agers, and mysterious bad guys running around unnoticed.I actually couldn't put it down because I had to see how all of these pieces would ever come together. Graves does a reasonable job of tieing up loose ends, and gives us a real kick-a surprise at the end, but there is still laundry hanging on the line at the end. I guess this is her way of making us wait for the second installment. I think there's plenty of potential for a good series here. Lizzie Snow is definitely a female character with lots of pizazz. I just hope that Graves isn't going to do one of these series where we are forever hanging waiting for the heroine to decide who's sleeping in her bed that night. Lizzie appears to be too smart to let that go on for long. Let's hope so anyway.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Eh... This novel about a Boston homicide detective who gives up her dream job to take a job in rural Maine on the off chance that her missing niece may have been spotted in the forests up there. Suspend disbelief, and keep at it until the end. A decent story, but the writing is very odd, sometimes to the point of hitting the reader over the head. Characters are mostly one-dimensional, but sometimes act against it. There is potential here, but the writing and storytelling need to improve greatly before I read another book by this author.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I normally tear through Graves' novels, but this one was difficult. I listened to it on a road trip, but just couldn't get into the story. Was it the reader? Maybe. The story wasn't as even, nor written in the same manner, as her other books. I tried reading my paperback copy, but it didn't hold my interest. I didn't finish it. Perhaps the story gets better, but I have too many books on my TBR stack to slog through a book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was my first time for reading Sarah Graves. At first I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy the story, It seemed to be starting off a little slow and new story lines seemed to be introduced in odd spots that made it hard to follow but I admit, she was keeping me guessing as to where the story was leading. It seemed she jumped straight into the middle of a story. What really happened with her family? What was their relationship that she was so bent on finding them. All in all it was a good read just needed for beginning development.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very well written story that keeps you guessing until the end.Lizzie Snow leave's Boston to take a job in Bearkill Me. The sheriff hires her to help him solve a rash of murders. But, Lizzie is also looking for her missing neice. Will Lizzie solve the murders, and find her neice? A good mystery that will keep you turning the pages to the end. I recomend this book to all who like a good mystery. I am looking forward to the next book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I felt that I started reading somewhere in the middle of the story. There seemed to be all this information that I was missing. As the story continued it seemed some of the gaps got filled in but new ones appeared. The story ended in a similar fashion, it felt like it wasn't finished. Many things are left unresolved at the end. I wish I could say I enjoyed this book, but I just didn't.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Lizzie Snow gives up her career as a Boston Homicide detective to take a position in a small town in Maine as a deputy sheriff in order to find her niece who disappeared 8 years ago. Her first assignment is to investigate the rash of "suicides" by former police officers.I gave this book 3 stars because there was WAY too much going on. The author gave us so much info on the other story lines in the book but never tells us about Lizzie's niece. How did Nikkie disappear? What happened to her Lizzie's sister? Why did she wait so long to look for her niece. The only reason I finished the book was because I felt an obligation because I won it on Librarything.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Author Sarah Graves has switched gears from her Home Repair is Homicide series to a new one that features former Boston homicide detective Lizzie Snow. Lizzie has taken a job as a sheriff's deputy in Bearkill, Maine. Or, she was hired to be a sheriff's deputy, but when she arrives on-site, she finds out she is now a community liaison officer in Bearkill, albeit one without a job description. The sheriff really wants her there to investigate the deaths of several retired deputies within the past year. Lizzie, meanwhile, has her own personal agenda that is consists of searching for her abducted niece, her last-living relative, who might have been sighted in Maine. The setting of the book is interesting, given that Bearkill sits at the edge of the Big Woods and is near the Canadian border. And, the first homicide occurs in the initial pages of the book, which is always a plus in this reviewer's grade book. Several other killings occur along the way, and Lizzie goes off on her own to investigate several times. Somehow the book never quite lives up to its initial promise and is rather mundane. It's a decent winter read with all of the snow coming down, but not a riveting start to a new series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In Winter at the Door author Sarah Graves has once again created a collection of vivid and realistic characters in a captivating setting. Lizzie Snow is a woman to watch and Bearkill, Maine is the place in which to do it. As a first in a series book it has all of the hooks to pull the reader along for an exhilarating and well plotted ride. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a strong female protagonist and a finely crafted story.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Lizzie Snow takes a police job in remote Maine but with an agenda of her own for being there. The sheriff hiring her also has a different reason that the one on the job application. There have been too many deaths of retired deputies and the sheriff wants to know why - are they suicides as claimed? And will Lizzie find what she's looking for while taking on this job?A lot going on - many plot lines - will it all come together, will the answers be found and will they be what they are looking for
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'd read a lot (although I haven't finished it as of the reading of this book) of Graves' Home Repair is Homicide series and so I wanted to give this one a try as well.The main character is Lizzie Snow, a former Boston Homicide Detective who has moved up to Maine to see if she can find the only family she has left. So, she becomes a Sheriff's Deputy in Aroostook County (which I guess is even bigger than some states in the US, that I didn't know). And while she does get a bit of time to look in her personal mystery there are also a couple of mysteries for the rest of the world too. Some missing women, not to mention a bunch of accidentally dead ex-cops. That last case is why Cody, the Sheriff of the County, originally brings her into the department, but Lizzie isn't quire sure if Cody's right that maybe the deaths aren't accidental.It was a surprising number of sorta intertwining mysteries in the book. But those weren't my favorite part of the book. My most favorite part was the surroundings. How that part of the Maine was described and used within the rest of the story was awesome. THen I also liked the uniqueness of a lot of the characters. Although, is it bad that the first thought that popped into my head when we met Dylan was that I really wanted him to be the killer? Yeah, that's probably a bad thought huh? But, other than him, overall there was an interesting variety of characters and I cautiously look forward to what the next book in the series reveals.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    As a resident of eastern Maine, I was very excited to receive book one in the Lizzie Snow series through the Library Thing Early Reviewer program. Sarah Graves lives in Eastport, Maine and is the author of the Home Repair is Homicide series as well. I have followed the latter series for years and enjoy recognizing the landmarks and characters in Graves stories. I found this same enjoyment in Winter at the Door.Lizzie Snow takes a job as the liaison officer for the sheriff's department of Aroostook County in northern Maine. She gives up her up and coming career as a detective in Boston for this position in order to track down leads involving her niece who has been missing for eight years. As soon as she arrives in Bear Kill, a small town near Houlton, Lizzie is thrust into the middle of several mysteries all the while trying to get her bearings in an unfamiliar landscape.While I loved the setting and found the mystery interesting in this book, I was a little disappointed in the 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach to plotting here. There was waaaay too much going on, and too many characters who were competing to be the bad guy of this book. I was also slightly irritated with the immediate love triangle Lizzie embroils herself in. I will try the next installment of the series, but I hope the author can be a bit more focused in it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When I learned that I'd won a copy of Sarah Graves' Winter at the Door through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers, I felt ambivalent about the news. I'm a fan of her 'Home Repair is Homicide' series, but I don't always like all of the series an author writes. I needn't have worried. This first Lizzie Snow novel lacks the humor of the other series, but I kept reading. There were some decent red herrings. A few subplots were left open for more books. First off, Lizzie Snow is no Jake Tiptree. Lizzie has no family except for her niece, Nicki, who disappeared years ago. She'd be nine now, if she's still alive. Lizzie has left her job as a Boston homicide cop to move to Maine's northernmost county, Aroostook, because she's received a tip that Nicki might have been spotted there. Bearkill is a small town. How will Lizzie adjust to being a deputy there? Her furnished rental house hasn't much to brag about except its view. Well, there's a nice backyard if you like that sort of thing (I do!). I approved of Lizzie's feelings about her new office and the changes to be made there. Her first test of small-town policing comes when she visits Area 51, the local bar. It won't be her last.Ms. Graves gives caring readers reason to worry. There's a baby whose loving grandmother's illness is worse than her daughter realizes. There's also a husky teen with tattoos and piercings whose home life is far from ideal. Worse is a stranger who wants Lizzie watched. Why?There are too potential romances here: a state trooper and a veterinarian. Unless there's some Awful Revelation later down the road, I'm rooting for the vet. Cat lovers are out of luck, but dog lovers have a black and tan hound named Rascal to enjoy.Has there been a rash of suicides in the county, or is there a serial killer at work? So far as Lizzie knows, the dead men have only their former occupations in common. Then the search for Nicki takes a deadly turn. Who's playing for keeps and why?I loved the descriptions of the woods and the characters grew on me. I still like Jake Tiptree better, but I'm looking forward to more of Lizzie Snow.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have read a couple of Sarah Graves' Home Repair series, and enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to this book. An interesting setting also got my attention. Unfortunately, I don't think the book lived up to its promise. Not enough background information (her prior relationship and the business with her niece) and way too many current story lines and characters for a first book. Most of the plot lines came together in the end, but it was pretty messy getting there. Honestly, this seemed more like the first book by an author rather than the first in a series by an established author. Perhaps she's too used to writing books where people are familiar with the backstory? Anyway, I might give the next one a try when it comes out, but nothing beyond that if it isn't any better.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sarah Graves' "Winter at the Door" is a quick easy read for those who like their female protagonists kick-ass. I happen to.It's also deftly set in Maine; Graves does a good job with the locale - we get just enough local color for belief, but at no time does the book read like a Chamber of Commerce offering.The story involves former Boston police detective Lizzie Snow's search for her missing niece, a spate of deaths among former police officers (surely too many to be coincidental?), and Lizzie's love life. The latter bounces between a former lover who lied about the state his marriage and the local batchelor who may well prove too good to be true. Now toss in a meth lab or two, add a missing person or two, and we have a plot.The three and one half star rating is based on my own distaste for authors (or is it publishers?) who insist that the book that I'm currently reading is merely bait for the next one. I did not get that sense of closure that comes with a satisifying novel. Far too many threads will be carried on to the next novel and the next and the one after that. (It's the publishing version of "Would you like fries with that?)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Lizzie Snow takes a job in Bearkill, Maine. She's hired by the sheriff because of her experience as a homicide detective in Boston. She has ties to a state officer who is working in the area and has recommended her. The sheriff is suspicious of the deaths of several retired or former police officers in the area. Although all have been ruled accidental or suicide, there's just too much coincidence for him. There are also some missing persons and Lizzie's real reason for taking the Bearkill job, her missing niece. Most of the townspeople are unlikeable and/or annoying. The story has a dark edge and the root of the problem is drug trafficking, specifically meth. This is not my type of mystery. I found the story itself to be disjointed in places. I'll skip future installments. This book was received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for a review.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the first book in the Lizzie Snow series, but Lizzie Snow is not a new character. She had been first introduced in the 16th book of Sarah Graves Home Repair Is Homicide series, Bats in the Belfry. Now she leaves the city of Boston to work for Cody Chevrier in law enforcement in Bearkill, Maine. She agreed to the job at the recommendation of her former boyfriend, Dylan Hudson, in this desolate location because it’s the possible whereabouts of her niece, Nicky, who’d been abducted eight years ago. Now, Nicky would be nine years old. Lizzie’s sister, Cecily, died very mysteriously just before her daughter was taken.No sooner than Lizzie settles in, she’s assigned to work on the suspicious deaths of four ex-cops. Initially, they appeared to have been suicides. She’s approached by a tattooed teen who wonders if she’d buy information from him. She dismisses him at first, but then later gets to know him better. Could he really know something that may be of assistance?There were multiple directions in this one novel, making it a bit perplexing to follow. As the story concludes, I can’t say that all of my questions were answered. So, clearly this appears to be a new series which will need to be read in order. I liked the characters, especially the way Dylan seemed to be trying to make amends for the undoing of their past relationship. Could they resolve their issues? The winter scenes were depicted extremely well making it easy for the reader to envision. Rating: 3 out of 5.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A special thank you to Random House Bantam Dell and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (nice cover) WINTER AT THE DOOR (Lizzie Snow #1), a new crime series by Sarah Graves introduces likable cop, Lizzie Snow who has left Boston for Bearkill, Maine where things are rather dark, and not so calm. Liz has some troubles of her own with her sister’s death and her missing niece, Nicki which is a big reason for coming to Maine in all its cold and ice. As small towns go, outside visitors are not so welcome and forthcoming with information. To further complicate matters, the handsome state cop, Dylan who once broke her heart wants another chance and her boss, Cody needs her help in solving the death of former cops. What ties the murders to ex-cops? Dylan is also investigating the murders of two girls and leads him to the area, so Lizzie has plenty of action going on. This was my first book by Graves and enjoyed the short fast-paced crime mystery as she sets up for the next installment. I had read Winter at the Door compares to a few books I have read: This Little Piggy by Bea Davenport, Fallen by Leslie Tentler, and Presumption of Guilt by Marti Green; however, did not find a lot of similarities as each have their own unique style. I delighted to be introduced to this newfound author and look forward to reading more from the Lizzie Snow character, as she is funny, quirky, and smart and enjoy her personality. Sounds like the author knows her way around Maine and the snow. I enjoy reading about it, but prefer my warm sunny beach weather here in South Florida, even though a rustic log cabin in the woods with a fire, a crime thriller, and snow sounds warm cozy!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    For a novel of 261 pages it’s amazing how much Graves tried to cram in to it. So much was lost in the process, most of all my ability to believe any of it. One character has a MAJOR personality shift on page 170, another is shot in the arm, requires surgery but is out later that night chasing bad guys again? It got to the point that even the smallest details would make me laugh: a guy with a chainsaw trying to cut through a beam of a burned building moments after the fire department “soaked the ruins a final time”. I felt as there was really no attention to detail in this book. I’m all for allowing some suspension of belief but this isn’t sci-fi/fantasy. No fewer than 5 major crimes going on in this small town plus a love-triangle was way too much for this short of a novel to bear. I continually found myself backing up and re-reading things because the story got confusing and convoluted at times. A problem exacerbated by the authors constant use of “….” and “—“; nobody could finish a thought or a sentence in the book. I finished the book because of sheer curiosity. I think the characters and the storyline have good promise as a series but the author could have either written a longer story and filled in a lot of gaps here or spread some of these ideas out in another book or two.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I would definitely recommend WINTER AT THE DOOR by Sarah Graves. I would give it more than 5 stars (if there were more than 5 stars to give it!) WINTER AT THE DOOR is the first in a new series by author Sarah Graves. I am a big fan of ‘A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery’ series by Sarah Graves. The main character, Lizzie Snow, of WINTER AT THE DOOR, was introduced in the last ‘A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery’, A BAT IN THE BELFRY.This new title by Ms. Graves is a bit ‘edgier’ than her other mysteries. The characters are sharper, grittier and have a lot of personality. I liked them all: Bearkill, Maine’s newest sheriff deputy, Lizzie Snow; Aroostook County Sheriff, Cody Chevrier; ex-lover and Boston police detective (currently with the Maine State Police) Dylan Hudson; and many local residents (good and bad) of Bearkill, Maine.WINTER AT THE DOOR topped my ‘sense of place meter’. The descriptions of northern Maine were spot on and I could imagine myself in the woods in a snowstorm just like the one described by Ms. Graves. The local residents could be my neighbors and I was very much at home in the Bearkill Food King and the various residences and farms in the book. I liked the references to Aroostook County’s potato harvest season and the long distances traveled everyday by residents.The plot was a good one, very detailed, with the plot points tied up at the end. Lizzie did not find her niece, but I think more books are coming in the series. (I sincerely hope so.)I couldn’t put this book down and was especially glad that the setting was my home state of Maine.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lizzie Snow, a homicide detective from Boston, takes a job as a police deputy in a tiny Maine town. She has information that her long-missing young niece may be held captive somewhere nearby and intends to search for her.This book has multiple connected plots. There is the search for her missing niece, a string of ex-cops dying under questionable circumstances, the deaths of several young women, and a drug ring operating in the area. Several characters are introduced into this first book of a series, including a previous romantic interest of Lizzie’s and a potential new one, as well as Lizzie’s boss and a newly-hired assistant.I enjoyed this book and will read the next one in the series. The small-town Maine setting was interesting, the characters engaging, and the action fast-paced.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you think small towns are quaint and peaceful, this book will change your mind in a hurry. Lizzie Snow is a big-town cop headed for a new job in a small town in Maine. She has a quest of her own – to find her dead sister’s daughter who disappeared several years ago. But the police chief who hired her also has a mission of his own. He believes that the recent deaths of some retired law enforcement agents are the result of killer or killers unknown and not the suicides or accidental deaths that the official reports claim. He wants Lizzie to investigate them, and she wants to find her niece, supposedly seen in that area. Danger abounds, for Lizzie as well as for others who may know too much. Evil lives in the pristine woods, a man without a conscience who has killed and will kill again, unless he can be stopped. But who he is, what he wants, and what he will do, no one knows for sure. Or if they do, they are not saying. Sarah Graves has written a top-notch thriller, first in a new series. With an intricate plot and well-developed, likable characters, this story will captivate you from the very start. Lizzie Snow is not perfect but is trustworthy and capable. A great start in a series that promises to be intriguing as well as entertaining.