COVER OF SNOW

Author:  Jenny Milchman

Genre:  Suspense, Standalone

Published:  2013

Personal Rating:  4/5 (very good)

Format:  Book

Yearly Count:  100

From Amazon:

Waking up one wintry morning in her old farmhouse nestled in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, Nora Hamilton instantly knows that something is wrong. When her fog of sleep clears, she finds her world is suddenly, irretrievably shattered: Her husband, Brendan, has committed suicide.

The first few hours following Nora’s devastating discovery pass for her in a blur of numbness and disbelief. Then, a disturbing awareness slowly settles in: Brendan left no note and gave no indication that he was contemplating taking his own life. Why would a rock-solid police officer with unwavering affection for his wife, job, and quaint hometown suddenly choose to end it all? Having spent a lifetime avoiding hard truths, Nora must now start facing them.

Unraveling her late husband’s final days, Nora searches for an explanation—but finds a bewildering resistance from Brendan’s best friend and partner, his fellow police officers, and his brittle mother. It quickly becomes clear to Nora that she is asking questions no one wants to answer. For beneath the soft cover of snow lies a powerful conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep its presence unknown . . . and its darkest secrets hidden.

This book was quiet and a bit eerie for the first third (?), and it absolutely captivated me.  Unfortunately as the plot continued on, that captivation dwindled.  I did remain intrigued, though.  The characters could have used some sprucing up, and I wasn't satisfied with the ending because of such a terrific build up, but again - I was still invested.  In the long run, I think there were missed opportunities to make this an exceptional suspense mystery, but it was very good as a debut.

My thanks go to LibraryThing and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC. It is scheduled to be published on January 15, 2013.