Dead of Winter
By Patricia Parkinson
Samhain - March 2006
Romantic Suspense
In small towns like Windy Creek, Montana, people didn't worry about locking their doors, or helping strangers. Everyone knows everyone, and the sheriff's biggest problems are domestic disputes and accidents.
All that changes when mystery writer Kate Madison finds her surrogate father dead in the snow. She knows that it is murder. And even if the sheriff thinks she's overanalyzing the situation, Kate won't allow Harley's murderer to stay free.
Sheriff Steve Lambert doesn't want Kate meddling in his investigation. Not only is she a civilian, but ever since she's returned to Windy Creek, Steve's acknowledged the fact that he is attracted to her. Knowing she is in danger could affect his judgment.
As the investigation continues, Steve and Kate realize that even small towns like Windy Creek have secrets, and some people are willing to do anything to protect their secrets. Even continuing to kill.
Dead of Winter kept this reader intrigued to the very end. Patricia Parkinson has written a novel where the focus is on the growth of the characters and the murder mystery. In some aspects, the romance is almost secondary, but it was appropriate given the complex issues that Kate needed to deal with. I truly enjoyed reading Dead of Winter, it kept me guessing to the end, and I enjoyed the interaction between the characters. I look forward to more books by this author.
Kathy Andrico - RoadToRomance.ca