Review: Winter Chill by Joanne Fluke

I really wanted to give Winter Chill by Joanne Fluke 2/5 stars because of the flaws I saw in it... but later on that. Marian and her husband Dan and their daughter live a quiet, peaceful existance in Minnesota until a tragic accident leaves Dan paralyzed and Laura dead. A snowmobile accident leaves the family in disarray and a mother who's left to pick up the pieces of what was once a normal life. In an attempt at normalcy, happenings in this small town suggest that things will never be normal again. It appears that a series of either freak accidents, or murders, are plaguing the town. Who or what's going on is something no one is sure of.

The reason for my 3/5 star rating of Winter Chill is because this plot was excellent. It's the quinessential page-turner that someone who's interested in a quick read would pick up. There's nothing complicated about this plot but I still found it intriguing. The ending is to die for and it's obvious why this author Joanne Fluke is so popular. And I don't think any review I could write would change any of her fans minds about her awesomeness.

 My gripes with Winter Chill are how hokey the language is, paper-thin characters, and it's dated. I know this is up for re-release and I don't think that's a bad idea but did everyone seriously own a van in the 80s? Have these people never heard of any car other than a van? That's me going off on a tangent... but seriously. The conversations between the characters in this novel did not draw me in at all. This is definitely an action-driven novel as opposed to character-driven. I felt terrible for Marion and Dan initially, but then they slowly start to chip away at my giving a care about either of them.

Overall, great plot. Joanne Fluke is a rookie no more and I assume her writing has gotten 100x's better since Winter Chill. Once more, I loved the ending. It was great! I recommend this novel to her fans as well as readers of light mysteries. I am excited to have finally read something by Fluke since I always see her books around the bookstore. FYI never fall asleep in a running van in your garage. NOT SMART!!   ***