Shannon C.’s review of Winter’s Daughter by J.C. Wilder
Contemporary paranormal romantic suspense eBook published by Samhain 7 Dec 07
The request for a review of this book that I got did not come in the traditional form, where someone sends a politely worded e-mail asking if we’re ever going to read and review a favorite book. No, when I was asked to read this book, my friend Jaliya used the words “you” and “have to read this book right now or else I’ll come down there and beat you” in the same sentence. And given the plot, which happens to feature things I like, namely a slightly Southern Gothic atmosphere as well as a touch of the paranormal I knew that Jaliya wouldn’t have to twist my arm very hard.
Twenty years ago, the lives of the four Angelov sisters were irrevocably altered when their mother was killed. Even as a child, eldest daughter Synnamon knew that the death was no accident. She and her sisters were forcibly taken from Angelov house and separated. Now Syn is back in town and determined to bring justice to her mother’s killer and to ferret out the police corruption that allowed her sisters and herself to be treated so horribly by the system. Almost immediately, she has a run-in with the town’s police chief, Matthew Whitefeather, and she manages to convince him that her mother’s death was no accident. But there are people in Salem, Ohio, that don’t want their secrets brought to life.
This book starts out incredibly well and is an engrossing read up until the ending. I liked Synnamon. She’s lived a hard life, and now she has the scars to prove it. She’s plucky, strong and courageous, and she has a wicked smart mouth. I really felt for her because the stuff she went through was genuinely awful.
Matt is a bit less well-drawn. He’s your typical good cop, honorable, strong, and a genuinely nice guy. I liked him, and I thought that he was going to be a good match for Syn. Their romance develops slowly, and it was kind of nice to read about a couple that didn’t immediately fall into bed.
The secondary characters were your typical small-town types. Most of them seem to have something to hide, although I suspect at least one of them is set up to be the hero in future books. The villain is also somewhat unexpected, and while I did think that Synnamon’s mother’s killer was extremely motivated, their revelation was a touch anticlimactic since everybody else in the town seemed to be up to no good.
The atmosphere here is suitably Gothic, with the author conveying the onset of winter and the use of weather to good effect. And while I wouldn’t, personally, want to live in a place like Salem where everybody is so terribly hateful for no apparent reason other than prejudice, like I said, I do generally like this type of story.
I also liked the paranormal aspects of the book. Synnamon and her family are witches, and there is some kind of hokey magic being used, but Wilder acknowledges that not all magic is sweetness and light, and furthermore, the paranormal aspects of the book did not feel overly forced.
My quibble in general with this book is that I felt the setup was too big for its execution. There are a lot of secrets that are still unresolved by the end of the book, and so I felt that the characters going off to have a relationship together was a bit out of character. The next sister’s book will hopefully resolve things, but I still wanted a more satisfying ending.
Despite my issues with the ending of the book, I am very much looking forward to reading more about the Angelov sisters and seeing where else Ms. Wilder takes us. These books are pretty dark, and I like that about them, and if the rest of the girls are as cool and tough as Synn, I’m going to enjoy them.
Grade: B
Summary:
One woman’s struggle to learn the truth turns into one man’s battle to save her life.
The Coven, Book I
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble…
Twenty years after the untimely death of her mother and cruel separation from her sisters, Synnamon Angelov returns to her abandoned childhood home in Salem, Ohio. She is determined to find her sisters and search for the answers behind the half-buried memories and nightmares that still plague her. Not surprisingly, the superstitious people of Salem aren’t all happy that Syn is back in town.
Secrets revealed…
Police Chief Matthew Whitefeather doesn’t deal in hocus pocus; he works with cold, hard facts in both his personal and professional life. When Syn starts asking questions around town, Matt pays little attention to the whispers of witchcraft and murder—until someone tries to force Syn to leave Salem. Dead or alive.
Matt and Syn reluctantly join forces and find themselves caught in a web of deceit. Just what happened the night Victoria Angelov was found dead on a lonely country road?
And why were her children forced to pay for her sins?
This book has been previously published.
WARNING: This book contains a high body count, graphic sex (though not with the dead bodies) and a disembodied spirit guaranteed to scare even the most stalwart souls.
Read an excerpt here.
