Winter Chill

By: Joanne Fluke

Narrated by: Christopher Evan Welch

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

The moment Marian Larsen sees the patrol car stop outside her house, she feels a shiver of foreboding. The news is even worse than she feared. Marian's husband and young daughter have been in a snowmobile crash. Dan is paralyzed and Laura is dead, her body broken on the icy ground...with a chilling secret. Friends and colleagues in Marian's Minnesota hometown rally around to try and ease her grief. But soon there are more horrible accidents. Then the rumors start - that these are not coincidences at all, that someone is picking off victims one by one. And as winter deepens, the search for answers will reveal a killer whose blood runs colder than the blinding snow....

©1984 H. L. Swensen, Inc. (P)2013 Recorded Books

Slow

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The first half of this story is so slow, goes on and on. Was ready to stop listening but when the second half started it got somewhat better.

If you’ve listened to books by Joanne Fluke before, how does this one compare?

This story dragged to much.

Which character – as performed by Christopher Evan Welch – was your favorite?

Don't have a favorite.

Did Winter Chill inspire you to do anything?

Not at all.

Any additional comments?

Don't waste your time unless you want to be bored for the first 4 hours.

Good performance. Holds your attention.

The story line is a variation on one used many times. Even so, it is well written and the performance holds your attention throughout. The ending made listening worthwhile.

Quite a story

I haven't listened to any of this author's books before, but I certainly will order another one in the hopes that it will be as interesting as this one. I was a little concerned at the slow, long narrative arc in part 1 of the download. I felt it was a little slow and considering the novel was billed as a mystery, it was a little too long for the mystery and murders to get going. The character development is good, though, and that takes most of the first part. Then, the novel gets going big time in part 2. The ending is brilliant...so brilliant I caught my breath! Completely unexpected, by me anyway. This novel deserves a listen.

Good but…

I almost give up till the middle. The first half was all about how a mother feels when she’s lost a child. It may just be because I have lost two sons that I am sensitive about it. How long it went on was excessive. I started skipping chapters which is something I never do. Once it got to the point where the “meat” of the story was it was good. The narrator was very good for this story.

I thought this book would be a cozy mystery

I was expecting another, cozy mystery by Joanne Fluke-she is noted for writing such titles as the Devils Food Cake Mystery oh boy, was I wrong. Starting with the daughter is killed in a snowmobile accident and it just gets worse, I just kept listening thinking it would improve,it just got sad. I have to say if you are expecting that kind of mystery you would be so wrong.

Absolute rubbish

What disappointed you about Winter Chill?

Utterly trite melodrama. I couldn't get through more an hour before giving up, and I rarely give up. Ludicrous implausible plot, all written in lacklustre overdone style.

What could Joanne Fluke have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not write it....

What three words best describe Christopher Evan Welch’s voice?

Perfectly reasonable narrator

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Winter Chill?

All scenes from the very start.

Any additional comments?

This truly is one of the worst books I've ever read/listened to. I can't make any further comments to expand on that!

Depression… no final justice.

Terribly depressing from start to finish. No redeeming moments. Why not have the whole town blow-up and get it over with.

Not Classic Joanne Fluke!

What was most disappointing about Joanne Fluke’s story?

This book was so dark and depressing for so long, we just couldn't continue. When it became apparent that bad language was going to continue throughout the book, we just threw it away. We are VERY DISAPPOINTED!

the worst piece of writing ever

the worst piece of writing ever, awful story, awful characters; just awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful. Had to give it one star to write a review but it should have been a negative number star.

One of the worst

I wouldn't have finished this if it hadn't been recommended by a friend, and I only did so I could discuss it with her. But I'm not going to bring it up. This is revolting. It involves the deaths of numerous small children, and the "grieving" parents in a small town are encouraged to "walk it off" and stop whining, and get back to work. An injured adult loses the use of his legs, and lies in bed without any attempt at rehab until he also gets told to get back to work. The while novel takes place in less than 2 months - but everyone is laughing, partying and back at work within days of their own child's funeral.
As both a bereft mother and the product of a very small town, I was truly offended by this book. The "twist" was as subtle as a hurricane. The narrator did an excellent job, with a strong facility for Minnesota accents, but good God, this was a horrible book.