Winter's Journey

By: Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Narrated by: Kimberly Henrie

Was the man she loved an enigmatic hitchhiker or a murderer?

To keep the bank from repossessing her eighteen-wheeler, Baby Blue, and putting her and her daughter, Tessa, on the street, Loretta Brennan takes a dangerous job driving it into Wyoming with a winter storm approaching. All alone she worries if she can make the deadline and navigate the roads since her driving partner husband died the year before in an accident.

On her way, she feels sorry for and picks up a hitchhiker. Sam Emerson. Charismatically handsome, his moodiness hides a dark past that includes a dead girlfriend and a murder charge.

Snow, a series of trucker murders and a sinister truck begin to haunt them on their route.

She suspects Sam’s aligned with the killer even as she experiences feelings for him. Is Sam a good man down on his luck or is she falling in love with a murderer?

In the end it’ll take a heroic show of love to prove to her that he is who he claims to be.

©2011, 2016 Eternal Press (P)2014 Kathryn Meyer Griffith

No graphic sex, but foul language a plenty.

I was hoping for a new author to follow because she was a master at suspense, and didn't get into sex scenes, but she doesn't keep the language clean at all. Will keep searching for another clean author.

Winter's Journey

I enjoyed this one.Loretta takes a dangerous job to be able to keep her rig and her daughter provided for.Someone does not want her to make it.She picks up a hitchhiker who she isn't sure if she can trust or not.Kimberly Henrie narrates nicely.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

Very interesting read

This is a very interesting read, not at all what I expected. Loretta is a very strong woman, she is definitely a great character. I loved seeing her journey and her strength throughout the story.

Truthfully, she has several "too stupid to live" moments. It mystified me that at every opportunity to share information with the authorities she balked. If there is a series killer out there and suddenly something strange is happening at home, you better believe I would mention it to the cops. There is no such thing as coincidence!

I really liked the interactions with Sam and the progress of their relationship. The feelings come rather quickly, you can see the threads of connection and attraction developing. It is often muddled with events that make it hard to trust the feelings.

I was a touch annoyed of how every time you start to trust Sam things occur to make him suspicious again. The mixed narrative helps you know what the real deal is with him. Most of the book is from Loretta's POV, but the glimpses into Sam help to move things along. I always prefer to know what everybody is thinking and feeling.

The story feels more like a standard fiction than a romance. Not a lot of frills here, but it has a genuine atmosphere. This is the first book I have read with a lady trucker, it was a refreshing turn. I was fascinated with the whole culture of truckers. I never realized that it was such a small world on the road.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kimberly Henrie, who has a very smooth read. She really has a great connection with the book and the characters feel real. She has a fabulous pace that makes the story move, even in the slower moments. Great texture in her voice and distinct characters. I will definitely look at more of her work!

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It is a slower read that takes it's time unraveling. I loved discovering this new world.

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All ratings, opinions and thoughts are my own.

Life on the road can be deadly

Would you listen to Winter's Journey again? Why?

I would listen again.
I enjoyed the narration. The story was very interesting.
I would like to listen a second time to see if I pick up clues I may have missed.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It is a toss up between Loretta and Sam.
They both have qualities that make them stand out.
Sam is a puzzle to be solved.
Loretta is a determined woman trying to provide for her family.
Each has history to overcome.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scenes and circumstances were well written. I could easily picture them.
The truck stops and diners, the deserted roads and falling snow.
The knife fight scene was one where I would not put the book down until I knew how it would end.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Being a longer book, I was unhappy when I had to set it aside and go back to real life.
I always wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this to both genders and ages from high school up.
To those who like crime and mystery, and even though there is romance, it is not overpowering.

Chilling Winter's Journey

Great story about a widow and single mom, Loretta, and a handsome stranger (Sam) as they try to outsmart a serial killer! It still baffles me that she’d pick up a hitchhiker, but, hey – it’s fiction.

Despite that, this was a nail biting, chilling listen. Loretta was a rounded, well-developed character who was a trucker – very different, indeed! The attraction between the H and h was almost immediate and the tension there was palpable.

The suspense kept building as truck drivers were murdered along the way, and Sam kept doing things to heighten the readers’ suspicion. Just as you started to trust him, he’d do something suspicious. Their romance builds, though, and we were drawn into the world of truckers and life on the road. Very eye-opening. I appreciated learning about this.

This was a great mix of romance and suspense that kept me guessing for a long time. I enjoyed it. The narration was also good. Great distinction with the different voices.

A 4.5/5 listen. Recommended! Good job, as usual, Ms. Griffith.

*I received a free audiobook from the author in exchange for an unbiased review.*