WINNER OF THE MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARDJenny Milchman’s Cover of Snow is a remarkable debut, a gripping tale of suspense in the tradition of Gillian Flynn, Chris Bohjalian, and Nancy Pickard.Waking up one wintry morning in her old farmhouse nestled in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, Nora Hamilton instantly knows that something is wrong. When her fog of sleep clears, she finds her world is … sleep clears, she finds her world is suddenly, irretrievably shattered: Her husband, Brendan, has committed suicide.
The first few hours following Nora’s devastating discovery pass for her in a blur of numbness and disbelief. Then, a disturbing awareness slowly settles in: Brendan left no note and gave no indication that he was contemplating taking his own life. Why would a rock-solid police officer with unwavering affection for his wife, job, and quaint hometown suddenly choose to end it all? Having spent a lifetime avoiding hard truths, Nora must now start facing them.
Unraveling her late husband’s final days, Nora searches for an explanation—but finds a bewildering resistance from Brendan’s best friend and partner, his fellow police officers, and his brittle mother. It quickly becomes clear to Nora that she is asking questions no one wants to answer. For beneath the soft cover of snow lies a powerful conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep its presence unknown . . . and its darkest secrets hidden.
Praise for Cover of Snow
“Well-defined characters take us on an emotional roller-coaster ride through the darkest night, with blinding twists and occasionally fatal turns. This is a richly woven story that not only looks at the devastating effects of suicide but also examines life in a small town and explores the complexity of marriage. Fans of Nancy Pickard, Margaret Maron, and C. J. Box will be delighted to find this new author.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Milchman reveals an intimate knowledge of the psychology of grief, along with a painterly gift for converting frozen feelings into scenes of a forbidding winter landscape.”—The New York Times
“Milchman makes [readers] feel the chill right down to their bones and casts a particularly effective mood in this stylish thriller.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Milchman tackles small-town angst where evil can simmer under the surface with a breathless energy and a feel for realistic characters.”—The Seattle Times
“The plot unfolds at an excellent clip . . . ultimately rushing headlong to a series of startling revelations.”—San Francisco Journal of Books
“Milchman expertly conveys Nora’s grief in a way that will warm hearts even in the dead of a Wedeskyull winter.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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It took me a few chapters to get into this novel. I didn’t believe that protagonist Nora Hamilton’s husband had really committed suicide. And Milchman’s decision to intersperse chapters featuring the possible co-conspirators with the main action of the story had me worried that she was going to give away the ending far too soon. But about a …
Really enjoyed it and now have read her other books which were also great. They are not a series but stand alone books. I like her writing very much.
After a peaceful night’s sleep, Nora Hamilton awakens on a bitterly cold and snowy January morning in the Adirondacks to a nightmare. Her husband Brendan, a police officer in the small upstate New York town of Wedeskyull, has committed suicide. Her grief is as incessant as her determination to find out why. He’d given no indication that he was …
Nora awakes one cold January morning to discover the unthinkable – her husband has committed suicide. As she tries to figure out why, she begins to uncover things about his past she never knew. Will she figure out why? What else will she uncover?
Definitely a darker book than I normally read, but I am glad I did. The characters were real, the …
Now, this is a good mystery, a real page-turner. Jenny Milchman has created a world unto itself. Wedeskyull, New York, is a cold unfriendly town in more ways than one. The multi-generation inhabitants don’t like strangers. Why? Because this is a place that is veiled in secrets, secrets that reach back generations, secrets that are worth killing …
This is one of those books that stayed with me for years after I read. A haunting, gripping, thrill ride.
This is such a dazzling read. No wonder it won the Mary Higgins Clark award!
I did enjoy this book, it did drag for me a bit in the middle but it picked up again and is a book I would recommend.
One of these books that you don’t want to see end, because the story is so good!
A good read, unexpected ending.
I give it 4stars
The main character investigates her husband’s suicide, and learns of his childhood and the small town police force he was part of. Interesting characters and plot developments made the story a page turner.
great book couldn’t put it down
Couldn’t put it down! Suspenseful! Engrossing!
I called this book “Policemen behaving badly.” I was entertained because the location of the story is familiar to me. But the writing style left something to be desired.
Surprised at how great this book was to listen to! I hadn’t heard of the author and loved how the book kept us guessing on what was next!
It was engaging
Unbelievable story. Didn not enjoy book. Too much happened too quickly.
Surprisingly atmospheric. The author captured the small-town frozen-cold background of a mystery very well. The mystery itself was pretty simple, but the characters were mostly well done. Plausible, just; but a good read overall.
I loved this book. I did not see the ending though I suspected a few things. If her other novels are this good , she’s got a fan!!
action packed but very tragic story. Good read!