Just as a murderer dumps his corpse into the lake across Valley View in Lily Dale, Bella Jordan happens to be at her window, not quite realizing what she’s seeing. Unbeknownst to her, the killer spots her silhouette and prowls straight to her door. That is, until he’s interrupted by a black cat. A superstitious gambler, he takes off, but Bella’s seen too much, and he vows to return.Jiffy Arden, a … return.
Jiffy Arden, a neighborhood kid looking for the black cat and stumbling across the killer, begins to have premonitions of being kidnapped during the season’s first snowstorm. Sure enough, when it strikes, he vanishes, never arriving home from the bus stop. While her son, Max, believes Jiffy has been kidnapped, Bella is convinced he’s just wandered off as he typically does…until a body shows up in the lake.
Now everyone is pulling out all the stops to find the missing child, identify the victim, and collar the killer. And fast, because he’s coming for Bella next in Dead of Winter.
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Bella Jordan never planned to be an amateur sleuth. She was just a widow trying to survive being a single parent. Raising her seven-year old son, Max and trying to do whatever she can to see he gets a happy Christmas, Bella doesn’t have time for the dead body that has washed up from the lake.
The Valley View Inn and Lily Dale have become their home, and despite or maybe because of the weird things that happen there, Bella’s sharp wit and logic are often at war with the mystical and magical side of her community. A sceptic, Bella really doesn’t believe in visions or talks with the dead, even though a magical cat brought she and her son to Lily Dale, and they have offered the mother and son their protection, Bella refuses to allow herself to trust her other sight.
A scream in the night and a body on the shore have Bella rethinking her ability to be logical.
When Max’s friend, Jiffy goes missing, Bella believes it is linked to the murderer.
Magic and logic team up to help locate the missing boy, catch a murderer and retrieve priceless artifacts.
This is a delightful story of love, hope and possibilities mingled with mystery. If you like a good cozy mystery with a little twist, check out Wendy Corsi Staub’s Lily Dale Mystery series.
Dead of Winter by Wendy Corsi Staub is the third book in A Lily Dale Mystery series. The night before Bella Jordan heard a scream out on the lake and the next morning she discovers a dead body wrapped in a tarp on the shore. Then Max’s friend, Jiffy Arden (who manages to lose his belonging on a routine basis) disappears one day during snowstorm. To top it off, Misty Starr (Jiffy’s mom) disappears. What is going on in Lily Dale? Did Jiffy see something the night the body was dropped into the lake?
Dead of Winter is not a standalone novel. You need to read the first two books in the series prior to Dead of Winter. The story is told from multiple POVs which makes for a confusing story (and frustrating). It switches between Bella, Max, Jiffy, Misty, and the killer. Then there are the multiple townspeople who all seem to be psychic (but cannot find the missing kid or prevent him from being kidnapped). The paranormal elements are not believable (come across as contrived). I felt that Dead of Winter needed a rewrite and editing. There is a significant amount of repetition (the same details over and over). The story also jumps around (the multiple POV thing). Dead of Winter lacks flow and continuity (and it way too long). The ending was unfinished. Important details were left out (like what happened to the four stolen gold rings). The mystery is one that plays out and readers are not given a chance to solve the murder. I did not enjoy reading Dead of Winter (it was blah). This was the last A Lily Dale Mystery for me.
I love this mystery, and this series! From the first time I met Max and Bella, I found them endearing. Third in the Lily Dale Mystery series, each is better than the one previous. Most characters are small-town mediums – eccentric and well-defined. There is more than one mystery, which may or may not be related.
Bella and her six-year-old son Max have been in Lily Dale for months, and it now feels like home. The young widow is managing Valley View Manor, During the winter season, she is helping with renovations planned by the owner. Her husband died almost a year ago, and the winter skies seem to reflect her grief. Much healing has already occurred since her car broke down in the Dale. Less than two weeks before Christmas, Bella tries to eke out cash for gifts for Max. His best friend, Jiffy, continually talks about the snowboard Santa will bring him, and Max just has to have one, too. Jiffy’s dad is serving in the military.
Jiffy has been talking about something creepy – when the first big snowfall comes, he will be kidnapped. He is someone whose mother has the gift, and he does, also. The gift? Everyone in Lily Dale year-round is a psychic. Well, except for Bella. Before the big storm arrived, Bella had seen a boat on the not-quite frozen lake, and heard a horrible cry. The next day, she sees a huge bag or tarp at the shore. It was the body of a man who probably didn’t die from drowning.
Strangers are in the Dale, including two women who go to Misty’s, Jiffy’s mom, for a psychic reading, and a man who looks like Elvis. Then, as the snowstorm arrives, Max is home sick from school. Jiffy disappears between the bus stop and Misty’s, and nobody can find him in the blizzard. The only constant for Bella, other than next door neighbor Odelia, is Drew. The veterinarian helped with Chance’s kittens, especially Max’s Spidey, who needed round-the-clock feedings. Drew’s visits are more frequent and he and Bella are comfortable friends. Drew and Luther, a retired detective, are the ones doing the most to find Jiffy. There is one who knows exactly who took Jiffy, and he isn’t sharing – the one who plans to leave at least a couple more bodies on his way out of town.
The characters are well-defined and multidimensional. Even those new or visiting are depicted as well as possible. We continue to learn about Bella, Max, and Odelia, and begin to embrace Jiffy’s mother, Misty, who we knew little of until now. At first, the residents seem very eccentric but, as Bella has come to accept – that’s just Lily Dale.
The murders and kidnapping are horrifying to a young mother on her own. Bella has done all she can to protect Max. He seems to take Jiffy’s kidnapping much more calmly than the adults; he accepts what Jiffy told him, and awaits the text he will receive from his friend. I like the multiple mysteries; is there more than one bad guy, or just one? The thick snow only fuels Bella’s fear for Jiffy, the worry about the killer, and concern for where Misty is. Descriptions are excellent; I can almost feel the freezing temps, the panic in near whiteout conditions, and the emotions of Misty and Bella. The outcome is very satisfying – while I could figure out part of it, I didn’t. I highly recommend Dead of Winter; it can easily be read as a standalone but reading as part of the series is more satisfying.
From a grateful heart: I received this eBook from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.