‘Fear the north wind. Because no one will hear you scream…’
A family is gunned down in the snow but one of the children survives. Three years on, that child takes revenge and the Snow Killer is born. But then, nothing – no further crimes are committed, and the case goes cold.
Fifty years later, has the urge to kill been reawakened? As murder follows murder, the detective team tasked with … follows murder, the detective team tasked with solving the crimes struggle with the lack of leads. It’s a race against time and the weather – each time it snows another person dies.
As an exhausted and grizzled DI Barton and his team scrabble to put the pieces of the puzzle together, the killer is hiding in plain sight. Meanwhile, the murders continue…
The first in a new series, Ross Greenwood has written a cracking, crackling crime story with a twist in its tale which will surprise even the most hardened thriller readers. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Stuart MacBride.
Praise for The Snow Killer
’Move over Rebus and Morse; a new entry has joined the list of great crime investigators in the form of Detective Inspector John Barton. A rich cast of characters and an explosive plot kept me turning the pages until the final dramatic twist.’ author Richard Burke
‘Ross Greenwood doesn’t write clichés. What he has written here is a fast-paced, action-filled puzzle with believable characters that’s spiced with a lot of humour.’ author Kath Middleton
‘With The Snow Killer, master of the psychological thriller genre Ross Greenwood once again proves his talent for creating engrossing and gritty novels that draw you right in and won’t let go until you’ve reached the shocking ending.’ Caroline Vincent at Bitsaboutbooks blog
What readers think of The Snow Killer:
‘Absolutely brilliant!!’
‘A crime novel with a social conscience.’
’ It grabbed me a few pages in and wouldn’t let go’
‘Great stuff dripping with tension and intrigue.’
‘it was so easy to get inside each characters head and it felt almost like I was part of the story’
‘Ross Greenwood takes us on a journey that is both full of thrills and emotion. I absolutely loved it.’
‘It was a story which gripped me from the off and kept me glued to the page right’
‘The book had a feeling of authenticity about it, and was full of surprises and genuine emotion’
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I enjoyed this story because it wasn’t populated by the usual traumatised police detectives that seem to be everywhere these days. The killer was also sympathetically portrayed as a victim trying to right a historic wrong. It doesn’t atone for murder, but it’s refreshing to see both sides of the coin.
This is a simple revenge thriller, where the killings are separated by a 50 year gap. The victims and motives for the murders confound DI Barton and DS Strange as the murders only happen when it’s snowing.
The pace is steady, the alternation between detective and killer helps to maintain interest and build suspense, with an unexpected twist that leads to an exciting climax in the snow. The characters are well developed and interesting with some nice humorous touches in the backstory.
If you prefer a more character based approach to your crime fiction and a different, inventive plot, then you’ll find plenty to enjoy in this story.
I don’t usually like to hear the perspective of the killer but this was rather different and very compelling, if upsetting. When we moved on to the police procedural bit it was again well done (though I hope Nav has not just retired completely out of the series), with real people and proper issues convincingly presented, and a principal detective who is likeable, stable and sensible. it’s an exciting conclusion and very enjoyable, a good start to a series.
I’ve just finished ‘The Snow Killer’ and my heart is still racing! I was hooked from the first page right until the very end. Still can’t get quite believe the twist – all I can say is that I didn’t see it coming. Really enjoyed the book’s main character DI Barton too. He is family man with a lot of heart (as well as humour) – overall, a very relatable, likeable character. Looking forward to reading more books from Ross Greenwood.
WOW, what a read! The plot was intense, powerful and thrilling and held me captive all the way through! The characters fairly leaped off the page, and the tension was palpable. If you are looking for a book that you just CAN’T put down, then this is DEFINITELY the book for you!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
Good story, nice twist.
This one wasn’t really my style. For most of this book I was wondering why I kept reading. We know who the killer is, we know why they kill. There was some tension from knowing more than the police who were after the Snow Killer, but not really enough to sustain my interest. However… I kept reading and the final twist was pretty good.
If you read a lot of this type of procedural thriller you’ll probably pick the twist early. If you love to know more about the family life of the police hunting down the killers then you’ll really enjoy this one.
I enjoyed reading this book. I could not wait to see what would happen next.
First time reading this author but the book was good
Dull
Truly unexpected ending.
This book is well written. The characters are believable. The story is amazing, the ending is mind blowing! Very original writing, I would recommend this book to my friends. Buy this book people you will not be disappointed!
Great read!!
A well-written book with a plot that is unexpected and, given the ending, a bit hard to believe.
A family is murdered in what became known as the Snow Killings. Mother and Father and young daughter were slaughtered. The teenage son was shot twice and left for dead.. but he somehow survived.
The boy wanted revenge … not justice … and the Snow Killer was born.
Fifty years later, DI John Barton and his team are baffled beyond belief. Every time it snows, a murder occurs and the body count is mounting. Left with no clues, no witnesses, no leads, it becomes a race against the weather.
The killer is hiding in plain sight … maybe closer than anyone knows.
There is action galore in this first of a new series. Characters have the complex mental and ethical traits that mark each of them as unique. There are twists and turns and a few surprises. I look forward to the next adventure of this team of sharp investigators.
Many thanks to the author / Boldwood Books / Netgalley / The Book Club Review Request Group (FP) for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
THE SNOW KILLER by Ross Greenwood is the first book in a new series featuring Detective Inspector John Barton. The novel is a combination of genres. Part of it is historical mystery, part contemporary police procedural, and part an insight into a serial killer’s mind.
The novel is set in and near Peterborough in the United Kingdom, a place where the author was born and later visited many times. This lent authenticity to the sense of place. The opening scene starts fifty years ago when a family is gunned down in the snow. However, a teenager survives, takes revenge a few years later and becomes known as the Snow Killer. However, the case goes cold and is forgotten by most. Fifty years later, murders start again that are somewhat similar in style to the revenge killings. Has the Snow Killer started killing again or is this a copycat Snow Killer? The novel is told from the alternating points of view of two very different individuals, DI Barton and the Snow Killer.
The characters are compelling and their motivations seem believable and well-drawn. The reader gets insight into DI Barton’s family life as well as his team members working to solve the contemporary murders. The descriptions are vivid and give a clear sense of time and space. The insight and perspective of the Snow Killer is disturbing. The ending has a twist that I did not see coming until late in the book.
This is the only book that I have read by this author but I am looking forward to the next book in the series. What a great start to a new series. I believe those readers that enjoy police procedurals with a little something extra will enjoy this book.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books and Ross Greenwood for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.