Sydney's return to Oriska, New York plunges her back into a dark world but now she's got a stepsister - Maude- she needs to care for. This is not a mystery but rather a story about a dysfunctional family in a dysfunctional town. . A little slow at first but it will grow on you. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Sydney is back in her hometown. And after 13 years, town of Oriska has not changed - drugs, criminality on both sides oif the law, tough people. And yet - everything has changed, because Sydney now has a sister, the fact previously unknown to her. And to protect Maude means to face her demons, both old and new, with greater responsibility, but also greater strength.

This is not as much mystery as it is a family drama. Both Sydney and Maude come from very dysfunctional families and very difficult small town, where there are many untold rules in motion. No wonder the drug fever is so high there! The feeling of dread plays well into the emotional build-up where the heroines must fight for their place in life - and they also have many things to hide, too.
There is also a very antagonistic dynamics towards bad boys, too, in this setup - and by this I mean that women are both repelled and attracted to them. Very female thing, I know :) But while this dynamics is in play, there is no romance going on in the present time, actually, which is, in reality, another addition to the emotional settings.

But while the human drama dynamics is played well, the mystery itself is not very mysterious, more like untold and unknown to us readers. The build-up is set well, but the plot looses its dynamics in the last chapters and some subplots are not explored well.

I am glad for the Native American touch - I have a soft spot for them and their way of living.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Dread of Winter by Susan Alice Bickford. This is more of a family drama with a mystery surrounding it. I liked the descriptive nature of the writing and I thought the plot was good.
3 stars.

Very well written, family history. It was a bit slow going but I enjoyed it throughly. My bit of advice is to stick with it to the end you wont be disappointed

Dead of Winter is a good book with interesting well developed characters. The book is well written,but not a quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book.
I thought it was original, extremely well written, gritty and exciting.
This is the first book that I have read by Susan Alice Bickford and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

It seems odd to speak of "coming of age" of a character in her thirties, but that is exactly what takes place here, as Sydney returns from sunny California to snowbound Central New York State at the impending death of her mother. Although intending never to return, Sydney now has to face not only grief, but unraveling of the secrets from which she escaped.

This book has Lots of family history and drama and old family secrets. But I really enjoyed the Native American history woven into the story line

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can receive your copy here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NCQ4JFR/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

We begin this novel in a small town in upstate NY called Oriska in the middle of winter. Sydney is just arriving home from California to see her mother. She is quickly reminded of the bitter cold can affect your breathing. Sydney is quickly greeted by a stranger thinking that she was someone else and handing her a delivery from Canada. We do not get into this book very far before we are struck with severe drama. Sydney finally gets to see the Dr and discuss her mother's precarious situation. Lies, lies and more lies from her mom. Scandal with the sheriff, a few deaths occur, a half-sister that was never known about is discovered, a drug scandal, past event is explained and more. So much happens in this book, you will be taken on quite the adventure. I loved the trips through the snow covered woods and the visualization that she created was mind blowing. The character development and content was simply riveting. The ending was not what I thought at all and simply tied everything up into a nice little bow after all that happened in this book.

I think what I liked most about this book is that I too, grew up in Central NY and experienced these bitter colds and similar situations. This book seems to only be her fourth book, but I am going to put them on my to read list and look forward to reading those and others in her collection in the near future. The author talks about culture that a lot of people do not address in the books that I have read. She talks about the Native Americans and the traditions that they tend to have. I fully enjoyed this book and was totally invested in the characters by the end. This book will definitely have you rooting for Sydney with all of the drama that takes place.

the writing was good. Sadly, I didn't finish the book, it felt a little stilted and didn't hook me enough to care about the characters and want to finish.

So well written it's hard to put down. Complicated yet flowing and keeps you on your toes. Huge twist at the end!

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

Sydney Lucerno never intended to return to Oriska, New York, but her mother's imminent death requires her to come home. Sydney left at seventeen after a stint in rehab--certain that if she didn't escape, she would be drawn back into old habits, former companions, and worse.

After attending college in California, Sydney turned her life around, but she is unable to avoid returning to Oriska when she gets the call that her mother is dying.

Things get more complicated. Within two days, her mother's long-time partner is also dead after a shootout with two others. Sydney discovers she has a sister that the wasn't aware of and for whom she feels responsible. The Sheriff has a vendetta against her and another old enemy has an axe to grind. Problems abound.

Sydney wants to protect Maude and get out of Dodge, but that is easier said than done.

NetGalley/Kensington Books
Mystery/Suspense. Oct. 29, 2019. Print length: 272 pages.

Oriska, New York holds nothing but bad memories for Sydney Lucerno, but when she learns her mother is dying, Sydney returns 13 years later. Things are even worse this time around, with both her mother and her mother’s lover dead, Sydney is left to care for a teenage half-sister she never knew existed. Maddie has a drug problem and comes from a long line of losers. If Sydney is to safe both Maddie and herself, she’s going to have to face to very ugly home truths