Great read!!! This is book two in the series but this book can be read as a stand alone. Like book one this was a very interesting read about a murder investigation. A teenager gets kidnapped and her mom gets shot. But the kidnappers messed up and kidnapped her in a jurisdiction of a great detective and his girlfriend who is an ex FBI agent. There are so many secrets and lies that are discovered during the investigation. Loved the storyline and the ending of this book. This book has me gripped from the beginning. I hope there are more books to come in this series. I highly recommend this book!

Another police series to add to my list and this was another good read - I like Tori and I really like her new relationship with Braddock.
I really didn’t like the line of the chapter being at the top and I really tried not to read it which annoyed me even more.
I love the fact that it tied in a previous missing girl case, and it really captured the trafficking subject well.
Not bad at all!

TRIGGER WARNING: sex trafficking

I really don’t know how to rate this book so it’s getting a mid range three stars for now. This is the continued story of FBI agent Tori Hunter, and detective Will Braddock. When a teenage girl goes missing there are so many questions as to why. Add in that a month ago someone else from the same high school went missing as well, and there may be a connection.

This book went way deeper than I thought it was going to, with more depth to it than just a missing person. I found myself really getting into the book and the story and had parts where I could not at all put it down. However, I also had parts where I wanted to skim over and didn’t get why it needed to be included. When it’s fast paced it’s so fast paced and so high energy it’s like reading an action movie.

Also, I live alone and am afraid to live now, even noice in my house makes me terrified.

How a man can be so mean and do harm to those he should treasure. But human nature is unexplicable and sometimes, not only in fiction, we are faced with awful deeds done by those we would never suspect. This book has a lot of action, some grim issues such as human trafficking, deceit, crime, violence for the sake of violence, and onevery nice thing which is romance and partnership. Very entertaining! I hope there will be more titles in this series!

The Winter Girls by Roger Stelljes is the second book in the former FBI agent Tori Hunter series. I have read the first book but it is fine as a standalone too.
A 17 year old girl, Savannah Devenish has vanished from her parents holiday cabin in Minnesota. Tori races to be the first on the scene. The memories of her missing sister makes her determined to find Savannah for her frantic parents. The police discover information about her dad and it opens the investigations up to alternative threads of enquiry. Tori thinks differently but knows she won't be listened to and sets of on her own. She speaks to Savannahs friends and persuades them to tell her their secrets. She finds out Savannah was sneaking out to meet a mystery man. Then another girl id taken, one that is the same age, with blonde hair and very pale. Who is taking these girls? Tori makes it her mission to find these girls before they turn up dead.
Another excellently plotted story full of suspense and intrigue from Roger Stelljes. The setting of this book in the winter and as a snowstorm comes closer really gives you the sense of isolation and you can almost feel the irritation of the team because they are hindered by this weather.The investigation is well done and they don't leave anything to chance. I was really immersed in this book speeding through the pages to find out if Tori could fulfill her promise to herself and save these girls before it's too late. With a finale that I found nail-biting this book is a worthy follow up to the first one for sure.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book for my review today

4.5 stars

The winter girls was a page turner read for me. Since I’ve read the first book in the series, I was hooked and was looking forward to read this one because I got close to the heroine and really wanted to know more about her through her actions and her job.
A crime disclosure that some teenagers are missing and then they are found dead. There are many clues that indicates who the culprit is but when she’s close to find the truth, everything takes an unexpected turn and their back to square one.
It was interesting to see how everything will unveil and although I had my theories and questions that have been answered as well as guessing who was behind it all, it was a great story that I enjoyed.

An interesting thriller!

This is the second book in this Agent Tori Hunter series. Even though I haven't read the first book, I didn't feel that I missed much because the author provides a brief introduction and recap at the beginning.

It was well written and easy to read. The characters were good and the investigation was also explained in detail. There were enough twists throughout the plot and the action-packed ending was exhilarating.

However, the main highlight of this book (for me, personally) was the concept behind the whole plot. It was something very unique and interesting.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I really enjoyed the first book in the series so I was looking forward to this one.

It was a fast paced page turner that kept me reading late into the night.

Tori is a great character and I'm enjoying reading about her and her new life.

The only thing that spoils this series for me is the line from the upcoming chapter at the start of each chapter. I really don't understand what this brings to the book. I find myself trying not to read it which is rather annoying.

That said I still thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the next one.

Another brilliantly woven crime story from Stelljes!

It took me a while to get through this one. As with the first book, this story was a very intricately woven story with a lot of moving parts and a lot of characters. I really, truly enjoyed it, but it’s definitely better marketed at police procedural fans than mystery/thriller fans.

I did find one or two weird things, like the scene where they stop to get coffee in a snow storm and Braddock tips them $10 on his card and Tori throws down a $20. I felt like it was a little much. I also overtip when there’s bad weather or it’s a holiday but it’s was odd to hammer it home that hard, and if I tipped someone $10 and my husband gave them another $20 I would honestly be insulted that he thought a 100% tip wasn’t enough. Then when Braddock and Tori left and she says “That still wasn’t enough of a tip” it crossed over the line into patronizing. Obviously not a huge issue it just was so over the top it was distracting.

Lastly, while I’m happy to see the character development between Braddock and Tori on the personal front, I feel like it’s going to be difficult to create a clean story if you have romantic partners as business partners. That being said, can’t wait to see how it shakes out!

The Winter Girls by Roger Stelljes-Gazing is the 2nd book in the Agent Tori Hunter series, and my first book by this author. When a teenager is kidnapped off the couch in the family's cabin in Minnesota, Agent Tori Hunter is on the case. Tori is facing her own memories of her sister's disappearance. This book is a wild ride! So many twists and turns, an absolute page turner. I can't wait to read more book by this author. I recommend this for anyone looking for a fast paced police procedural.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a new series to me and I have to say I have become addicted almost immediately to these characters and to Roger’s writing and I can’t wait to go back and read the first book. I was gripped by this book from start to finish, the tension just ramped up and up throughout the novel, it gives you everything you could possibly want from this type of crime thriller.

The book begins with a shocking opening as a young woman is snatched from her family’s weekend home under brutal circumstances.The investigation initially leads the detectives in one direction, but it is soon clear that certain facts have been hidden by the victim’s father, which leads to alternative threads of enquiry being opened up. The premise behind the plot is fresh and unique and not something I have seen explored in this type of book before, so my interest was piqued very early on and held me throughout the book and, as the tension grew, I became more and more desperate to find out what was going to happen, until the ending blew me away, The book is extremely well-plotted in this regard.

The story is told through a variety of voices which all bring a different perspective to the story. We have the victim, the perpetrators and Tori on the investigative team. The fact that we know early on who committed the crime could be fatal to the tension, but it isn’t here because it is the WHY less than the WHO that is driving the narrative, which again makes the book a little different and more interesting to anyone who reads this type of book regularly. The author does a great job of separating the voices of the different characters into distinct personalities.

This book also has a real sense of place, as we explore the frigid, snowbound landscape of northern Minnesota, its remote lakes and isolated places in the hunt for the missing girl. I could sense the vastness and loneliness of the place and the helplessness of anyone held far from civilisation against their will, what and impossible task the investigators have in trying to track people down in this huge expanse of nothingness in harsh weather conditions. It is a great skill to draw a place so vividly, and the author has it. The cover of the book portrays it brilliantly, I just love it, it was what initially drew me to the book.

The relationship between Tori and Braddock is one of the highlights of the book, and it is fascinating to see it develop. Tori’s ongoing issues, and the new life she is trying to build in northern Minnesota, recovering from the events of the first book. The whole situation feels very authentic, and illustrates the humanity of the people behind the investigation and the personal passions that drive them to do what they do. I think this is one of the main things that makes the book so compelling and makes me want to read more about these characters that I have grown so fond of via Roger’s writing.

If I had one small niggle, it would be that the first chapter of the book which recapped the back story of Tori and Braddock and how she ended up where she did felt a little disjointed and didn’t flow well. If I had been a different type of reader, more impatient, it might have put me off reading any further because it felt so clunky. However, it is well worth persevering past this small portion of the book, because it gets very good very quickly and settles down into a good and smooth flow that carries you through the narrative. If you encounter this same issue, please don’t let it stop you reading on through the book, it is well worth it.

A great crime thriller with interesting characters that I hope will be the start of a series that I can immerse myself in at regular intervals. Highly recommended.

What a wild ride! If you are looking for a book that will keep your attention from start to finish this is it! The central characters are engaging as they deal with their personal relationship as well as working to solve this intense case! This case had so many twists and turns I literally could not stoop reading until I finished it. I look forward to reading the next book from Roger Stelljes.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved the first book from this series and wasn't disappointed with this installment.

Book 2 starts with a kidnapping of 17 year old Savannah from a cabin and from there it just keeps getting better.

It's thrilling, suspenseful and full of twists and turns until you get to the end.

Will definately read more from this series!.

This is the second book in the Tori Hunter series. Tori is settling into life back in Minnesota when she is drawn into Braddock’s investigation of a murder, kidnapping and sex trafficking. As the bodies begin to pile up, the multiagency team is racing against time and a Minnesota blizzard to find the kidnappers and rescue the girl.

This is a well plotted book. The investigation is intricately detailed, the characters are realistic and well developed and the storyline moves at a steady pace toward it’s final reveal.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via NetGalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I really enjoyed the first book in this series. Tori Hunter is a great character and I couldn't wait to see what happened to her next. Although this is book 2 it can be read as a standalone.

Tori and Braddock worked really well together in the first book and I was very excited for this to continue. They are on the same wavelength and really understand how the other works. They have a great relationship both on and off the job which really helps.

I loved the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They gave you a little snipped into what was going to happen in the chapter.

With a missing child, there's always an element of being up against the clock. The first few hours are always the most important. With the bodies piling up and another girl being abducted the pressure was really picking up. The story is full of suspense and is very fast-paced. Tori and Will are up against it from the beginning.

This story has a unique and unusual motive. It was very interesting to see how far this stretched. I look forward to seeing what Roger put's Tori through next.

As a huge fan of the first book in the series, Silenced Girls, which was released last year, I couldn’t wait to see the return of Agent Tori Hunter and Chief of Detectives Will Braddock.

Well constructed and full of suspense, The Winter Girls is an original and complex police procedural thriller that is heavy with action and constantly exciting.

Set in the ice-cold winter as a snowstorm closes in, the atmosphere is detailed brilliantly, working as an obstacle that heightens the constant irritation of the team always being five minutes behind. It really keeps you on your toes, knowing that Tori and Will are often so close to finding out answers as the weather holds them back from getting to where they need to be.

However, I had the same problem as I did with the first book in that some scenes felt unnecessarily long. Part of me wishes that some events were quicker to get through, but I struggle to see this as a flaw as it merely means that Stelljes has thought through every minute detail. The investigation is so well thought out that no rock gets left unturned, as the case is brimming with suspense and concludes with a nail-biting finale. I just wish it took it was a little easier to get there, at times.

My only criticism with having so much detail on the investigation, this time, is that it left little room for character development. What I loved most about Silenced Girls was that we got to know every character in-depth and I really grew to love them. But with so much time spent on unravelling the case, we didn’t get to see enough of their chemistry together, either as a team or of Will and Tori as a couple, which left me craving more time spent with them outside of the station.

I don’t normally get on with romance in detective thrillers, but Stelljes did a great job of setting up the relationship between Tori and Will in the first book, so I couldn’t wait to see more of their steamy chemistry. While they have a handful of personal conversations which explain why Tori has been quite closed off, it doesn’t escape from the fact that we just didn’t get to engage with them as much in this instalment.

For those who have read the first book, this isn’t too much of a problem as we have already spent that time getting to know them, but new readers may feel like they didn’t have enough chance to warm to them. If that’s the case, I thoroughly recommend reading Silenced Girls first as it does an excellent job of introducing you to these characters and will certainly improve your reading of this second instalment.

As somebody who was already a fan, Tori and Will remain one of my favourite detective teams, and I can’t wait for them to come back for more.

The Winter Girls by Roger Stelljes is the second instalment in the former FBI Special Agent Tori Hunter series, set in Manchester Bay, Minnesota.

Tori has returned to her hometown of Manchester Bay, becoming a part-time teaching professor at Minnesota State University, after resigning from her job working for the FBI. She is in a relationship with Shepherd County Chief of Detectives Will Braddock and is in therapy to help her work through the issues surrounding her twin sister’s murder. Hired as a consultant by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) she is working on a case of missing 18-year-old Sarah Goring who was last seen leaving a party.

On their way to a restaurant for their evening meal one day, Will and Tori respond to a call for assistance and come upon a gruesome crime scene at a family lakeside cabin. 17-year-old Savannah Devenish is staying there with her mother, Carrie, her father due to arrive later that evening. Her mother leaves Savannah alone to go shopping when Savannah spots the reflection of a man in the glass of her phone. He binds her arms and legs and, hearing the fracas, Carrie comes back inside and is shot to death by the intruder whilst Savannah is abducted. A second young girl is grabbed from the pavement and a connection between the cases and that of Sarah Goring begins to emerge.

With its excellent plot and zippy pacing, I had difficulty putting this book down between chapters. The Winter Girls was such a compelling read, and I relished every moment. Special Agent Tori Hunter was really well-drawn, and I found her to be super-confident, with a huge personality though she has a tendency to flirt with recklessness. This riveting, horrifyingly dark tale was emotionally very weighty and Roger Stelljes has an incredible ability to pull the wool over the reader's eyes, cleverly concealing clues and facts until precisely the right moment. An absolutely cracking piece of crime fiction, chillingly and brilliantly delivered, it had enough intensity, action, twists and emotion to keep me reading late into the night. As the story barrelled towards the grand finale and everything started to unravel, I didn't see what was around the corner. Highly recommended without any doubt.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Winter Girls is the second instalment in the former FBI Special Agent Tori Hunter series, set in and around Manchester Bay, Minnesota. After resigning from her job working for the FBI, Tori returns to her hometown of Manchester Bay, becoming a part-time teaching professor at Minnesota State University. She wants to be closer to beau and Shepherd County Chief of Detectives Will Braddock to allow them to build a more solid and serious relationship. After the events in the first book, Tori went into much-needed therapy to help her work through the issues surrounding her sister’s murder. She has also been hired as a consultant by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) where she is working on a case of missing 18-year-old Sarah Goring who was last seen leaving a party at Twin Cities in September. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Braddock and Tori are on their way to a Crosslake restaurant for a bite to eat but decide to respond to a call for assistance and come upon a gruesome crime scene at a family lakeside cabin. 17-year-old Savannah Devenish had been staying there with her mother, Carrie, and it was her father’s intention to arrive later that evening and the family spend some quality time together in their weekend retreat. Her mother is about to head out to do some grocery shopping leaving Savannah alone. While filming a video clip with her smartphone she catches a glimpse of a reflection. It's too late when she realises there's a shadowy figure of a man silently standing behind her. He slams her down onto the coach and binds both her arms and legs. Hearing the commotion Carrie comes back inside but is promptly shot to death by the intruder. Savannah was then abducted never to be seen again.

Sheriff Cal Lund decides to deputise Tori as she has attended the scene with Will and they quickly ascertain that a struggle has taken place and that the teen was missing. While conducting a search they discover Savannah’s phone down the back of the sofa cushions and are given a good idea of what happened along with a peek at the perpetrator all captured in her recording. When the father conveniently arrives at the scene a mere 30 minutes after the crime he becomes their number one suspect. An intensive investigation begins and with a sighting of a van seen in the area near the time of the crimes the police search for it high and low. When it's actually found the vehicle has already been incinerated, obliterating crucial forensic evidence that the police could've used. From this they deduce that the kidnapping was meticulously planned well in advance by well-oiled operatives. Then a second young girl is boldly grabbed off the sidewalk and a connection between these two cases and that of Sarah Goring begins to emerge. Can Will and Tori find the missing girls before they're lost forever? This is a scintillating and compulsive police procedural that is full of enough intensity, action, twists and emotion to keep you reading until the sun comes up and Stelljes’ ability to pull the wool over your eyes as you're reading is astonishing. The intricate details and exploration of the lucrative and disturbing world of sex trafficking make this a spine-chilling and highly unsettling read. It moves at a rapid pace with the tension gradually rising and I can genuinely say that when it all started to unravel I didn't see what was coming until it actually blindsided me. Highly recommended.

Former FBI Agent Tori Hunter is back as private citizen Tori Hunter. After the devastation of her last case, Tori needed time to recover after finding the man who murdered her sister. Now, she is back in Manchester Bay to see if a relationship with Detective Will Braddock is what they both want. Barely arriving back in town, a woman is murdered and her daughter missing. When another teen goes missing, Tori is deputized to work the case with Will as finding missing teens was her specialty. When the murdered woman’s husband finally provides crucial evidence, they realize they may be searching for teens who may be victims of trafficking. The evidence leads Will and Tori to the final showdown, but will they survive? I really enjoy a strong female lead character who has survived her demons and her past. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

This is a great read.
Tori is asked to help Braddock when a teenager is abducted and another person is shot dead.
Their relationship is getting more serious and with the new case, they become closer.
There are chapters detailing what the criminals are thinking and there’s definitely more to this than a straight forward abduction.
More people are found dead and Braddock and Tori have their hands full trying to work out why Savannah was taken.
When another teenager is snatched off the street they know they need to step the investigation up a gear.
This is a gripping crime thriller.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.