Cover Image: The Deep, Deep Snow

The Deep, Deep Snow

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Brian Freeman knows how to captivate your engagement with resonating characters and bone-chilling suspense that makes you question everything you come to read. From the murder mystery to the personal lives of the characters, Freeman keeps you hooked and leaves you wanting more of his excellence.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I enjoyed this authors writing style. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page trying to figure out what will happen next. The relationships in this book is well written. ⚠️⚠️TRIGGER WARNING CHEATING⚠️ ⚠️. This book is in stores for $16.99 (USD).

Was this review helpful?

Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

Lovely feel good book to rea

Was this review helpful?

This kept me guessing till the end! Lots of twists and turns and a few red herrings too..
I was late getting roads to this but I'm glad I finally got to read it . A good page Turner.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Deputy Shelby Lake was abandoned as a baby, saved by a stranger who found her in the freezing cold. Now, years later, a young boy is missing—and Shelby is the one who must rescue a child. Unearthing the lies of the people in Jeremiah’s life doesn’t get the police and the FBI any closer to finding him. As time passes and the case grows cold, Shelby worries that the mystery will stay buried forever under the deep, deep snow. But even the deepest snow melts in the spring.

I’ve enjoyed many Brian Freeman novels, but I think this one was my favorite. Some of the subject matter was disturbing, and at first, I wasn’t sure I could manage it, but I got sucked right in by the intricate plot, the narrative, and his writing style. It’s a character-drive story with likeable, albeit flawed, people with provocative backstories. Brian Freeman is a fellow Minnesotan, so the setting in a small town up north was appealing; I could relate to the people and the lifestyle. Another reason to love this book is that it features a female investigator who is strong but not overtly jaded like so many protagonists like her. I loved the casual first-person style as though the protagonist was sitting across a campfire telling me what happened. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars

Was this review helpful?

Okay I had higher hopes for this one but it read awkward and all the owl references became ridiculous and everything else fell rather flat. Definitely int he minority which sadly happens a lot. I think I'd like to read more by this author but Everytime I thought it was going to get good and interesting, it failed.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for the advance readers copy of this title. I am a little late reviewing. Overall the book was good. Not much action and suspense, but kept me reading. Entertaining.

Was this review helpful?

I've loved this author's other books, so I was excited to read this one. It took me a bit longer to get into than usual, but once I was hooked, I didn't put it down until I'd turned the last page. So good!

Was this review helpful?

This is more like a drama mystery. A 10-year-old boy has gone missing and deputy Shelby Lake is trying to find out what happened. But only 10 years later, a yellow shuttlecock that may have belonged to the boy turns up, so she is looking in again.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.

Was this review helpful?

Shelby Lake was named after the place where her father was when he received a "premonition" which led him to an abandoned, freezing baby. He kept her, and she was reared by a police chief, named Tom Ginn. Feeling that police work was in her blood, she grew up to become his deputy.

Fast forward to the disappearance of a local child, Jeremiah Sloan. This is the gist of the whole book and covers a span of ten years. There are a few twists and turns to the investigation that will enhance the reading enjoyment.

I did find myself wishing that there were a hand-drawn map included in the book which showed the parts of Mittel County that were included in the story.

PS I was drawn to the parts where Tom developed Alzheimer's, because my husband, Tom, is in a care center suffering from the same horrific disease.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first book by Brian Freeman and I totally loved it! It was interesting and full of suspense and there were twists I never saw coming! Absolute page turner, which is my favorite kind of book! Definitely the kind of book that keeps you guessing and stays on your mind long after finishing it!

Thanks so much to Blackstone and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Was this review helpful?

rural, small-town, suspense, superstitions, abduction, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, friendship, secrets*****

Sadness. For a young boy who disappeared, for a war vet convicted of his wife's murder, for a vital middle aged sheriff who develops early onset dementia, and for his adopted daughter who was abandoned shortly after her birth but came to be an exceptional deputy in a remote part of the country. The story of the characters and the convoluted mystery they are wrapped in is incredibly well done. No spoilers.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Was this review helpful?

Shelby Lake was abandoned as a baby and raised by the sheriff, Tom Gunn who found her. Shelby follows in her dad’s footsteps and becomes a deputy in her dad’s police department in a small town where everybody knows everybody but they don’t know each other’s deep dark secrets. Some of those secrets come back haunt some of the characters before this story ends.
Cut to years down the road and young Jeremiah is missing with almost no clues and Tom’s secret battle with Alzheimer’s is bringing into question whether he is capable of leading the investigation into his disappearance. Sadly 10 years go by and no closure to the case of the missing child. Shelby is torn between caring for her now retired dad and doing her job.
Plenty of suspects abound in this enthralling mystery that includes lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I for one didn’t predict the ending! ( love when a book does that )
Many thanks to #NetGalley #BlackstonePublishing and #BrianFreeman for an early ebook

Was this review helpful?

Set in a small rural town in the upper Midwest, Freeman's "The Deep, Deep Snow" offers us a beautiful woodsy setting where everyone knows each other's name and each other's business. He offers this mystery with a great narrative voice of Shelby Lake, little orphan girl raised by the town sheriff, now serving as his deputy and hoping he doesn't have early onset Alzheimer's. And, everyone in town is someone Shelby grew up with, rode bikes with, played volleyball with. Now, she's a young deputy in her father's office and a ten year old out riding his bike has disappeared. Of course, as the mystery slowly unravels like the layers of an onion, the idyllic town's secrets are revealed, the things people wish disappeared and forgotten. It's a disappearance that'll take a decade to unravel. All in all, a brilliantly plotted, fast-reading, enjoyable mystery.

Was this review helpful?

SHELBY WAS ABANDONED AS A BABY AND WAS RAISED BY THE TOWN’S SHERIFF. SHE COULD NOT WAIT TO GROW UP TO BE PART OF THE POLICE FORCE JUST LIKE HER ADOPTIVE DAD. A KID GOES MISSING AND SHELBY WILL NOT STOP UNTIL SHE FINDS OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BOY. THIS BOOK IS FULL OF INTERESTING CHARACTERS AND EACH OF THEM SEEM TO HAVE A FEW SKELETONS LIVING IN THEIR CLOSETS. MANY OF THE CHARACTERS WERE WARM AND FUZZY, SOME OTHERS WERE SCARY AND INTIMIDATING. THE BAR WAS CALLED NOWHERE IN THE TOWN OF EVERYWHERE WHERE EVERYONE SEEMS TO KNOW WAY MORE THAN YOUR NAME. THIS BOOK HAD ME GLUED TO THE NEXT PAGE FROM BEGINNING TO END. THIS IS A NEW AUTHOR FOR ME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO READING ALL HIS WORK. THE REVEAL OF WHAT HAPPENED WAS SHOCKING AND SURPRISING. I LOVED THIS BOOK.. ONE OF THE BEST I'VE READ IN A WHILE.

Was this review helpful?

another great story by freeman. while i enjoy the stride series so much, its always nice to see what else the author can do. he doesnt disappoint here. great story.

Was this review helpful?

"The Deep, Deep Snow", at its core, is a kidnapping thriller. But it's also so much more than that. When a local 10 year old goes missing in small town Everywhere, everyone comes out to help search. With no solid leads and no luck finding the boy, the Sheriff and his staff, which includes his daughter Shelby Lake, soon see their town overrun by the media and their case overtaken by the FBI.
When something like this happens in a close knit community like the one in Brian Freeman's novel, the waves can feel like a tsunami crashing down on top of you. Freeman pulls back the curtain on the town's dirty little secrets and lets us into the lives of those closest to the case. We also get to see the unity, pride, and hope that can come from a tragedy like this one.
Come for the thriller, but stay for the small moments in between; like a father and his daughter's relationship as they face a tough situation in their personal lives as the case unfolds. Or like the town deputy, who is so young and successful, but feels like he has never been able to make his mother proud. Or the little girl, whose best friend is the missing boy and who privately blames herself for his disappearance.
I devoured this book and I think you will too. The characters are vividly drawn and are people that you want to get to know and that will grown to love. It's a thrilling tale, told over 10 years, with heartbreak and hope and it's a place I would love to go back in visit again if Mr. Freeman ever decides to take us.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advance reader's copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

4.5. Rounded up. I have read Brian Freeman’s Jonathan Stride series and enjoyed it. This is a new series with Deputy Shelby Lake. It starts with her backstory and then the crime 10 years previously. We move ahead 10 years and the case is still open. Shelby Lake is an interesting character and her father is the Sheriff but also suffering from early dementia. You won’t see the ending coming. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?

First of all, Brian Freeman's Johnathan Stride series is one of the best around! Followed closely by his Frost Easton and Cab Bolton series'. I am apprehensive when an author veers off from a beloved character, as I often feel like it's a missed opportunity to further their story. Not to worry with The Deep, Deep Snow (or Brian Freeman, for that matter). Shelby Lake is a very likeable and interesting character with a great story of her own. She was abandoned as a baby and adopted by the local sheriff. She is now an adult and a deputy on the case of a missing boy. I enjoyed this and am now ready for a new Frost Easton! Hint, hint......

Thank you to Brian Freeman, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

If you’re not a big fan of thrillers with a lot of faith behind them, you’ll probably respond to this book like I did. It’s actually really hard to rate because the thriller/mystery aspects weren’t bad (I guessed one of the answers but was surprised by the other one). On the other hand, the author relied too heavily on religion and the symbolism of owls. Also, the male author wrote that a man bashing a woman while drinking “didn’t know what he was saying” but two pages later said that people say their truth while drunk. So yeah, this story was good in parts, but annoying in others.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?