I enjoyed Death on a Winter Stroll by Francine Mathews- my first murder mystery in a post-pandemic Nantucket where Covid-19’s presence is still felt.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion
This is a book in a series featuring no-nonsense detective Merry Folger but I found not having read the other books in the series made no difference in my enjoyment of the book or understanding of Merry and her colleagues' characters.
A range of murder suspects descend on Nantucket for the Christmas stroll including powerful politicians, controlling fathers, Hollywood producers happy to abuse their power, rich tech people, actors, and their young grown-up children. Merry has to navigate carefully to find out who the murderer is while dealing with her own grief. I liked Merry- sensible and patient and her sidekick Howie and their need to balance investigating the murder and not to upset powerful was interesting with bonus points for having a tortured backstory.
The author makes Nantucket a character in its own right with her beautiful description of the environment, the joy of the Christmas Stroll but also the inequalities between the rich visitors and the not well-off permanent residents of the area.
The plot paces along with plenty of motives and revelations. I initially found myself disliking many of the characters, but the author's writing shows them as deeply flawed but human. Despite the deaths and some of the dark themes, the book ends with hope for a few of the characters.
But it is the description of the new and strange world we find ourselves in post covid that particularly caught my interest and it was refreshing to read a book that didn’t dwell on this but didn’t ignore it either.
Content warning
References to alcohol and drug addiction, suicide, sexual assault

I so needed the respite this taut mystery gave me, set during the first Winter Stroll on Nantucket post-COVID.

Mathews knows how to write characters you love or loathe, narratives that grip, and mysteries you can't figure out no matter how many clever clues are revealed.

I loved Nantucket Police Chief Meredith Folger, her confident manner in dealing with the U.S. Secretary of State visiting the island, and a bunch of Hollywooders filming there. My fav duo, however, are the Secretary's colorful stepson, Ansel, and a well-known actor's beautiful daughter, Winter, who become close as the complicated mystery is unraveled.

This is Book 7 in the beloved Merry Folger series, my first and definitely not my last! I'd love to see Book 8 include further adventures of the young duo as Merry deals with the next Nantucket mystery that brings the island alive. Highly recommended!

I am late to discover this series, which is good news, because I loved this book and now I can go back and read the titles that led up to it. Merry Folger is now the chief of police in Nantucket (which is always a great setting for any book) and her life is very busy during the traditional Christmas events, particularly because this year, the U.S. Secretary of State is visiting the Island. Great murder mystery with a terrific setting, a well-paced plot, and an intriguing cast of characters that provide multiple storylines. I look forward to both recommending this title and reading the rest of the series.

Confession: this is the first book I’ve read in Mathews’ Merry Folger series, and I very much regret not being up to date. (Something I plan to rectify). What a great read – it reminded me of Jane Haddam’s books, without some of the sardonic edge that Haddam brought to her work. Set on Nantucket, the setting is spectacular, and it’s obviously born of a personal love and knowledge of the area. She describes the social strata of a resort perfectly – the workers who serve the very wealthy who frequent Nantucket exist in a different social sphere. Merry, a native, is a “townie” who grew up on Nantucket and has long family roots on the island. They are there when the dust of the tourist season clears, and the gap between townie and summer visitor is often vast.

The book opens as Nantucket is about to celebrate the “Winter Stroll,” a Christmas event that brings thousands of visitors. The island is crowded with out of towners including the Secretary of State as well as a television crew filming a new prestige streaming show; the actors and the crew are staying at the vast home of a software billionaire. The Secretary of State has arrived with her husband and stepson, a recovering addict named Ansel. The film crew includes two very well known stars; the male star brings his somewhat troubled daughter Winter. Both Winter and Ansel are very carefully monitored by their families, but they still find ways to escape their watchers, and they meet for the first time in a coffee shop in town.

I will say that readers should exert some patience through the first couple chapters, as Mathews takes some time assembling her array of characters and there are many of them. I promise you that sticking with the story will be amply rewarded. Winter and Ansel turn out to be the main focus. They are both fumbling their way back to health (Winter suffers from bulimia) and they find a fundamental mutual understanding. Despite their youth, they are full, rich, fully realized characters.

Two deaths occur, one obvious and one not at all obvious, and the police, led by Merry, must figure out the link between the two seemingly unconnected deaths. The characters and the setting deepen the story. Nantucket is very much front and center, and there’s another major character who is squatting in an abandoned house and works as a photographer. The descriptions of the native birds – and the way the woman feeds them (you must read it!) – make the book more interesting, more specific and more compelling.

Matthews captures the feel of a busy event, the exhaustion of the police chief who has seen the President off the island only to welcome famous Hollywood stars and the Secretary of State, and who must deal with their many problems including deaths that are connected to each group. This is a wonderful read in the best sense of the word. The pages flowed through my fingers almost faster than I could turn them, so captivated was I by Mathews’ depiction of Nantucket, the characters, and the twisty mystery at the center of the book. This book really sparkles.

Another great episode in the Merry Folger series. I am glad to see that Merry is able to delegate a little, but I wanted more scenes with Peter and friends. Maybe in the next book I will get my wish. Because I will absolutely read the next book.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy. I liked this book. I really liked the mystery with the red herrings. The setting is delightful and adds to the book. That being said, there were so many characters that I had difficulty keeping track. Too many….I did like the linear timeline and third person. This author is talented and gifted at writing a cannot put down mystery. Enjpy…

This mystery novel is part of the series featuring Nantucket police chief Merry Folger. Winter Stroll is a tradition on Nantucket and this is the first time it is happening since the pandemic began. Merry knows that the island depends on tourism economically and desperately needs that for the small businesses to survive, but she also wants to keep the community safe amid all the activity.
There is a production team on the island filming a television series at the less populated end of the island, as well as lots of tourist and former residents back for the winter event. Among the former residents is the family of the current Secretary of State, including her stepson Ansel. The famous actor starring in the TV series has brought his young adult daughter Winter along, and a chance meeting between the two has them joining forces when disturbing events cause upheaval in both their worlds.
Ansel has a secondary purpose on the island that no one else in the family knows, reuniting with his estranged mother, Blythe Fitzpatrick. He wasn't told the truth about her absence in his life and is learning about her and trying to build a relationship.
As Merry tries to manage the crimes that impact both the production and the government official, she uses her lifelong knowledge of the island and its residents to make connections.
I liked many of the characters, including both the series characters such as Merry, and the ones appearing first in this novel, such as Ansel, Winter, and Blythe. They are well drawn and have depth.
I definitely plan to look for more in the series.

It's the Christmas season in Nantucket, and the recently-appointed chief of police has her hands full. First, the POTUS visited, then the Secretary of State, with her family and a large retinue of security folks. Topping it off, a film is being shot on the island, and the large crew of actors, some of them famous, and technical crew staying at a tech mogul's island estate adds another wrinkle. Especially when two seemingly unrelated murders happen, affecting each of the parties. One of the victims seems to have no enemies, but the other has far too many.

While I wasn't especially puzzled by the mystery, Mathews has done a great job of creating characters and relationships that carry the story along at a brisk pace. Of particular interest are two children who have histories of serious emotional problems and fraught relationships with their over-protective parents. The government and film circles are enriched with details but without info-dumps, and one character, a bird photographer, is drawn with especial skill. This series is a cross between police procedural and cozy, leaning into the cozy designation at times, but overall is a solid traditional offering that can please even those who are cozy-allergic.

A disappointing read. Too many characters, poor character development, a lackluster plot. Even the location failed to inspire. I give it two stars only because I finished the title.