Triggers :: Self-harm, Drug Addiction, Su*cide, Depression, Mention of R*pe

Writing:
The writing was simple and easy to understand which I liked because I saw no reason for it to "wow" the reader, because personally I felt that it made the lines talking about grief more powerful since it wasn't overly poetic and instead more "raw".

Pace:
I did like how there was no painful slow start and as the book progressed we gathered information that helps us piece together what has happened in the past and how it affected the characters, instead of the author rushing that narrative in the beginning. The pace also made it easier to keep me engaged. I admit I was a bit worried of how it was going to end and if it was going to be a rushed ending because I was getting near the end and there was still no type of resolve, BUT personally I thought it ended decently.

Main Characters:
Tom
He is a retired cop trying to find his missing daughter and he became an alcoholic because of it. He does his best to be optimistic that he will find her and find out what happened to her, even though his obsession with the case is killing him mentally and physically and hurting his marriage. Personally, I cared for him when I felt bad that his wife kept on blaming him for Megan's disappearance and saying how much she hates him and doesn't love him, as if he doesn't blame himself and is suffering as much as her. He also still loves her deeply and I thought that was heartbreaking especially since Lisa treats him so poorly.

Lisa
She is the mother of Megan and she is an alcoholic who takes medication for her anxiety. She is a huge mess emotionally. She has gotten to the point in her grieving where she accepted that Megan is dead and they will never find her, not even her bones. She is also a huge bitch to Tom and I dislike her, BUT I don't think she is supposed to be liked and more be a showcase of what grieving can do to someone. She is full of rage, grief and sadness that she has become a toxic person because it is easier to drown in self-pity and sorrows than try to get help or look to a new beginning. So in a way I did like her character because I felt like she was one of the devastating parts of grief.

Marshall
He is the private investigator that Tom hired for the case. He is a drug addict and divorced. The only time I had felt slightly bad for him was when he lost his family because of a domestic dispute and while it was an accident that he harmed his ex-wife, in the end it doesn't matter because he still did it and I do like that he acknowledges that.

Hannah
She is the assistant of Marshall and a hell of a good investigator. She has OCD and can't step on cracks when she is outside even when she is running away from danger. She does self-harm and that is part of her character so it is mentioned frequently. She is my favorite character because she is such a badass and can be sassy, and she is relatable such as preferring animals over people. She appears very brave but is in fact very scared and anxious but she will go out of her comfort zone and go into danger just to help with the case, AND she is honestly a very caring person especially over Marshall. One of my favorite lines about her that was very relatable was: 'It was that Hannah lacked compassion, it was the opposite. She didn't want to create a personal relationship with any of these people because she would've become very obsessed with their tragedies as much as they were. There'd be conversations after meetings, phone call check-ins, weekly lunches, and she'd probably end up going to church with them. It was all part of her obsessive mentality.'

Liked:
I loved the way the writer wrote Tom's, Lisa's and Hannah's grief. For Tom and Lisa, the loss of their child had broken their relationship. I have heard that in situations where your child goes missing, it will either strengthen your relationship or break it completely because sometimes staying together is just a reminder of your child and that reopens wounds everytime.

Tom had a bit of hope that Megan was still alive, but overall he just wanted to know what happened to her. He did his best to mend his marriage because that is all he had now so he was obsessively trying to find Megan and was not willing to accept that his marriage was over. He didn't want to completely accept that everything has now changed and things were never going to go back to the way it was even if he did find out what had happened to Megan.

Lisa was so destroyed by the loss of Megan that she was furious with him and hated his existence because it was "his fault" and he was still trying to find Megan. She blamed him because she had no one else to blame and she was just a huge bitch to him, which I felt was a realistic broken and toxic mentality that she developed from the loss which was "fuck this, fuck everything, fuck everyone. I'm so broken that nothing matters to me anymore" and while it made me hate her for how she treated Tom, I do feel that she just gave up and gave into self-pity and just became toxic because there was nothing worth caring for anymore.

For Hannah, it was the little things that changed when her older sister died. She could never ride a plane anymore because her sister was the one that comforted her. She didn't talk about her crushes to anyone because she always told her sister. She didn't have anyone that would recommend bands to her. She no longer had someone to talk through problems and feel better. So she doesn't open up to people and doesn't try to make friends (not including Marshall) because she lost her only best friend.

Disliked:
Whom the main character was began to get confusing, it wasn't a big problem but it later became apparent that Tom was no longer the main character since it frequently switched to Hannah's perceptive, it just felt odd in a way. Speaking of 'it just felt odd' was the switching of perspectives between characters, sometimes it wasn't obvious that it switched and it was a bit confusing but this also wasn't a big problem.

Overall Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book and it made me keep reading because I wanted to know how certain things would play out and if Tom was going to find out what happened to Megan. I love Hannah's character because she was relatable and she was quite entertaining which kept me wanting to read more of her. She's such a great addition to the story. The big reason I love this book is because of how good the grief was written and it always had me saying 'wow that's exactly how it feels like'.

Recommendation:
I would definitely encourage you to read this book if you find the synopsis interesting since I really enjoyed it, BUT you should also keep in mind of the triggers, some you can skip in the book but others such as self-harm, depression and drug usage appear in the book often.

Tom Floyd is a distraught parent after his daughter disappears on a cold night in December. His relationship is quickly falling apart, and Tom is worried he will never see his daughter again. Over a year after her disappearance, Tom hires PI Marshall York to try to find his daughter. As York digs, not only does evidence start emerging, but so do some deep, dark secrets.

The Fear of Winter is a dark, harrowing tale of desperation, longing, and pain. Sterling pulls at one of the most human threads - love. What you would do for love and where love can drive you. This book is a slow burn that digs its icy fingers around your wrist and refuses to let you go. You see a tale of family loss, how it destroys two parents and their relationship, and what lengths they will go to in order to get answers about their missing daughter. It's a mystery and thriller all tied into one genius novel.

This novel is a classic missing-persons thriller. I'm a huge fan of detective novels, and this one is right up there with some of the best. It's a perfect winter read that fans of Harlan Coben, Joe Nesbo, and Michael Connelly will love.

I was totally prepared to write this off as another mediocre mystery about a missing girl and the search to find what happened to her. Although it is about that I was pleasantly surprised to find myself being pulled into the story and enjoying the characters, (flawed with demons of course), the effect of a missing child on a relationship and the stark, cold beauty of Colorado in the winter. I’m glad I didn’t bypass this one and since it appears to be the start to a series I’m looking forward to the next one.

The ending? Well, that you must see on your own.

Well I enjoyed this book. I was instantly wrapped up into this story from the first page..

I absolutely loved these characters especially Hannah. I loved following this mystery and look forward to the next one.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this book.

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

This was sucg a good read, I loved it I couoldn't put it down. The writing was engaging, the story compelling and the characters so well developed they could have jumped out of the pages. I was gripped from the start and on the edge of my seat for most of it. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

I loved everything about this book! If it had another 150 pages I would have loved it even more. The characters were rich with depth, and all had their own quirks which added even more to the story. I’m hoping this will be a series of some kind. Maybe not all the same characters,:but I’d love to see more of Tom and Hannah. It was riveting, kept my attention, but left me wanting more. This is one of the best short books I’ve read this year, and I really look forward to great things to come from S.C. Sterling! I would highly recommend this to anyone, but if they’re not captured by it, I’ll eat my hat!!! Kudos to S.C. Sterling!! Job well done!

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

This book was very enjoyable, but felt a bit choppy. There were issues for me with the transition between points of view of the characters, especially at the beginning. Once you understand who is speaking it gets better. The plot and mystery surrounding it was well developed as were the characters. A good read..

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of The Fear of Winter by S.C. Sterling. It is a debut novel and the first in the series. It is a fast paced thriller. I thought some of the characters could have been more fleshed out and given more depth. I am interested to see what the next book in the series will be. Tom is searching for his daughter, Megan, who is missing and presumed dead. He hires a private investigator to help the search as well as his assistant, Hannah. The investigation becomes dangerous for all involved.

A sensational novel for debut crime thriller writer C.S. Stirling that is up there with the best. Brilliantly written and a powerful 'true to life' story. Utterly chilling, engrossing, and full of twists that enhance the storyline. This novel is highly recommended as a must read for all crime thriller readers and more than worthy of five stars.

The Fear of Winter by S.C. Sterling was interesting, fun and a great mystery.

Megan Floyd disappears in the mountain town of Fraser, Colorado.
The long search ends up with no new answers or clues so the disappearance goes cold.
Tom Floyd, who is an ex-cop and Megan's father worst nightmare has come true. His daughter will never be found.
His life and marriage are in shambles and his world completely falls apart.
One year later the disappearance still has no new leads, Tom seeks the help of a PI Marshall a former detective and Hannah his assistant.
They stay to piece together Megan's life and discover dark secrets and a precarious second life.
Hannah is trying fight her own demons. And is tormented by the unsolved murder of her older sister.
Tom is full of regret over a missing child case from his last
The case begins to engulf all three of their lives, as they dive deeper and serech for answers.
What they start to untangle is the dark truth about what really happened to Megan!

I can't express enough how excited I am to see this is the beginning of an amazing series.
This is book one in The Fear Of Series.

I was instantly drawn to this story. The synopsis and cover intrigued me. Once I started it was so hard to stop.
Our characters are so interesting. Hannah is a great female lead.
I enjoyed her attitude and her determination. All three characters are struggling in this story and Sterling did an awesome job at setting the emotions and scene here.
The writing was amazing. The author did great a drawing me in, keeping me engaged and hooked throughout.
I was captivated from the start, devouring this read in only a few sittings.
I loved following this case with this trio and look forward to the next one.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

No Bueno Publishing,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

It was just a typical winter day in Colorado; Megan Floyd left her family home to make the hour long drive to her job at a grocery store in the next town over. Some days she would go straight home after her shift and other days, she would go home 2-3 days later. It’s been three years since Tom Floyd has seen his daughter, Megan. His marriage to Lisa is falling apart; she’s hit rock bottom and survives on pills, vodka, and one night stands.

Tom has run into so many dead ends in Megan’s case and realizes he may need some help to find her. He hires Marshall York, a local PI, to track down Megan’s friends and maybe find a clue that Tom overlooked. Marshall works the case with his assistant, Hannah, and the evidence they find takes readers into a game of cat and mouse.

This book hooked me after the first chapter. It captures your attention with the missing person case, Megan’s double life and the effort it took to find her.

This is book one in The Fear Of series and I can’t wait to see where S.C. Sterling takes us in the next book. I have a feeling that Hannah will make a comeback because I really loved her badass attitude. Plus, she has unsolved murder to solve that I’m dying to read about.

Thank you so much Netgalley and the author for approving me!

Rating : 3.65 /5..

The Fear of Winter is quite an interesting read and I had a good time reading it. The plot is common - Megan, only daughter of ex-cop Tom, went missing almost two years ago and nobody could crack the case. Grief and despair haunt Lisa and Tom, causing their marriage to fall apart. Out of desperation and as his last resort, Tom hires Marshall, another ex-cop turned Private Investigator and his assistant Hannah who are battling demons of their own..

The narration is easy-to-read but there weren't paragraph breaks which was problematic at times. It is pretty average compared to other books with similar plots and doesn't really stand out but I really, real;y liked Hannah. There's something about her, her connection with music, her resilience and unlimited love for her father, the way she carries herself that attracted me to her like a magnet.. Marshall was a bit disappointing. I thought he would proceed with more caution. Nevertheless, I would read the next book just to get more of Hannah.

Another point that I want to highlight - there are multiple graphic scenes of self harm but I don't remember reading trigger warnings. They are really detailed, so that might be something you want to consider before starting the book.

I would highly recommend this book!! The storyline kept me reading late into the night. The character development was excellent and the location really brought the story to life.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Fear of winter. This is an excellently crafted police procedural mystery I have read in awhile.
A young woman is missing and her father is determined to find out what happened to her
Tom is ex police but he is stuck. He is out of leads and he contracts two private investigators to help him.
This story is descriptive and detailed and the characters are real, flawed, and also determined to find Tom’s daughter.
Shady characters and a great locale - Colorado makes this a very good novel.
Loved it and hope for a sequel
5! Stars