Review – The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb (3.5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Gothic/Paranormal
Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Lake Union
Release Date: November 1, 2022
ASIN: B09PBJ3JML
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eBook from Amazon First Reads
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
“She’s restoring the old family home on the hill. And unearthing something evil.
In the tourist town of Wharton, on the coast of Lake Superior, Tess Bell is renovating her old family home into a bed-and-breakfast during the icy dead of winter…
As the house’s restoration commences, a shuttered art studio is revealed. Inside are paintings Tess’s late grandfather, beloved and celebrated artist Sebastian Bell, hid away for generations. But these appear to be the works of a twisted mind, almost unrecognizable as paintings she and others familiar with his art would expect. The sinister canvases raise disturbing questions for Tess, sparking nightmares and igniting in her an obsession to unearth the truth around their origins.
What evil has been locked away for so many years? The ominous brushstrokes, scratching at the door, and moving shadows begin to pull Tess further and further into the darkness in this blood-chilling novel of suspense.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an ebook of this through Amazon First Reads.
Thoughts: This book takes place in the town of Wharton, which is where many of Webb’s books take place. Previous to reading this book I had also read “The Haunting of Brynn Wilder”. I liked but didn’t love that book and I feel the same about this one.
As mentioned, this book is set on the shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota in the imaginary town of Wharton. I love going up to the North Shore in Minnesota myself and greatly enjoy the setting and reliving winter traditions of the North Shore.
The story involves Tess, who has inherited an old house and has decided to renovate it and reopen it as an inn. When she gets there she starts hearing strange noises and finds out that something else might already be lurking in the house with her. This story ends up being mostly a haunted house/mystery with a dash of supernatural added in.
I found the mystery to be creepy and engaging and loved the setting. I had the same issues with this book that I had with “The Haunting of Brynn Wilder”. The conversations sound a bit stilted and awkward and the writing feels a bit simplistic and immature. There isn’t a lot of description and I have trouble picturing my surroundings. Additionally, the characters are all “nice” but don’t have a lot of depth to them. It ends up being a fine and slightly creepy mystery read that is just…well, fine.
My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this was a decent supernatural mystery read. I loved the Lake Superior shore setting and enjoyed the mystery. I am still finding that Webb’s writing style doesn’t really appeal to me; it is just too stark and simple. The characters lack any real excitement in their personalities and the mystery plays out in a fairly predictable way. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with some creepy factor, this might be the book for you. Sadly, I didn’t love it and don’t plan on picking up more of Webb’s books in the future.
