The Winter Dark by J.S. Cook | Dreamspinner Press

Review of The Winter Dark
By Christy
on Sep 26, 2014 06:09
Lately it appears I'm reading a number of new to me authors, and I can't begin to tell you how much I love that. It's so exciting to find a new voice and then look into reading more of their works. 'The Winter Dark' by J.S. Cook is a murder mystery with a little love thrown in, not a bad way to spend an afternoon, in my opinion.
Morristown, Mississippi in the middle of winter is having unseasonably cold temperatures. Like in the minus digits, which, frankly, if you know anything about the Deep South, then you know how rare that is. This is not a big city, filled with a lot of poor people, struggling to get by. Officer Stan Leach runs across Harvey trying to break into a pool hall just to get warm. Harvey is twenty-one, still lives at home with his mother, but his mom's boyfriend uses him like a punching bag. Stan lets him come and stay at his house to have somewhere safe, warm, and with food to eat. Meanwhile, Chief of Police Eli Gallagher, has gone north to visit his long-distance boyfriend, only to find, after they've had sex, that Gilbert is going to marry a woman and have kids, but he'd like to keep Eli on the side. What? Yeah, Eli ain't too happy about that development either. Eli heads home with that relationship ended while Stan learns that Harvey got accepted to college and he's leaving.
Spring comes along and life is back to routine and loneliness for both men, until they get a call regarding a dead woman found in her trailer. The same woman they'd taken to the hospital earlier to get treated for damage her husband caused, but whom she refused to press charges against. Investigating this murder brings Eli and Stan together, but it's their wants and desires that hold them that way.
This is a good novella, but in my opinion, the relationship between Eli and Stan could've developed over more time, and I certainly would have liked to see that. If you're familiar with the South, then the rhythm of this small, poor area will be comforting.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

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- Review of The Winter Dark
- By Christy
  on Sep 26, 2014 06:09
- Lately it appears I'm reading a number of new to me authors, and I can't begin to tell you how much I love that. It's so exciting to find a new voice and then look into reading more of their works. 'The Winter Dark' by J.S. Cook is a murder mystery with a little love thrown in, not a bad way to spend an afternoon, in my opinion.
  Morristown, Mississippi in the middle of winter is having unseasonably cold temperatures. Like in the minus digits, which, frankly, if you know anything about the Deep South, then you know how rare that is. This is not a big city, filled with a lot of poor people, struggling to get by. Officer Stan Leach runs across Harvey trying to break into a pool hall just to get warm. Harvey is twenty-one, still lives at home with his mother, but his mom's boyfriend uses him like a punching bag. Stan lets him come and stay at his house to have somewhere safe, warm, and with food to eat. Meanwhile, Chief of Police Eli Gallagher, has gone north to visit his long-distance boyfriend, only to find, after they've had sex, that Gilbert is going to marry a woman and have kids, but he'd like to keep Eli on the side. What? Yeah, Eli ain't too happy about that development either. Eli heads home with that relationship ended while Stan learns that Harvey got accepted to college and he's leaving.
  Spring comes along and life is back to routine and loneliness for both men, until they get a call regarding a dead woman found in her trailer. The same woman they'd taken to the hospital earlier to get treated for damage her husband caused, but whom she refused to press charges against. Investigating this murder brings Eli and Stan together, but it's their wants and desires that hold them that way.
  This is a good novella, but in my opinion, the relationship between Eli and Stan could've developed over more time, and I certainly would have liked to see that. If you're familiar with the South, then the rhythm of this small, poor area will be comforting.
  NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

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