REVIEW
Snow Light by Danielle Zinn
The first scene is just after a Christmas party in Dresden. Detective Inspector Nathaniel Thomas has a wake up call on his way home that leads to big changes in his life. One year later and working in Crottendorf he is called to the marketplace where a body has been staged on a pyramid. As Christmas is coming soon decorations are up for the holidays and one of them is the wooden pyramid with carved figures. And thus, begins the search to solve the riddle of who, what, when, where and why in regard to the body on the pyramid.
What I liked:
* Nathaniel sometimes called Thomas: a big man with a heavy load to carry. He is guardian for his friend’s daughter when David travels, acting constable for the town and rather mired in what happened a year before.
* Ann Collins: a difficult to get along with Detective Sergeant sent from Dresden to “help” with the case. I liked and understood her more and more as the book progressed
* Sky: a precocious eleven-year-old girl nearing her twelfth birthday – she tests the limits regularly but has a heart of gold.
* The police procedural aspects of the story
* The twists and turns as the story unfolded
* Nathaniel’s willingness to act as guardian to Sky and his ability to do it well
* The community and how it played into the story
* The secret divulged that was the catalyst for the murder
* That I felt I was there
* It was believable and realistic and made me think
* Finding out that Crottendorf exists and googling to learn more about it
* Reading about the tradition of lights in the windows
* The healing I felt took place toward the end
* Wondering if perhaps Nathaniel and Ann would work together in the future (is there a series in the making?)
* All of it really except
What I didn’t like:
* That some people are evil and get away with it for much too long
* Having to leave the characters behind wondering what will happen in their lives next.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely
Thank you to the author and BOTBS for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Book Description:
When Detective Inspector Nathaniel Thomas encounters a man attacking a young woman in a local park, the DI is unable to save her. Out of guilt, Thomas quits his job at Homicide Headquarters and relocates to the tiny village of Crottendorf, where he regains control of himself and begins to enjoy life again. However, a year later, all the guilt and shame of the park incident re-emerges when a local hermit, Ethan Wright, is murdered with an unusual weapon and left on display in the centre of the village. For Thomas, the situation gets worse when Detective Sergeant Ann Collins, a colleague from his past, appears to help with the case. But things become complicated when the victim’s identity is put into question. Who is the victim? And why was he murdered? Whilst Thomas and Collins find themselves trying to solve the unusual case, they may have more in common than they could have ever imagined.
Author Bio:
Danielle holds a BA (Hons) degree in Business and Management from New College Durham/UK and has settled down in Leipzig/Germany, where she works as a Financial Controller at an IT Consultancy.
Born and raised in a small village in the Ore Mountains/Germany Danielle was introduced to the world of English literature and writing from an early age on through her mother – an English teacher.
Her passion for sports, especially skiing and fencing, stems from her father’s side. Danielle draws her inspiration for writing from long walks in the country with her partner as well as circumnavigating the globe and visiting friends scattered all over the world.
Mix everything together and you get “Snow Light”, a detective mystery combining a stunning wintry setting in the Ore Mountains with unique traditions, some sporty action and lots of suspense.
Find Danielle Zinn on:
Twitter: @DanielleZinn4 https://twitter.com/daniellezinn4
Facebook: Danielle.zinn.7 https://www.facebook.com/danielle.zinn.7