The Winter People (Book Review)

Set in small-town Vermont in two timelines, The Winter People is part historical fiction and part thrilling suspense novel wrapped in a good old-fashioned ghost story. 

In West Hall, it’s not uncommon for people to disappear. Ever since Sara Harrison Shea’s body was found mutilated outside her home near the Devil’s Hand just months after the death of her daughter, strange things have happened there.

 Ruthie, a present-day teen, never knew about Sara, or that the seeming madwoman lived in the very same farmhouse she grew up in, until her mother disappears and she discovers the dead woman’s missing diary pages in her search for clues. But what if Ruthie’s not the only one looking for lost people?

“Madness is always a wonderful excuse, don’t you think? For doing terrible things to other people.”

With a plethora of (mostly female) characters and an action-packed plot that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and often spooked, The Winter People is a riveting read. 

Sometimes, however, this results in things moving a little too fast to really be able to sink into each moment and appreciate what’s happening. And, inevitably, these many pieces of the puzzle come together in a way that had too much explanation for my taste.

The plot far outshines the occasionally over-obvious writing and the characters, who were half cliché and half quirky enough to be interesting. But the excitement of the ride Winter People takes readers on can not excuse the questionable role the one indigenous character plays in the novel.  

“We all do what we think is best. Sometimes we make terrible mistakes, sometimes we do the right thing. Sometimes we never know. We just have to hope”

Worth the read for entertainment’s sake, The Winter People caught me hook, line, and sinker and reeled me into McMahon’s writing in a way that I know I’ll be picking up more of her writing. 

I rated The Winter People 3 out of 5.

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