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A Cold and Lonely Place    by Sara J. Henry Amazon.com order for
Cold and Lonely Place
by Sara J. Henry
Order:  USA  Can
Broadway, 2013 (2013)
Hardcover, Softcover, CD, e-Book
* * *   Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth

Wow! I opened the first page of A Cold and Lonely Place by Sara J. Henry (whose debut novel was Learning to Swim); thought I'd read a page or two to get the feel of the book. It was late. I'm not sure when I turned out my light but I had read over a hundred pages and couldn't wait to finish it. A Cold and Lonely Place had me by the throat and wouldn't let go.

Troy Chance is a freelance writer, taking photos of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival near Lake Placid. Men are cutting blocks of ice to build an ice castle. One of these blocks contains the body of a man!! One that Troy recognizes. She's hard put to keep her breakfast down. Speculation arises immediately. Was the man's death an accident? Maybe suicide? Or had someone murdered him?

More speculation leads to Troy writing a piece about this man for a local publication. He was the son of a wealthy family who for some reason wanted to hole up where winter is harsh and the snow and wind unyielding. Her in-depth columns keep the story of this man's life - and his death - in the news.

Troy's housemates are briefly looked at by the police as persons of interest. Troy herself is asked for an alibi. Soon the whole village is unsettled and everyone seems suspicious of everyone else.

The plot of A Cold and Lonely Place is enough to keep your nose in the book long into the night as it did mine. The residents of the small village react as residents of any small village would. Concerned but ready to gossip, sure they know who is responsible for the man's death. But it was the quality of the writing that most impressed me. Don't miss this one.

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