Book Review: The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb 4/5
Welcome, welcome, welcome!
Today’s post is on my choice of Amazon First Reads..
If you’re not familiar with it or how it works, every month Amazon Prime members are offered early access to a small selection of books to be released the following month. In a nutshell? New books—for free—every month.
I, of course, chose a Gothic Fiction and I can’t be happier for it.
For a darkly atmospheric read this October, The Stroke of Winter is one to look out for.
Enjoy!
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb
Publication date: November 1, 2022
Pages: 300
Genre: Gothic Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Mystery
Standalone
Tess, granddaughter of renowned artist, Sebastian Bell, has returned to her family’s old Victorian, La Belle Vie, with hopes to transform it into a bed-and-breakfast. Soon after arriving, however, she is plagued by disturbing dreams and scratching sounds that appear to originate in a portion of the house that was closed off long ago.
Some doors are never meant to be opened
Renovations almost complete, Tess, somewhat reluctantly, focuses on the task of unsealing those rooms.
Discovering the private art studio of Sebastian Bell himself and several never-before-seen canvases inside was not what she was expecting.. but neither was she prepared for the sudden escalation of strange events.
Some secrets are meant to stay buried.
She’s unleashed something from the past, something that now stalks the halls of La Belle Vie, and it won’t let Tess rest until the truth is revealed.
Four Stars!
Characters: Interesting. Real.
Storyline: Dark. Compelling.
Pace: Just right.
Writing: Gripping. Comprehensive.
Cover: 3.5/5
POVs:
Sebastian Bell, Tess
Multiple timelines
Tess has moved back to her family home, an old Victorian named La Belle Vie, to transform the old place into an Inn.
Having nearly finished with the accessible areas in the house, Tess’s next project will be unsealing rooms that have been closed up since long before Tess was born.
But when that mysterious, locked door is finally removed, Tess uncovers more than she bargained for.
Positive: There’s enough detail that you could probably make a decent version of several of the main character’s recipes.
Negative: Is that really important to the story? Because I think not.
Anyway!
I found little issue with this book. The writing, while not “pretty,” is intelligent and absorbing.
The beginning starts of a bit slow but it’s not long before you’re fully invested and happily ensconced in this skillfully constructed mystery.
“It was all too easy to take a thing for granted, even something beautiful, when you lived with it every day, she thought. The extraordinary faded into ordinary, even mundane.“
Tess’s grandfather was a remarkable artist, known for his breathtaking pieces having a sinister sort of feeling, and this adds an almost menacing sort of element. Nightmares, nightly scratching in the walls, and the discovery of her grandfather’s disturbing paintings add to the feeling of danger and disquiet.. You’re propelled forward by an ever growing tension and the mystery of what it all means.
The unsettling things that happen around Tess create a deeply uncomfortable atmosphere that really sucks you in.
“Silence hung in the air around them. It was a different kind of silence than Tess had ever felt at La Belle Vie before. Something electric seemed to be behind it. An inaudible sizzle. It was similar to the kind of tangible, yet invisible heaviness you could feel hanging in the air after two lovers had been fighting in a room. But not the same. This felt alive.
Something had been awakened here.“
The characters weren’t heroes or champions, they were very human, and it made their reactions—and interactions—all the more believable. I wasn’t invested in the people nearly as much as I was curious about WTH was going on in that house but they suited the parts they play in the story quite well.
And even though I’m not usually a fan of romance.. I have to admit that the author did a fantastic job with it here. Never taking over, and avoiding the cliché ‘insta-love at first sight’ bull, it was actually done really well. It built slowly throughout the storyline and had this sweet, realistic kind of feel that I could appreciate.
“She wondered what else she would find out about Wyatt. And all at once, she realized she was eager to find out.”
My biggest issue with the book was probably that some areas felt like unnecessary fillers.
Detailed descriptions of the past that play little to no role in the storyline, entire pages dedicated to her preparing meals, character information that goes nowhere. Little things that could have played a part later on but didn’t. *waves hand* Minor distractions from the meat of the story.
Now, I did predict the end—sort of—but it was more like I predicted several potential outcomes and was correct..
Which outcome is for you to find out for yourself.
Overall?
I ended up enjoying this book more than I expected and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.
If you’re looking for a wonderfully original, spooky mystery.. I highly recommend checking this one out. It’s worth it.
Sidenote: There is so much more to this book than I included in this review (like the dog) in my attempt to avoid spoiling anything so.. you’re in for a treat.
Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this review
Be sure to keep safe, stay warm, and have an outstanding Halloween weekend!
Do you read Gothic fiction?
Are there any you would recommend?
If there is food and cooking in a book, it usually makes me head to the kitchen to create something myself.
My husband and I both enjoy cooking but, I admit, I’ve never tried to recreate a recipe from a book I’ve read.