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With Winter Comes Darkness
A terrible accident burns down a family's life on the same day a murder is committed. From the ashes of these acts comes revelation, darkness, and the truth. Psychological suspense and profound family drama meet in this heartrending and original Australian novel.
1975, Ballarat Alice is happy in her world and in return for her happiness the world is good to her. She has everything she needs - a lovely house and children, and a devoted husband. Even though her journalism job doesn't pay much, she doesn't have to worry about the bills. All is well with her world until a terrible accident rips a child from her, a profound betrayal is uncovered, and things fall apart.
On the same day Alice's world collapses, a man is found brutally murdered on respected teacher Ellery's farm. Ellery can't remember what happened but there is blood on his clothes, and he is arrested.
Neither Alice nor Ellery realise that their paths in life are about to intertwine and a desperate bargain is about to be made. A bargain that could save or destroy them in their quest to draw some light and fathom the darkness that surrounds them.
1975, Ballarat Alice is happy in her world and in return for her happiness the world is good to her. She has everything she needs - a lovely house and children, and a devoted husband. Even though her journalism job doesn't pay much, she doesn't have to worry about the bills. All is well with her world until a terrible accident rips a child from her, a profound betrayal is uncovered, and things fall apart.
On the same day Alice's world collapses, a man is found brutally murdered on respected teacher Ellery's farm. Ellery can't remember what happened but there is blood on his clothes, and he is arrested.
Neither Alice nor Ellery realise that their paths in life are about to intertwine and a desperate bargain is about to be made. A bargain that could save or destroy them in their quest to draw some light and fathom the darkness that surrounds them.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2024
6 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Robbi Neal
4 books25 followersRobbi Neal's first book SUNDAY BEST, a memoir was developed as part of the HarperCollins/Varuna awards program and published by HarperCollins in 2004. AFTER BEFORE TIME, which told stories of indigenous life in a remote community, was published in 2016. THE ART OF PRESERVING LOVE, a story that spanned 25 years from 1905 to 1930 was published in 2018 under the pen name Ada Langton.
Robbi also paints and is currently working towards an exhibition scheduled for 2022 at Redot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore. She is a mama of five wonderful humans (you're welcome world).
She has lived in country Victoria, Australia, for most of her life and lives only a few of blocks from where her novel THE SECRET WORLD OF CONNIE STARR (2022) is set. She loves to walk down Dawson Street past the church her grandfather preached in, the same church with the same columns that appear in in this book.
When Robbi isn't writing, she is painting, or reading or hanging out with her family and friends, all of whom she adores. She loves procrasti-cooking, especially when thinking about the next chapter in her writing. She also loves cheese, any cheese, all cheese and lemon gin or dirty martinis, the blues, and more cheese.
Robbi also paints and is currently working towards an exhibition scheduled for 2022 at Redot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore. She is a mama of five wonderful humans (you're welcome world).
She has lived in country Victoria, Australia, for most of her life and lives only a few of blocks from where her novel THE SECRET WORLD OF CONNIE STARR (2022) is set. She loves to walk down Dawson Street past the church her grandfather preached in, the same church with the same columns that appear in in this book.
When Robbi isn't writing, she is painting, or reading or hanging out with her family and friends, all of whom she adores. She loves procrasti-cooking, especially when thinking about the next chapter in her writing. She also loves cheese, any cheese, all cheese and lemon gin or dirty martinis, the blues, and more cheese.
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May 8, 2024
EXCERPT: Wednesday, 4 June 1975 - The Darkest Day
The Peugeot doesn't stand a chance when the Mercedes livestock truck carrying 150 unhappy sheep ploughs into it on the back road to Creswick. It is the fourth day of June 1975, the fourth day of winter and darkness falls by 5.30. Pippa, who is just six years old and loves nothing more than her Ballerina Barbie (though Deluxe Curl Barbie comes a close second), has chosen to perch on the edge of the back seat, right in the middle so she has a better view out the front windscreen because she isn't quite tall enough to see out the side windows. But her brother Max, who is seven, just won't stop the rib-digging and the hair-pulling, and when she complains her dad, Liam, says, 'Don't tease your sister, Max,' and Max just keeps going, so finally she turns to punch him. She clenches her fist hard and she swings her arm out and right at that moment, before her fist even has the chance to connect with Max's cheek, the truck lands on them.
ABOUT 'WITH WINTER COMES DARKNESS': A terrible accident burns down a family's life on the same day a murder is committed. From the ashes of these acts comes revelation, darkness, and the truth. Psychological suspense and profound family drama meet in this heartrending and original Australian novel.
1975, Ballarat Alice is happy in her world and in return for her happiness the world is good to her. She has everything she needs - a lovely house and children, and a devoted husband. Even though her journalism job doesn't pay much, she doesn't have to worry about the bills. All is well with her world until a terrible accident rips a child from her, a profound betrayal is uncovered, and things fall apart.
On the same day Alice's world collapses, a man is found brutally murdered on respected teacher Ellery's farm. Ellery can't remember what happened but there is blood on his clothes, and he is arrested.
Neither Alice nor Ellery realise that their paths in life are about to intertwine and a desperate bargain is about to be made. A bargain that could save or destroy them in their quest to draw some light and fathom the darkness that surrounds them.
MY THOUGHTS: With Winter Comes Darkness is not a book to be rushed through. The writing is intricate, richly detailed, quietly powerful and almost poetic at times. There were instances I had to close the covers and walk away just to breathe, to get away from the anguish that oozes from the pages. At times I felt my heart was breaking for Max, who stops talking, and for Alice, whose whole world has imploded, and yes, even (maybe especially) for Ellery, awaiting trial for murder.
Lena, Alice's mother, and Maggie, Liam's mother, are wonderful supplementary characters; each of whom expresses their love in different ways and each of whom has hidden depths. Bruce would have to get the award for the world's most supportive and understanding boss. I fell in, then out, of love with Claudia very rapidly, and the less said about Liam the better. Detective Rush is another character with hidden depths. Every character in this book is so well drawn that they could walk off the page and into real life.
This is a book filled with drama, tragedy and love; a mother's love for her child (several times over); the tragedy of losing a child; the drama of a marriage going down the drain. And then there is Ellery. Enigmatic, mysterious Ellery on remand for murder, who fascinates Alice and gives her life focus. Ellery is the character who really stood out for me. Ellery and Max, each of whom is carrying a massive burden, a secret that is crippling them.
This is a subtly written story, one that will tear at your heartstrings. I defy anyone to read this without shedding a tear or two. It is beautiful and tragic. It is a classic in the making.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#WithWinterComesDarkness #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: She has lived in country Victoria, Australia, for most of her life. When Robbi isn't writing, she is painting, or reading or hanging out with her family and friends, all of whom she adores. She loves procrasti-cooking, especially when thinking about the next chapter in her writing. She also loves cheese, any cheese, all cheese and lemon gin or dirty martinis, the blues, and more cheese.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of With Winter Comes Darkness by Robbi Neal for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
The Peugeot doesn't stand a chance when the Mercedes livestock truck carrying 150 unhappy sheep ploughs into it on the back road to Creswick. It is the fourth day of June 1975, the fourth day of winter and darkness falls by 5.30. Pippa, who is just six years old and loves nothing more than her Ballerina Barbie (though Deluxe Curl Barbie comes a close second), has chosen to perch on the edge of the back seat, right in the middle so she has a better view out the front windscreen because she isn't quite tall enough to see out the side windows. But her brother Max, who is seven, just won't stop the rib-digging and the hair-pulling, and when she complains her dad, Liam, says, 'Don't tease your sister, Max,' and Max just keeps going, so finally she turns to punch him. She clenches her fist hard and she swings her arm out and right at that moment, before her fist even has the chance to connect with Max's cheek, the truck lands on them.
ABOUT 'WITH WINTER COMES DARKNESS': A terrible accident burns down a family's life on the same day a murder is committed. From the ashes of these acts comes revelation, darkness, and the truth. Psychological suspense and profound family drama meet in this heartrending and original Australian novel.
1975, Ballarat Alice is happy in her world and in return for her happiness the world is good to her. She has everything she needs - a lovely house and children, and a devoted husband. Even though her journalism job doesn't pay much, she doesn't have to worry about the bills. All is well with her world until a terrible accident rips a child from her, a profound betrayal is uncovered, and things fall apart.
On the same day Alice's world collapses, a man is found brutally murdered on respected teacher Ellery's farm. Ellery can't remember what happened but there is blood on his clothes, and he is arrested.
Neither Alice nor Ellery realise that their paths in life are about to intertwine and a desperate bargain is about to be made. A bargain that could save or destroy them in their quest to draw some light and fathom the darkness that surrounds them.
MY THOUGHTS: With Winter Comes Darkness is not a book to be rushed through. The writing is intricate, richly detailed, quietly powerful and almost poetic at times. There were instances I had to close the covers and walk away just to breathe, to get away from the anguish that oozes from the pages. At times I felt my heart was breaking for Max, who stops talking, and for Alice, whose whole world has imploded, and yes, even (maybe especially) for Ellery, awaiting trial for murder.
Lena, Alice's mother, and Maggie, Liam's mother, are wonderful supplementary characters; each of whom expresses their love in different ways and each of whom has hidden depths. Bruce would have to get the award for the world's most supportive and understanding boss. I fell in, then out, of love with Claudia very rapidly, and the less said about Liam the better. Detective Rush is another character with hidden depths. Every character in this book is so well drawn that they could walk off the page and into real life.
This is a book filled with drama, tragedy and love; a mother's love for her child (several times over); the tragedy of losing a child; the drama of a marriage going down the drain. And then there is Ellery. Enigmatic, mysterious Ellery on remand for murder, who fascinates Alice and gives her life focus. Ellery is the character who really stood out for me. Ellery and Max, each of whom is carrying a massive burden, a secret that is crippling them.
This is a subtly written story, one that will tear at your heartstrings. I defy anyone to read this without shedding a tear or two. It is beautiful and tragic. It is a classic in the making.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#WithWinterComesDarkness #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: She has lived in country Victoria, Australia, for most of her life. When Robbi isn't writing, she is painting, or reading or hanging out with her family and friends, all of whom she adores. She loves procrasti-cooking, especially when thinking about the next chapter in her writing. She also loves cheese, any cheese, all cheese and lemon gin or dirty martinis, the blues, and more cheese.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of With Winter Comes Darkness by Robbi Neal for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
May 18, 2024
Will a twist of fate bring two people together, they have never met but both have lost something that changes their lives can they bring each other back to a normal life?
It is 1975 in Ballarat and Alice is happily married to Liam and they have two children seven year old Max and six year old Pippa life is good Liam is a solicitor and Alice is a journalist at the local paper, but on a cold wet night her life will change forever when there is a terrible accident and she loses one of her children and then she finds out that her marriage was not as good as she thought, her life as she knows it topples over.
Across the other side of town a man is found brutally murdered on the property of the local popular math’s teacher Ellery, he rings police but he is the only one there covered in blood and soon finds himself in remand charged with murder but Ellery cannot remember anything about what happened.
Alice is convinced to get back to work by her boss and is told to do some stories about the murder and that means going to meet Ellery and it soon becomes apparent that there is some sort of pull between them, there are questions that each of them ask and an agreement is made, as the months go on the bond grows, will they become friends or even more than friends in this psychological suspense?
This was the first of Robbi Neal’s books I have read and it made for compelling reading for me, I had to get to end and find out what was going to happen to all of the characters in the story, would they get what I think they deserved, maybe not, but the ending was so good, not what I expected but good just the same, will light shine through the darkness?
I do highly recommend this one, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
It is 1975 in Ballarat and Alice is happily married to Liam and they have two children seven year old Max and six year old Pippa life is good Liam is a solicitor and Alice is a journalist at the local paper, but on a cold wet night her life will change forever when there is a terrible accident and she loses one of her children and then she finds out that her marriage was not as good as she thought, her life as she knows it topples over.
Across the other side of town a man is found brutally murdered on the property of the local popular math’s teacher Ellery, he rings police but he is the only one there covered in blood and soon finds himself in remand charged with murder but Ellery cannot remember anything about what happened.
Alice is convinced to get back to work by her boss and is told to do some stories about the murder and that means going to meet Ellery and it soon becomes apparent that there is some sort of pull between them, there are questions that each of them ask and an agreement is made, as the months go on the bond grows, will they become friends or even more than friends in this psychological suspense?
This was the first of Robbi Neal’s books I have read and it made for compelling reading for me, I had to get to end and find out what was going to happen to all of the characters in the story, would they get what I think they deserved, maybe not, but the ending was so good, not what I expected but good just the same, will light shine through the darkness?
I do highly recommend this one, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
July 4, 2024
With Winter Comes Darkness is the second novel by Australian author, Robbi Neal. On the same evening in early June 1975 that Francis Little ends up with an axe in his back on the chopping block in the yard of Ellery Perrin’s remote cabin, six-year-old Pippa Ables dies instantly when a livestock truck hits the Peugeot her father is driving. And even if the two incidents are unrelated, soon enough, some of those affected by the deaths come to play a significant part in each others lives.
A bit fed up with the tame stories she usually has to cover, Ballarat Courier journalist Alice Ables jumps at the chance to report on a car and truck collision, until she recognises her husband’s Peugeot. Desperate to know if Liam is safe, she is instead told that Pippa’s older brother, Max is uninjured. With Liam in a coma, the devastating news that she has lost a daughter is hers to bear alone.
Carrying a secret guilt about the accident, seven-year-old Max stops talking. Alice is left wondering why Liam and the children were on that road at dusk with her best friend, his business partner’s wife, Claudia Acton in the car. Alice’s mother Lena comes to help out but doesn’t share a long-held suspicion. When he regains consciousness, Liam claims not to know what happened, and when the police interview Max, what he finally does say is dismissed by his father as the imaginings of a traumatised child.
Already trying to survive the worst thing that can happen to a parent, while still being there for her son, Alice is then hit with a shocking betrayal that almost breaks her. To distract her from her crippling grief, Alice’s boss insists she do a story on the murder of Francis Little. Which is why she travels to the remand prison in Melbourne to interview local maths teacher, Ellery Perrin, who has told police he can’t remember what happened.
While he is liked and respected as a teacher, it’s clear that Ellery leads a solitary, regimented life that is almost a primitive existence. Could someone like him commit this brutal murder? Detective Martin Rush believes so but, from the moment she meets him, Alice is unconvinced. Ellery recognises a darkness in the sad young woman who comes to see him and is intrigued: they strike an unusual bargain that allows her to ask her questions and write her articles.
When they talk about the past, Ellery tells her “the past is always right in front of us. The past casts the longest darkest shadow that reaches into the future. You can run as fast as you like but you’ll only run smack bang into it.”
Although Ellery is unaware of some of the challenges she faces, his advice to her is sound: “What defines us, Alice, is not what happens to us. It’s not me being stuck here in jail. It’s not whatever has happened to you. What defines us is how we travel through the things that happen to us.”
Neal gives the reader with a plot that requires no suspension of disbelief, characters whose reactions to what happens are credible, and a resolution that is realistic. She easily evokes her era and setting, deals with some very topical issues, and it’s gratifying to see her protagonist eventually stand up for herself. A very moving and compelling read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia.
A bit fed up with the tame stories she usually has to cover, Ballarat Courier journalist Alice Ables jumps at the chance to report on a car and truck collision, until she recognises her husband’s Peugeot. Desperate to know if Liam is safe, she is instead told that Pippa’s older brother, Max is uninjured. With Liam in a coma, the devastating news that she has lost a daughter is hers to bear alone.
Carrying a secret guilt about the accident, seven-year-old Max stops talking. Alice is left wondering why Liam and the children were on that road at dusk with her best friend, his business partner’s wife, Claudia Acton in the car. Alice’s mother Lena comes to help out but doesn’t share a long-held suspicion. When he regains consciousness, Liam claims not to know what happened, and when the police interview Max, what he finally does say is dismissed by his father as the imaginings of a traumatised child.
Already trying to survive the worst thing that can happen to a parent, while still being there for her son, Alice is then hit with a shocking betrayal that almost breaks her. To distract her from her crippling grief, Alice’s boss insists she do a story on the murder of Francis Little. Which is why she travels to the remand prison in Melbourne to interview local maths teacher, Ellery Perrin, who has told police he can’t remember what happened.
While he is liked and respected as a teacher, it’s clear that Ellery leads a solitary, regimented life that is almost a primitive existence. Could someone like him commit this brutal murder? Detective Martin Rush believes so but, from the moment she meets him, Alice is unconvinced. Ellery recognises a darkness in the sad young woman who comes to see him and is intrigued: they strike an unusual bargain that allows her to ask her questions and write her articles.
When they talk about the past, Ellery tells her “the past is always right in front of us. The past casts the longest darkest shadow that reaches into the future. You can run as fast as you like but you’ll only run smack bang into it.”
Although Ellery is unaware of some of the challenges she faces, his advice to her is sound: “What defines us, Alice, is not what happens to us. It’s not me being stuck here in jail. It’s not whatever has happened to you. What defines us is how we travel through the things that happen to us.”
Neal gives the reader with a plot that requires no suspension of disbelief, characters whose reactions to what happens are credible, and a resolution that is realistic. She easily evokes her era and setting, deals with some very topical issues, and it’s gratifying to see her protagonist eventually stand up for herself. A very moving and compelling read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia.
August 9, 2024
With Winter Comes Darkness is the second novel by Australian author, Robbi Neal. The audio version is narrated by Eva Seymour. On the same evening in early June 1975 that Francis Little ends up with an axe in his back on the chopping block in the yard of Ellery Perrin’s remote cabin, six-year-old Pippa Ables dies instantly when a livestock truck hits the Peugeot her father is driving. And even if the two incidents are unrelated, soon enough, some of those affected by the deaths come to play a significant part in each others lives.
A bit fed up with the tame stories she usually has to cover, Ballarat Courier journalist Alice Ables jumps at the chance to report on a car and truck collision, until she recognises her husband’s Peugeot. Desperate to know if Liam is safe, she is instead told that Pippa’s older brother, Max is uninjured. With Liam in a coma, the devastating news that she has lost a daughter is hers to bear alone.
Carrying a secret guilt about the accident, seven-year-old Max stops talking. Alice is left wondering why Liam and the children were on that road at dusk with her best friend, his business partner’s wife, Claudia Acton in the car. Alice’s mother Lena comes to help out but doesn’t share a long-held suspicion. When he regains consciousness, Liam claims not to know what happened, and when the police interview Max, what he finally does say is dismissed by his father as the imaginings of a traumatised child.
Already trying to survive the worst thing that can happen to a parent, while still being there for her son, Alice is then hit with a shocking betrayal that almost breaks her. To distract her from her crippling grief, Alice’s boss insists she do a story on the murder of Francis Little. Which is why she travels to the remand prison in Melbourne to interview local maths teacher, Ellery Perrin, who has told police he can’t remember what happened.
While he is liked and respected as a teacher, it’s clear that Ellery leads a solitary, regimented life that is almost a primitive existence. Could someone like him commit this brutal murder? Detective Martin Rush believes so but, from the moment she meets him, Alice is unconvinced. Ellery recognises a darkness in the sad young woman who comes to see him and is intrigued: they strike an unusual bargain that allows her to ask her questions and write her articles.
When they talk about the past, Ellery tells her “the past is always right in front of us. The past casts the longest darkest shadow that reaches into the future. You can run as fast as you like but you’ll only run smack bang into it.”
Although Ellery is unaware of some of the challenges she faces, his advice to her is sound: “What defines us, Alice, is not what happens to us. It’s not me being stuck here in jail. It’s not whatever has happened to you. What defines us is how we travel through the things that happen to us.”
Neal gives the reader with a plot that requires no suspension of disbelief, characters whose reactions to what happens are credible, and a resolution that is realistic. She easily evokes her era and setting, deals with some very topical issues, and it’s gratifying to see her protagonist eventually stand up for herself. A very moving and compelling read.
A bit fed up with the tame stories she usually has to cover, Ballarat Courier journalist Alice Ables jumps at the chance to report on a car and truck collision, until she recognises her husband’s Peugeot. Desperate to know if Liam is safe, she is instead told that Pippa’s older brother, Max is uninjured. With Liam in a coma, the devastating news that she has lost a daughter is hers to bear alone.
Carrying a secret guilt about the accident, seven-year-old Max stops talking. Alice is left wondering why Liam and the children were on that road at dusk with her best friend, his business partner’s wife, Claudia Acton in the car. Alice’s mother Lena comes to help out but doesn’t share a long-held suspicion. When he regains consciousness, Liam claims not to know what happened, and when the police interview Max, what he finally does say is dismissed by his father as the imaginings of a traumatised child.
Already trying to survive the worst thing that can happen to a parent, while still being there for her son, Alice is then hit with a shocking betrayal that almost breaks her. To distract her from her crippling grief, Alice’s boss insists she do a story on the murder of Francis Little. Which is why she travels to the remand prison in Melbourne to interview local maths teacher, Ellery Perrin, who has told police he can’t remember what happened.
While he is liked and respected as a teacher, it’s clear that Ellery leads a solitary, regimented life that is almost a primitive existence. Could someone like him commit this brutal murder? Detective Martin Rush believes so but, from the moment she meets him, Alice is unconvinced. Ellery recognises a darkness in the sad young woman who comes to see him and is intrigued: they strike an unusual bargain that allows her to ask her questions and write her articles.
When they talk about the past, Ellery tells her “the past is always right in front of us. The past casts the longest darkest shadow that reaches into the future. You can run as fast as you like but you’ll only run smack bang into it.”
Although Ellery is unaware of some of the challenges she faces, his advice to her is sound: “What defines us, Alice, is not what happens to us. It’s not me being stuck here in jail. It’s not whatever has happened to you. What defines us is how we travel through the things that happen to us.”
Neal gives the reader with a plot that requires no suspension of disbelief, characters whose reactions to what happens are credible, and a resolution that is realistic. She easily evokes her era and setting, deals with some very topical issues, and it’s gratifying to see her protagonist eventually stand up for herself. A very moving and compelling read.
February 13, 2025
With Winter Comes Darkness is an engrossing and emotionally-stirring read, set in the recent(ish) historical context of 1975-6 Ballarat, Australia.
On one cataclysmic rainy night, the lives of two individuals are irrevocably changed by separate incidents. Print journalist Alice Ables' husband and two children are involved in a nasty car accident on a rural road. Meanwhile, high-school maths teacher Ellery Perrin is attacked by local identity Francis Little at his ramshackle property at Durham Lead, south of Ballarat. Both incidents lead to a fatality, with Alice and Ellery each forced to face the aftermath.
Alice's abject grief over the loss of her 6-year-old daughter Pippa is accompanied by blame for her husband, solicitor Liam, guilt that her choice to work, rather than being a full-time stay-at-home mother to Max and Pippa, may have contributed to the tragedy, and worried that her 8-year-old son Max, despite surviving the accident virtually unscathed physically, hasn't spoken a word since. Her closest friend Claudia, the wife of Liam's partner in his legal practice, is there to support her, but why had she been in the car with Liam, Max and Pippa at the time of the accident?
Meanwhile, Ellery has been charged with the murder of Francis Little, and is being held on remand at a prison in Melbourne. He's engaged Gil Aston, Claudia's husband, to represent him, but is refusing to divulge the nature of his relationship with Little, or how their confrontation escalated to Little's death from a head injury.
Encouraged by her mother, Alice makes a tentative return to her job as a journalist for the local newspaper, The Courier, in an effort to distract herself from her suffocating grief over Pippa. She's assigned to write a series of articles covering the arrest of Ellery Perrin for the murder of Francis Little. The story leads her to visit Ellery at the remand centre several times over the following weeks and months, and the two develop a bond, able to share elements of their personal struggles with each other that they each feel unable to with anyone else.
The narrative is liberally infused with contemporary references to life in the mid-1970s, from products, books and popular cultural references to broader societal issues such as female emancipation, respect and equality in relationships and the handling of offences against children.
I found With Winter Comes Darkness a compelling read, and Alice a particularly convincing and sympathetic character. There are some confronting themes around child death, marital infidelity and the lifelong impact of child sexual assault, however I felt that author Robbi Neal handled these both sensitively and realistically. I enjoyed Alice's relationship with her mother, Lena, as they navigate the horrendously difficult period following Pippa's death and the ensuing disintegration of Alice's marriage to the gaslighting and self-serving Liam. As Lena attempts to suspend her own grief to focus on supporting Alice and Max, she tentatively joins a Ballarat chapter of the burgeoning feminist movement, which provides for some added colour and historical context.
With Winter Comes Darkness is ascribed as spanning to the Mystery, Thriller and Crime genres, as well as the Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction and Domestic Fiction categories. While there is a certain level of mystery as to what actually happened at Ellery's property on the night of the incident, I felt that the book is primarily an Historical Women's or Domestic Fiction read, with strong intrigue and psychological narrative themes.
I'd recommend With Winter Comes Darkness to readers who enjoy 20th century historical settings, well-developed characters and deeply moving storylines.
On one cataclysmic rainy night, the lives of two individuals are irrevocably changed by separate incidents. Print journalist Alice Ables' husband and two children are involved in a nasty car accident on a rural road. Meanwhile, high-school maths teacher Ellery Perrin is attacked by local identity Francis Little at his ramshackle property at Durham Lead, south of Ballarat. Both incidents lead to a fatality, with Alice and Ellery each forced to face the aftermath.
Alice's abject grief over the loss of her 6-year-old daughter Pippa is accompanied by blame for her husband, solicitor Liam, guilt that her choice to work, rather than being a full-time stay-at-home mother to Max and Pippa, may have contributed to the tragedy, and worried that her 8-year-old son Max, despite surviving the accident virtually unscathed physically, hasn't spoken a word since. Her closest friend Claudia, the wife of Liam's partner in his legal practice, is there to support her, but why had she been in the car with Liam, Max and Pippa at the time of the accident?
Meanwhile, Ellery has been charged with the murder of Francis Little, and is being held on remand at a prison in Melbourne. He's engaged Gil Aston, Claudia's husband, to represent him, but is refusing to divulge the nature of his relationship with Little, or how their confrontation escalated to Little's death from a head injury.
Encouraged by her mother, Alice makes a tentative return to her job as a journalist for the local newspaper, The Courier, in an effort to distract herself from her suffocating grief over Pippa. She's assigned to write a series of articles covering the arrest of Ellery Perrin for the murder of Francis Little. The story leads her to visit Ellery at the remand centre several times over the following weeks and months, and the two develop a bond, able to share elements of their personal struggles with each other that they each feel unable to with anyone else.
The narrative is liberally infused with contemporary references to life in the mid-1970s, from products, books and popular cultural references to broader societal issues such as female emancipation, respect and equality in relationships and the handling of offences against children.
I found With Winter Comes Darkness a compelling read, and Alice a particularly convincing and sympathetic character. There are some confronting themes around child death, marital infidelity and the lifelong impact of child sexual assault, however I felt that author Robbi Neal handled these both sensitively and realistically. I enjoyed Alice's relationship with her mother, Lena, as they navigate the horrendously difficult period following Pippa's death and the ensuing disintegration of Alice's marriage to the gaslighting and self-serving Liam. As Lena attempts to suspend her own grief to focus on supporting Alice and Max, she tentatively joins a Ballarat chapter of the burgeoning feminist movement, which provides for some added colour and historical context.
With Winter Comes Darkness is ascribed as spanning to the Mystery, Thriller and Crime genres, as well as the Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction and Domestic Fiction categories. While there is a certain level of mystery as to what actually happened at Ellery's property on the night of the incident, I felt that the book is primarily an Historical Women's or Domestic Fiction read, with strong intrigue and psychological narrative themes.
I'd recommend With Winter Comes Darkness to readers who enjoy 20th century historical settings, well-developed characters and deeply moving storylines.
May 3, 2024
I made an account just so I could review this book. It held onto me from the very start and gave me this amazing view into country life in 1975. The characters of Alice and Ellery felt like real people with real trauma and histories. I enjoyed that every character was given a sense of humanity. The importance of connection and people finding healing through their relationships. An emotional and gripping read that will stay with you even after the last page is turned.
April 24, 2024
With Winter Comes Darkness grabbed me from the first page and I kept me engaged the whole way through. I really enjoyed the separate stories of Alice and Ellery, and how they connected.
Both Alice and Ellery had a lot to deal with, with Alice dealing with a major accident and the conequences of that, and Ellery being arrested for a murder he has no recollection of. There was plenty of suspense as I wanted to know: Who was the murderer?, How did the accident happen? What secrets are being kept?
I really liked the additional characters in Liam and Max, Alice's husband and child, Gil and Claudia, Liam's law partner and Alice's best friend and even Ellery's parents. The story was emotional and heart-breaking and gave me all the feels.
Both Alice and Ellery had a lot to deal with, with Alice dealing with a major accident and the conequences of that, and Ellery being arrested for a murder he has no recollection of. There was plenty of suspense as I wanted to know: Who was the murderer?, How did the accident happen? What secrets are being kept?
I really liked the additional characters in Liam and Max, Alice's husband and child, Gil and Claudia, Liam's law partner and Alice's best friend and even Ellery's parents. The story was emotional and heart-breaking and gave me all the feels.
May 29, 2024
Thank you Harlequin for sending us a copy to read and review.
An emotional, powerful and interesting tale set in Ballarat in the 1970s.
Two tragic events will tear the families apart and bring two people together.
In 1975, Ballarat, Alice’s life is good.
A job, a home and a family, everything is positive.
One day it all shatters apart.
On the same day, a man called Ellery is arrested for murder.
A body is found on his farm.
Not known to each other, their worlds are about to collide.
Robbi has crafted a sharp, strong plot that captures the feels, spirit and soul in a thought provoking presence.
The author designs an intense, secretive and mighty picture of a family falling apart and how the following moments are formed.
I loved how the 70s came alive in the narrative with a strong sense of atmosphere.
There’s instants of delicate, dark, sad and sensitive, gathering the mixed feelings as you turn the pages.
A gripping drama, a riveting saga and a grand slice of historical fiction.
An emotional, powerful and interesting tale set in Ballarat in the 1970s.
Two tragic events will tear the families apart and bring two people together.
In 1975, Ballarat, Alice’s life is good.
A job, a home and a family, everything is positive.
One day it all shatters apart.
On the same day, a man called Ellery is arrested for murder.
A body is found on his farm.
Not known to each other, their worlds are about to collide.
Robbi has crafted a sharp, strong plot that captures the feels, spirit and soul in a thought provoking presence.
The author designs an intense, secretive and mighty picture of a family falling apart and how the following moments are formed.
I loved how the 70s came alive in the narrative with a strong sense of atmosphere.
There’s instants of delicate, dark, sad and sensitive, gathering the mixed feelings as you turn the pages.
A gripping drama, a riveting saga and a grand slice of historical fiction.
September 20, 2024
2.5 rounded up
Two events, a murder and a fatal car accident in Ballarat in 1975. The people involved brought together through the character of local journalist, Alice.
Largely, this is a novel that centers on the two key characters, Alice and Ellery, whose worlds are completely shattered by the losses they experience. There was a lot to like in the plot of this novel and the potential of the exploration of total loss and life shattering events. However, I really struggled with some elements. The writing of the dialogue was a problem for me. The constant reliance on he said, she said, Alice says, Ellery says, line after line was distracting. Secondly, the neat ending felt just a little contrived and a considerable stretch after such a short period of time, despite the life shattering experiences the characters shared. Finally, it is 1975, and Alice, although she evolved, felt like a character from the 1940s, despite the influences of her more progressive mother. Nevertheless, there was an interesting story line and reasonable pacing to enjoy.
Two events, a murder and a fatal car accident in Ballarat in 1975. The people involved brought together through the character of local journalist, Alice.
Largely, this is a novel that centers on the two key characters, Alice and Ellery, whose worlds are completely shattered by the losses they experience. There was a lot to like in the plot of this novel and the potential of the exploration of total loss and life shattering events. However, I really struggled with some elements. The writing of the dialogue was a problem for me. The constant reliance on he said, she said, Alice says, Ellery says, line after line was distracting. Secondly, the neat ending felt just a little contrived and a considerable stretch after such a short period of time, despite the life shattering experiences the characters shared. Finally, it is 1975, and Alice, although she evolved, felt like a character from the 1940s, despite the influences of her more progressive mother. Nevertheless, there was an interesting story line and reasonable pacing to enjoy.
March 29, 2024
This is the story of two people whose lives are turned upside down. It was such a beautiful but heartbreaking read. Set in 1975, in the Ballarat township of Newington.
I appreciated Neal’s research and you really got a feel for what it was like to live in a small town in the 1970s- the Vietnam wars looming, gender roles and all the drugs and alcohol. The small town setting really added to the atmosphere of the whole story, it felt so suffocating at times.
We first get to know Alice, a journalist and her husband lawyer Liam. They meet, fall in love find an amazing Federation home which they renovate and have a family. You are hooked in immediately with their idyllic life and can’t look away as it’s smashed apart when Liam and his two kids are involved in a car accident.
In parallel to Alice’s story we also meet Ellery, a maths teacher who is accused of murder. The two stories intertwine as journalist Alice is sent to interview Ellery in jail. It was fascinating to see the fall out of each of their events and see the unlikely friendship between the two grow. Whilst I enjoyed each of the storylines I did connect more with Alice and her struggles with career and motherhood and then her intense grief. I don’t know how she kept going.
I also appreciated all the different side characters and story, in particular Alice’s mother and Liam’s law partner Gil and his wife Claudia. There were times where I myself felt hit by a truck and lot to process. There was a lot going on but it was handled really well and did illicit a lot of emotions. Alice and Ellery and their stories will stay with me for a long time.
I appreciated Neal’s research and you really got a feel for what it was like to live in a small town in the 1970s- the Vietnam wars looming, gender roles and all the drugs and alcohol. The small town setting really added to the atmosphere of the whole story, it felt so suffocating at times.
We first get to know Alice, a journalist and her husband lawyer Liam. They meet, fall in love find an amazing Federation home which they renovate and have a family. You are hooked in immediately with their idyllic life and can’t look away as it’s smashed apart when Liam and his two kids are involved in a car accident.
In parallel to Alice’s story we also meet Ellery, a maths teacher who is accused of murder. The two stories intertwine as journalist Alice is sent to interview Ellery in jail. It was fascinating to see the fall out of each of their events and see the unlikely friendship between the two grow. Whilst I enjoyed each of the storylines I did connect more with Alice and her struggles with career and motherhood and then her intense grief. I don’t know how she kept going.
I also appreciated all the different side characters and story, in particular Alice’s mother and Liam’s law partner Gil and his wife Claudia. There were times where I myself felt hit by a truck and lot to process. There was a lot going on but it was handled really well and did illicit a lot of emotions. Alice and Ellery and their stories will stay with me for a long time.
November 28, 2024
(3.5 stars)
"She has a million holes. She can feel her insides trickling out like fat sizzling out of a hot sausage." This book is about two characters whose lives are upturned on the same night but in very different ways: Alice and Ellery. It's written in a very twee way from each character's inner perspective, with very tedious handling of dialogue. The ending is a bit trite and contrived. If you don't see Ellery's reasoning coming a mile off perhaps you were overseas for the Royal Commissions that uncovered what was happening in religious schools in places like Ballarat in 1975. Probably the only character I liked was Lena, Alice's mother, on the cusp of her militant lesbian feminist awakening: "Even in her best clothes Lena knows she looks frumpy and worn-out. This is why people bump into her in the supermarket and why she is always the last to be served in the butcher’s."
While the opening was shocking and was what kept me reading, the first half of the book felt dreary. Alice is annoying, even allowing for grief, she behaves like an obedient 1950s housewife willfully blind to the actions of her husband and best friend: "Alice isn’t making sensible decisions right now, in fact she’s not making any decisions right now. She goes where she is blown – or pushed.". Liam is a cheating abuser: "We sleep in the same bed at night but when I try to make love to you, Alice, you’re not really there for me. You’re angry and uninterested."
I can't say I loved this one, but by the latter half, even with Ellery and Alice being weirdly childlike with each other, the pace picked up. I don't know if a policeman deciding to give up on justice is particularly realistic either: "And I know now, Ellery, that you were simply giving him what he deserved, you were putting balance back in the world.’" Most police I know believe strongly in the power of the law, or they usually have to stop being police.
"She has a million holes. She can feel her insides trickling out like fat sizzling out of a hot sausage." This book is about two characters whose lives are upturned on the same night but in very different ways: Alice and Ellery. It's written in a very twee way from each character's inner perspective, with very tedious handling of dialogue. The ending is a bit trite and contrived. If you don't see Ellery's reasoning coming a mile off perhaps you were overseas for the Royal Commissions that uncovered what was happening in religious schools in places like Ballarat in 1975. Probably the only character I liked was Lena, Alice's mother, on the cusp of her militant lesbian feminist awakening: "Even in her best clothes Lena knows she looks frumpy and worn-out. This is why people bump into her in the supermarket and why she is always the last to be served in the butcher’s."
While the opening was shocking and was what kept me reading, the first half of the book felt dreary. Alice is annoying, even allowing for grief, she behaves like an obedient 1950s housewife willfully blind to the actions of her husband and best friend: "Alice isn’t making sensible decisions right now, in fact she’s not making any decisions right now. She goes where she is blown – or pushed.". Liam is a cheating abuser: "We sleep in the same bed at night but when I try to make love to you, Alice, you’re not really there for me. You’re angry and uninterested."
I can't say I loved this one, but by the latter half, even with Ellery and Alice being weirdly childlike with each other, the pace picked up. I don't know if a policeman deciding to give up on justice is particularly realistic either: "And I know now, Ellery, that you were simply giving him what he deserved, you were putting balance back in the world.’" Most police I know believe strongly in the power of the law, or they usually have to stop being police.
April 15, 2024
With Winter Comes Darkness is a wonderful, tender story about love, truth and, yes, darkness. I'm not usually a quick reader but I read its 300+ pages in one sitting because I just had to keep reading to find out what would happen - who committed the murder? Why did they murder this man? And would Alice and Ellery finally find love together?
This is Robbi Neal's fourth work of fiction. While her previous novels were, variously, a series of stories about a remote community, a historical romance and a family saga, this is a novel of suspense and romance set in Ballarat in and around the era of the Vietnam War. Like her other three novels, it's so much more than any genre or label you could put on it.
The story itself is a page-turner. It's also a vivid evocation of life in Ballarat in the 1970s. Each character in the novel is tenderly portrayed, complete with their foibles as well as their strengths. There is redemption for minor characters (something I always love in a novel) and surprising twists in character that are utterly convincing. While the plot treads on heavy matters, it does so with respect and conviction.
Robbi Neal is a wonderful writer whose books never fail to make me laugh ... and cry ... and sigh. Highly recommended.
This is Robbi Neal's fourth work of fiction. While her previous novels were, variously, a series of stories about a remote community, a historical romance and a family saga, this is a novel of suspense and romance set in Ballarat in and around the era of the Vietnam War. Like her other three novels, it's so much more than any genre or label you could put on it.
The story itself is a page-turner. It's also a vivid evocation of life in Ballarat in the 1970s. Each character in the novel is tenderly portrayed, complete with their foibles as well as their strengths. There is redemption for minor characters (something I always love in a novel) and surprising twists in character that are utterly convincing. While the plot treads on heavy matters, it does so with respect and conviction.
Robbi Neal is a wonderful writer whose books never fail to make me laugh ... and cry ... and sigh. Highly recommended.
June 18, 2024
3.5 rather than 3. Or 7 out of 10.
I have to admit, I am in three minds over this book.
One the one hand (mind?). It was well written, well paced, and engaging. It certainly kept my interest for the whole book. I hated it for all the right reasons - within these pages you will meet horrible people that you just have to dislike (writing a horrible character while maintaining good writing and an engaging story is skill that not all authors have).
There are two story lines within the pages of this book, which intercept and weave in and around each other, and the swap over between and across the two characters is done very well.
On the middle hand. The development of the main characters is reasonably well done. I definitely got engaged with both Alice and Ellery, and I really did get both incensed and relieved as various events occur to and around them. I very much disliked the people that you are supposed to dislike.
But, I felt some of the supporting characters could maybe have been brought forward a bit more. In some cases I felt they were created to increase the word count rather than to be actual characters.
On the other hand. The Ellery story was tied up a bit too neatly for reality, and towards the end this was reading a little too saccharine for my tastes. But, this was just towards the very very end.
I am also unsure as to the value of setting this book in 1975. It could just as easily have had a contemporary setting.
Overall, this was for me a 4 star book that lost a few small points because I can be a very niggly and picky reader. I settled into the armchair with the book and a hot pot of tea, and I was very happy to ignore the housework until both tea and book were finished.
I have to admit, I am in three minds over this book.
One the one hand (mind?). It was well written, well paced, and engaging. It certainly kept my interest for the whole book. I hated it for all the right reasons - within these pages you will meet horrible people that you just have to dislike (writing a horrible character while maintaining good writing and an engaging story is skill that not all authors have).
There are two story lines within the pages of this book, which intercept and weave in and around each other, and the swap over between and across the two characters is done very well.
On the middle hand. The development of the main characters is reasonably well done. I definitely got engaged with both Alice and Ellery, and I really did get both incensed and relieved as various events occur to and around them. I very much disliked the people that you are supposed to dislike.
But, I felt some of the supporting characters could maybe have been brought forward a bit more. In some cases I felt they were created to increase the word count rather than to be actual characters.
On the other hand. The Ellery story was tied up a bit too neatly for reality, and towards the end this was reading a little too saccharine for my tastes. But, this was just towards the very very end.
I am also unsure as to the value of setting this book in 1975. It could just as easily have had a contemporary setting.
Overall, this was for me a 4 star book that lost a few small points because I can be a very niggly and picky reader. I settled into the armchair with the book and a hot pot of tea, and I was very happy to ignore the housework until both tea and book were finished.
April 12, 2025
This book had my attention within the first few pages. This is a book you can’t put down because once you start it you’ll want to know how this is going to end.
With Winter Comes Darkness by Robbi Neal is a gripping, compelling and page-turner and I loved it from start to finish. Highly recommended.
With Winter Comes Darkness by Robbi Neal is a gripping, compelling and page-turner and I loved it from start to finish. Highly recommended.
June 15, 2025
It's 1975, and life is good for Ballarat couple Liam and Alice Ables. She's a journalist for the local newspaper and he's a lawyer. They've got two wonderful kids, seven year old Max and six year old Pippa. There's nothing in the world that couldn't possibly burst their happy little bubble- until tragedy occurs on June 4.
Liam is driving his car in the pouring rain, when he gets distracted and loses control. Whilst himself, Max and friend Claudia survived, sadly little Pippa was killed on impact.
What comes next is unfathomable. There's no guidebook for grief as Alice soon realises. With Liam left in a coma and Max becoming mute, there's nothing left for Alice to do but to wallow away whilst her mum takes care of things. Alice needs a distraction, which comes in the form of the murder allegations against maths teacher Ellery Perrin.
Coincidentally, at the same time of the accident, Ellery finds himself standing over the dead body of local identity, Francis Little. However, Ellery can't remember the circumstances of why Francis was on his property and how he ended up murdered. In the eyes of law enforcement, Ellery is guilty of murder and sent in remand to await trial.
Ellery and Alice meet in this twist of fate- as a journalist, Alice is aware that facts always come first, but she feels that there's much more to the story. Like Ellery, she's sure of his innocence and becomes a champion for his release. Meanwhile, the building friendship from quiet, unassuming Ellery forces Alice to view her own situation with fresh eyes.
With her marriage crumbling and gossip circulating around town, can Alice find a way to not only help herself, restore a broken family AND help Ellery find justice as well?
With Winter Comes Darkness is my first foray into Robbi Neal's world. It's branded as a mystery tinged with domestic drama and isn't it compelling. Life was certainly much different back in the seventies, compared to today. There was so much injustice, certain standards to maintain and scandal was often relayed around town.
My heart went out to Alice and Ellery- two strangers that form a close friendship over the most cruel of situations. They both are in such a bad place when they first meet and their loyalty and understanding go a long way in healing.
I absolutely detested Liam and Claudia, who show their true colours over and over. As Alice states, 'people are not always what they seem.' Preach, Sista, preach!
4.75 🌟
Liam is driving his car in the pouring rain, when he gets distracted and loses control. Whilst himself, Max and friend Claudia survived, sadly little Pippa was killed on impact.
What comes next is unfathomable. There's no guidebook for grief as Alice soon realises. With Liam left in a coma and Max becoming mute, there's nothing left for Alice to do but to wallow away whilst her mum takes care of things. Alice needs a distraction, which comes in the form of the murder allegations against maths teacher Ellery Perrin.
Coincidentally, at the same time of the accident, Ellery finds himself standing over the dead body of local identity, Francis Little. However, Ellery can't remember the circumstances of why Francis was on his property and how he ended up murdered. In the eyes of law enforcement, Ellery is guilty of murder and sent in remand to await trial.
Ellery and Alice meet in this twist of fate- as a journalist, Alice is aware that facts always come first, but she feels that there's much more to the story. Like Ellery, she's sure of his innocence and becomes a champion for his release. Meanwhile, the building friendship from quiet, unassuming Ellery forces Alice to view her own situation with fresh eyes.
With her marriage crumbling and gossip circulating around town, can Alice find a way to not only help herself, restore a broken family AND help Ellery find justice as well?
With Winter Comes Darkness is my first foray into Robbi Neal's world. It's branded as a mystery tinged with domestic drama and isn't it compelling. Life was certainly much different back in the seventies, compared to today. There was so much injustice, certain standards to maintain and scandal was often relayed around town.
My heart went out to Alice and Ellery- two strangers that form a close friendship over the most cruel of situations. They both are in such a bad place when they first meet and their loyalty and understanding go a long way in healing.
I absolutely detested Liam and Claudia, who show their true colours over and over. As Alice states, 'people are not always what they seem.' Preach, Sista, preach!
4.75 🌟
May 17, 2024
Loved it! RTC ❤️
May 21, 2024
With Winter comes Darkness
A tragic car accident occurs on a country road - a popular local figure is brutally murdered on the same day.
It is 1975 and these two events will tear a family apart, destroy friendships, provide justice for a terrible wrong and bring the two main protagonists together on a journey of healing and self-discovery.
Alice is a young women - married to local lawyer Liam, mother to two young children with a journalist job on the local paper. She has a beautiful house and is outwardly happy but as time goes by chafes against the expectations of Liam who would rather she spend more time at home and less at work.
Ellery is a quiet but respected maths teacher who lives alone in a simple house on the outskirts of town.
On June 4, 1975 both their worlds explode. Alice loses a child in a car accident and Ellery is charged with the brutal murder of a well-known local man.
As facts about the accident come to light Alice is faced with her own grief and that of her son, a devastating betrayal and the collapse of the life she had known.
She is encouraged by a sympathetic boss to return to work and is tasked with visiting the prison to interview Ellery and get some stories on the murder. A connection develops between them as they struggle to understand what has happened and find some way forward.
This is an engrossing and suspenseful narrative. Neal writes vividly to transport the reader to the 1970s with authentic period detail ‘They covered the leather couch …in a crochet rug and sequinned velvet cushions and they hung Buddhist prayer flags and chimes across the front and back verandahs even though they weren’t in the slightest bit religious.’
The main characters are sympathetically but convincingly drawn and the secondary characters - Detective Rush, Lena Alice’s mother and Maggie, Liam’s mother – are revealed to be much more interesting and empathetic than at first appears.
Ms Neal treats the major thematic concerns of love, family, betrayal, trauma and grief in a compelling and thought-provoking manner. Despite the heartbreak and pain the main characters suffer we are left with hope in our hearts.
An absorbing and rewarding read.
A tragic car accident occurs on a country road - a popular local figure is brutally murdered on the same day.
It is 1975 and these two events will tear a family apart, destroy friendships, provide justice for a terrible wrong and bring the two main protagonists together on a journey of healing and self-discovery.
Alice is a young women - married to local lawyer Liam, mother to two young children with a journalist job on the local paper. She has a beautiful house and is outwardly happy but as time goes by chafes against the expectations of Liam who would rather she spend more time at home and less at work.
Ellery is a quiet but respected maths teacher who lives alone in a simple house on the outskirts of town.
On June 4, 1975 both their worlds explode. Alice loses a child in a car accident and Ellery is charged with the brutal murder of a well-known local man.
As facts about the accident come to light Alice is faced with her own grief and that of her son, a devastating betrayal and the collapse of the life she had known.
She is encouraged by a sympathetic boss to return to work and is tasked with visiting the prison to interview Ellery and get some stories on the murder. A connection develops between them as they struggle to understand what has happened and find some way forward.
This is an engrossing and suspenseful narrative. Neal writes vividly to transport the reader to the 1970s with authentic period detail ‘They covered the leather couch …in a crochet rug and sequinned velvet cushions and they hung Buddhist prayer flags and chimes across the front and back verandahs even though they weren’t in the slightest bit religious.’
The main characters are sympathetically but convincingly drawn and the secondary characters - Detective Rush, Lena Alice’s mother and Maggie, Liam’s mother – are revealed to be much more interesting and empathetic than at first appears.
Ms Neal treats the major thematic concerns of love, family, betrayal, trauma and grief in a compelling and thought-provoking manner. Despite the heartbreak and pain the main characters suffer we are left with hope in our hearts.
An absorbing and rewarding read.
May 20, 2024
Two complex characters are brought together after they experience incredibly traumatic life changing events.
Alice is a go-getting, mother of two, wife to a handsome lawyer with a tendency to gas light her.
Ellery is an unassuming maths teacher with neurodiverse tendencies.
This is their story as they navigate there evolving lives, where all is not as it seems.
Told from several character’s POVs, set in the swinging 70s.
Heart breaking on one side with mystery on the other.
An intriguing story which at times I found a wee bit slow paced.
Side note - I loved Alice’s mother Lena, her strength and stoicism.
The ending left me a bit baffled, with out giving spoilers.
This book was sent to my by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Alice is a go-getting, mother of two, wife to a handsome lawyer with a tendency to gas light her.
Ellery is an unassuming maths teacher with neurodiverse tendencies.
This is their story as they navigate there evolving lives, where all is not as it seems.
Told from several character’s POVs, set in the swinging 70s.
Heart breaking on one side with mystery on the other.
An intriguing story which at times I found a wee bit slow paced.
Side note - I loved Alice’s mother Lena, her strength and stoicism.
The ending left me a bit baffled, with out giving spoilers.
This book was sent to my by the publisher in return for an honest review.
June 23, 2024
This book had potential, but unfortunately for me, it fell flat.
My partner and I decided to trial the 16 hours of Spotify audio books, so we listened to this on audio.
My rating stems more from the narrator; I could not connect with her, and I feel like it would’ve been more enjoyable had it been dual narration. Because in this, it’s narrated by a female, but when it's from the perspective of a male, she puts on a male voice, and it was a bit off-putting and took me out of the book a little bit. But this could be more of a personal issue, as this was actually the first audio book I’ve ever listened to.
I like how everything came together in the end, and the characters were able to heal from their trauma in their own way.
My partner and I decided to trial the 16 hours of Spotify audio books, so we listened to this on audio.
My rating stems more from the narrator; I could not connect with her, and I feel like it would’ve been more enjoyable had it been dual narration. Because in this, it’s narrated by a female, but when it's from the perspective of a male, she puts on a male voice, and it was a bit off-putting and took me out of the book a little bit. But this could be more of a personal issue, as this was actually the first audio book I’ve ever listened to.
I like how everything came together in the end, and the characters were able to heal from their trauma in their own way.
August 12, 2024
An engrossing story of the disintegration of a family following the death of a young child in a car accident. Alongside this is the story of a local teacher accused of murder, and the two tales become increasingly connected. The novel is set in a small town near the rural city of Ballarat in the 1970s. While I enjoyed the read, what stopped me giving it a five star rating was twofold. The historical social setting (women's lib and dope smoking) was a little forced at times. More importantly, while the the novel's ending may have been emotionally satisfying it did not convince me. Well worth the read though.
May 18, 2024
This is such a powerful and poignant , thought provoking story. Alice and Ellery are blended together in the worst possible days of their lives. I loved this book from the start and my eyes and mind never drifted as they burned into the pages of the novel. I felt so much emotion for the characters and my heart broke for Alice and I felt so angry for her that I had to stop reading for a second to calm myself down. The story is unique and written with plenty of skill and storytelling talent. The pages turn themselves and I will be thinking about this one for a long time!
May 8, 2024
Loved the writing in this one. It's a story that gets under your skin.
Our story starts with a horrible day. A fatal car accident, and it's the beginning of Alice's world falling apart. Meanwhile, a man is found brutally murdered at Ellery's farm and he is arrested for the crime.
Two broken characters whose lives are about to intertwine. A story of two people who lose so much that they are barely clinging to life.
Our story starts with a horrible day. A fatal car accident, and it's the beginning of Alice's world falling apart. Meanwhile, a man is found brutally murdered at Ellery's farm and he is arrested for the crime.
Two broken characters whose lives are about to intertwine. A story of two people who lose so much that they are barely clinging to life.
September 8, 2024
With Winter Comes Darkness 🎧
A five star read for me, set in and around Ballarat, Victoria (Australia) in the seventies this is a fabulous book. The narration was very good with complex topics covered including trauma, death, unfaithfulness, family and community relationships and thankfully hope. It’s definitely a gritty and confrontational read, with many characters unlikeable. That’s one of the reasons it is so good, the novel is so true to life; the decisions people make on impulse explored and the ripple effect shown in detail. The main character Alice, is very likeable and it’s impossible not to feel her grief and pain as the story unfolds. Her Mum Lina was another favourite character for me, purposely underplayed but a pivotal role. The tragedy that happens at the start is very real, and this may be triggering for some readers, but the author has covered it in way that exposes how eventually, some goodness can come from the most awful of occurrences. The book does have a sense of melancholy, as grief in many forms is observed, as mentioned there is hope through out, making the story such a page turner.
A five star read for me, set in and around Ballarat, Victoria (Australia) in the seventies this is a fabulous book. The narration was very good with complex topics covered including trauma, death, unfaithfulness, family and community relationships and thankfully hope. It’s definitely a gritty and confrontational read, with many characters unlikeable. That’s one of the reasons it is so good, the novel is so true to life; the decisions people make on impulse explored and the ripple effect shown in detail. The main character Alice, is very likeable and it’s impossible not to feel her grief and pain as the story unfolds. Her Mum Lina was another favourite character for me, purposely underplayed but a pivotal role. The tragedy that happens at the start is very real, and this may be triggering for some readers, but the author has covered it in way that exposes how eventually, some goodness can come from the most awful of occurrences. The book does have a sense of melancholy, as grief in many forms is observed, as mentioned there is hope through out, making the story such a page turner.
May 27, 2024
Amazing, I'm always so swept away by Neal's writing from the first page right to the last. I usually just go straight into reading a new book, With Winter Comes Darkness had me taking a few days to ponder and appreciate before going back to the Kindle store. Ellery and Alice felt so real, so unforgettable. Thanks for another great story!
May 11, 2024
I've never written a review before, I don't bother with internet things much. This book blew me away. I don't know what I was expecting, going in, but it did not disappoint. Was a very captivating read!
May 24, 2024
Fabulous book! Robbi Neal has created another page turner, a fast moving emotion laden story of adversity, tragedy and redemption. I loved her previous book “The Secret Life of Connie Starr” and “With Winter Comes Darkness” lives up to if not surpasses it. A must read.
June 24, 2024
Although there was a lot of sadness and heavy themes in this book, there was also some beautiful moments. I especially enjoyed some of the lesser characters like Lena and Martin. Alice and Ellery's journeys were hard to read in places, but it was a truly touching ending.
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July 10, 2024On paper this should have been right up my cobblestone alley, but I've been thinking about it for over a week now, trying to identify what didn't quite tick my personal boxes. And this is very much a personal reaction.
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July 24, 2024
A twist of fate brings together two strangers who recognize the brokenness of each other and an unbreakable bond is created. Sympathetic characters and a good pace made this a page-turner for me, even though it was easy to guess what the cause of Ellery's pain was.
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