What do you think?
Rate this book
Alexa Williams #3
Dead of Spring
Fracking. Political corruption. A dead Senator. A dying child.
With Sherry Knowlton's trademark mix of feminism, history, romance and fast-paced thrills, Dead of Spring places Alexa Williams on a collision course with danger. Hang on for the ride.
* 2017 Best Book Awards Finalist - Fiction: Mystery/Suspense Category
When a beloved state senator plunges to his death at Alexa Williams’ feet in the Capitol Rotunda, the authorities suspect suicide. Although the powerful chair of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee was at the center of a controversial new bill to expand hydraulic fracturing, he was also rumored to be ill. Shaken, Alexa tries to move past the disturbing incident by concentrating on work. She’s leading a senate commission on sex trafficking. Plus, she’s helping an old college roommate sue a natural gas company for their role in causing her daughter’s rare cancer.
In researching the lawsuit, Alexa becomes embroiled in the high-stakes politics of fracking. As the relationship with her state trooper boyfriend drifts onto the rocks, Alexa is drawn to a charismatic state legislator who’s leading an anti-fracking crusade. Then, the police shock Alexa with the news that she could be in danger; she’s a witness to the senator’s murder, not his suicide.
When Alexa narrowly escapes a sniper’s bullet, she must discover why she’s a target―and who she can trust—before the next shot hits its mark.
With Sherry Knowlton’s trademark mix of feminism, history, romance, and fast-paced thrills, Dead of Springskyrockets from the fracking fields of the Marcellus Shale to the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster of 1979 to the rolling hills of Tuscany to the halls of Pennsylvania state government. In this suspenseful tale of corruption and runaway greed, Alexa Williams proves, once again, that she’s a formidable heroine. The twists and turns keep will keep you on the edge of your seat.
With Sherry Knowlton's trademark mix of feminism, history, romance and fast-paced thrills, Dead of Spring places Alexa Williams on a collision course with danger. Hang on for the ride.
* 2017 Best Book Awards Finalist - Fiction: Mystery/Suspense Category
When a beloved state senator plunges to his death at Alexa Williams’ feet in the Capitol Rotunda, the authorities suspect suicide. Although the powerful chair of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee was at the center of a controversial new bill to expand hydraulic fracturing, he was also rumored to be ill. Shaken, Alexa tries to move past the disturbing incident by concentrating on work. She’s leading a senate commission on sex trafficking. Plus, she’s helping an old college roommate sue a natural gas company for their role in causing her daughter’s rare cancer.
In researching the lawsuit, Alexa becomes embroiled in the high-stakes politics of fracking. As the relationship with her state trooper boyfriend drifts onto the rocks, Alexa is drawn to a charismatic state legislator who’s leading an anti-fracking crusade. Then, the police shock Alexa with the news that she could be in danger; she’s a witness to the senator’s murder, not his suicide.
When Alexa narrowly escapes a sniper’s bullet, she must discover why she’s a target―and who she can trust—before the next shot hits its mark.
With Sherry Knowlton’s trademark mix of feminism, history, romance, and fast-paced thrills, Dead of Springskyrockets from the fracking fields of the Marcellus Shale to the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster of 1979 to the rolling hills of Tuscany to the halls of Pennsylvania state government. In this suspenseful tale of corruption and runaway greed, Alexa Williams proves, once again, that she’s a formidable heroine. The twists and turns keep will keep you on the edge of your seat.
266 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2017
17 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
About the author
Sherry Knowlton
14 books72 followersSherry Knowlton is the award-winning author of the Alexa Williams suspense novels, including Dead of Autumn, Dead of Spring, Dead of Summer, Dead of Winter, and Dead on the Delta, a two-volume travel memoir, Beyond the Sunset, and co-author of American Roulette and Fatal Introductions.
Her lifelong passion for books started as a child when she would sneak a flashlight to bed so she could read beneath the covers. All the local librarians knew her by name.
Now retired from executive positions in government and the health insurance industry, Sherry is “rewriting retirement” by turning her passion for writing into a new career. She draws on her professional background and worldwide travel experiences as inspiration for her writing.
Sherry and her husband Mike began their journey together in the days of peace and music when they traversed the country in a hippie van. Embracing the travel experience, they continue to explore far-flung places around the globe. These stories and more are recounted in her two-part travel memoir Beyond the Sunset.
When she’s not on the road, Sherry lives in the mountains of Southcentral Pennsylvania, where her Alexa Williams suspense series is set.
Learn more at SherryKnowlton.com.
Her lifelong passion for books started as a child when she would sneak a flashlight to bed so she could read beneath the covers. All the local librarians knew her by name.
Now retired from executive positions in government and the health insurance industry, Sherry is “rewriting retirement” by turning her passion for writing into a new career. She draws on her professional background and worldwide travel experiences as inspiration for her writing.
Sherry and her husband Mike began their journey together in the days of peace and music when they traversed the country in a hippie van. Embracing the travel experience, they continue to explore far-flung places around the globe. These stories and more are recounted in her two-part travel memoir Beyond the Sunset.
When she’s not on the road, Sherry lives in the mountains of Southcentral Pennsylvania, where her Alexa Williams suspense series is set.
Learn more at SherryKnowlton.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 30, 2017
GNab I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Sherry Knowlton, and Sunbury Press, Inc. in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.
Two stories, intertwined - this is a good novel, a fast read, and a tautly told tale. Sherry Knowlton knits together a small family struggling through the nuclear leak at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island in March and April, 1979, and a current energy related problem, same area, with lawyer Alexa and her dog Scout struggling against fracking in principle and fact. Ms. Knowlton shares with us a lot of information both for and against hydraulic fracking in plain language easily understood. I found this novel to be more than simple entertainment.
pub date April 22, 2017
Sunbury Press Inc.
Two stories, intertwined - this is a good novel, a fast read, and a tautly told tale. Sherry Knowlton knits together a small family struggling through the nuclear leak at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island in March and April, 1979, and a current energy related problem, same area, with lawyer Alexa and her dog Scout struggling against fracking in principle and fact. Ms. Knowlton shares with us a lot of information both for and against hydraulic fracking in plain language easily understood. I found this novel to be more than simple entertainment.
pub date April 22, 2017
Sunbury Press Inc.
April 1, 2017
Despite that it's already somewhere in between the series, it's easy to understand the things they were talking about and you didn't have to read the earlier books of the series as it doesn't have too many important references to them aside from the characters that Alexa met in the books prior to Dead of Spring, which is good for my part as someone new to Alexa Williams and her past adventures.
I like the two storylines and how the both of them just connected. It gave Walt a richer backstory and more reason as to why he's strongly opposing fracking. And it does send a message that some things just don't change, no matter how many people try to make it change, like with Walt and Alexa opposing fracking and Walt's father opposing nuclear plants. (I remember Alexa saying that at the end of the book?)
I did find myself thinking "That's it?" when I was reading the part where she was in court to testify for Jeannie. I didn't really know what I was expecting though. But still it's a good ending and the running around in the Capitol building was quite thrilling for me.
Overall, it was good with decent plot and the characters were realistic as well. Oh, and I definitely like the cover.
May 8, 2017
Third book in an ambitious suspense series.
This time, Alexa Williams doesn’t stumble on a body, the body “stumbles” on her, as a charismatic state senator apparently jumps to his suicide in the Capitol Rotunda and lands at Alexa’s feet. It soon becomes clear the Senator was murdered, and as a witness, Alexa herself is in danger. But Alexa refuses to hide, even when a sniper comes after her when she is relaxing, naked, in her hot tub. Her work, leading a Senate commission on sex trafficking, is too important to her. She’s also helping a friend who wants to prove that the fracking on her land led to her daughter’s rare cancer. There is also a plot from the past woven with the two plots in the present, featuring the 1979 nuclear accident on Three Mile Island.
One of Knowlton’s themes is that the world is very interconnected. Here’s how Alexa Williams sees it:
How small the world had become. Here she was in Pennsylvania, driving a German car, thinking about a guy in Africa, and listening to a CD of French monks chanting in Latin from their monastery in Italy.
Where Alexa’s life doesn’t connect is when it comes to love. There are at least two love interests in every book, sometimes even a third. Dead of Spring starts with a promising relationship with a homicide detective apparently headed toward marriage, but from the beginning Alexa can’t seem to commit. She lets herself be distracted by a charismatic politician and only after tragedy does she realize where her heart really lies.
This time, Alexa Williams doesn’t stumble on a body, the body “stumbles” on her, as a charismatic state senator apparently jumps to his suicide in the Capitol Rotunda and lands at Alexa’s feet. It soon becomes clear the Senator was murdered, and as a witness, Alexa herself is in danger. But Alexa refuses to hide, even when a sniper comes after her when she is relaxing, naked, in her hot tub. Her work, leading a Senate commission on sex trafficking, is too important to her. She’s also helping a friend who wants to prove that the fracking on her land led to her daughter’s rare cancer. There is also a plot from the past woven with the two plots in the present, featuring the 1979 nuclear accident on Three Mile Island.
One of Knowlton’s themes is that the world is very interconnected. Here’s how Alexa Williams sees it:
How small the world had become. Here she was in Pennsylvania, driving a German car, thinking about a guy in Africa, and listening to a CD of French monks chanting in Latin from their monastery in Italy.
Where Alexa’s life doesn’t connect is when it comes to love. There are at least two love interests in every book, sometimes even a third. Dead of Spring starts with a promising relationship with a homicide detective apparently headed toward marriage, but from the beginning Alexa can’t seem to commit. She lets herself be distracted by a charismatic politician and only after tragedy does she realize where her heart really lies.
August 30, 2017
This is a first-rate political thriller with plenty of action involving Alexa Williams, the heroine of Sherry Knowlton’s previous two books. Alexa is a lawyer, not a cop, which gives her more scope for social and political commentary on the unfolding events. However, there are also lots of cops around, including the lovely guy who is her current boyfriend. This is a useful link to the inside track of the investigation into the death of a senator, which Alexa witnesses at the start of the story. There are plenty more deaths before we reach the end and I felt constantly on my toes the moment Alexa is put in the firing line.
The story has everything I like and is the kind of story I want to write. It has a worthy cause, some plausible bad guys and enough twists to make you suspicious of everyone’s motives. It also has a lot of heart and isn’t afraid of spelling out the detail of why fracking is bad for the environment and people’s health.
It is mostly set in the mountains of South Central Pennsylvania where the author lives and the story has that wonderful sense of place which many readers love and enjoy.
The insertion of the flashbacks to the world of 1979 and Three Mile Island nuclear accident is a brave attempt to link the impact of different energy technologies on human health. This initially felt like a bit of an unnecessary intrusion. It becomes more connected to the main story the more you read and I think that it works okay in the end. It adds, more than it distracts.
I really like Alexa. You get her background and links to the previous two books. I didn’t find this a spoiler and they are now on my reading list. Alexia gets dragged reluctantly into a dangerous situation because of her desire to do right by an old friend. She is also smart, which has the downside of getting her deeper into trouble as she figures out what is really going on, but the upside of giving her the ability to think her way out of danger.
Having spent sixteen years working at London’s City Hall, I understand the system of committees, the importance of who chairs them and the role of lobbyists. It felt a familiar workplace, which helps add impact when the main action sequence begins to kick off. Some readers may stifle a yawn at the speeches, or the tactical debates about committee chairs, but that is how this bit of the world works. Don’t worry if you feel tempted to skip, these sections are brief, relevant and a burst of action will soon have you gripped again.
The personal relationships feel genuine; whether they involve flirtation, family banter, or the comfortable closeness of a steady relationship. The whole story is told from Alexa’s point of view, which adds immediacy, but it avoids the clunky ‘info dumping’ you can often get with such story telling. The mystery unfolds nicely, with the pace and the stakes, building up towards the end. It becomes an exciting page turner with a strong social message.
The story has everything I like and is the kind of story I want to write. It has a worthy cause, some plausible bad guys and enough twists to make you suspicious of everyone’s motives. It also has a lot of heart and isn’t afraid of spelling out the detail of why fracking is bad for the environment and people’s health.
It is mostly set in the mountains of South Central Pennsylvania where the author lives and the story has that wonderful sense of place which many readers love and enjoy.
The insertion of the flashbacks to the world of 1979 and Three Mile Island nuclear accident is a brave attempt to link the impact of different energy technologies on human health. This initially felt like a bit of an unnecessary intrusion. It becomes more connected to the main story the more you read and I think that it works okay in the end. It adds, more than it distracts.
I really like Alexa. You get her background and links to the previous two books. I didn’t find this a spoiler and they are now on my reading list. Alexia gets dragged reluctantly into a dangerous situation because of her desire to do right by an old friend. She is also smart, which has the downside of getting her deeper into trouble as she figures out what is really going on, but the upside of giving her the ability to think her way out of danger.
Having spent sixteen years working at London’s City Hall, I understand the system of committees, the importance of who chairs them and the role of lobbyists. It felt a familiar workplace, which helps add impact when the main action sequence begins to kick off. Some readers may stifle a yawn at the speeches, or the tactical debates about committee chairs, but that is how this bit of the world works. Don’t worry if you feel tempted to skip, these sections are brief, relevant and a burst of action will soon have you gripped again.
The personal relationships feel genuine; whether they involve flirtation, family banter, or the comfortable closeness of a steady relationship. The whole story is told from Alexa’s point of view, which adds immediacy, but it avoids the clunky ‘info dumping’ you can often get with such story telling. The mystery unfolds nicely, with the pace and the stakes, building up towards the end. It becomes an exciting page turner with a strong social message.
June 1, 2017
There is no doubt this author knows how to write. The writing style wasn't an issue for me but I found this book very melodramatic and over the top. I didn't really find some of it believable. I think also that it didn't read as a fun fiction story - it was a diatribe against fracking. Hey, I hate fracking too and I'm definitely no supporter - but when I pick up a book I'm looking for some entertainment not a scientific study of fracking. The fracking details were so descriptive that it read more like a manual than a fiction book. The book kept veering away from the actual story to stop everything and spew out pages and pages of anti fracking rhetoric.
And the names in this book were so different to the point that every time a new character entered the scene I was rolling my eyes at what their name would be. Independently none of these names are weird but collectively it was almost like the author was TRYING to be unique and different and for me it just seemed another element of dramatics that wasn't necessary and increased my dislike of this book.
Haley, Alexa, Blair, Ariel, Spanky, Darby, Sabrina, Randi, Walden, Carter, Denton, Graham, Jared, Keisha, Melinda, Vanessa, Cecily, Silas, Nason, Bettina, Tanner, Herbert, Walker, Carmine, Norris.
Really? Yeah ok. Well. That's how the whole book is. Over the top.
And the names in this book were so different to the point that every time a new character entered the scene I was rolling my eyes at what their name would be. Independently none of these names are weird but collectively it was almost like the author was TRYING to be unique and different and for me it just seemed another element of dramatics that wasn't necessary and increased my dislike of this book.
Haley, Alexa, Blair, Ariel, Spanky, Darby, Sabrina, Randi, Walden, Carter, Denton, Graham, Jared, Keisha, Melinda, Vanessa, Cecily, Silas, Nason, Bettina, Tanner, Herbert, Walker, Carmine, Norris.
Really? Yeah ok. Well. That's how the whole book is. Over the top.
April 28, 2024
Can you discuss timely social issues in a novel and still produce a fast-paced and intriguing mystery story? Sherry Knowlton’s answers this question with a resounding “Yes!” in her novel Dead of Spring.
Knowlton’s protagonist Alexa is a scrappy woman who has fought against sex trafficking and now comes to the aid of a friend whose daughter is a casualty of improper fracking. This novel richly describes how the farmland in Pennsylvania has been encroached upon by a powerful new force that can harm the environment and give innocents cancer. The author deftly adds another layer, too, as she takes the reader back to the Three Mile Island scare, which highlights how scientific advances, supposedly for the public good, must be closely monitored. In this mystery, Knowlton does it all. She throws in some political battles for money and power, seasons the story with the ups and downs of a romance, and stirs the plot with some clever twists and near-death turns. This book is a keeper!
Knowlton’s protagonist Alexa is a scrappy woman who has fought against sex trafficking and now comes to the aid of a friend whose daughter is a casualty of improper fracking. This novel richly describes how the farmland in Pennsylvania has been encroached upon by a powerful new force that can harm the environment and give innocents cancer. The author deftly adds another layer, too, as she takes the reader back to the Three Mile Island scare, which highlights how scientific advances, supposedly for the public good, must be closely monitored. In this mystery, Knowlton does it all. She throws in some political battles for money and power, seasons the story with the ups and downs of a romance, and stirs the plot with some clever twists and near-death turns. This book is a keeper!
November 22, 2025
Alexa Williams at the Capital in Harrisburg when Senator Carmine Martinelli fell over the the balcony into the rotunda, first indication was suicide, but later changed to MURDER.
Keisha Washington, a staffer;
Environmental Resources & Energy Comm - Hydraulic Fracking is an issue;
John Taylor, State Policeman, boyfriend; KILLED;
Jeannie, Tom Tessa, Demeter, physically affected by the fracking;
Melissa - Jim, Haley Blair;
Officer Hoover sent to kill her in her cabin;
Darby Kaplan, Walt Jordan, representative, Former name Walden Armstrong, changed when his mother remarried, born during TMI;
Officer Sheridan, Detective Marshall, Senator Jacobs;
Mason Kurtz/Powerful Lobbyist, Walker Toland, KILLED on the balcony the day Matinelli fell over the balcony.
Senator Patterson;
Silas Gabler /Cynthia, Alexa's parents friends, New head of energy committee, also involved in the fracking issues....tries to kill Alexa in Italy, but falls to his death;
Side story, about TMI;
Keisha Washington, a staffer;
Environmental Resources & Energy Comm - Hydraulic Fracking is an issue;
John Taylor, State Policeman, boyfriend; KILLED;
Jeannie, Tom Tessa, Demeter, physically affected by the fracking;
Melissa - Jim, Haley Blair;
Officer Hoover sent to kill her in her cabin;
Darby Kaplan, Walt Jordan, representative, Former name Walden Armstrong, changed when his mother remarried, born during TMI;
Officer Sheridan, Detective Marshall, Senator Jacobs;
Mason Kurtz/Powerful Lobbyist, Walker Toland, KILLED on the balcony the day Matinelli fell over the balcony.
Senator Patterson;
Silas Gabler /Cynthia, Alexa's parents friends, New head of energy committee, also involved in the fracking issues....tries to kill Alexa in Italy, but falls to his death;
Side story, about TMI;
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2018
Long overdue review for Ms. KNOWLTON here! Not only is she an amazing writer, but the Alexa Williams series is hands down one of my favorite! It’s one that I can continue to read over and over. Alexa is so relatable to me being a female cop it’s uncanny and she is so smart I almost look up to her! The writing in this book (and her previous ones) is so easy to read the flow is so smooth and the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat! Certainly hard to put down, even the second time I’m reading it!!
March 21, 2017
After reading this book, all I can think is wow! This was my first book by Sherry Knowlton and she did not disappoint. A story that sped by. One that you do not want to start close to bedtime. In the end, there was so much going on that I couldn't read the words fast enough to keep up the pace with what was going on. Chasing and being chased all around that capitol building, I was worn out for the characters.
The Three Mile Island thing was strange for me until the author opened the door and showed me where she was leading her readers. That was like, another wow!
If your looking for a book with a lot of action, this one hits the mark.
Thanks to Sunbury Press for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
The Three Mile Island thing was strange for me until the author opened the door and showed me where she was leading her readers. That was like, another wow!
If your looking for a book with a lot of action, this one hits the mark.
Thanks to Sunbury Press for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2017
This is a well-written story intertwining past and present greediness of landowners and politicians; interpersonal family tragedies; and murder. The author does a great job of telling this story smoothly with sudden swings of wow! moments bombed in. This reader had to take a few seconds to collect herself after such bombs, not knowing what hit her. Lots of action towards the end and I was enthralled by it. I will be reading more books by this author!
March 19, 2019
An electrifying reader's hook propels Attorney Alexa Williams into the center of action when she witnesses a Pennsylvania state senator fall to his death in the Capitol Rotunda, immediately after she and a Senate staffer overhear a multi-voice argument from upstairs. Alexa knows watching this death inadvertently was even worse than previously discovering a corpse. What's even worse is learning she was a witness to homicide.
September 12, 2024
I loved this book and can't wait to read more in this series. It's the first book I checked out from the Adam's County library in Gettysburg since we recently moved to the area.
The author is from South Central Pennsylvania and the events mostly take place in Pennsylvania. Really made reading the book special to me.
The author is from South Central Pennsylvania and the events mostly take place in Pennsylvania. Really made reading the book special to me.
March 3, 2018
I learned so much reading this book. I also liked the story, a very good read.
Another winner. Very engaging. Sherry Knowlton knows how to write a book that will keep you engaged in both the characters and the story. Another good book in the series.
Another winner. Very engaging. Sherry Knowlton knows how to write a book that will keep you engaged in both the characters and the story. Another good book in the series.
September 26, 2023
My first Sherry Knowlton book. If I get a chance, I'll read some of the others.
October 15, 2021
I think this has to be the most action packed book in this series so far. There was so much that happened and the suspense/mystery was better than I remembered. Though I will say Alexa either has really good luck, avoiding death so many times or really bad luck that she is targeted has much as she is.
February 22, 2019
Alexa Williams is once again immersed in current events while dealing with dead bodies, corrupt senators, and attempts on her life. Dead of Spring is a fascinating suspense novel filled with background information about the fracking industry, and the historic TMI Nuclear Power Plant incident. An all around satisfyingly good read!
April 23, 2017
This book is two stories that go great together as one. When Alexa Williams and Keisha Washington have a late night meeting at the capitol, they overhear bits and pieces of some men in a heated conversation. They really didn't think much of it until someone comes crashing down from above and landing on the floor almost beside them. Keisha knows who this person is, it is a senator from the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. Alexa is on a committee about human trafficking and didn't even think about it much. Then one of her old classmates calls her about her sick daughter and what the fracking of the land on their farm has done to ruin her health and their farm. Alexa gets involved with helping her friend, and things get down right murderous. I learned a lot about this actviity, and enjoyed this book very much. I received a copy of this book from Net Galley.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews