Dead of Winter

Alexa Williams #4

by Sherry Knowlton

A lighthearted morning trip to test a new drone turns deadly for attorney Alexa Williams and two close friends when they find a stranger’s bullet-riddled body in a remote field in rural Pennsylvania. Next to the dead man is a note that declares: Allahu Akbar.

Trying to shake the gruesome discovery, Alexa returns to her busy law practice and personal life. She’s representing a Syrian refugee family whose son has been bullied at school. Old love, Reese Michaels, is back from Africa and living in nearby Harpers Ferry. He and Alexa are tiptoeing through a delicate dance as they rekindle the spark between them. Alexa is also taking Krav Maga classes at a local studio for self-protection. The studio owner, the widow of a soldier killed in the Iraq War, is fast becoming a friend. If that’s not enough, Alexa’s parents are pulling her into a flurry of social commitments as they host an International Fellow at the U.S. Army War College, an Iraqi General, and his colleague, a decorated American Colonel.

When another man is found executed near Harpers Ferry, Reese becomes a suspect and Alexa wonders just how much he’s changed since working in Africa. After a third murder, an improbable fear of Islamic terrorism spreads like wildfire through Alexa’s small Pennsylvania town. When the police arrest the oldest son of the refugee family for the murders, her Syrian clients become the focus of mounting anti-Muslim rage, and a dangerous militia group targets Alexa.

One dark night in the dead of winter, Alexa discovers how all these threads intersect, and she must race to stop an attack that could kill hundreds. If she fails, she could lose everyone she loves.

Genres: Fiction

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2019

About the author

Sherry 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.

Reviews

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A body is discovered in the woods. Looks like terrorist killing, but is it what it seems?
Thank you Netgalley for this nice thriller.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexa Williams, an attorney, is spending the day with her two best friends. Reese is a former Park Ranger, recently returned from Africa on a conservation project and bu the way, an old boyfriend. Tyrell is a social worker, working mainly with immigrant families.

They are out in the boondocks playing with Tyrell's new toy ... a drone. They're all having a really good time when Alexa spots it. "It" turns out to be the body of a young man. One eye is missing and it's obvious he's been shot ... multiple times. Next to him is a sign ... with Allahu Akbar printed in large letters.

Shortly after, another man is found murdered, and then another.

The community is afraid ... is this the work of a terrorist group? Or something else altogether? Reese has become the prime subject ... but is he the one who is responsible?

There are many things going on in Alexa's life ... and when she starts connecting the dots, her own life is targeted by a militia group. She will have to risk her life and the lives of her loved ones in order to save maybe hundreds.

Highly suspenseful, this is a well-written thriller that come easily have come from today's headlines. The characters were credible and I enjoyed how the friends interacted with each other. It's action-packed and will keep the reader engaged and riveted to the pages.

Many thanks to the author / Sunbury Press, Inc. / Netgalley / TBC Reviewer Request Group (FB) for the advanced digital copy of this suspenseful thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead of winter by Sherry Knowlton.
Who would have thought that
Three friends Reese Michaels Alexa Williams and Tyrell Jenkins are out flying a drone for fun, would spot a corpse in a field?
This was a good read. I liked the story and some of the characters.
It was a little slow in places but I managed to read it. 4*

[Steve Wing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Dead on the Delta in one sitting ; I couldn’t put it down. As usual in her books, Sherry Knowlton has exciting and thrilling descriptions of the most dangerous moments in which Alexa finds herself. A reader always gets tense as one reads about Alexa hiding from danger or running from danger.

The descriptions of Botswana are exceptional. Having visited the country, I found her portrayal of the Delta to be spot on. The magnificent descriptions of the birds, small reptiles, crocs, hippos, red lechwe, etc. makes me want to go back. And there are the plains with the elephants, lions, leopards, wild dogs – oh I want to go back.
But the most important part of the tale is about work on human trafficking, animal protection, and strengthening rural communities. Sherry Knowlton, through Alexa, helps the world move forward by protecting all the animals we love. Without getting too preachy, she lets the readers know how important it is for the world to stop the killing of African wildlife (and by extension all the world’s wildlife) to keep the world in harmony. Just as black is the issue of human beings sold as slaves, workers, or prostitutes that is below our sight. It assists us in understanding how widespread it is. It is here in our country, not just in Africa and we could all do something to stop it.

A reader can identify with Alexa’s worries about her boyfriend being true to her when a young blond woman has eyes for him, as well as her attraction to a strong, good-looking, personable guide.

Dead on the Delta is wonderful read that will entertain you just as her other Alexa tales.
Please give us another book.

[Stan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of a series about attorney Alexa Williams. This book starts out with her out with two friends out to test a drone when they happen upon a dead man with a note that suggests the killing is connected to a jihadist terrorist or terrorist cell. It's not the only one in this peaceful town of Carlisle, PA.

An easy read that hooked me right away and I couldn't wait to finish it. There were plenty of twists and turns, including a former-now-current love interest, a relocated middle eastern family that naturally becomes implicated in the killings and Alex's adjustment to returning to Carlisle after a successful career in NYC. Plenty of opportunity for guessing and nice surprises at the end.

What I couldn't understand was the interspersed story about John Brown. I kept wondering how the two stories were connected and I thought for the majority of the book that the John Brown story could have been left out. You have to read through to the Epilogue to really understand the connection and why the author wrote it into the book. I wonder if she did the same in the other books in the series.

I just don't give 5 stars on principle, but this was one of the two best books I've read this year. Very enjoyable if you like C/M/T and an author worth following.

[Hana Correa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Of Winter by Sherry Knowlton is a murder mystery novel that follows Alexa Williams, a family law attorney with an unfortunate knack for discovering dead bodies. Alexa and her small group of friends are trying out a new drone that Alexa’s friend Tyrell has recently purchased. They are viewing the footage from the days initial test flight when Alexa spots an unusual looking anomaly in the footage. The footage seems to reveal a slumped figure in an open field behind a deserted house. The slumped figure is surrounded by a sea of what appears to be blood. Not wanting to alert the authorities to a possible false alarm, Alexa and her friends get back in the vehicle to visit the location where the drone caught the possible body on camera. When they find the location, their worst fears are confirmed when they discover the desecrated body of an individual who clearly met a violent end. The scene has aspects of religious overtones to it. Alexa and her friends soon become the focus of an FBI investigation only made worse by the fact the Alex’s friend Reese had already discovered a body with a similar signature. Few months earlier in the town of Harper’s Ferry.

While Alexa and her friends try and keep their distance from the investigation into the mystery body, circumstances draw them in as civil unrest peaks in a small town wary of the Syrian Refugees that have resettled into the area after fleeing violence and civil war in Syria. Alexa makes attempts to use her skills as a lawyer to assist a refugee family that Tyrell’s organization RESIST has helped relocate. When the family’s oldest son becomes a suspect in the murders, Alexa is hopelessly drawn into a complicated web of a vengeful murderer and a violent group of militant white supremasists. Will the murderer to be found before Alexa becomes a casualty?

I found the story to be very fitting to the current culture of this country. There was a storyline about a rescued slave boy named Elijah who escaped from slavery in the late 1800’s. The storyline did clarify some points in the current tale, but I did kinda miss the resolution to Elijah’s part of the story. I would have liked to know what happened to him in the long run. Overall, the story was engaging and fun to read.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, this was a rather interesting book! It turns out that there are other books which feature these characters, but this is the first one I have read and it reads well as a standalone. I hope there is another book after this one, I would like to read more!

Alexa and her friends, Tyrell and Reese are out and about with a drone and they discover a body. As you do. What has been done to the body is particularly gruesome and the trio are questioned at length by the FBI as there appears to be a terrorist aspect to the killing, with an Arabic sign left with the body. What makes this more complicated is that Tyrell has Muslim clients he is trying to keep safe, despite attacks against them from the community, and emotions are running high. Alexa and Reese have a history but they are still attracted to each other, who knows where this will lead?

In amongst all of this, Alexa tries to get on with her job as a lawyer, whilst keeping herself safe and fit, learning martial arts. The people she meets through it though, are an interesting lot, but do they have something to hide?

The only thing that confused me was the story of Elijah. I enjoyed reading the story, but I think it would have been lovely to have had some link to a current-day resident of Harpers Ferry, his story just kind of petered out.

All in all, an interesting, relevant story with enough to keep my interest throughout.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley, TBC and Sunbury Press.

[Alison McMahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

his book has one of the best thriller openings I’ve read in a while. Alexa Williams, her old flame Reese and social worker friend Tyrell have just gone out and tested Tyrell’s new drone. Now they are looking at the footage when suddenly they spot what looks like a body in a pool of blood.

This leads them to search for the spot until they find a man who looks like he’s been executed by a firing squad. Next to him a note in Arabic that makes it look like an act of terrorism.

It turns out that this is not the only such killing. Reese becomes a suspect in the executions, which makes it hard for him and Alexa to re-kindle their old flame. But the inhabitant’s of Alexa’s small Pennsylvania town turn into a mob and go after a family of newly-settled Syrian refugees, fueled by anti-Muslim rage, while a local militia group targets Alexa.

One dark night in the dead of winter, Alexa discovers who is behind the murders and must race to stop an attack that could kill hundreds. If she fails, she could lose everyone she loves.

The thrilling plot is interwoven with a story from the past, about two slaves who escape their master through the underground rail road and ends up fighting with John Brown at Harper’s Ferry. I found this story very gripping and was tempted to fast-forward to those sections to read it all in one piece.

[Alison Eden · Rating 3 out of 5]

#DeadOfWinter #NetGalley The story of Alexa, Reese and Tyrell was a good one with plenty of action , although a little slow to get going. I liked the character of Alexa and her relationship with Reese. Although this was not the first in the series it was perfectly able to be read as a standalone. There were plenty of twists and turns and although I guessed at numerous suspects along the way, the final reveal was not what I had expected! I would have given this book a much higher rating if it had not been for the additional story running alongside with the slave Elijah trying to gain his freedom. Whilst I understand the link between Harpers Ferry and John Brown, I did not see the need for this additional side story which, for me, detracted from the nitty gritty of the thriller. It also left me frustrated because the story of Elijah ended abruptly without knowing what happened to him. I think it would have been a much better thriller without this story but the current day story in itself was very good.

[Joanne Cartwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexa Williams seems to have great capacity for falling headfirst into trouble. On this occasion she is out flying a drone with two friends and they spot a corpse in a field. Things rapidly go from bad to worse as law enforcement try to implicate her and her friends in the murder. With implied religious overtones at the heart of the death there is soon racial targeting against a Syrian refugee family who Alexa tries to help.

interwoven with the current day murder and violence is interspersed the tale of Elijah, an escaped 18th century slave, making his way North to freedom drawing on the links between John Brown and Harpers Ferry, where the modern day tale was set. This in itself was a really interesting and well written story but the link between the two tales was lost on me. I would love to read more about Elijah and his bid for freedom in a stand alone book, but interspersed in this thriller it didn't really add to the story for me.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexa Williams, attorney in family law firm, Carlisle;
Reese, her boy friend, back from Africa, living in Maryland;
Flying a drone with Tryell Jenkins, found a body in a field, shot several times;
Troopers Martin and Barnes;
John Taylor, Norris & Susan Williams, Alexa's parents;
Susan organizing International Fellow at the Army War College;
Marge & Tom Crane, Finleys, Frank & Alice Crowe, Pat O'Donnel, former partner, Elijah Coleman
Al-Badri family Salm, Brigadier general, Noora;
Colonel Dean Finley;
Sloane Chapin, widow, Instruction in Krav Maga, training vets and other men to KILL, She planned to suicide bomb the event at the Army War College, Alexa saw the men outside and was able to alert security to gather up all the men before she was killed;
Nabil Qassim, Eshan's brother, an imam;
Qassim: Eshan, Zahraa & Nabil;
Melissa, Haley, Ali Bassam, friends;
Agents Carter and Fox;

[PJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I eagerly awaited the release of Sherry Knowlton's 4th book in her Alexa Williams series, "Dead of Winter" and Ms. Knowlton does not disappoint! Her style of storytelling is unique; she seamlessly weaves history, current social concerns, and, of course, romance, into the underlying mystery plot.

The reader is taken on a fast-paced journey and the book is an enjoyable read. Although, the book's main purpose is not meant to be educational, one can actually learn from the historical references as well as the social issues woven into the storyline.

Although this book is the fourth in a series, it does stand alone, as do the other three. I highly recommend all the books in this series.

[Tracy Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed this book, I was also a little confused.  The main story revolves around Alexa, her friends, family and some refugees from Syria who are having problems integrating into life in their new home. It isn't fast paced but plenty seems to happen and it is a very good read. Added to this however, are chapters set in the years before the American Civil War and apart from a quote originating in this time period being used in Alexa's story it didn't seem at all necessary.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this novel thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review and recommend it for anyone who has read and enjoyed the previous three books in this series.

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from TBC reviewers- Thank you

Where to start:
the book is part of a series, I didn't know that when I read it but about a third of the way through there were little bits that made me think it followed another book. It still worked as a standalone-had I realised that there were other novels I would definitely have made the effort to read them first (top tip)
It's a tricky type of book to describe on one hand you have Alex- attorney at law, successful and capable yet she manages to fall into total disasters!

It's a book that's definitely worth a read- I've already downloaded the other books in the series just because I need to know how it starts!

[Maryclaire · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was very interesting and up to date. I enjoyed the characters and all the people brought together in central Pa. The difference in characters included immigrants and the lives they fled to the white supremacy people. Alexa and her friends try to help all get along. It seemed to be that the book could really have been two. One on John Brown and the history of Harpers Ferry and the second the mystery of the bodies found in central Pa. I know the reasoning of putting the two together but I think the combination, took away from the current time story. Just my opinion.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attorney Alexa Williams is unfortunately no stranger to finding corpses, but with her love interest Reese returned from a Big Cat conservation project in Africa, she just wants quality time with him and her new friend, social worker Tyrell. Testing out a new drone yields camera footage of what is unmistakably a deceased human. It's not long before suspicion and then panic create hysteria over potential Islamic terrorism. Alexa, of course, finds herself smack in the center of trouble.

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've really been enjoying this series by Sherry Knowlton. The stories all take place in south central Pennsylvania which is whete I live. It's so much fun having towns and even a business or two mentioned that I've been to. But besides that the issues dealt with in the thrillers are current and relevant, the characters are likeable and believable, and the storytelling is great.

These crime thrillers are great and I'd love it if they were turned into a series.

[Jessica Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love these books! Being from Pennsylvania I feel Sherry really captures the area in such detail and depth it’s hard to not get lost in this novel. This novel is filled with mystery and thrills. A true page turner as I was not able to put it down at all! No spoilers here, you’re just going to have to get lost in this suspenseful murder thriller yourself! 😍

[Rosemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead of Spring here I come

This is my second Alexa Williams novel. Dead of Autumn was my first read. I live in the same town that the author writes about and so enjoy the references to places I'm familiar with. Alexa is smart and level headed and I like how Ms. Knowlton weaves a second storyline in. Highly recommend.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot that happens in this book that starts with the discovery of a body in the woods. Alexa is pulled in a lot of directions and it is interesting to see how all the arcs of the story come together to reveal themselves.
Quite thrilling.

[Devera Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexa Williams is back and once again immersed in murder, mystery and suspense involving local and international interests! Author Sherry Knowlton improves with each installment of this entertaining and fascinating series! I highly recommend Dead of Winter!

[T Olsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is fitting, this story is mostly dead. Incredibly boring until the last part, with a lot of descriptions that has very little relevance to the mystery.

[J.J. Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book that hits on important social issues but moves along at a brisk pace.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a e book for my i pad from Net Galley. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my first book by this author and wont be my last, it had a good story to it. and was a thrill ride. Looking for ward to reading more.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the twists & turns and how she combines the current story line with a past story line. She takes advantage of the natural & historical setting which just adds to the experience.

[fanboyriot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the other books in this series the mystery was good. I did find this one to be a little slow paced, but the plot was good.

[Carrie Ann Merrifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this would have been a better book if I would have read the books before this one. I don’t think this is a stand alone book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story opens with three friends Alexa, Reese, and Tyrell flying Tyrell’s new drone. They discover a red spot and decide to go and find it. They discover a dead body rifled with gunshot wounds and one eye was obliterated by a bullet. All the makings for the start of a great novel. Then our author introduces a side story of a slave who made it to Harper’s Ferry and freedom during the time that John Brown was making his stand. I usually love stories set in two time periods. This time it did not work for me, There were too many plots going on during this book. I think the author had a great idea with the main plot and should have stuck withi developing it. Thanks to NetGalley and Sunburry Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather Bennett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dead of Winter had a interesting plot, but it fell short for me. Having another plot within the book that didn't quite connect with the main plot with irritating.