Dread of Winter

by Susan Alice Bickford

"There's so much to love in Susan Bickford's newest novel, Dread of a profound sense of place, the visceral evocation of a bitter winter's cold, a dead-on depiction of the pit of despair that is the opioid epidemic, and language so beautiful on the page it'll give you goosebumps.  I'm a newcomer to Bickford's work, but I'm putting her on my list of must-read authors. You should, too." --William Kent Krueger   The remote town of Oriska, New York, hasn't been home for Sydney Lucerno for thirteen years. She's escaped the creeping addictions and long-simmering anger that are as much a part of the landscape as the bitter cold. But when she gets the call that her mother is dying, every secret and fear she left behind is waiting to welcome her back.   Two days later, her mother's lover is dead too. And Sydney's sworn to protect a half-sister she never knew she had, a prickly teenager named Maude, with an opiate habit and a bad-news family. But more lies and feuds are poised to spring from every once-familiar corner. The predators Sydney thought she'd escaped are threatening both her and Maude. To get free, Sydney will have to discover the truth about what happened when she left--and decide what should stay buried, deep in the  unforgiving snow . . .   Praise for A Short Time to Die    "By the end of the first chapter I was totally hooked." --Lisa Black   "Gripping, chilling, and original . . .  is sure to stay with you for a long, long time." -- Eric Rickstad   "Kept me reading late, late into the night, to an ending I never expected." --Taylor Stevens

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2019

About the author

Edgar nominated author, Susan Alice Bickford, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Central New York, the setting for many of her stories.

Eventually her passion for technology pulled her to Silicon Valley, where she held a wide range of diverse roles and became an executive at a leading technology company.

She is now a full-time author but continues to be fascinated by all things high tech. She is the President-elect of the Sisters in Crime Northern California Chapter and splits her time between Silicon Valley and her family’s home base in Vermont.

Bickford writes thrillers and suspense stories that are deeply embedded in the rural areas of New York State and New England, featuring resourceful female protagonists.

Bickford’s debut novel, A Short Time to Die, was published in 2017 and a was nominated for the 2018 Left Coast Crime Best Debut Novel. Her second novel, Dread of Winter, released in 2019 was nominated for an Edgar. Her short stories have appeared in the anthologies Fish Out of Water and Fishy Business.

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading thematically and, since the winter has been doing crazy and dreadworthy things lately, this seemed like an appropriate choice. Of course, the winter in Oriska in the middle of New York state is extra nightmarish, but the locals deal with it…well, the ones who don’t migrate south for the season do, anyway. The tough ones, the weatherbeaten ones or just the ones with no nicer place to go stick around. Get high, stay high, sometimes get dead. Or leave, fail at life and come back.
The protagonist of this novel is one of the fortunate ones, she got out, got clean and made a life for herself. But when her mother (one of the ones who failed at life, came back, entered a scandalous relationship with a highschooler she taught and became a junkie) dies, she has to come back to bury her and settle her affairs. These affairs turn out to be quite elaborate, dragging her back into the past like quicksand (which isn’t very snow compatible, but there it is), threatening to reveal secrets from the past she had so deliberately left. Guess small towns are like that, they nurture long memories and old grudges.
So this is essentially a small town drama with crime and some suspense elements thrown in as opposed to the ever prevalent murder mysteries and I like it that way, it’s a nice change. Nice not to have the exhaustingly alternating narrative strands and exaggeratedly staged reveals. Nice to have a properly realized character driven story to follow.
The author is actually from the middle of NY and has left to pursue a high tech career on the West Coast, so presumably there’s something of her in the story’s protagonist. At least, she knows the region well. Which seems like a very bleak place to live, especially in the winter. It’s no surprise there are so many junkies, dealers and combinations of thereof.
But at any rate, this was a pretty good read and I enjoyed it. The sisterly relationship seemed to have developed way too quickly and way too tightly, but then again extreme conditions breed close connections. Plenty of dead bodies for genre fans too. I mean, it’s still essentially just one of those family secrets spilling over sort of thrillers that are virtually ubiquitous, but it’s considerably above average in quality for such a thing (and for the publisher’s standard fare too). The atmosphere alone…so well done. All that freaking snow. So no, the author doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, but spins it expertly and weaves a good and entertaining story. One that’s perfect for a winter day. Recommended.

[Christopher Geraghty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book. I really felt the cold as I was reading. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Sydney and her sister Maude. Although there was a great deal of trauma and drama in their pasts the book ended on an optimistic hopeful beginning

[Patricia Vaccarino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dread of Winter is an icy plunge into the rural hinterland of upper New York State. A native of Oriska, New York, Sydney Lucerno returns home to bury her mother. She encounters the ghosts of her past, both the living and the dead. With a limited economic infrastructure, the remote town of Oriska, New York is plagued by opioid addiction, and offers its inhabitants few opportunities for growth or hope. Thrown into the mix is Sydney’s discovery that she has a half-sister Maude who was sired by a man Randy Jaquith who had once groomed her to be a small-town drug dealer. When Randy is killed, Sydney and her half-sister Maude are thrust into a fight to save their lives. Sydney intentionally confronts the demons of her grim past, so she can be free at last. The novel has strong pacing, great regional dialogue, and includes a fine portrayal of the human side of opioid addition. The book is fun and hard to put down, more importantly, I learned a lot about Oriska, a small town that can’t seem to grow up to become a thriving community.

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

It seems odd to speak of "coming of age" of a character in her thirties, but that is exactly what takes place here, as Sydney returns from sunny California to snowbound Central New York State at the impending death of her mother. Although intending never to return, Sydney now has to face not only grief, but unraveling of the secrets from which she escaped.

[☺Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dread of Winter by Susan Alice Bickford is an intriguing and complex tale of family scandals, secrets, dysfunction, and drama. Oriska, New York is a depressed and depressing small town with a serious drug problem.
I liked main character Sydney, an Oriska survivor who got clean, got educated, and got gainfully employed after escaping to California as a teen fresh out of rehab thirteen years ago.
I even liked Maude, Sydney's troubled nineteen-year-old half-sister, who may not always appreciate it but truly needs Sydney's help in escaping Oriska, too.

One nit to pick: I live in Central/Upstate New York and even our "record" low temps never get near the -40° Fahrenheit mark (record lows for most years range from 0° F to around twenty degrees below zero - based on official records from the present day all the way back to 1902).
Our winters are certainly bad enough without having to exaggerate.

[Dsbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has Lots of family history and drama and old family secrets. But I really enjoyed the Native American history woven into the story line

[Vinnie Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked from the get-go--just what I want from a suspense novel. Great upstate New York bleak winter setting.

[Janka H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sydney is back in her hometown. And after 13 years, town of Oriska has not changed - drugs, criminality on both sides oif the law, tough people. And yet - everything has changed, because Sydney now has a sister, the fact previously unknown to her. And to protect Maude means to face her demons, both old and new, with greater responsibility, but also greater strength.

This is not as much mystery as it is a family drama. Both Sydney and Maude come from very dysfunctional families and very difficult small town, where there are many untold rules in motion. No wonder the drug fever is so high there! The feeling of dread plays well into the emotional build-up where the heroines must fight for their place in life - and they also have many things to hide, too.
There is also a very antagonistic dynamics towards bad boys, too, in this setup - and by this I mean that women are both repelled and attracted to them. Very female thing, I know :) But while this dynamics is in play, there is no romance going on in the present time, actually, which is, in reality, another addition to the emotional settings.

But while the human drama dynamics is played well, the mystery itself is not very mysterious, more like untold and unknown to us readers. The build-up is set well, but the plot looses its dynamics in the last chapters and some subplots are not explored well.

I am glad for the Native American touch - I have a soft spot for them and their way of living.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Sydney Lucerno never intended to return to Oriska, New York, but her mother's imminent death requires her to come home. Sydney left at seventeen after a stint in rehab--certain that if she didn't escape, she would be drawn back into old habits, former companions, and worse.

After attending college in California, Sydney turned her life around, but she is unable to avoid returning to Oriska when she gets the call that her mother is dying.

Things get more complicated. Within two days, her mother's long-time partner is also dead after a shootout with two others. Sydney discovers she has a sister that the wasn't aware of and for whom she feels responsible. The Sheriff has a vendetta against her and another old enemy has an axe to grind. Problems abound.

Sydney wants to protect Maude and get out of Dodge, but that is easier said than done.

NetGalley/Kensington Books
Mystery/Suspense. Oct. 29, 2019. Print length: 272 pages.

[Jennifer]

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can receive your copy here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NCQ4JFR/...

We begin this novel in a small town in upstate NY called Oriska in the middle of winter. Sydney is just arriving home from California to see her mother. She is quickly reminded of the bitter cold can affect your breathing. Sydney is quickly greeted by a stranger thinking that she was someone else and handing her a delivery from Canada. We do not get into this book very far before we are struck with severe drama. Sydney finally gets to see the Dr and discuss her mother's precarious situation. Lies, lies and more lies from her mom. Scandal with the sheriff, a few deaths occur, a half-sister that was never known about is discovered, a drug scandal, past event is explained and more. So much happens in this book, you will be taken on quite the adventure. I loved the trips through the snow covered woods and the visualization that she created was mind blowing. The character development and content was simply riveting. The ending was not what I thought at all and simply tied everything up into a nice little bow after all that happened in this book.

I think what I liked most about this book is that I too, grew up in Central NY and experienced these bitter colds and similar situations. This book seems to only be her fourth book, but I am going to put them on my to read list and look forward to reading those and others in her collection in the near future. The author talks about culture that a lot of people do not address in the books that I have read. She talks about the Native Americans and the traditions that they tend to have. I fully enjoyed this book and was totally invested in the characters by the end. This book will definitely have you rooting for Sydney with all of the drama that takes place.

[Michal Strutin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Dread of Winter, Susan Alice Bickford twists her fast-paced tale of family, drug-dealing, and murder through every type of bitter winter weather known to central New York state. Sydney is called back to her childhood home when her mother suddenly lies near death. Winter is a main character, from the first, fierce scenes when Sydney crosscountry-skis at night from her mother’s house to her mother’s lover’s cabin. She walks right into a drug-deal gone bad. Very bad. Sydney survives but still has to untangle the mess without revealing that she saw it all. The opioid Fentanyl has buried its chemical clutches into a portion of the town’s population, driving the drug deals. The rest of the population remains big hearted and small-town, pot-luck friendly. The contrast is--and is meant to be—sharp. At the center of the story is Sydney’s mission to save her half-sister, Maude, from the dead-end, druggy future that Sydney herself escaped by moving west.

[James Ziskin · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page, Susan Alice Bickford’s DREAD OF WINTER grabs onto you and refuses to let go. Like a tongue frozen to a metal pole in frigid January. A harrowing, frostbitten sleighride through Central New York’s most forbidding winter landscapes and drug-addled small-towns, this is a hard-driving, thrilling novel.

Prodigal daughter Sidney Lucerno returns home to snowbound Oriska, New York, for her mother’s funeral and crashes headlong into her own troubled past. Determined to rescue her half sister from a life of drugs and crime, she takes on bullying cops, Canadian drug dealers, and a terrifying local crime boss, any one of whom would gladly bury her in the relentless snow. DREAD OF WINTER is a gripping winner. Beautifully written in all its harsh coldness and murderous rage.

[Diana Lloyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

There really wasn't too much of a mystery to this story. It was mostly about a very dysfunctional family, and how one member, who had managed to free herself from a life of drugs and dealing, along with misbehaving boyfriends and mother, comes back to her childhood town to bury her mother and rescue her younger sister from the same life she almost got caught up in. A lot of nasty characters, corrupt cops, jealous or angry relatives, etc. Not my kind of book. Couldn't wait to finish it, and move on to something more interesting and meaningful.

[Beth M James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it provided a stark reality for Sydney (main character), having to go back home to a place she never wanted to set foot in again yet having the need to see her mom before she dies. While home, and now taking care of her mom's estate, Sydney has to make choices she's forced into yet doesn't want to jeopardize everything she's gained (cleaning up her drug habits and moving away to a better life). To complicate matters, she learns she has a troubled half-sister who she promises to take care of ... which is more than a handful.

[Mac Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sydney escaped her hometown and some very bad influences, she hoped never to return. But now, her mother has died and she's the only one who can settle her estate. She plans to be in and out in a flash but she discovers that her past is waiting for her along with a few surprise inheritances. Soon she's dealing with drugs, murder and some complicated family relationships.

It's a tale that will draw you in right away and keep you guessing with every new revelation.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book.
I thought it was original, extremely well written, gritty and exciting.
This is the first book that I have read by Susan Alice Bickford and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

[Donna]

New to Susan Bickford’s work.

“Caleb. The sound of his name brought back the anguish Sydney thought she had buried.”

“On the other, she could still feel the black poison of exhaustion hovering.”

“A silence descended on the room like a dense fog.”

“The house already seemed much emptier. The life she had known had evaporated- not entirely a bad thing.”

[Pattyh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Dread of Winter by Susan Alice Bickford. This is more of a family drama with a mystery surrounding it. I liked the descriptive nature of the writing and I thought the plot was good.
3 stars.

[Libby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woman returns to her hometown because her mother is dying. She has fled from a drug situation with lots of bad people. She immediately witnesses a murder. She discovers that she has a half sister. It was ok.

[Vonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So well written it's hard to put down. Complicated yet flowing and keeps you on your toes. Huge twist at the end!

[Illustrious Illusions · Rating 3 out of 5]

the writing was good. Sadly, I didn't finish the book, it felt a little stilted and didn't hook me enough to care about the characters and want to finish.

[Heather Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead of Winter is a good book with interesting well developed characters. The book is well written,but not a quick read.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written, family history. It was a bit slow going but I enjoyed it throughly. My bit of advice is to stick with it to the end you wont be disappointed

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Pat Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me engaged till late in the night. I enjoyed it and got quite attached to the characters so much that I’d like to follow them to California.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weak characters, tepid mystery, not at all a crime book so much as family drama.

[Susan Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thriller! I had a hard time putting it down. I will certainly be reading more of Susan Bickford's books!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creates a brilliant atmosphere: a small town in freezing winter, threats, drugs, and crime.
I was freezing while reading it, feeling that this happened exactly like written somewhere in the northern US.

Nothing really was surprising, but it didn't have to be. The atmospheric picture which is built here, is outstanding.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edgar award nominee delivers chilly page-turner: The bitter cold, a Central New York small town, the opiate crisis, Native American traditions—the backdrop pulls you into the Edgar-nominated suspense novel Dread of Winter. Sydney fled to California to escape it all, only to be dragged back by her mother's death. From the moment of her arrival, threatening criminals, family turmoil, and past secrets (including a surprise half-sister) propel the plot forward. I’m an editor by trade (nonfiction), but that makes me pickier about all writing. I especially appreciate that Bickford's sparse text reveals her thoughtfully layered characters through their actions, rather than long-winded descriptions of their thoughts and feelings, an annoying common trap too many authors fall into these days.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like thrillers with a strong sense of place? This is for you.
I enjoyed every minute of both of Susan’s books.