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Old Man Winter - Heavenly Gates
Psychological Thriller, Drama, Crime, Suspense.
In the winter of 1974, Old Man Winter came calling, again. In August of ’74, Detective Penelope Bryce had just won her four-year legal battle with the City of Philadelphia and finally earned her Detective Badge. Her first case ended up being her last.
Penny’s new partner, Detective Frank Bruno, was wrestling with his own demons when he came across Old Man Winter himself, Garrison Winter. The grizzled detective would finally meet his match.
Detectives Bryce and Bruno would attempt to chase down the man they suspected in the disappearances of nine elderly people across seven states and five decades.
Who was the phantom, the ghost, or the devil that they were chasing? Only death would answer their question.
In the winter of 1974, Old Man Winter came calling, again. In August of ’74, Detective Penelope Bryce had just won her four-year legal battle with the City of Philadelphia and finally earned her Detective Badge. Her first case ended up being her last.
Penny’s new partner, Detective Frank Bruno, was wrestling with his own demons when he came across Old Man Winter himself, Garrison Winter. The grizzled detective would finally meet his match.
Detectives Bryce and Bruno would attempt to chase down the man they suspected in the disappearances of nine elderly people across seven states and five decades.
Who was the phantom, the ghost, or the devil that they were chasing? Only death would answer their question.
390 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2021
25 people are currently reading
3143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 2, 2021
Phenomenal jump from the Sci- Fi to Thriller/Suspense genre!
Wow this new- to- the -scene author did an outstanding job jumping from science fiction (Black Earth Saga) to the thriller/suspense genre. Not only did he do fantastic job navigating the reader thru this mind bending, edge of your seat , ever anticipating plot but also his ability to connect the reader to the to the lives of the characters allows us to feel their joy, sorrow, grief, suspense, thrills & more.
This reader finds it a must read for both the exhilarating plot and the hours of entertainment as you share in the lives Detectives Penelope Bryce & Frank Bruno, "Old Man Winter" and more!
On a separate note, I would also like to commend the author for his dedications to Missing & Exploited Children, his heightening of awareness to the 2 "open" missing children cases noted & his memorial to Detective Penelope Brace.
Wow this new- to- the -scene author did an outstanding job jumping from science fiction (Black Earth Saga) to the thriller/suspense genre. Not only did he do fantastic job navigating the reader thru this mind bending, edge of your seat , ever anticipating plot but also his ability to connect the reader to the to the lives of the characters allows us to feel their joy, sorrow, grief, suspense, thrills & more.
This reader finds it a must read for both the exhilarating plot and the hours of entertainment as you share in the lives Detectives Penelope Bryce & Frank Bruno, "Old Man Winter" and more!
On a separate note, I would also like to commend the author for his dedications to Missing & Exploited Children, his heightening of awareness to the 2 "open" missing children cases noted & his memorial to Detective Penelope Brace.
August 1, 2021
This book is a departure from my contemporary Sci-Fi novels, Black Earth - How We Got Here and Back to Black Earth. This is a psychological thriller, crime, suspense, and fictional drama, that will have you on the edge of your seat.
The story takes place in Philadelphia, 1974, and spans five decades. Nine elderly residents of retirement communities have gone missing without a trace and Detectives Frank Bruno and Penny Bryce are racing to ensure a tenth person doesn't fall victim to Old Man Winter.
Happy Reading!
Michael Cook
The story takes place in Philadelphia, 1974, and spans five decades. Nine elderly residents of retirement communities have gone missing without a trace and Detectives Frank Bruno and Penny Bryce are racing to ensure a tenth person doesn't fall victim to Old Man Winter.
Happy Reading!
Michael Cook
July 27, 2021
Outstanding fast paced book with great characters and a lovely little twist.
August 30, 2021
Superb!
Good v. Evil...a matter of perception?
1974 -- Meet Dets. Bruno and Bryce. Penelope Bryce is a new detective in the Philadelphia PD, having finally won a slot following a protracted legal battle. Frank Bruno is a seasoned detective who accepts Penny as his partner.
While cleaning the cold case closet, Penny happens upon a missing persons case of a resident of Heavenly Gates, the former residence of her great grandfather, now a retirement home.
Investigation leads her to associate the missing persons case of her great grandfather who disappeared in 1920 under the exact circumstances -- footprints in the snow leading from the front door, but no returning footprints.
As Frank and Penny continue their investigation, several more disappearances are discovered with the same circumstances and in each case, the last person to see the missing person was the elderly custodian who seems to be the same man, but how can the same man be involved in all the cases over a span of over 50 years?
Then Christmas Day 1975, Penny goes missing after visiting Heavenly Gates...missing under the same circumstances. What is happening at Heavenly Gates and who is this custodian, and has he been operating for over 50 years or does he have accomplices?
Good v. Evil...a matter of perception?
1974 -- Meet Dets. Bruno and Bryce. Penelope Bryce is a new detective in the Philadelphia PD, having finally won a slot following a protracted legal battle. Frank Bruno is a seasoned detective who accepts Penny as his partner.
While cleaning the cold case closet, Penny happens upon a missing persons case of a resident of Heavenly Gates, the former residence of her great grandfather, now a retirement home.
Investigation leads her to associate the missing persons case of her great grandfather who disappeared in 1920 under the exact circumstances -- footprints in the snow leading from the front door, but no returning footprints.
As Frank and Penny continue their investigation, several more disappearances are discovered with the same circumstances and in each case, the last person to see the missing person was the elderly custodian who seems to be the same man, but how can the same man be involved in all the cases over a span of over 50 years?
Then Christmas Day 1975, Penny goes missing after visiting Heavenly Gates...missing under the same circumstances. What is happening at Heavenly Gates and who is this custodian, and has he been operating for over 50 years or does he have accomplices?
July 17, 2021
Really suspenseful with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and not wanting to put it down!
July 3, 2021
After reading other books from this author, I can honestly say that this was not what I expected at all!
A really good psychological thriller with an interesting twist at the end. Again, Michael Cook delivers a great book well worth the read. Highly recommended!
I will be watching for more from Michael - truly talented.
A really good psychological thriller with an interesting twist at the end. Again, Michael Cook delivers a great book well worth the read. Highly recommended!
I will be watching for more from Michael - truly talented.
September 18, 2021
Interesting concept, but poor execution. Self-publishing is an incredible accomplishment. I really wanted to like this novel because I won it from the Giveaways, but it missed the mark for me.
The title is okay, but it’s confusing in how it sounds. Is it supposed to be like Rosa Guy’s “My Love, My Love or The Peasant Girl,” where it has two titles? I think “Heavenly Gates” on its own would have been acceptable, but it doesn’t give a thriller vibe. Nor does “Old Man Winter,” as that sounds like the story would be like Fredrick Backman’s “A Man Called Ove.” I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller anyways, so I suppose the title is fine.
I spent a lot of my time rolling my eyes because it felt unbelievable. The dialogue felt forced, and I couldn’t picture the characters saying it (let alone anyone saying it because of how awkward it sounded). Not to mention the difficulty of following who was speaking. I had to go back and reread a section of dialogue because of the improper paragraphs and poor punctuation between switching characters. The plot also felt forced. I convinced myself that it was slightly plausible, but the “revelations” made no sense to me (how does everyone completely ignore the fact that the main character’s birthday is on Christmas until it’s too late? You’d think her own partner would know that, but I guess not until it’s “crucial” to where the story is going). The filler sections had no relevance to the progression of the story and felt more like it was just added because it “sounded good.”
In other words, the writing style felt juvenile and basic, as if this was a high school creative writing assignment that went on much longer than it should have. It’s gives me “classic” vibes, in the sense that everyone has written sentences like this (“It was a dark and stormy night” is the only way I can explain it). It’s overdone, overused, and not enjoyable. The same thing was said in a few different ways one right after the other, and the repetitiveness was annoying. Hence the high school vibe, like a student trying to reach the word count.
I think what irked me the most was the grammar. I am all for a good semicolon, but it is incredibly easy to overuse it if you don’t understand its purpose (and in this case, it was overused and misused nearly 90% of the time. Truly, you should only use semicolon maybe a total of three times throughout a whole book, depending on how long it is, and it should hardly ever be used in dialogue). Then there are the parts where simply rereading what was written would have helped to fix it, such as when quotations were missing or when there was a comma instead of a period (and you know there was supposed to be a period because the next word was capitalized). There were random quotation marks after sentences where no one said anything. It was little things that aren’t actually little because it changes how the story sounds. My wife has suggested I edit the book for grammar and send it back, and I’m tempted to do so.
The sections near the end with Frank in the elevator and Penny in the elevator were good mind tricks. I enjoyed that and that alone.
Again, I wouldn’t classify this as a psychological thriller, but rather the book for one of those off-brand Christian movies you see in the bargain bin at stores (and those movies have just as bad of writing). If that’s your thing, then you’re going to love this book. It’s also possible that taking place in the 70s affects my perception, as I didn’t get to live through that time period (though it gives me Karin Slaughter’s “Cop Town” vibes, and I thoroughly enjoyed that book). For me, this was just all sorts of bad. I had to force myself to read it, and with how much I love to read, that’s saying something.
The title is okay, but it’s confusing in how it sounds. Is it supposed to be like Rosa Guy’s “My Love, My Love or The Peasant Girl,” where it has two titles? I think “Heavenly Gates” on its own would have been acceptable, but it doesn’t give a thriller vibe. Nor does “Old Man Winter,” as that sounds like the story would be like Fredrick Backman’s “A Man Called Ove.” I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller anyways, so I suppose the title is fine.
I spent a lot of my time rolling my eyes because it felt unbelievable. The dialogue felt forced, and I couldn’t picture the characters saying it (let alone anyone saying it because of how awkward it sounded). Not to mention the difficulty of following who was speaking. I had to go back and reread a section of dialogue because of the improper paragraphs and poor punctuation between switching characters. The plot also felt forced. I convinced myself that it was slightly plausible, but the “revelations” made no sense to me (how does everyone completely ignore the fact that the main character’s birthday is on Christmas until it’s too late? You’d think her own partner would know that, but I guess not until it’s “crucial” to where the story is going). The filler sections had no relevance to the progression of the story and felt more like it was just added because it “sounded good.”
In other words, the writing style felt juvenile and basic, as if this was a high school creative writing assignment that went on much longer than it should have. It’s gives me “classic” vibes, in the sense that everyone has written sentences like this (“It was a dark and stormy night” is the only way I can explain it). It’s overdone, overused, and not enjoyable. The same thing was said in a few different ways one right after the other, and the repetitiveness was annoying. Hence the high school vibe, like a student trying to reach the word count.
I think what irked me the most was the grammar. I am all for a good semicolon, but it is incredibly easy to overuse it if you don’t understand its purpose (and in this case, it was overused and misused nearly 90% of the time. Truly, you should only use semicolon maybe a total of three times throughout a whole book, depending on how long it is, and it should hardly ever be used in dialogue). Then there are the parts where simply rereading what was written would have helped to fix it, such as when quotations were missing or when there was a comma instead of a period (and you know there was supposed to be a period because the next word was capitalized). There were random quotation marks after sentences where no one said anything. It was little things that aren’t actually little because it changes how the story sounds. My wife has suggested I edit the book for grammar and send it back, and I’m tempted to do so.
The sections near the end with Frank in the elevator and Penny in the elevator were good mind tricks. I enjoyed that and that alone.
Again, I wouldn’t classify this as a psychological thriller, but rather the book for one of those off-brand Christian movies you see in the bargain bin at stores (and those movies have just as bad of writing). If that’s your thing, then you’re going to love this book. It’s also possible that taking place in the 70s affects my perception, as I didn’t get to live through that time period (though it gives me Karin Slaughter’s “Cop Town” vibes, and I thoroughly enjoyed that book). For me, this was just all sorts of bad. I had to force myself to read it, and with how much I love to read, that’s saying something.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2021
Another Brilliant Novel from Michael Cook
I read both of the Black Earth books and found them to be among the best books I've read. When Mr. Cook came out with his third novel I expected a similar story, but NO, he went in a completely new direction and once again hit it out of the park!
This novel is a crime/mystery story with many turns. The character development is outstanding and by the end, you just want more. I believe the lead female character was based loosely on a real-life female detective in the Philadelphia PD.
I highly recommend this new book from Mr. Cook and look forward to what he brings us next. I promise you will love this story and find it hard to put down.
I read both of the Black Earth books and found them to be among the best books I've read. When Mr. Cook came out with his third novel I expected a similar story, but NO, he went in a completely new direction and once again hit it out of the park!
This novel is a crime/mystery story with many turns. The character development is outstanding and by the end, you just want more. I believe the lead female character was based loosely on a real-life female detective in the Philadelphia PD.
I highly recommend this new book from Mr. Cook and look forward to what he brings us next. I promise you will love this story and find it hard to put down.
September 22, 2021
Michael Cook’s Old Man: Winter Heavenly Gates, begins with a murder. An old fashioned Columbo-style murder. Yes, yes I stand by that analogy. Cook’s story is set in 1974, after all.
However, the scope quickly expands as the death count mounts.
Based on isolated actual events, OMW tracks the proto-investigation of murders dating back 50 years, as stumbled upon by newly-minted detective Penelope “Penny” Bryce. If this sounds similar to Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs, that is a healthy comparison. But where Harris takes the modern interstate to his destination, Cook takes the back alley.
Those who enjoy a good who-done-it but have a low gore point will love OMW. Cook writes against most established tropes. The Columbo analogy really does stand up in this regard. There is no graphic violence, no sexual violence, no misogyny and only passing reference to a murdered child.
However, the scope quickly expands as the death count mounts.
Based on isolated actual events, OMW tracks the proto-investigation of murders dating back 50 years, as stumbled upon by newly-minted detective Penelope “Penny” Bryce. If this sounds similar to Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs, that is a healthy comparison. But where Harris takes the modern interstate to his destination, Cook takes the back alley.
Those who enjoy a good who-done-it but have a low gore point will love OMW. Cook writes against most established tropes. The Columbo analogy really does stand up in this regard. There is no graphic violence, no sexual violence, no misogyny and only passing reference to a murdered child.
August 1, 2021
This is one of the best books I've ever read. You get hooked on the story very quickly. I am not going to tell anything about the story in the book because I want you to read it yourself. It is a long book, but you don't want to miss a page. Please give it a try. Michael Cook is an amazing writer and you will really like this book of his.
June 29, 2021
Psychological Thrillers are my favorite genre to read, and this one did not disappoint! I loved how vividly it placed me into Philadelphia during the 1970s. Once again, just like in his Black Earth series, this writer is able to develop characters that you just don't want to let go of. Frank and Penny fondly remind me of Kenzie and Gennaro from the Dennis Lehane detective novels with paralleled chemistry written fantastically by Cook.
This book is just as entertaining as it is thought provoking, and has twists that will have you questioning at every turn. I also very much appreciate the way he respectfully included with care the true stories of two unsolved cases of missing children.
A truly great read with a very satisfying close. I highly recommend this read!
One person found this helpful
This book is just as entertaining as it is thought provoking, and has twists that will have you questioning at every turn. I also very much appreciate the way he respectfully included with care the true stories of two unsolved cases of missing children.
A truly great read with a very satisfying close. I highly recommend this read!
One person found this helpful
July 19, 2022
Old Man Winter:Heavenly Gates
An excellent book full of twists and turns. Growing up in South Jersey, I do remember the story of the Boy in a Box. It was also the subject of one of the first episodes of Cold Case. I pray someday his sad case will be finally solved and a name can be carved on his tombstone. This was a long book but so worth reading.
An excellent book full of twists and turns. Growing up in South Jersey, I do remember the story of the Boy in a Box. It was also the subject of one of the first episodes of Cold Case. I pray someday his sad case will be finally solved and a name can be carved on his tombstone. This was a long book but so worth reading.
October 5, 2021
What a shock to read a synopsis of this book while I was scrolling through books here on Goodreads. The protagonist's name and occupation (Penelope Bryce of the Philadelphia Police Dept.) just had to be based on my friend Penelope Brace who challenged the Phila. Police Dept. policy of not including women in their detective bureau. It was a delight to discover that was true. Michael Cook's book deftly melds fiction and true life in a thriller that allows us to join Penny and her new partner Frank Bruno as they navigate the unwelcome halls of Heavenly Gates Retirement Home while investigating the disappearance of a former resident. The suspect, elderly former caretaker and now resident Garrison Winter, seems to have the power to unnerve both detectives with comments that hint at moments from their lives. It's so easy to comfortably settle into and treasure the lives and personalities of Penny and Frank. I savored the thrilling moments that occur in their attempts to find answers in an ever widening probe into the disappearance of nine residents across seven states. I loved this book and after it ended the author included details of two very cold cases of murdered children in the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
October 24, 2021
Outstanding read!!!
I have my rating on this book based on not being able to stop reading it. It was a story that will stick in my head for along time. Loved the characters and the many surprises it gave me while reading it. I would and have recommended this book and Author to any one who loves a good compelling story. I have not read another book by its like it and would love to find more to read that would stand up to the quality of this one. Thanks for sharing your talent and imaginations with me. Totally keep me wanting more. Would love a deck d book from you that would equal this one. Pegge
I have my rating on this book based on not being able to stop reading it. It was a story that will stick in my head for along time. Loved the characters and the many surprises it gave me while reading it. I would and have recommended this book and Author to any one who loves a good compelling story. I have not read another book by its like it and would love to find more to read that would stand up to the quality of this one. Thanks for sharing your talent and imaginations with me. Totally keep me wanting more. Would love a deck d book from you that would equal this one. Pegge
July 15, 2025
Powerful
You've got to read this book! Strong characters . Incredible story as you watch the detectives follow the clues. The ending is amazing!
You've got to read this book! Strong characters . Incredible story as you watch the detectives follow the clues. The ending is amazing!
February 9, 2023
This book is a must read. Michael Cook does an excellent job of capturing your attention right from the beginning. You will develop an attachment to the characters that makes you feel their inner struggles, their doubts, their fears all throughout the book. You simply will not be able to put the book down. You will be struggling with yourself trying to decide where the next chapter is going to take you. Every character, every place is described in such detail that you feel like you are right there with them. By the time you're finished, you want more.
Can't wait to move on to The Sleep Room, the sequel to Old Man Winter.
Can't wait to move on to The Sleep Room, the sequel to Old Man Winter.
March 25, 2025
Another great read by author Michael Cook! Absolutely loved the characters of Penny and Frank! This book will keep you guessing! I loved the twists and turns! The story and plot definitely held my attention all the way up until the last page!
August 17, 2025
This is my first serial killer series. I was drawn in by the mystery of the missing people and wanted to find out more about Old Man Winter. I was intrigued by Frank and Penny. I felt as though I was a detective right along with them, trying to solve the case. I'm so looking forward to the next book.
Michelle
Michelle
February 24, 2022
Enjoyed reading this book. I like the twist and turns. Characters likeable and relatable. Keep reading to the end to enjoy the plot twist!
February 1, 2024
Who killed nine elderly people and seven states and why??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
December 16, 2021
Breath taking
This book was awesome. The characters caught me right from the start. I don’t not want to out it down. There are many twists and turns. Foreshadowing adds to the suspense of the novel. I highly recommend this book.
This book was awesome. The characters caught me right from the start. I don’t not want to out it down. There are many twists and turns. Foreshadowing adds to the suspense of the novel. I highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews