My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4 stars)
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
A pretty good mystery overall. The question of why Jason Wyatt-Yarmouth was driving with the corpse of a friend, Ewan Williams before having an accident that plunged his SUV into the frigid river on a snowy night, was terribly engaging. I liked this one better than the first in the series and found that the beginning hooked me and before too long, I couldn't put this one down.
Constable Molly Smith was better drawn here as were the remainder of the characters who also appeared in the series opener. I felt a good many of what I felt were first book awkwardness were worked out. I found Lucky, Molly's mother a lot more agreeable but her annoyance at her daughter's chosen profession seemed dialled back so that helped. I do still find Winter's home life with the model wife a bit tepid but it wasn't overdone and actually was well woven into the relevance of the story. This story had a few threads of misery and I was surprised and impressed the story didn't shy away from what seemed the inevitable end. That alone garnered an extra star from me.
I will say this one had so many mentions of melt in your mouth shortbread that it stoked a craving in me that's months too early. It's my own fault for reading a book set during Christmas to NYE at the onset of autumn. If you're looking for a cozy-ish procedural, this is a good one. I'd recommend this one over the first book in the series.
Summary: Siblings Wendy and Jason Wyatt-Yarmouth and their friends are in the peaceful mountain town of Trafalgar, B.C. enjoying a two-week vacation of skiing, drinking, drugs, and sex. But tragedy strikes when two of the group crash through the ice into the frozen river. It's Christmas Eve and the snow-storm of the decade has settled over the town. Constables Molly Smith and Dave Evans have a busy shift attending fender-benders, tumbling pedestrians, and Christmas tree fires. Then, at the stroke of midnight, they are summoned to the scene of a car accident: a vehicle has gone off the snowy road into the river. Police, coroner, and medics all agree it was an accident. But when the autopsy reveals a shocking secret, Molly and Sergeant John Winters are plunged into a world of sexual predators, recreational drugs, privilege, and high-living. Meanwhile, stalker Charlie Bass-ing is out of jail and looking for revenge, a handsome Mountie is giving Molly the eye, and her mother, Lucky, is cheerfully interfering in the investigation. And all Molly Smith wants to do is ski the powder....
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