Cold Winter Nights [Paperback]

Anne White (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 2009

Loren Graham, the mayor of Emerald Point-a picturesque little town on the shore of Lake George in upstate New York-is anticipating a wonderful Holiday season. The town was ready. Sparkling new decorations hung on posts and wires throughout the Main Street business district. A sound system was rigged to play holiday songs and announce special sales throughout the shopping season. Special shopping nights and extended hours were scheduled to encourage the local residents to buy their holiday gifts in Emerald Point instead of dashing off to the malls in Queensbury and Albany. And, best of all, the final gift to the community was to be a grand Holiday concert downtown the week before Christmas. Everything had been planned down to the last detail to make this Holiday Season the best one ever, but then someone else planned a different event that didn't add to the festivities. The shocking murder of a local woman-a respected nurse-in her own home.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cold Winter Nights is the fifth book in Anne White's Lake George Mystery Series. After the first, An Affinity for Murder, won a Malice Domestic Unpublished Writers Grant and a nomination as a Malice Best First Mystery in 2002, she continued the series with Beneath The Surface (2005), Best Laid Plans (2006) and Secrets Dark and Deep (2007). Anne lives in Glens Falls, NY and is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, the Lake George Arts Project, the Adirondack Center for Writing, and the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council. She contributes to Mystery Scene, Mystery Readers Journal and local and regional publications. She makes appearances on blogs and BlogTalkRadio and will be starting her own blog soon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Hilliard & Harris; First Edition edition (December 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591332982
• ISBN-13: 978-1591332985
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #654,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After Anne White's first Lake George Mystery, An Affinity For Murder, was awarded a Malice Domestic Unpublished Writers' Grant in 1999 and a Malice Domestic Best First Mystery nomination in 2002, she continued the series with Beneath The Surface (2005), Best Laid Plans (2006), Secrets Dark and Deep (2007), and Cold Winter Nights (December 2009). White's protagonist, Loren Graham, a former New Yorker, now mayor of the sleepy lakeside town of Emerald Point, can't seem to help getting involved in sheriff's department business, especially when murder is involved. Anne White is a member of MWA and Sisters in Crime, the National, New York and New England chapters, and the New York State Retired Teachers Association. Check her out at www.annewhitemysteries.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Praise for "COLD WINTER NIGHTS", January 26, 2010

By 

Persis Granger "Perky" (Trenton, FL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cold Winter Nights (Paperback)

"Cold Winter Nights," A Lake George Mystery

The serene backdrop of the Adirondack Mountains' pristine Lake George seems an unlikely place to find the ugly snarl of infidelity, deception and murder, but mystery writer Anne White offers just that in Cold Winter Nights, the fifth in her Lake George Mystery series. We willingly follow White's deft transformation of that idyllic northern New York setting into center stage for the killer's desperate attempt to silence the too-perceptive (and delightful) Emerald Point mayor, Loren Graham.

It all begins at a holiday concert featuring a solo by the teenaged daughter of Graham's good friend, Kate Donohue. Sheriff's deputy Jim Thompson pulls the mayor out of the concert to tell her that Denise McNaughton, a respected RN from the area, has been murdered. It doesn't take long before the small town is abuzz with gossip and theories about who might have killed McNaughton, and why. While Thompson and other law enforcement officials methodically investigate, Graham can't help evaluating the evidence herself. Was it the Adirondack hermit, who reportedly had broken into cottages near McNaughton's home? Could it have been Kate's ex-husband, said to have been "involved" with the murdered nurse?

As the tale progresses, the reader is transported to various sites in the Adirondacks - from the New Year's Day festive Polar Bear Plunge in the icy waters of Lake George to the snowy slopes of Gore Mountain Ski Resort, as Graham spends time with friends, conducts her official duties and does a bit of sleuthing. Throughout the fast-moving plot we meet more and more characters from the Lake George area - Don Morrison, Loren Graham's fiancé; Dr. Kennison, the philandering physician; Teddie Murray, the incorrigible gossip; radio announcer Billie Jorgensen; newspaper reporter Stephanie Colvin; and Lucas Prendergast/AKA Luke Prenders, called by many "the Woodsman."

Anne White weaves these characters and their motives so skillfully into the fabric of the story that we are at a loss to know just where to point the finger of guilt. As the plot reaches its apex, we find ourselves shivering on the shore of Lake George, trying to enjoy a skating party, but feeling the ominous approach of what we know to be the efforts of a killer to silence Loren Graham. The arctic-like waters kept unfrozen by ice-eaters just beyond the skating area threaten death as the killer makes the fatal move.

This reviewer predicts you'll find a stack of White's novels as irresistable as a high-carb snack; nobody can read just one. I'm already waiting for the next.

Fiction: Mystery
Publisher: Hilliard and Harris
ISBN: 1-59133-298-2, 978-1-59133-298-5.

Other Lake George Mysteries by Anne White include:
An Affinity for Murder (A Lake George Mystery), 2001, Oak Tree Publishing
Beneath the Surface (Lake George Mysteries), 2005, Hilliard and Harris
Best Laid Plans, 2006, Hilliard and Harris
Secrets Dark And Deep, 2007, Hilliard and Harris

Persis Granger, a reviewer for the Web review site Book Pleasures, authored of two works of historical fiction, AAdirondack Gold and Adirondack Gold II: A Summer of Strangers. She edited and coauthored Shared Stories from Daughters of Alzheimer's: Writing a Path to Peace, and also edits Adirondack Guest Informer, a travel magazine, and the John Thurman Historical Society Quarterly, as well as organizing and hosting events for writers. [...]

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed for Midwest Book Review, May 3, 2010

By 

Christy Tillery French "reviewer/writer" (Powell, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cold Winter Nights (Paperback)

Emerald Point, NY Mayor Loren Graham is looking forward to enjoying the holiday season with her fiancé and friends. The festivities have just begun when the body of well-respected nurse Denise McNaughton is found, beaten to death. Graham's friend, Deputy Sheriff Jim Thompson, in charge of the investigation and aware of Loren's propensity for amateur sleuthing, warns her to stay out of the case. Rumors are flying about McNaughton's social life and Loren, fearing for her town's safety, takes it upon herself to question those who knew McNaughton well. There are plenty of suspects, including a homeless vagrant and the ex-husband of Loren's best friend, both of whom reach out to Loren for help in proving their innocence. It isn't long before Loren's efforts to help these men turn the killer's eyes on her.

In this fifth installment of her Lake George Mystery series, White thrusts the reader into a thrilling whodunit, weaving into the story popular Lake George festivities, such as the New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge. Loren is an interesting character, a strong woman who feels protective of her town and job as mayor. Secondary characters continue to evolve and are heartwarming and entertaining. This cozy whodunit will prove a challenging read for those trying to solve the mystery for themselves.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich in regional detail, March 3, 2010

By 

Rosemary Miner (Oriental, N.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cold Winter Nights (Paperback)

Who knew your favorite summer resort offered so much excitement in winter? "Cold Winter Nights" brings to life all that and more in the fictional town of Emerald Point in upstate New York.

This fourth in Anne White's Lake George series about a feisty female Mayor who attracts murder; showcases local politics, a New Year's Polar Bear Plunge, Gore Mt. skiing, a winter carnival and more. Fans of White will rejoice in her familiar setting rich in regional detail. The rest of us will want to settle down with this page turner of a cozy mystery.