Dead of Winter [Mass Market Paperback]

P. J. Parrish (Author), P.J. Parrish (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2001

P.J. Parrish's stunning debut novel Dark of the Moon offered a stylish blend of suspense, knife-edge tension, and a complex and intriguing hero. Now, in "Dead of Winter", Parrish brings back police detective Louis Kincaid, as he investigates a series of gruesome murders...and is drawn into the nightmare mind of a killer.

In the quaint tourist town of Loon Lake, Michigan, a killer is taking his vengeance. One by one, the bodies are found, brutally executed, with mysteriously coded death cards placed beside each corpse -- the signature of a psychopath. And the only sound louder than doors and windows being locked against evil is the sound of hearts beating in terror.

Detective Louis Kincaid had come north looking for a refuge, a place to forget the horrors of his past. But now he's landed in the middle of an investigation that's more than a mystery. It's a warning of bad things to come...of a terrifying journey through a town's fiercely protected heart of darkness...and into the dangerous world of a madman.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Landing a job with the police force in Loon Lake, Mich., a resort town "winter wonderland," sounds idyllic to Louis Kincaid, but when he meets his chief, ex-military man Brian Gibralter, he realizes that he has much to learn about small-town proceedings. Gibralter is all spit and polish, a taskmaster who preaches absolute loyalty to the force. Although Louis's fellow officers are friendly, he begins to question Gibralter's motives for hiring him when he learns that his predecessor, also a young African-American, was murdered, a mysteriously scrawled playing card found beside him. One murder is disturbing enough in the peaceful area, so when a former cop is found frozen with a bullet in him, fear that a psychopath is stalking the department spreads. The brutality of the acts suggests revenge, but Louis quickly realizes that the killer must have studied his victims closely. As Louis investigates further, he becomes cautious even with partner Jesse Harrison and the enigmatic Zoe Devereaux. Parrish (Dark of the Moon) deftly depicts the empty winter landscape and the relentless intensity of the killer's pursuit. A suspenseful tale of a man who must question his principles and loyalties, Parrish's latest will appeal to those seeking a fast-paced thriller propelled by a cast of charismatic characters.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

PJ Parrish has worked as a newspaper reporter and editor, arts reviewer, blackjack dealer and personnel director in a Mississippi casino. The author currently lives in Southaven Mississippi and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786011890
• ISBN-13: 978-0786011896
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #997,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

P.J. Parrish is actually two sisters, Kristy Montee and Kelly Nichols. Their books have appeared on both the New York Times and USA Today best seller lists. The series has garnered 11 major crime-fiction awards, and an Edgar® nomination. Parrish has won two Shamus awards, one Anthony and one International Thriller competition. Her books have been published throughout Europe and Asia. Parrish's short stories have also appeared in many anthologies, including two published by Mystery Writers of America, edited by Harlan Coben and the late Stuart Kaminsky. Their stories have also appeared in Akashic Books acclaimed Detroit Noir, and in Ellery Queen Magazine. Most recently, they contributed an essay to a special edition of Edgar Allan Poe's works edited by Michael Connelly.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dead of Winter is dead on!!, January 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dead of Winter (Mass Market Paperback)

I am pleased that I also read P. J. Parrish's first book, "Dark of the Moon." With some authors it is difficult to follow a best seller with another one. No problem for P. J. Parrish. Dead of Winter continues the story of Louis Kincaid, a man who (although he has a strong academic backgound and other career choices) wants to continue his career in law enforcement as a cop. Go figure! Nevertheless, he brings to the job a deep sense of honor and integrity in the failed hope of finding those same traits amoung his fellow officers. Coupled with his mixed heritage, Kincaid quickly gets our support to keep trying and not give up on society or himself. Well, this is one Louis Kincaid fan who has no intention of giving up on the fictional character or the excellent writer, P. J. Parrish.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting police procedural, December 29, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dead of Winter (Mass Market Paperback)

Police Officer Louis Kincaid lived a troubled childhood until special foster parents helped set him on the path that has led to his wearing a badge. Louis is half-black and half-white keeping a foot in both worlds, but not accepted by people in either of them.

Louis serves as an officer in the bucolic town of Loon Lake, Michigan. Two weeks ago, someone murderd a police officer and the killer left behind a playing card left marked with numbers and a skull. Soon a retried officer is killed with a card also left at the scene. Apparently, an unknown assailant hates the Lake Loon police department for heinous crimes committed years ago.

P.J. Parrish has written an exciting police procedural thriller that shows what it is like to serve as a police officer in a small community. The complex hero rarely allows his emotions to surface even though he seems to feel very deeply about honor and integrity. The reasons for the cop killings are tragic, but understandable, which makes DEAD OF WINTER a special tale worth reading by sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars dead of winter, January 14, 2005

By 

sara chilla - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead of Winter (Mass Market Paperback)

Dead of Winter Review

Throughout the entire book, Dead of Winter, the author, P.J. Parrish, does an incredible job of keeping the reader in complete and utter suspense. The book is set in Loon Lake, Michigan, at the beginning of December, 1984. It begins mysteriously with the incident of the perplexing murder of one of Loon Lake's finest investigators, Thomas Pryce.

It continues with Detective Louis Kincaid, who is a man who has come north, looking for a safe haven and new job in a new police department, so he can put all the terrors of his precedent life behind. Instead, he becomes trapped inside yet another investigation that is really just a case of whodunit.

After Detective Kincaid is hired into the LLPD, he is hooked onto the investigation of Pryce's murder. His new chief, Chief Gibralter is more or less a very special individual. He is extremely well-educated and should own a bigger police department than Loon Lake's, but peculiarly does not. He makes it clear that he was the boss and only whatever he says, goes by intimidating Kincaid with a few rigorous words to the new guy: "These are the rules, and listen good...We have a motto here: Gens una sumus...'We are one family.'"

Detective Kincaid meets many new people, but after a long time, his favorite one is Jesse Harrison, even though they do not find one another quite that appealing, at first. Jesse Harrison was fairly close to Thomas Pryce, so they begin to investigate the murder, when the late ambiguity of a retired Loon Lake officer's murder arises.

As the investigation continues, Detective Kincaid starts to find incredible and amazing new evidence to further the investigation. They make a list of suspects and start to narrow down the possibilities of who is guilty.

If I told anymore of this story, I'd basically give the ending away. Parrish is an amazing writer, in my opinion. I have never been as interested in a new suspense novel as I was while reading this one. I loved the way he ended each chapter differently. The very first chapter ends with, "'Merry f***ing Christmas, Officer Pryce,' he said.'" This begins one's curiosity to keep on reading to find out who the actual murderer is.

At the end of Chapter 26, it ends with "Gibralter's eyes softened, taking on an almost paternal warmth. 'Sit down, Jess, I'll tell you,' he said." He keeps the reader wanting more because I know I wanted to know what Gibralter says to Jess and why he is so kind outside of the department, considering how Gibralter acts to others when he is at work.

Parrish does a phenomenal job of keeping Kincaid an interesting male protagonist, as well. He gives him a possible love interest and fatal background of his life that could possibly explain Kincaid's behavior throughout the book. I thought these were extremely strong points, because the more details there were, the better one could understand what was going down.

I didn't find any weak points in this book. I think I couldn't because I enjoyed it so much. I would recommend this book to anyone who is into suspense or thriller. I have never really been too into those types of novels, but this book did a divine job of altering my thoughts and opinions. He also keeps it interesting by integrating quotes and lines from historical folks.

It had my palms sweating for quite some time, and I found my adrenaline rising in full. The books ends so suddenly, yet satisfactorily, not a typical, sappy ending. It ends unexpectedly, ironically, and lethally. Let's just say there's a reason why the title is, "Dead of Winter."