Customer Reviews

Winter And Night (Lydia Chin/Bill Smith Novel)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Without doubt, the Bill Smith books are considerably stronger, moodier and more powerful than the Lydia Chin half of the series. Interestingly, even Lydia is more viable a character (and less of a ditz) when viewed through Bill's haunted eyes.

This time out, author Rozan tackles the hot-potato issues both of school sports and of school violence. And as always, via Bill, she brings a clear-eyed view of the absurdity of parents' expectations of their children (football, in this case, and new-age nonsense). The characters are all fully fleshed, particularly Bill's estranged sister, her odious husband Scott, and their lovable, do-right son, Gary.

The search for Gary, the tour of fictional Warrenstown NJ (and a viewing of its citizens) leads to the search for a second boy. Along the way, dark facts are revealed about Bill's past that account for his solitary, soul-searching existence and his quest for meaning via music.

This is Rozan at her best, giving us authentic views of Manhattan, of people, of headline issues, and of the vagaries of the human heart, while never succumbing to false sentimentality.

Most highly recommended.

Ok. This woman is my favorite author. Ever. And I can say that in absolute truth. Her distinctive, yet extremely hard to describe writing style, is in a word, incredible. And that's a pretty ambiguous word, but somehow works with every aspect of her novels. Each one reveals more and more the depth and complexeties of Bill and Lydia, and they become real people to us. Especially in "Winter and Night," we are shown that the connection between Bill and Lydia goes way beyond the physical (it's like a Mulder/Scully relationship, as weird as that sounds), and also just how much Bill's experiences are going to change their relationship (ultimately strengthens it, in my opinion).

On a lighter note, I think, another reason these novels are great is the extremely witty/clever dialogue. Bill and Lydia have the best lines, and when they play, they play with words, and it's just VERY amusing to read. I'm always thinking to myself, "How does Rozan DO it?"

"Winter and Night," like most Bill books, are very psychological (not science-psycho, but more like emotional-psycho), and the fluid, intricate writing style reinforces the depth of Smith's character. There's also a big theme in this story about young adulthood and the pressures of society - and their consequences, good along with bad. Very important and thought-provoking theme, I think, and Rozan manages to bring that out in this book with deft skill.

I would recommend reading "China Trade" first, just so you'll get to know the characters and a little about where they're coming from. Otherwise "Winter and Night" will seem too personal (as opposed to VERY personal for those who've read her other novels). "Winter and Night" is my favorite out of her, what is it, eight novels? Second fave is "Reflecting the Sky," written from Lydia's point of view. Third is "Stone Quarry," another one from Bill's POV.

Oh by the way, Rozan captures the life and times of FOBs and Chinese-New York Americans perfectly, from their interactions with each other to their interactions with whites. And the fact that Bill is the epitome of Caucasion, and Lydia is a Chinese-American woman, makes for quite a few interesting conversations. But they're perfect for each other, and you can tell. When serious is serious, one's always there for the other, and that's all they need. Loyalty, trust, respect...love? Yeah, was there even a doubt? Love is there, and then some, and that's what holds these books together.

As another reviewer here says, Rozan's strongest books are the ones written from the Bill Smith point of view--Concourse, No Colder Place, Stone Quarry, and Winter and Night. Bill is far more internally conflicted (i.e., dumber) than Lydia, and that leads naturally into more dramatic situations. Like some of the other great heroes/antiheros created by Raymond Chandler, Ross McDonald, and Robert Parker, Bill desperately wants things to turn out right in a world where that is not always possible.

Rozan continues to improve her formidable skills, weaving character development, dialog, plot, motivation, and current events/fears together seamlessly in Winter and Night. Her previous novels have occasionally had a flat spot or two, but this one is both thought-provoking and a real page turner--I dare you to put it down! For any of you who have read Lehane's Mystic River I would say that Winter and Night is every bit its equal. It's easy to see why this book won the Edgar, Nero, and Macavity awards.

Rozan's next book, about the aftermath of the WTC attack, is due out shortly and I can't wait to read it.

From one Rozan book to the next, my respect for her as an author keeps rising. You can't just judge her on a single one of her novels the way you can with most authors. Because unlike most other writers (and especially those who partake in the genre, mystery/thriller theater) Rozan goes out of her way to reinvent herself with every book. Every story she tells is either from the standpoint of one of her two vastly different protagonists or it churns in a completely different landscape of emotions. I have only read three of her novels now and they have run the gambit from a modern day Agatha Christy to 1950's MGM noir, to a distinctive contemporary Hitchcock style. This is important because she is not repeating herself and destroying a very promising career as so many other authors have (See Patricia Cornwell). I would easily place Rozan up there with `Mystic River' author Dennis Lehane as the very best of today's genre writers.

Every one of her books, including this one `Winter and Night' have some quirky silly bits that are a little hard to take. But in the end they are easily over looked when you take in the scope of her prowess as an author. The main beef I had with this book is that it is centered around events in a small New Jersey community called Warrenstown. This is a place contrived only for the purposes of this book and lacks any credibility. High school football is foremost in every ones minds here and it becomes a little far-fetched after a while. I think that Rozan could do well to read a little of Russo's work, like `Nobodies Fool' and gleam a little small town life from him. Her secondary characters could have used more than a little fleshing out. But that aside, this is still a great book.

I would suggest that you try this book if you are on the fence about it. It is rare indeed when an author can string together a whole series of books in such a remarkable manner and it would be a shame for you to pass such a great series by.

WINTER AND NIGHT is as good as I hoped! I'd heard about it, and if you heard what I heard, it's true. This book is a knock out. If you want to know why high school students are killing each other, read this book. And find out the demons in Bill Smith's past, too. This one is GOOD.

Winter and Night by S. J. Rozan is her best book so far, and that's saying a lot. The title, with its sense of darkness, underscores the sense of evil in the book. Bill Smith and Lydia Chin work together to find Smith's 15-year-old nephew Gary, who has run away from home. While trying to find him, Smith confronts his own family demons as well as a crime that took place more than 20 years before.
Rozan probes deeply into our sports-crazed culture, probing the concept of winning-at-all-costs and its price to the citizens of the New Jersey town where Bill's estranged sister and her family live. Secrets have been buried deep there for years, and the cover-up has affected every aspect of life.
Despite the incidents of anger and brutality in the book, a sense of compassion runs through it, almost demanding that we take a look at what our priorities are or should be in this post-Columbine, post-9-11 age.
Rozan writes with great skill, examining life in a suburb that on the surface, with its tree-shaded trees and curving lanes, seems too good to be true. But the cracks and flaws are there, and Smith's persistence in uncovering what lies beneath the surface will change some of the contours of the town forever.

After P.I. Bill Smith helps his nephew Gary avoid police custody, Gary takes off. Bill and his partner, Lydia Chin, set out to find him. Their investigation leads to New Jersey, where the town of Warrenstown is all about football. Once a girl was raped at a party and one of the football players was suspected until a nerdy kid committed suicide. It seems as though the football players can do no wrong, as long as they win. Gary is new to Warrenstown, but his father, Bill's brother-in-law isn't. He grew up there, and he know its secrets. This book was a great look into the past and the nature of a town that thrives on football. The sense of humor was original, and I can't wait to read another in the series.

SJ Rozan is the author of the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith mystery series. They're unique in that each new book alternates point of view. For example, Winter and Night is narrated by Bill Smith. The previous book, Reflecting the Sky, was narrated by Lydia. Bill and Lydia are polar opposites which makes for lots of dramatic tension. But, as far as I'm concerned, the dialogue is the best part of the book. Rozan's dialogue is at least as good as Elmore Leonard's. Maybe better.

Anyway, if you haven't read this series, you really should give it a chance. Robert Crais (another great mystery writer) says Rozan "paints with the full palette of the human heart, using depth, detail, and nuance of character that I haven't seen since Raymond Chandler. (Yes, I mean it.)"

S.J. Rozan knows how to punch a story. From the time Bill Smith gets a plea for help from his estranged sister's son, to the last desolate scenes in a bleak New Jersey parking lot, Rozan totally engages the reader in a powerful narrative. The story is paced by clipped dialogue and driving action.

When nephew Gary disappears, Bill battles through his sister's total denial ("Gary is a good boy!") and his brother-in-law's sour hatred. Bill tries to get a feel for Gary's problems and finds them in football-mad Warrenton, NJ. The "jocks" are everything and apparently untouchable in the community. The Bear-Bryant-On-Steroids coach reaffirms the all-for-football mania. The whole school closes for a week while the seniors on the football team attends a super camp to better ready them for college tryouts. Nephew Gary is an up-and-coming Junior varsity player. Bill finds that Gary had befriended a girl now dead after a wild and unchaperoned party at her home. The party was crashed by the "jocks," there may have been drugs and possibly murder. The entire town seems bent on protecting the athletes--or at least wanting to wait until the camp is over.
The body count rises and inevitable tragedy lies in the wings.

Ms. Rozan has strong feelings about the children who are made "outsiders" through no fault or wish of their own. She deftly draws what can happen when organized high school sports run amok. But the result is too black and white; the story needs a little leavening gray areas. My big problem with the book is its lack of resolution. There is no ending as such. After the sound and fury of the deeply felt narrative, I think the reader is entitled to a solid conclusion, which in this case just isn't there.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

I write a lot of critical reviews here at Amazon, so let me get right to it on this one. Rozan is in the echelon of James Lee Burke and Dennis Lehane, writers who treat language as paramount to a story, who create characters of true, human conflict, who treat readers as if they are more than high school dropouts. Yes, like Burke and Lehane, the ending doesn't always come wrapped in a box with a bow--because life doesn't. I can also agree with another reviewer that Rozan went a bit over the top with the sports establishment. But watch Friday Night Lights for a realistic view of what high school football can be like. I have one major complaint about Rozan's book: it ends.