Blackthorn Winter: A Murder Mystery (Paperback)

by Kathryn Reiss (Author)
Key Phrases: special necklace, blackthorn winter, blackthorn blossoms, Liza Pethering, Celia Glendenning, Simon Jukes (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mystery fans will enjoy this well-plotted story, which [combines] budding romance, family problems, amnesia, international travel and murder."--Kirkus Reviews

Product Description

With her parents on a trial separation, the last thing fifteen-year-old Juliana wants is to be dragged by her mother to an artists' colony in England. Halfway across the world, Juliana misses her father terribly. But soon she has bigger worries when the sleepy town of Blackthorn is set on its heels by the murder of one of its own. Juliana feels compelled to solve the crime, but she is shocked and frightened when she uncovers clues that have chilling parallels to her own mysterious past. Can she figure out who the murderer is before anyone else--herself included--gets hurt?

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152061096
• ISBN-13: 978-0152061098
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #774,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 11, 2008

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Fans of the Nancy Drew stories will enjoy this latest book by Kathryn Reiss. BLACKTHORN WINTER is a well-written "who done it?" mystery that leaves you wondering until the very end.

Blackthorn is a perfect place for a mystery to take place. It is a damp, gloomy town in England, an artist's colony with some very interesting residents. All the residents seem to be busybodies, knowing a little too much gossip and happenings in the town. It's a far cry from sunny California, where Juliana and her family used to live.

Her mom, facing a crumbling marriage and wanting to explore her artistic roots further, made Juliana and her brother and sister move to England with her. The adjustment wasn't easy - she was away from her Dad, her friends, and everything else she knew. England, at least where she was, didn't look like any of the pictures in the calendar Mom bought her. Even worse, Juliana had a constant nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

The book has two mysteries intertwined together. The first mystery that has to be solved is finding the murderer of Liza Pethering. As you delve further into the book you will discover that finding the culprit is easier said than done. The person arrested is the easy choice, but not particularly the right choice. The second mystery has to deal with Juliana's past, which has to be unraveled so she can move forward. At five years old, Juliana joined the Martin-Drake family. Ever since she was little, Juliana has had trouble with recalling memories of her past. It seems that she can't remember anything before she was five.

Did something happen to her to make her repress the memories? Are the two mysteries tied together somehow? All she knows is that she must solve both of them before another person, maybe herself, becomes the next victim.

Reviewed by: coollibrarianchick