Winter Haven (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: liberabit vos, owlish man, bleeding branches, Winter Haven, Steady Wallis, Evan Frost (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Dickson's mastery.... makes Winter Haven rise above the standard fair of gothic suspense." --Eric Wilson, TitleTrakk.com

"...a wonderfully drawn story that includes suspense, chills, a hint of romance, and a search for spiritual truth...." -- Jake Chism, BookshelfReview.com

"Winter Haven is an absorbing suspense novel from one of Christian fiction's most engaging writers." -- Cindy Crosby, FaithfulReader.com

Review

"A page-turning gothic tale, combining elements of romance, mystery, and a ghost story, that aspires to go beyond genre..."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764201646
• ISBN-13: 978-0764201646
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #702,956 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rich, Mesmerizing Tale, April 1, 2008

By	Jake Chism "www.FictionAddict.com" (Krum, TX USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Vera Gamble leads a quiet life as a CPA in Dallas. Haunted by her past, she hides behind the numbers to keep from facing the pain. A stranger calls out of the blue bearing news that forces Vera to remember things that she longs to forget. Her brother, Siggy, has been found dead washed up on the shores of Winter Haven, a small island community just off the coast of Maine. Reluctantly, Vera embarks on the long journey to claim the body of her older brother who has been missing for thirteen years.

Upon arrival at Winter Haven, Vera is instantly aware of how unique this place is. Trees of seemingly unnatural height tower overhead and the streets are lined with antiquated homes and buildings that look as if they have been untouched by time. The people are quite and keep to themselves and seem bothered by the presence of a stranger.

Vera is lead to the old shack where her brother's body has been preserved. She is shocked to discover that that not only is the body indeed her brother, but he also hasn't aged a day since he vanished thirteen years ago. Vera stets out on a quest for the truth behind this startling revelation and along the way learns the dark history of Winter Haven. Her search for truth will bring her face to face with her greatest fears and her troubled past. The truth that is uncovered will forever change Vera and the people of Winter Haven.

Athol Dickson is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Winter Haven is further proof of the depth of his talent and his storytelling ability. At its core this is a mystery novel, yet it is so much more. Dickson treats us to a wonderfully drawn story that includes suspense, chills, a hint of romance, and a search for spiritual truth that will resonate with the reader long after the last line.

Dickson's strength is found in his ability to cause readers to slow down and savor every word. I often find myself flying through the pages of a book that I love, but this time I constantly found myself holding back to enjoy the rich imagery and the methodical character development. Dickson paints word pictures like no one else and he effortlessly drops us into the strange and beautiful world of Winter Haven. Even though we are presented with more and more questions as the story unfolds, Dickson cleverly ties up all the loose ends in a way I never anticipated.

This is Athol Dickson at his best and fans of unique mysteries and suspense will love this story. Clear your schedules, kick back, slow down, and prepare to enjoy every word of this rich, mesmerizing tale.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Faith in god & humanity tested, June 4, 2008

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Nikki Pringle for Reader Views (5/08)

One day, Vera Gamble gets a call that she has waited 13 years for. A body has been found washed ashore on a beach in Winter Haven and the caller tells her the body is that of her brother, Siggy, whom disappeared when Vera was a little girl. Vera decides she must go to this tiny island off of the Maine coast and see for herself that the body is actually that of her brother, even though it doesn't seem possible that a 15-year-old boy could have made his way from Texas to the northeastern United States thirteen years ago. Especially one that was autistic, fearful of being touched, and who spoke only in Bible verses.

After a long journey to Winter Haven, during which old visions of her past begin to resurface, Vera meets with the police chief and reluctantly goes to see the body. At first glance she is relieved to see it is not her now 28-year-old brother, Siggy. After another look, she is shaken to the core when she realizes that it is Siggy, and somehow, he has not aged in the 13 years he has been gone.

Vera searches for answers while struggling to keep her sanity on the small island where strange things keep happening that could be viewed as religious symbolism, the work of a darker force, or signs of mental illness. The mystery surrounding what really happened to Siggy, and the meaning behind Vera's visions, are as thick as the unrelenting fog in one of island's coves.

Vera feels she can trust no one in the tight knit Winter Haven community, not even Evan Frost, whom she has made a strong connection with, so she sets out on her own to solve the mystery of Siggy's death and the unnatural sights and sounds that have plagued her during her stay. What she learns during her journey tests her faith in God, family, and love.

"Winter Haven" is marketed as a Christian book. While it does contain elements that certainly pertain to the Christian faith, it has an almost gothic feel that readers of other genres like mystery, suspense and the non-faith based supernatural would enjoy. Athol Dickson writes with a level of detail that is astounding. I found myself intrigued by the story and very interested to learn where the path Dickson was leading me down would end. This is a book that really makes the reader think and to question whether the easiest explanation is always the best one.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Atheist Seeks Winter Haven, September 29, 2008

By	Imez - See all my reviews

When I got to my car holding this book, I actually swore out-loud when I realized the library's "NEW" tag had covered the "CHRISTIAN" tag underneath it. I thought, "Man, all that cool stuff about witches and scary mansions was just a red herring. I have already solved this mystery. Jesus did it."

But I read it.

This book wasn't smug. It presented a Christianity that wasn't arrogant, sterilized, or shaking a finger at the filthy world around it. It was a story that happened to happen the Christian folks, and they dealt with it based on their Christian beliefs. I respect that.

It was a good mystery. It seemed a little threadbare, lo-fat Stephen King, characters not terribly original or deep. I really liked the **SPOILER ALERT** role an iceberg could play in a mystery like this. Just plausible enough to be fun.

I did not understand the religious angle entirely. Detecting **SPOILER** the message that God had 7 or so people die tragically so that...a nice hotel could exist...but I never got the impression Dickson was insisting I agree with him. Dickson seemed content in the not knowing, himself.