Brrrrrrr… I thought moving from Chicago to NYC would be a breeze, since I literally would be escaping the Windy City (yes I realize that refers to politics and not weather, but anyway you look at it Chicago has damn bitter gusts) to the land of a more mild temperate. But last week Gothamist burst my bubble, reporting that this may be the coldest NYC winter in almost 30 years! Totally unnecessary, and unappreciated.
I've brought out my woolies and curled up next to my radiator (yes, this is also my first experience with a radiator – the little things like thermostats I used to take for granted <sigh>) and have managed to survive this cold snap. While I love paradise, drinks with a straw and my hammock on the beach, sometimes I get bitter at reading about these places when my own surroundings are far different. So as I avoid beach reading, I wait, along with many others, for the third installment in Stieg Larsson's trilogy, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST… Not only has this proven to be a fantastically thrilling series, but the fictional weather tends to be more dismal than I'm experiencing – which makes me both selfish and happy.
Due to this new found love for Scandinavian thrillers, I was doubly triply excited for the recent U.S. debut of SNOW ANGELS by James Thompson, an author out of Finland. Not only did this novel make my winter seem decidedly less severe (considering 24-hours of darkness, like they have in Finland, tends to put things in perspective) but I found the characters and the setting compelling… and add in the twisting and turning plot and it was overall un-put-downable!
I am unbiased. For real. But James is a Putnam author, so instead of giving too complete a review and have you guys think that my having spoken to him on the phone and listened to his nice Finnish accent gives me a clouded opinion, I'll share those of others (beyond the "MASTERFUL" Michael Connelly quote on the jacket).
Jen Forbus at Jen's Book Thoughts reviewed SNOW ANGELS and also shared a Q&A with James. I also direct your reviewing eyes to the thoughtful reviews on Jenn's Bookshelves and Whimpulsive. And there are more – if you'd like to share your thoughts on SNOW ANGELS I invite you to leave a link in the comments and I will add you here!
So next time you're staying in a cold winter night, take my advice and make a hot toddy (yummy & easy: tea *I've tried black, lemon, raspberry and mango- all delicious*, lemon juice, cinnamon stick or clover, honey… don't forget the whiskey!) and escape to Finland with SNOW ANGELS – though you may have to sleep with a nightlight on.