Heather’s Bookshelf: Their Winter Burn
Author: Mary Ann Trail
Released: 01/31/23
Genre: Historical Mystery/Fiction
“Granny had been helpful on a previous occasion and might be able to offer useful information to whomever would be responsible for investigating the death. He helped the elderly woman to her feet and led her down the stairs. Then he held the lantern while she made her examination. As he stood in the dark room, Chadwick cast about, hoping to find a clue they might have overlooked earlier. One that could explain the man’s death.”
“Their Winter Burn” is part of a series of historical fiction with recurring characters, but is a standalone story which was reviewed as such. The story occurs in 1805 and introduces Jeffrey and Georgina Chadwick, newlyweds who have made the long and harrowing journey from Great Britain to Boston.
They arrive in the blistering cold with their makeshift family to find an even bigger shock- a dead body in their new home. While the local authorities rule the death an accident, the victim’s father does not agree and asks Jeffrey to look into it further. He recruits his wife to help in the investigation.
While looking into the death, the Chadwicks must also find a way to start their new life. A subpar and sparse place to live, freezing cold weather conditions, and a community with a memory of the recent war are just a few of the obstacles they must overcome.
When a violent threat hits a a little too close to home, the Chadwicks must decide if they are willing to risk everything to solve the murder.
Trigger Warning: death, assault, arson
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. While it is a murder mystery/investigation, it’s really a tale about a found family trying to make a home in a historical fiction during a tumultuous time in US history. I’m originally from New England and could relate easily to the absolute bitter cold winters and couldn’t imagine the challenges of dealing with such conditions without central heating or waterproof clothing. Each of the main characters was developed in a way that gave them each a voice and purpose within the main POV of Jeffrey Chadwick. I honestly found Georgina and Paddy a little more interesting as characters, but understood why Jeffrey should be the main POV (from a head of household and what he witnessed perspective). I also absolutely loved Mr. Chen as an ancillary character and would love to see a spinoff on his adventures. The pacing for the first 3/4 of the book is an excellent mix of mystery, action, and scene setting. Once the mystery is revealed, however, there’s a little bit of challenge regarding the pacing until it picks back up for the ending. The ending wrapped up everything including the mystery nicely. There was a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it really more setup the next book than took away from the ending of Their Winter Burn. I would absolutely love to read more about the Chadwicks and their found family in the future.
A small thing: the author uses a couple of nicknames/last names/first names for some of the characters which I found at times to be a little confusing, especially starting out with the amount of characters.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A murder mystery that follows a found family as they settle in Boston just after the Revolutionary War. The author does a magnificent job of interweaving family, mystery, and history in this lovely tale.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Mary Ann Trail
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here or Kindle Unlimited
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