What do you think?
Rate this book
Winter Watch
What’s worse than being stranded in a small town in northern Wisconsin? Being stranded during the worst winter in recent memory.
Claudia Alexander’s problems are piling up faster than the snow on Lake Superior’s shore. Her noble mission to find the owner of an old pocket watch is complicated by incessant snowstorms, a mysterious vandal and the appearance of an old flame.
The local dogcatcher, a blind street preacher and an arthritic bloodhound come to Claudia’s aid. A promising romance warms up even as the temperatures drop.
But something evil is at work in Barley. As another blizzard approaches, so does a killer. Claudia must choose between her mission and saving the lives of the people she has come to love. Even if it means losing her own.
Claudia Alexander’s problems are piling up faster than the snow on Lake Superior’s shore. Her noble mission to find the owner of an old pocket watch is complicated by incessant snowstorms, a mysterious vandal and the appearance of an old flame.
The local dogcatcher, a blind street preacher and an arthritic bloodhound come to Claudia’s aid. A promising romance warms up even as the temperatures drop.
But something evil is at work in Barley. As another blizzard approaches, so does a killer. Claudia must choose between her mission and saving the lives of the people she has come to love. Even if it means losing her own.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 2014
5 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 6, 2014
I'm a fan of cozy mysteries: Miss Marple, Brother Cadfael, Mma Ramotswe, Alan Grant, and Flavia de Luce are ones I enjoy curling around with a steaming pot of tea at my side.
In Winter Watch, Anita Klumpers has written what I call a cozy-eccentric book. Barley, Wisconsin, is a isolated northern burg where the Justice of the Peace is also the dog catcher and where a few crazies reside. Bernice, a miscreant referred to as the resident killer, is the battiest of them all. After a family member dies, Bernice gets meals and kindness and concerns. And wouldn't you know, she likes the perks of grief. More relatives mysteriously die. Sympathy can be mighty addicting.
Like Alexander McCall Smith, Klumper weaves humor into the warp and woof of her prose. Blizzards are snowstorms with enthusiasm. A woman was proud to give her son a Biblical name—Tubal—until the nurse told her it sounded like a female medical procedure.
There is comfort—I like a woman who knows her way around an egg—and a passage about joy so lyrical it makes me both nod in agreement and yearn in anticipation:
"Joy arrived unbidden and unpredicted to pour from heart to fingertips to toes. She held her breath, everytime, to preserve and examine it but it forever danced just out of her grasp and slipped away. Claudia stayed still, focusing, her heart ready to burst. At the last crucial second joy seeped through cracks and crevices of her being until her every extremity and pore rejoiced before the evaporation worked backwards and she sat in the afterglow."
The focal point of the narrative centers on an old watch. The prologue and epilogue added more layers of history regarding the watch. The story line had me eagerly turning the page, and a bit annoyed with life's beckoning demands when I needed to put the book down.
In short, this is a satisfying and entertaining read.
In Winter Watch, Anita Klumpers has written what I call a cozy-eccentric book. Barley, Wisconsin, is a isolated northern burg where the Justice of the Peace is also the dog catcher and where a few crazies reside. Bernice, a miscreant referred to as the resident killer, is the battiest of them all. After a family member dies, Bernice gets meals and kindness and concerns. And wouldn't you know, she likes the perks of grief. More relatives mysteriously die. Sympathy can be mighty addicting.
Like Alexander McCall Smith, Klumper weaves humor into the warp and woof of her prose. Blizzards are snowstorms with enthusiasm. A woman was proud to give her son a Biblical name—Tubal—until the nurse told her it sounded like a female medical procedure.
There is comfort—I like a woman who knows her way around an egg—and a passage about joy so lyrical it makes me both nod in agreement and yearn in anticipation:
"Joy arrived unbidden and unpredicted to pour from heart to fingertips to toes. She held her breath, everytime, to preserve and examine it but it forever danced just out of her grasp and slipped away. Claudia stayed still, focusing, her heart ready to burst. At the last crucial second joy seeped through cracks and crevices of her being until her every extremity and pore rejoiced before the evaporation worked backwards and she sat in the afterglow."
The focal point of the narrative centers on an old watch. The prologue and epilogue added more layers of history regarding the watch. The story line had me eagerly turning the page, and a bit annoyed with life's beckoning demands when I needed to put the book down.
In short, this is a satisfying and entertaining read.
April 21, 2020
I’m a guy, but not inclined not to like a good, regional (Midwest-Wisconsin) mystery romance. (Guilty secret: I try to watch Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in “Sleepless in Seattle” every Christmas.). Epilogue at the end was not what I expected, but soooo cool and interesting. Great mix of characters and lots of interactions. Relationships bloom. Everyone is special once you get past physical and other character flaws. Learning how to “see” again once you’ve lost your sight, etc. Great first novel. Looking forward to Anita’s second.
December 15, 2018
Delightful! What some have dubbed a "cozy mystery," Winter Watch plops the reader down just off the shore of Lake Superior in the midst of frigid winter. Author Anita Klumpers crafts descriptions and dialog to dip in and out of the characters lives vicariously, especially when read during some cold and snowy winter nights.
I tremendously appreciated the virtuous and chaste ethos given to Claudia and Ezra. Another delight in this story!
Here's a quote which proposes a contemplative principle which I underlined:
I tremendously appreciated the virtuous and chaste ethos given to Claudia and Ezra. Another delight in this story!
Here's a quote which proposes a contemplative principle which I underlined:
"Some of my favorite movies end up with perfect strangers in each other's arms. Why shouldn't life imitate art?"
January 11, 2020
To call this story a mere mystery would be a degradation. This story is greater than the sum of its parts.
Murder and mayhem seems to abound in a quirky Wisconsin town. But when the undeserving become targets Claudia’s arrival seems more than suspect. Can she work with a host of colorful locals to solve the mystery of a family heirloom and catch a killer?
This is a story of courage, romance, mystery, historical fiction, and a touch of fantasy. Claudia is much like the watch in this story. Though appearing plain or even ugly to some, she finds value in herself and the other people of the town is great to those who look with unfettered eyes.
Murder and mayhem seems to abound in a quirky Wisconsin town. But when the undeserving become targets Claudia’s arrival seems more than suspect. Can she work with a host of colorful locals to solve the mystery of a family heirloom and catch a killer?
This is a story of courage, romance, mystery, historical fiction, and a touch of fantasy. Claudia is much like the watch in this story. Though appearing plain or even ugly to some, she finds value in herself and the other people of the town is great to those who look with unfettered eyes.
February 22, 2020
Winter Watch is a beautifully written romantic suspense novel. The book combines just the right amount of mystery, suspense, romance, and humor. After spending time with Claudia, Ezra, Philip, and the others characters of fictitious Barley, I’ve grown fond of their company. So fond in fact, that two years after reading the paperback, I purchased the audiobook version and gave it a listen. I eagerly anticipate the next treasure from the author's pen. I hope there’s a sequel in the works.
August 4, 2021
If I drove up to northern Wisconsin right now, I’m sure I’d find the supposedly fictional town of Barley, just as the author described it in this book. I’d be able to identify each person--Ezra, Ann, Philip, Felix, and more--plus landmarks, from Blossom’s Bar and Grill to the Weary Traveler Bed and Breakfast to Amos’s house. Yet there’s no heavy-handed description. It’s just woven in adeptly enough to enhance the scenery and make this place come alive.
The setting, humor, and witty dialog befitting of each character would’ve been enough to hold my interest, but on top of that is the mystery of the watch, a family heirloom that really belongs to somebody else. Claudia, the protagonist, is determined to find its rightful owner. Of course, things get complicated with vandalism, the arrival of Peter, and a murder, escalating the suspense into a nerve-racking climax.
And then there’s the romance spinning through it all.
I also loved learning about the history of the watch, gradually revealed through the story, as well as in the prologue and epilogue.
I live in Wisconsin so the next time I drive up north, I’m pretty sure I’ll be looking for “Barley.” The book was so enjoyable that I didn’t even mind reading a winter story in May.
The setting, humor, and witty dialog befitting of each character would’ve been enough to hold my interest, but on top of that is the mystery of the watch, a family heirloom that really belongs to somebody else. Claudia, the protagonist, is determined to find its rightful owner. Of course, things get complicated with vandalism, the arrival of Peter, and a murder, escalating the suspense into a nerve-racking climax.
And then there’s the romance spinning through it all.
I also loved learning about the history of the watch, gradually revealed through the story, as well as in the prologue and epilogue.
I live in Wisconsin so the next time I drive up north, I’m pretty sure I’ll be looking for “Barley.” The book was so enjoyable that I didn’t even mind reading a winter story in May.
Read
January 10, 2022I love it!
Well written, engaging and hard to put down. I highly recommend this book. Anita is a brilliant author., I want to dead all her books!
Well written, engaging and hard to put down. I highly recommend this book. Anita is a brilliant author., I want to dead all her books!
January 17, 2022
Oh, this is just a gem of a story!
It had me laughing out loud with it's dialogue. I would live in this snowy little town, with it's nosy but endearing characters.
Just read it, trust me...
It had me laughing out loud with it's dialogue. I would live in this snowy little town, with it's nosy but endearing characters.
Just read it, trust me...
February 24, 2014
Delightful Debut! Sometimes, even disasters are those course corrections we all need to get us back on the path of our destinies.
Opening with a two-pronged prologue, Klumpers tantalizes the reader with the story of a pocket watch at the center of devastating events. How it comes to our heroine, Claudia, is gradually revealed throughout the book.
The back cover copy says it very well—if you have to be stuck in the dead of winter in northern Wisconsin, may you find a village like the charming one created by the author. Sure it has its issues, colorful characters including a mass murderer and a registered sex offender, an antique blind town pastor, and a Justice of the Peace/dog catcher named Ezra whom everyone loves. When Claudia is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, she's close enough to her destination, Barley, to hitch a ride. Barley may hold the secret to the mysterious family heirloom and its rightful owner—if only she can figure out who that is, before another body shows up.
Claudia immediately instills an innocent vulnerability and trust to the customers at Blossom’s diner, and everyone offers helpful advice, from where to stay and how to get there and a character reference from said Justice of the Peace. The colorful family who runs the bed and breakfast open in the “off” season is a quirky, loveable set of characters who jump right into matchmaking schemes that leave the reader chuckling. A dinner date, an attempted murder, an actual murder, and boyfriend, create a funky olio of delicious reading.
Mayhem, absolutely delightful settings, a vocabulary for the intelligent adult reader (thank you!), and some very sweet romance make this novel a very clever read. Kudos! Told by Claudia, the twists will keep you turning pages. Recommended for those who like clean, smart reads.
Opening with a two-pronged prologue, Klumpers tantalizes the reader with the story of a pocket watch at the center of devastating events. How it comes to our heroine, Claudia, is gradually revealed throughout the book.
The back cover copy says it very well—if you have to be stuck in the dead of winter in northern Wisconsin, may you find a village like the charming one created by the author. Sure it has its issues, colorful characters including a mass murderer and a registered sex offender, an antique blind town pastor, and a Justice of the Peace/dog catcher named Ezra whom everyone loves. When Claudia is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, she's close enough to her destination, Barley, to hitch a ride. Barley may hold the secret to the mysterious family heirloom and its rightful owner—if only she can figure out who that is, before another body shows up.
Claudia immediately instills an innocent vulnerability and trust to the customers at Blossom’s diner, and everyone offers helpful advice, from where to stay and how to get there and a character reference from said Justice of the Peace. The colorful family who runs the bed and breakfast open in the “off” season is a quirky, loveable set of characters who jump right into matchmaking schemes that leave the reader chuckling. A dinner date, an attempted murder, an actual murder, and boyfriend, create a funky olio of delicious reading.
Mayhem, absolutely delightful settings, a vocabulary for the intelligent adult reader (thank you!), and some very sweet romance make this novel a very clever read. Kudos! Told by Claudia, the twists will keep you turning pages. Recommended for those who like clean, smart reads.
April 6, 2014
It’s been chilly up in the midwest, and Anita Klumper’s new romantic suspense novel, Winter Watch, is what the doctor ordered to get my heart pumping. (well, that and a cozy chair by the fireplace and a cup of something warm!)
Claudia finds herself stranded in northern Wisconsin when she travels there to uncover the true owner of a watch with age old secrets. She meets up with a bevy of characters from the local dog-catcher to the and old, yet sage, blind man and a fun husband and wife team who own the B&B while home schooling their cheeky teenage son. Throw in a slobbering dog, an eccentric restaurant, an old boy friend, winter storms and mysterious happenings that culminate in murder. Claudia needs to decide whether the watch is worth losing the lives of the people she comes to care for.
I really enjoyed this story and the unusual romance that develops between Claudia and Ezra. The bookends to the story add another dimension of depth to the entire tale of this mysterious watch and its elusive fob and just who the real owner is. Who would have thought something so old would create such chaos? Anita’s research and attention to details in this story is riviting and fun. It is a story I highly recommend. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Claudia finds herself stranded in northern Wisconsin when she travels there to uncover the true owner of a watch with age old secrets. She meets up with a bevy of characters from the local dog-catcher to the and old, yet sage, blind man and a fun husband and wife team who own the B&B while home schooling their cheeky teenage son. Throw in a slobbering dog, an eccentric restaurant, an old boy friend, winter storms and mysterious happenings that culminate in murder. Claudia needs to decide whether the watch is worth losing the lives of the people she comes to care for.
I really enjoyed this story and the unusual romance that develops between Claudia and Ezra. The bookends to the story add another dimension of depth to the entire tale of this mysterious watch and its elusive fob and just who the real owner is. Who would have thought something so old would create such chaos? Anita’s research and attention to details in this story is riviting and fun. It is a story I highly recommend. I look forward to reading more from this author!
February 9, 2016
--I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I love romance, and I love suspense. This book gave me the hometown feel of a cozy mystery with just enough romance to keep it interesting. Winter Watch is about Claudia, a woman trying to fulfill the request of returning a watch to it's rightful owner. Little did she know the value of this watch, the history and the danger it would bring to her. She ends up in the town of Barley where she meets Ezra..what a wonderful man, you cannot help but love him. This town just brings warmth to your heart as you listen to it. With Peter, her original love interest following her, and the watch, Claudia ends up in bringing craziness and suspense all around her. You will love this book if you enjoy historical romantic suspense, Anita Klumpers has a winner.
Laura Jennings as always brings her A+ performance. I love her narrations, her voice being warm and comforting throughout this book. Narrators that make their characters easily distinguishable are a pleasure to listen to, and Laura always delivers.
I love romance, and I love suspense. This book gave me the hometown feel of a cozy mystery with just enough romance to keep it interesting. Winter Watch is about Claudia, a woman trying to fulfill the request of returning a watch to it's rightful owner. Little did she know the value of this watch, the history and the danger it would bring to her. She ends up in the town of Barley where she meets Ezra..what a wonderful man, you cannot help but love him. This town just brings warmth to your heart as you listen to it. With Peter, her original love interest following her, and the watch, Claudia ends up in bringing craziness and suspense all around her. You will love this book if you enjoy historical romantic suspense, Anita Klumpers has a winner.
Laura Jennings as always brings her A+ performance. I love her narrations, her voice being warm and comforting throughout this book. Narrators that make their characters easily distinguishable are a pleasure to listen to, and Laura always delivers.
February 11, 2014
This funny tale with unusual characters turns into an interesting thriller with the heroine, Claudia, careening down the mountain on a snowmobile then crashing in a Volvo only to be rescued by the local dogcatcher.
Claudia who is trying to locate the rightful owner of an old watch finds herself in Wisconsin in a tiny snowed-in hamlet. She enjoys all the “locals” especially Ezra who is the justice of the peace and dogcatcher. When it turns out that another resident, Amos, who she thought belonged to the watch, has no claim to it, the plot “thickens” as they say involving murder and intrigue.
I was especially intrigued by Ms Klumpers knowledge of gemstones and precious metals. Those details, for me, authenticated the story. The epilogue wraps it up nicely into a wonderful tale for a winter’s read. Nice job, Anita
Claudia who is trying to locate the rightful owner of an old watch finds herself in Wisconsin in a tiny snowed-in hamlet. She enjoys all the “locals” especially Ezra who is the justice of the peace and dogcatcher. When it turns out that another resident, Amos, who she thought belonged to the watch, has no claim to it, the plot “thickens” as they say involving murder and intrigue.
I was especially intrigued by Ms Klumpers knowledge of gemstones and precious metals. Those details, for me, authenticated the story. The epilogue wraps it up nicely into a wonderful tale for a winter’s read. Nice job, Anita
September 10, 2015
Claudia Alexander heads to Northern Wisconsin with her boyfriend to find the rightful owner of a pocket watch that has been in her family for decades. She finds more than she expected—snow, cold, friends, and murder.
A romantic suspense, Anita Klumpers tells a good tale. I kept turning pages wanting to know what happens next!
With clever use of Prologue and Epilogue, Klumpers puts the bookends on the story.
I've been to Barley, Wisconsin—I've eaten at Blossom's—and I've stayed at The Weary Traveler Bed and Breakfast. At least, it seems that way. The scene comes alive as we get to know and like the characters, except for one.
Published by Prisim Book Group, "Winter Watch" is G rated, their specialty. It's refreshing to not be dragged through moral slime and just enjoy a good story.
A romantic suspense, Anita Klumpers tells a good tale. I kept turning pages wanting to know what happens next!
With clever use of Prologue and Epilogue, Klumpers puts the bookends on the story.
I've been to Barley, Wisconsin—I've eaten at Blossom's—and I've stayed at The Weary Traveler Bed and Breakfast. At least, it seems that way. The scene comes alive as we get to know and like the characters, except for one.
Published by Prisim Book Group, "Winter Watch" is G rated, their specialty. It's refreshing to not be dragged through moral slime and just enjoy a good story.
February 17, 2016
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
I've lived in Small Town, Wisconsin, and love the Superior shore of WI and Duluth, so I could relate even before enjoying this book. The story line has been beaten to death by publisher and reviewers, so that will not be done here.
The writing is smooth and cohesive with suspense and building to climax. The imagery is clear, and the characters well developed. Enjoy this book now!
Laura does an excellent performance of enhancing the characters and projects their emotional responses well.
I've lived in Small Town, Wisconsin, and love the Superior shore of WI and Duluth, so I could relate even before enjoying this book. The story line has been beaten to death by publisher and reviewers, so that will not be done here.
The writing is smooth and cohesive with suspense and building to climax. The imagery is clear, and the characters well developed. Enjoy this book now!
Laura does an excellent performance of enhancing the characters and projects their emotional responses well.
May 17, 2014
This is two stories in one- one of an amazing tracking of one watch form Imperialistic Russia to the shores of Galveston an then to Lake Superior in the frozen winter. The other story is of one young woman's discovery of who she wants to be in life. You will love the eccentric characters in this small northern town on the shores of the Great Lake. Vividly told, rich dialog and creative imagery bring this suspense-romance tale to life. A very good read.
February 10, 2015
Author Anita Klumpers clearly did her homework researching the backstory of the eponymous McGuffin, and it enhances the tale. Much praise is also deserved for making the small-town setting of Barley, Wisconsin seem like a real place; avoiding both Wobegon-style sentimentality and Peyton Place-type luridness.
March 30, 2014
I was extremely impressed by this debut novel. It was a lot of fun to read and it has stayed with me. I have several scenes in mind that will stay with me. I can't explain why the scenes were so memorable, but I know that I can't wait to read more by this author.
Her setting was very well done. The story held together very well and was quite unusual. Liked it a lot.
Her setting was very well done. The story held together very well and was quite unusual. Liked it a lot.
October 21, 2015
When Claudia sets out to right a wrong caused by a long past disreputable relative, she winds up stranded in Barley, Wisconsin, a town full of quirky characters--most of them are loveable, but one of them is a murderer. Claudia is a one of the most endearing heroines I've ever encountered. While this story is set in a bitter Wisconsin winter, it warmed my heart. I highly recommend it.
January 19, 2016
When Claudia sets out to right a wrong caused by a long past disreputable relative, she winds up stranded in Barley, Wisconsin, a town full of quirky characters--most of them are loveable, but one of them is a murderer. Claudia is a one of the most endearing heroines I've ever encountered. While this story is set in a bitter Wisconsin winter, it warmed my heart. I highly recommend it.
February 5, 2016
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
A mystery that spans generations leads to theft and murder.The story turns and weaves through families. Interesting plot.
The narration was very good. Characters brought to life and I could see them clearly!
A mystery that spans generations leads to theft and murder.The story turns and weaves through families. Interesting plot.
The narration was very good. Characters brought to life and I could see them clearly!
April 24, 2014
I really enjoyed the story line and all.... At the end I was believing more that peter killed that kid. I liked the little romance in the story line, and how it all ended out engaged and so on. :)
March 30, 2014
This book was written by the mother-in-law of my former co-worker!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews