And the Lake Will Take Them: Sheriff Red Mysteries, Book 1

Sheriff Red Mysteries #1

by Linda Norlander, Elisabeth Ashby (Narrator)

Chilling cold cases resurface as Sheriff Red Hammergren hunts for a missing teen, exposing the dark underbelly of a storm-bound Minnesota town.

Amid a fierce snowstorm sweeping across rural Minnesota, an isolated cabin goes up in flames, leaving a critically injured high school drug dealer and a missing girl in its wake. The disappearance propels Sheriff Red Hammergren into action to find the troubled young girl, Missy Klein, the daughter of Junior Klein—the victim of an unsolved cold case years prior.

As Red peels back the layers of Missy's vanishing, she uncovers a chilling nexus of drug trafficking pervading through her community with roots to the local high school. Unknown to Red, her investigations have roused a malevolent presence, a killer lurking within the storm . . . a killer that would do anything to stop the sheriff's probing.

Red soon reveals a terrifying link between Missy's peril and the unresolved cold cases she has tirelessly sought to solve. Engulfed in a battle against both the elements and time, Red must navigate her community's shadowy corners and frozen woods to rescue Missy and halt the advances of a killer—all before the storm engulfs the truth in its icy grasp.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Thriller, Fiction, Procedural, Adult

Audible Audio

Published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Nancy McFarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

And The Lake Will Take Them is a terrific start to a new series featuring a strong female sheriff in a rural MN town in the middle of a winter blizzard. The internal dialogue Sheriff Red Hammergren shares as she links the death of one teenager and the disappearance of another to several cold cases, paints a picture of a strong no-nonsense sheriff who also has great compassion and empathy for the less fortunate. I can’t wait to learn more about the small MN town and the host of interesting characters we have already met.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win this book in a giveaway, special thanks to Storygraph and Linda Norlander!

3,5 ⭐ - a missing girl, connections to past cold cases and a present drug case. This book had it all, it's up to sheriff Red to solve the above.

I enjoyed reading this book and following the steps of a strong female lead, with loads of twists and turns - this book kept me guessing. I can't wait to read the next adventure of sheriff Red!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled a bit with this book. I liked the concept of cold cases intersecting with a current missing teenage girl and the opening scene in the book was creepy and intriguing, but ultimately I found the book rather slow and the actual investigation seemed rather scattered. There are a couple of instances where the main character goes off on a political tangent where her views differ from her small town leadership as well as many of the local residents. This gives insight into the character, but in our current political climate, I’d rather not read about it in my escapist reading. I did finish the book and the reveal of the culprit was unexpected, but I’m ambivalent about continuing the series unless the plot description really grabs my attention.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a thriller and loved the rural setting promised in And the Lake Will Take Them. Sheriff Red Hammergren is new to her position after her husband died and a storm is coming.

Missy Klein, the daughter of Junior Klein—the victim of an unsolved cold case years prior is missing. With temperatures dipping and the promise of a snowstorm, Sheriff Red must act fast. The story that unfolds was filled with danger as another teen is injured when an abandoned cabin sets fire. Soon, the sheriff is following a link to drug trafficking and finding links to an unsolved cold case.

Norlander delivered an engaging tale that highlighted the challenges a small department faces, especially during a snowstorm. I liked Red even if her backstory was a sad one. She is still mourning her husband and the plans they shared, but as the Sherrif, she needs to focus on the missing girl and the dangers lurking because someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. Her grittiness and determination shined.

The author brought the rural landscape to life, and it became a character in itself. I could feel the cold and appreciated the small-town sense of community and quirks.

Town secrets and a dark force moving to silence her, Red has her hands full as the author delivered this fast-paced, engaging tale with twists that kept me listening. Elizabeth Ashby narrates and enhanced the overall tale. She captured Red, the townsfolk, and the tone of the story. I recommend listening.

Perfect for fans of Kendra Elliot & Melinda Leigh, And the Lake Will Take Them was a thrilling start to the Sheriff Red Mysteries series. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Summer Bendle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. It was kind of slow. There were parts that confused me, but I still finished. I wouldn’t say this was one of my favorites.

[Jolie Lennon · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.4 Stars⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read And The Lake Will Take Them! I’m a sucker for a winter thriller (probably because I live in the desert🌵). I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and loved that it had the sheriff’s point of view as well as the missing teens! I also enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook. As the book went on I was struggling to remember all the characters introduced to the point of when the killer was revealed it took me awhile to remember who that person was in the story because they were barely shown and so many characters were introduced. I also felt like the way the killers mental health was portrayed at the end of the book wasn’t very accurate to someone with her mental health struggles. Other than that I enjoyed the story and would definitely read more from this author in the future! Thank you again to NetGalley!💕📚

[plantsandpageturners · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished the audio version and though it was great! I was instantly hooked from the beginning.
(I wish I would have listened to it in the colder months because it takes place during winter in rural Minnesota - making it the perfect addition for your winter TBR pile)

Follow local Sherrif Red as she unravels the truth behind the disappearance of Missy Klein. Shes a character you find yourself rooting for early on and I absolutely loved getting to know her. She is smart as a whip and determined. If you like books with strong female leads, small town secrets, lies, murder and drug trafficking you'll like this one. Publishing later this month, you’ll definitely want to check this it out!

Thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Sherry Steveson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook was narrated perfectly and the pace was steady and pulse pounding. Sheriff Red Hammergren is investigating a series of crimes and missing persons that ultimately connect.

I enjoyed this female lead who is particularly strong and intelligent. I’d love to see this develop into a series.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review of the audiobook, so I need to get a big complaint out of the way. The narrator was doing some sort of accent for the characters in this small town in Minnesota, and I don't know what it is, but it did not sound Minnesotan at all. I am from Minnesota, albeit the Twin Cities, not rural Minnesota like this book is set, and this just sounded off to me. Now, I don't think I would have noticed or had any particular complaint had the narrator not tried to do any kind of accent, but since the dialogue was read noticeably differently than the rest of the text, obviously she was. The main feature of this "Minnesota" accent seemed to be dropping the g on every single -ing word. Some words, sure, but this is not some kind of stereotypical Minnesota thing, and it didn't sound right to me. I would describe it as maybe she was doing a Southern accent without the twang? I don't know if I could even put my finger on exactly what else was wrong with it, it just sounded off, and I think perhaps it was that mainly she just dropped her g's and then didn't try to do anything Minnesota-y with her vowels and inflection? It was super distracting to me and consequently I spent a large portion of the audiobook waiting for her to say "bag" so I could judge how Minnesotan it was (spoiler: not at all!) It got me very riled up and at one point I shouted "I think you mean hot dish!" when she said the word "casserole", and then remembered I couldn't blame the word choice on the narrator 😅

However, if you are not from here or if you are less prone to obsessing over such details, you will probably not mind this accent, whatever it is, and other than that the narration was fine--nothing outstanding, but fine.

As for the story, this is the beginning of a series about a widowed 40-something female sheriff in a rural Minnesota county. In the dead of winter, amid multiple snowstorms, she is looking for a missing girl and trying to find the source of some mysterious--possibly drug-related--money. She also has some personal matters going on that lead to the reader getting more background about her late husband and father-in-law, both former sheriffs of the same county.

I thought Red was a fairly likable character. She does her job, goes home to her small dog, and goes to poker night with a group of women in the town. She does go off on political tangents every now and then, which mostly have little to do with the story, but I guess mostly are there to establish Red's character. While I did think they stood out to me as not really flowing well in a few cases, they were generally things I was in total agreement with her about, so it was not anything I minded, but conservative readers who seek to avoid that kind of thing may end up riled up by this book. These political rambles generally ended up with Red thinking about how she had better not mention THAT to the conservative townspeople whose votes she needs, so maybe the point was also to establish how a sheriff is a political animal and needs to behave that way.

The mystery for me, was so-so--I didn't find myself all that invested in what happened to Missy, where the money came from, who killed an unidentified man several decades ago. Red's investigating mostly involved asking everyone she ran into if they'd ever heard of a person named Coke, so I guess the sleuthing was just all right for me too. There was also an unexpectedly vivid birth (or, I guess, pre-birth) scene, and the image of a "throbbing" umbilical cord emerging before the baby is probably the part of the book that will stick with me the longest! 👀 This story did keep me engaged though, but I'm not sure it was enough that I'd pick up the next in the series, unless the plot sounds especially good. I did enjoy the small town setting and all the snow, however, and I would be interested to see how Red progresses as a character over further books.

All in all, I'd say check this one out if you think the plot sounds intriguing or you like books set in Minnesota (maybe don't do the audio though...), but it isn't one of the top mysteries I'd recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to review an ARC of this audiobook.

[Kita · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the first chapter pulled me in like that, I thought I wasn't going to be able to put it down! As the story progresses in choppy bursts it kinda made me less interested in the story. I probably would bump it up to 4 stars if the pacing was better. Thinking back- the chapters were short and to the point, so maybe it is just a personal gripe about her writing style. It isn't important enough to stop me from continuing to the next book though.

Red is a likable character, but definitely a little too small town. I don't want to spoil anything, but some of her decisions are indicative of a small town sheriff and others are just plain bad decisions.

The group of friends are fun to get to know and I look forward to learning more about Scotty and Georgia in future books.

[Wondrously Bookish Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Small town crime has never sounded so good. This audiobook was everything I expected and more, dirty little secrets revealed one by one and a detective with a heavy past and an endearing little pet.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC.

[Lori Albertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fast-moving story. I quite enjoyed meeting Sheriff Red and getting to a great twist! I hope there are more stories of Sheriff Red to come.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this audiobook.

[Deb Mervold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheriff Red is a great character. I enjoyed this case.

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn right in to the small-town-Minnesota-lake-country scenario. Using a female sheriff is a good way to add to the plot's dimension.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a good time with this one and I'm pretty excited to see that it's the first book in a series. Something about an extremely snowy/cold place and horrible crimes happening just makes me feel so claustrophobic and I love it!

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Linda Norlander’s "And the Lake Will Take Them" is a gripping debut in the Sheriff Red Mysteries series, set against the stark and unforgiving backdrop of rural Minnesota. With its atmospheric setting, complex characters, and a plot that intertwines cold cases with present-day peril, this novel is a masterclass in suspenseful storytelling.

The story begins with a fierce snowstorm sweeping across the icy shores of Hammer Lake, where an isolated cabin fire leaves a high school drug dealer critically injured and a teenage girl, Missy Klein, missing. Sheriff Red Hammergren, a determined and resourceful protagonist, is thrust into a race against time to find Missy. As Red delves deeper into the case, she uncovers chilling connections to unresolved cold cases, including the murder of Missy’s father years earlier. The investigation reveals a dark web of drug trafficking, small-town secrets, and a malevolent presence lurking in the storm.

Norlander’s portrayal of Sheriff Red is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Red is a gritty, no-nonsense character whose dedication to justice is matched only by her compassion for the vulnerable. Her interactions with the townsfolk, each harboring their own secrets, add depth and authenticity to the narrative. The supporting cast is equally compelling, with characters who feel as real and layered as the snow-covered landscape they inhabit.

The setting itself is a character in the story, with Norlander’s evocative descriptions of the frozen woods and storm-bound town creating a sense of claustrophobia and urgency. The relentless snowstorm serves as both a physical and metaphorical barrier, heightening the stakes as Red battles the elements and time to uncover the truth.

The plot is intricately woven, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. Norlander skillfully balances the tension of the investigation with moments of introspection, exploring themes of loss, resilience, and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets. The pacing is brisk, yet the story never feels rushed, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the mystery.

"And the Lake Will Take Them" is a standout in the mystery genre, offering a perfect blend of suspense, character development, and atmospheric storytelling. Linda Norlander has crafted a tale that is as chilling as the Minnesota winter and as satisfying as solving a long-buried puzzle. For fans of small-town mysteries and strong female leads, this book is an absolute must-read. Sheriff Red Hammergren is a character you’ll want to follow through many more storms to come.

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 3 out of 5]

BOOK REPORT
In retrospect, my decision to stay up almost an hour-and-a-half past my bedtime reading this book was not the right one.

I woke up with a book hangover, and it wasn’t even worth it. A friend said, “If it kept you up to reach the end, it must’ve been good enough!”

My response to her was that it was just an OK book, albeit good for a first in a series. The reasons I kept reading were because I was afraid I would forget some of the rather convoluted-y plot lines if I had to wait until late this afternoon to pick it back up (lotsa chores on my plate today), and because I thought the second in the series was already available and I could start it today. Alas, it's not even going to be available until late September.

I do plan to read it then, because I liked the main character and the setting and some of the secondary characters. And I hope that the author got most, if not all, of her tropes out of the way, because this one was seriously everything-and-the-kitchen-sink-y and the villain was so stinkin’ obvious you wanted to just holler at Sheriff Red to get with the program. (Read the flyleaf cover, you’ll see.)

Here is one weird thing (not to be confused with “This One Weird Trick!”): I found my enjoyment of the book was lessened by its physical size and shape. It was awkwardly oversized, so much so that I kept looking back to see if I’d accidentally picked up a large print book (I had not). I looked up the publisher: Severn River Publishing

I definitely applaud them and what they state is their passion: ”Severn River Publishing was founded by military veterans and family members who shared a love of story. We are made up of mothers and fathers, authors and bookworms, soldiers and aviators. And most importantly, military spouses. Good stories helped pass the time during those long deployments and tough training. Reading books while sweating in a tent or rocking on a ship halfway around the world. Late at night when our spouse was gone. We read.

“Stories help us get through the tough times. They provide a satisfying form of relaxation during the good times. Whether it’s for a momentary escape, or a deeper connection to the human experience. We believe that reading and sharing stories are some of the best ways to spend our time.”

I agree. It’s just that if all the hard copy books are published in this particular format, I think I’ll be better off going the ebook route in the future.

PS
Hey Future Kristi: Check out other books by this author (no pun intended), outside of this series.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I’ve read of this author, but a great start…apparently to a new series!

Sheriff Red Hammergren is a tough cookie!! But then again, I guess she HAS to be! Being as several of the heavy hitting men in town have it in for her! 😮

We open up with an explosion at a remote cabin, in the middle of one of many heavy snowstorms in Minnesota. A teenage boy is critically injured, and a teenage girl is missing….
Is she dead? Is her body amid the debris in the flaming cabin?
What caused the explosion? Did it have something to do with drugs??
Because as the Sheriff investigates, it seems like all options are pointing to the boy being a drug dealer….

So now she is in pursuit of finding Missy, the missing girl…

But as she’s trying to track her down, she keeps coming across stuff from other murders/crimes that have been committed in this smallish town! Are they all connected somehow??

It’s refreshing to see a Sheriff take such a keen interest in EVERYONE in her town! She seems to have a pretty close handle on all things going on there… and if she finds something she is not all that invested in, well, she’ll get more invested!!

So as time goes on, more and more twists/details come out, and they all seem to be leading her somewhere…
But just where will this lead her, and when will it end?

And… can they find and save Missy in time???

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#AndTheLakeWillTakeThem by #LindaNorlander and narrated nicely by #ElisabethAshby.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #TantorAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date is today, 3/25/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves now !! ***

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

[Kris Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cabin fire in the middle of a harsh Minnesota snowstorm leaves Sheriff Red Hammergren with a critically injured teenage boy and a missing teenage girl. Racing against the snow, Red pulls at the threads of her small community and finds much more than she bargained for.

Overall I enjoyed this story. The writing is really excellent, and the pacing was good. The issue I ran into was that this book (I see it's the first in a series) introduces SO MANY characters and backstories I really struggled to keep everything straight. If some of the tangential storylines or at least some of the backstory had been cut and then maybe peppered into later installments this likely would have been a five star for me but I just consistently struggled to keep it straight. At one point there is a pretty graphic description of a woman in labor and it was so out of place that I had to check my app to make sure I hadn't accidentally opened the wrong book. Possibly I missed something, but I still do not understand how that scene fit in, but again, it could be because I struggled to understand how all the characters fit.

Still, the writing was good, and the pace was good, I would definitely try a second book in the series, but I would really hope for a much more streamlined case next time because the character issue just really took away from the story.

Unrelated to the writing, I also think the title kind of suggests something very nefarious and vaguely horror genre, as if The Lake is its own character with its own ill intentions or its own history of mysteriously claiming lives and it never really explored that.

[Deanna Loves to Read!!:) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Sheriff Red series. The story begins with a creepy incident involving a character named "Not Me". that drew me right in. It hints at what is going to happen, but suddenly ends! I was turning pages in the beginning because I wanted to see what was going on with Not Me.
From here, we segue into the present. A teenage girl has gone missing, and Sheriff Red begins looking for her. She soon discovers that there is a lot more going on: drugs, connections to cold cases of other missing girls. Add to this mix a cast of characters that is vast in this tiny town, making the suspect pool very large!

I liked the no nonsense Sheriff Red. She is strong, honest and persistent. However, there were times when she would go on political rants that went against the norm of the local townies. I found this very jarring because it took me out of the story. The investigation is thorough, but it drags a lot in the middle. We get to see the inner thoughts of Red, and sometimes i felt it was unnecessary and slowed the story down. The large amount of characters were hard to keep track of, and by the end I couldn't remember exactly who was who, and what all the connections were. I did find the ending to be a surprising twist that I did not figure out! However, I question the portrayal of the killer's mental health because it seemed to be revealed rather suddenly.

Overall this is a decent read, with a bit of a drag in the middle.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn River Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Brittany Trenker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally had some technically difficulties with accessing the downloaded audiobook on the NetGalley app, but I was able to actually listen to this chilling thriller. I think this was more of a slow burn, suspense rather than fast-paced thriller. I enjoyed it overall, I think the story was interesting and there were some interesting twists in plot. I found Sheriff Red to be an entertaining narrator. It was a little slow for me because the character development and backstory took a while to unfold. It was a great, compelling read (listen) and I enjoyed following along.

Set in rural Minnesota during the winter, there were a lot of elements and heart pounding moments as we listened along. An isolated cabin goes up in flames, missing teenagers, white-out conditions, drug deals gone awry and unsolved cold cases. There is a lot going on in And the Lake Will Take Them. Linda Norlander paints a vivid and detailed picture of crime and rural Minnesota. The imagery was well written and the narration was phenomenal. Some of the characters, aside from Sheriff Red were a little hard to relate to, but I think that it was well put together as a whole. I can't wait to see what happens next for Sheriff Red Hammergen!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Linda Norlander for the audio ARC of And the Lake Will Take Them in exchange for an honest review. Publication date for And the Lake Will Take Them was 25 March 2025, there were some technical difficulties, but I was able to listen on the NetGalley App after all!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Norlander’s “And the Lake Will Take Them” is hopefully the first book in a new series featuring Sheriff Red Hammergren. Red’s office gets a call about a cabin on fire and the caller says there’s a person inside. Upon her arrival she discovers an injured high school male student and a potentially missing girl, Missy Klein.

As Red investigates the fire and tries to locate Missy, she begins to discover what may be connections to a couple cold cases. One of the cases is relatively recent and the other one is almost two decades old. Red inherited the cold cases from the former Sheriff, who was also her husband, before he passed away. Helping her along the way are a few friends she meets regularly for poker games.

Set in Minnesota during winter, this book had an atmospheric feel to it as I was reading. The story had a nice pace to it and I appreciated the chapters were short. While it was challenging, at times, to keep track of all the characters, I enjoyed the overall storyline.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC through "Severn River" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with Red, the sheriff, in the office working on several calls. One of the calls she receives advises her that Missy, a teenage, is missing. As Red begins her search she learns several things along the way. She winds up at a scene where Missy's boyfriens, wha killed and the cabin where he was found was burned down. The story brings into play old cases that Red was looking at and she discovers that there is some sort of relationship there. She also learns that Missy has probably gone into hiding because she was in danger. With help from her poker friends, Red finally has an idea where Missy was hiding. Before she could get there, Missy was taken by inknown individuals. It then became a race to free Missy. Red hears a call from the lake and goes to investigate.

To learn what Red did in response to the call, what assitance she received from her poker pals, why individuals were after Missy and how it all worked out in the end then you need to read this book.

The ending is one that is unexpected.

[Denise Zendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fierce snowstorm, an exploding cabin that leaves a critically-injured high school drug dealer in its wake and a missing girl face Sheriff Red Hammergren in the first book in this excellent series. Hammergren searches for the missing girl, Missy Klein, the daughter of Junior Klein — the victim of an unsolved cold case years prior. She uncovers drug trafficking with connections to the local high school has invaded her community and a killer who will stop at nothing to stop her probing. Her life gets even more complicated when she finds connections between the current crimes and some cold cases she has vowed to solve.

I read this out of order after I mistakenly started this series with book 2 (because I didn’t realize there was a book 1) and it still held my interest all the way through. This book establishes Sheriff Hammergren’s character and contains the back story of what drives her and what makes her tick. I chewed through this in no time – the story was well-written, the plot absorbing, the characters all solidly defined, and the ending satisfying. I liked learning what makes Red tick and why she is the way she is. I will read more in this series.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to get an ARC of 'And the Lake Will Take Them' for the beginning of a new series and for the cold blizzard vibes, which are my weakness. Something about being stuck in the snow or frozen lake is very appealing to me.

I found the characters a bit hard to connect with as there were so many introduced in a short period of time and the story a bit on the slow end. I did enjoy the main character's development, with some detail given on her background and charming qualities like her small dog.

The mystery itself was a bit choppy and didn't really draw me in, I found myself not caring much if it was solved or not and how it tied into the past cold case. I found myself a little lost on the case and how it was resolved, but I might have just checked out too early. I did enjoy the lake scene and felt the tension from both people involved.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC of 'And the Lake Will Take Them'!

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: And the Lake will Take Them
Series: Book #1 Sheriff Red Mysteries
Author: Linda Norlander
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Elizabeth Ashby
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date was: March 25, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 318

This is Book #1 in the Sheriff Red Mysteries series, set in rural Minnesota.
The story begins in isolated cabin on Hammer Lake during a Minnesota snowstorm when the where cabin is destroyed by fire leaving a high school drug dealer injured and a teenage girl, Missy Klein, missing.
Sheriff Red Hammergren, is determined to find Missy. As she investigates the case, she uncovers connections to cold cases, including the murder of Missy’s father.
It appears drug trafficking has been happening in this small community.

Want to thank NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Day was March 25, 2025.

[Laura Salas · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some things in this book I really enjoy. Red, her backstory, her women friends and their wise and witty relationships, and the scene by scene writing. For me, those are offset by things I don't really enjoy about it. The prologue (which for me sets up an expectation of further chapters focusing on Not Me) and the pacing, which feels slow to me, are the two biggest. Also, the title sets up a different kind of vibe than the book delivers on. I think other readers will enjoy it much more, because Norlander is clearly a good writer. I feel like it's just not my cup of tea. It feels a bit like an endless search for one person after another. Your mileage will probably vary!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Felicia Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn’t know what I was getting into when starting this mystery and I’m glad I didn’t get scared off (after reading just the prologue, lol). I thought it was an interesting read with lots of different things going on (I actually got confused a few times). I liked how the author made everything so descriptive. I really felt like I was in a super small Minnesota town in the dead of winter. I didn’t see the twist coming and I liked how everything came together at the end and I appreciated that. I listened to the audiobook and while I’m not a huge fan of third person narration, I did end up getting used to it. The narrator did a good job as well. I would like to thank Tantor Audio and NetGalley for giving me an ARC (which did not sway my opinions or review).

[Scott Lovelace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hopefully this is tge beginning of a new series featuring Sheriff Red Hammergren. Small town winter thriller at its best. A blizzard is ravaging a small town in rural Minnesota, Sherrif Red works a questionable death and possible missing person case. Sheriff Red  has several cold cases in her desk that she revisits each year. Red is called to the scene of a fire, she finds a severely injured high school drug dealer who utters his lasts words to her as he is taken to the ambulance. Soon after she is called to the report of a missing teen. Could all of the cases be tied together? Exciting and well paced, this story will keep you guessing until the final pages.

4 stars

Thank you to Tantor Media for the ALC. The narrator, Elisabeth Ashby was great. Top notch production quality.

[Ilona · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are introduced to Sherriff Red Hammergren in a small rural town (Minnesota) during a winter blizzard.
Her husband (who died of lung cancer) was the previous sheriff, as was his dad before him, they left behind 3 unsolved cases, and as was their ritual of bringing it out once a year to see if there are new clues to be found, Red does the same, but nothing new.
As she gets called to investigate a missing teenager (Missy), as she digs into the Missy’s whereabouts, family, it is steering to a drug trafficking ring that is right in their town, the past seemed to be tied into what is happening.
So much more is happening, I love the internal conversations that Red has, and the support of her friends.
Very much looking forward to book 2