Winter's Origin

Winter Black #0.5

by Mary Stone

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And sets you on a path of revenge.

When The Preacher targets her family for his last kill, Winter Black is the only survivor. After recovering from the brain injury she received that brutal night, Winter single-mindedly pursues a career as an FBI agent. Her unexplainable talents, discovered after her coma, might be the key to taking down the notorious serial killer... unless he finds her first.

Welcome to Winter’s Origin, the prequel to the soon to be released Winter Black crime fiction series. If you enjoy gripping crime solving, hair-raising villains, and riveting suspense, then you’ll love Mary Stone’s debut page-turning series.

Download Winter’s Origin and begin this psychological journey today.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Murder Mystery

96 pages, ebook

First published March 24, 2019

About the author

To download my FREE BOOK, click here: https://authormarystone.com/free-book...

Nestled in the tranquil Blue Ridge Mountains of East Tennessee, Mary Stone has transformed her peaceful home, once bustling with her sons, into a creative haven. As her family grew, so did her writing career, evolving from childhood fears to a deep understanding of real-life villains. Her stories, centered around strong, unconventional heroines, weave themes of courage and intrigue.

Mary's journey from a solitary writer to establishing her own publishing house marks a significant evolution, showcasing her commitment to the literary world. Through her writing and publishing endeavors, she continues to captivate and inspire, honoring her lifelong fascination with the mysterious and the courageous.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to what promises to be a compelling, unputdownable series from Mary Stone. I love her SHADOW ISLAND series, so I was excited to start this one. Ends in a cliffhanger, making reading the next book in the series a must!! Can’t wait to get started!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story/novella that introduces Winter Black. It spans a pretty lengthy time period for a story less than 100 pages. She’s a college student with a desire to work for the FBI in hopes of finding the serial killer responsible for murdering her parents and abducting her young brother. Winter will follow her dream through college graduation and the FBI academy, all while using some sort of paranormal intuition to solve crimes. I actually liked it well enough that I would like to keep on reading the series. This is especially so because we’re left with a cliffhanger with this story leading into book one. Now I’ll have to get the rest to see what happens.

[J.Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter's Origin

An excellent short story, detailing Winter Black's early years. Just enough detail to fill in the blanks, without bogging the story down by giving too much detail. The story was well written, fast paced, and flowed smoothly from start to finish.
One night, after an argument with her best friend puts an unexpected end to their sleepover, Winter returns to her home to find her parents murdered and her baby brother missing. Nobody knows who the killer is, and even the FBI has drawn a blank. The mystery, and her need for answers, puts Winter on the fast track to become an FBI agent so that she can work on tracking down the murderer of her family. Winter has her own secret…one she thinks will give her the edge when it comes to tracking down the perpetrator of these crimes against her family, and in discovering just what happened to her baby brother.

[Glenda Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review today is on the thriller Winter's Origin. This is the prequel of the Winter Black Series. I must tell my Christian followers that there is some bad language but is not much and used in the appropriate places. The story is well written, and full of twists and turns. I know you are going to be thrilled with it. It's a book that's hard to put down.

Winter Black is the only survivor when her family is killed by a serial killer called "The Preacher". Winter was badly injured and in a coma for quite some time. When she regains consciousness she finds that she has some unusual side effects from the head trauma. These new abilities will help her to track down the killer. She is in college, determined to become a FBI agent. She will find this man!

A journey of preparation to assure her place in the FBI; a journey through her FBI training. Will she be able to keep her new abilities a hidden secret? Can she find this monster?

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great prequel to this outstanding series.

[Maebelle Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read started out a little slow but quickly pick up. I loved the character Winter and her feisty attitude can’t wait to read more about her. Good job Author Mary Stone.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing intro story. Realistic characters. This the first book I've read by the author. I like her writing style.

[Barbara Langlois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific insight to the being of the Winter Black series. This author really gets you hooked.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to the Winter Black series.

I enjoyed reading “Winter’s Mourn,” Book #1 of the series mentioned above, so I decided to read this prequel. It consists of two storylines bookending a series of vignettes, many of which are relevant to Winter’s FBI career but others are personal/domestic vignettes. There is a long vignette about Winter’s FBI training with other agent candidates—all with legal, military or law enforcement backgrounds, except for Winter.

The first storyline is set during Winter’s university career and features armed robbery case. The other bookend takes place during her assignment to the FBI’s Richmond, VA field office, involving a violent serial rapist whose victims resemble . . . Winter. Cliché much? Of course, Winter’s unusual knack “causes” her to go rogue, without backup or even calling her partner. Insert eye-roll.

SSA Aiden Parrish and SA Noah Dalton of Book #1 are introduced. Winter’s supernatural ability manifests early in the prequel, along with its unpleasant side effects.

3.5 stars.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sparked my interest! A horrific crime has led Winter to work in the FBI..partly to find those who committed the crime, to find her brother and also because she was left with a new ability that is quite helpful to law enforcement, albeit odd.

This prequel is short and fast paced. We go from senior year, graduation, new recruit at the FBI, top of the class at Quantico, new team and a show down that revealed potential drama with her original protector, the agent who worked her family’s case. And of course there is another agent who holds chemistry with her! Outside of that setup we learn there are also more family secrets, a new case and oh no big deal, someone anonymously slides a never before seen picture of her brother under the hotel door!!

This is the third series I have read from Mary Stone and I can’t wait to learn all about Winter, her family, the cases and her crew!

[Zoraida Luciano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a free EBook directly from the author and am writing this review on my own.
A very easy book to read and follow. Wasn’t so long that it took days to read so I read it in one sitting. A great cast of characters that make you want to learn about each person in the story. I find the main characters intriguing and can’t wait to experience the other book and find out even more. So on the upside here are a few things I felt about this book. Had action, excitement, some definite twists and turns. The only thing I was disappointed in was there wasn’t more of it. Strong characters and storyline. At times kept me on the edge. A must read for what is a fairly new author. I highly recommend reading this. Can’t wait to see where Winter goes next.
Thank you for the book Author Mary Stone.

[Will Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest, if I hadn't known going into this story that it was a cliffhanger, my review wouldn't be so kind. However, I did know and I chose to read it anyway and am really glad that I did because this author has great potential for this series. In the beginning of the story I wasn't sure where we were at. Had the disastrous deed been done yet? Or were we leading up to it? Once I figured out that we were beyond that, the rest of the story came easy and flowed smoothly. Clean editing and a fast paced plot. Stone is an author to be watching.

[Elizabeth Maloney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've already read the first two in this series, so this felt like a rehash of what I already knew, and the writing seemed less polished to me. That being said, I'm currently reading the third book in the series, and still loving the characters!

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the prequel to the books in the Winter Black series. It really captured my attention and I can't wait until the 1st book in the series is for sale! The cliff hanger at the end is definitely going to make you want to read more as well.

I really can't say much more without giving away too much--so just read the author's blurb below then go to her website (I could not find it on Amazon yet) and sign up for her email. You won't be sorry!!


I received a copy of this book because I signed up for the Author's email. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet Winter Black

This was a prequel to the Winter Black series. In this the reader is introduced to Winter Black, an FBI agent with unusual abilities. It takes you through meeting her at the murder of her parents and kidnapping of her little brother, college, FBI training and finally her first assigned case. This prequel was written after the first book in the series and would prove to be enjoyable reading for those who found it to be challenging. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the a prequel to Stone’s book Winter Morn. I don’t remember where I heard of this author but bought Winter Morn when I found myself number 63 waiting for it at my library. I discovered there was a free prequel which our library expert tracked down for free (below). You’ll want to read it first as it sets up the series story line. This was a well written and great thriller. At only 11 chapters it’s a fast and well paced read. Can’t wait to read the continued story!

https://app.authormarystone.com/winte...

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning this is prequel to the Winter Black series-
I couldn't put it down-
I loved, loved, loved Winter - a feisty, fierce mysterious young lady
I enjoyed the complexity the supporting characters added to her personality
I am intrigued by her past
Oh- I couldn't put it down and being it left on a cliffhanger will be diving into the next in the series.
I highly recommend this fast-paced enjoyable introduction to Winter Black.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a short story, this really has a big punch! The events that happen, the results of them, everything is written so great I just couldn't stop reading it until the last page......then I wanted more! If you like a really good story, this is the one to grab!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this prequel. Winter had a tough start to life losing her parents and brother to a mad man. She was in a coma but survived. She has been accepted into the FBI training program. This is a new author who has amazing talent. The characters are well fleshed out and the story sucks you in. It's hard to put down. Can't wait for the next book in the series. It debuts on April 11th.

[Jo Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of triumph over circumstances. Out heroine was a twin, her sister was murdered and her killer was never caught. Our heroine wants to become an F B I agent to try to find him and help others find closure. This is the story of her journey. Excellent read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!!! Highly recommend!!!

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great Beginning

The beginning of the Winter Black series had me believing that I would not recommend this book/series was I wrong after the slow start Winter's gift for solving crimes had me hooked. I highly recommend this series to everyone that enjoys crime solving, mysteries, suspense. I have found a new author and Mary Stone Has been added to my must read List.

[Sue Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Background for the Winter Black Series

Winter Black lost her family as a very young girl then was raised by her grandparents. After finishing school she joins the FBI. You begin to see how she develops into an agent and how her skills increased her abilities. A very good background to what I think will be a great series.

[Joni Thornton nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will she be lone survivor or the next victim

Intriguing, pulls you in to not only the characters but to the story line itself. Definitely a must read series. I personally am not one who like prequels but for this series it is needed to lay the groundwork for the characters and what makes them tick. So sit down & enjoy, it will definitely make you want more...

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winters Origin is the prequel to the Winter Black FBI series. Winter is left in a coma, the only survivor of " the Preacher.Winter vows to solve the mystery and take down this killer. Her gift is discovered after she comes out of hr coma. She works hard to become a FBI agent vowing to track down the "Preacher"

[Yvonne Kanocz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Stone has got me hooked. The characters are great. The plot is great. Winter's parents were killed by a serial killer and her brother was kidnapped. The media called him the Preacher and the name stuck. Winter promised her self that she would become an FBI agent and hunt him down. She is a now a new agent and may have just got her chance to make good on that promise.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is book #0.5 in the Winter Black series. I read Winter’s Mourn before I found out about this book. I loved how we learned about a few things about Winter. Great read! I read this through the Kindle Unlimited program.



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!

Read more from this author? Yes!



Happy Reading!

Melissa

[Jennifer Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that the author wrote a bonus prequel, though it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I thought the book would go back to her childhood and give detail about the event that started everything for Winter. While the book did include some of her childhood, a lot of it focused on college & FBI training. Still, it did not disappoint!

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving us the background on Winter Black Before one reads the series,
Waking up to find what family she had is gone ,even her world now has changed. Her goal as a FBI agent and what she hears, will she get the Preacher or will he finish what he started. Fast moving plot.

[Vanessa Rudd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bless Her

Poor winter has had a really rough life and is a very strong young woman. I really enjoyed reading it. I want to see what happens with her and aiden. It seems like thats more there than just protection. I want to see how everything turns out. Hope its good.

[Susan Harner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well thought out with the characters and places. You see how they grow what they are going through. Very well explained story line which is going to have you wanting more. As I am onto the next book.