Winter's Malice: A Black Hills Mystery

by Belinda G. Buchanan

Three bodies in the span of twenty-four hours …

In Weeping Rock, South Dakota—a small town crippled by racism, drugs, and violence— Sheriff’s Deputy Liam Matthews has his work cut out for him when he steps in to take over the duties of sheriff from his father, who for far too long has turned a blind eye to certain crimes for what he says is the overall good of the town.

Coming under scrutiny for hiring a Lakota to fill his position as deputy, things quickly go from bad to worse for Liam when the body of retired pro-baseball player Hector Ramirez, who had recently returned home to coach ball at his high school alma mater, is found floating in Crow’s Foot Lake. Hector’s bludgeoned corpse is no sooner on its way to the M.E.’s office in Rapid City, however, when the partially clothed body of a young girl is discovered in a clearing in the snow.

With two seemingly unrelated murders, Liam is judged at every turn of his investigation by the local population, Hector’s reality TV star wife Kiki Grey, and his own father. Upon uncovering a tangled web of desperation, lies, and greed, the mounting pressure inside Liam to do the right thing becomes jaded when the skeletal remains of a third victim is found in a submerged car, bringing to the forefront a long-buried secret of his own—and threatening his already troubled marriage to Olivia—as his past and present collide.

417 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2019

About the author

Meet Belinda G. Buchanan—Where Flawed Characters, Dark Secrets, and Uncomfortable Truths Collide.

Born and raised in the beautiful Bluegrass state of Kentucky, Belinda G. Buchanan writes edgy women’s fiction and gripping crime thrillers that explore the darker side of human nature and the personal and social issues that shape our lives.

Her stories are filled with complicated characters, difficult choices, buried secrets, and the kind of conflicts that don’t always have easy answers. Her women are strong, resilient, and far from helpless. Her men? Well, strength isn’t always what it seems.

Because real people are messy, imperfect, and occasionally their own worst enemies. And Belinda believes that those characters are worth writing about.

After all, even heroes have cracks in their armor, villains have their reasons, and the truth isn’t always what it appears to be.

When she’s not dreaming up new ways to put her characters through the wringer, Belinda enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, two sons (one who loves her unconditionally, and one who loves her only when not in public), and a small army of rescued cats who probably have more control over the household than anyone cares to admit.

If you love compelling characters, thought-provoking stories, dark secrets, and fiction that gets under your skin and stays with you long after the final page, you’re in the right place.

Reviews

[K.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Detective Liam Matthews became sheriff, his life became onerous at best, since he was taking over his father's job and having to live under the same roof with someone who questioned every decision Liam made, adding to the strain. Adding to the already stressful environment, he now had two murders to investigate and no leads. These situations alone were more than enough to bear; then, given his wife was unable to carry a child, her emotional pain, in addition to his being away most of the time because of his new position, created a wide rift between them, one that threatened even their marriage.
Considering everything Liam was trying to balance, you couldn't help but root for him, wanting him to stand firm against his father's overbearing nature and put his marriage back together.
Winter's Malice is a well-written novel that captures you from the first page to the last. Her character development was strong and relatable, and you felt the emotional tug of Liam and his wife. The plot kept at a steady pace and was well thought out. If you love mystery novels, you will enjoy this book. Belinda Buchanan is an exceptional writer who doesn't disappoint. I highly recommend Winter's Malice. A five-star thriller that checked all of my boxes.

[Kerry Reis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liam Matthews, having just taken up the job of sheriff for the small town of Weeping Rock in South Dakota, a job his father held until an accident disabled him, finds himself suddenly dealing with three deaths, the body of a famous ex-professional baseball player found in the waters of an icy lake, a car with another body inside nearby in the same icy lake, and the body of a teenage girl found in nearby small clearing. The investigation of the three cases that may or may not be related involves a lot of time for him and his detectives, time that interferes with his tenuous relationship with his wife and his father, who is living with them while demanding that he be involved in helping with the cases and denigrating his son’s running of the his former position in the town. For impatient avid mystery fans, the story will mainly be somewhat disappointing, as the majority of the tale becomes more based on the tough relationships, marital, family, medical, and official, between multiple characters, putting the police procedural investigation and mystery revelations into a minor backseat. However, readers who are more enticed by a base drama built upon character complexity will be more engrossed in the in-depth writing of the multiple plots within the small rural town.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can read my full review on my blog: https://lalimpkin.com/review-of-winte...

This is a character-driven story, with little attention paid to the murders and the other issues. If you like novels where you follow the characters around while they deal with their (realistic) life problems, chances are you’ll like this book. But if you’re looking for a story centered on crime-solving (as I am), you may be disappointed. There are enough crimes, but they’re not the focus of the book, and their resolution is not as intriguing as I hoped.

Liam Mathews is a great character, and I rooted for him the entire time. As far as I’m concerned, he’s by far the best “thing” in the book. But don’t imagine he’s some perfect guy (although the physical description is a bit cliche). He has flaws, but he also has qualities that match them.

The ending was satisfying, the book finishing in a way that gave me closure. There was a particular suspense moment at the end that was nicely executed.

[Mary Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific suspense and more

This well written story tears at your heart in many ways. Some blood, not much, not a gore story. It is a truly great book with stories that entwine and when you think you have the perpetrator figured out, think again. I do think is the best story I've read in this genre. Five stars.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked the characters and the story, I'm not a big fan of such abrupt changes back and forth people characters and their perspective/story line. It makes the story feel chopped up to me and sometimes I had a hard time figuring out which characters went with which plot line. Overall the story is good, this style just isn't my cup of tea.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Mystery

I very much enjoyed this book. This author is local to me and I’m thrilled to discover her books.

I liked the story flow and the twists and turns that the twists and turns came about.