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A Lake Pines Murder Mystery #4
The Dead Of Winter
Crimes from the past don’t always stay hidden.
A harsh cold winter blows into Lake Pines, and with it, the murder of a much-loved local artist.
The grim discovery of the artist's body sends chills through the small town, as the local police rush to find the killer and put the residents at ease.
Lack of evidence at the murder scene; suspects that hold a trail of deceit; as well as one of the area's worst blizzards all threaten to leave the case unsolved. However, Dr. Kerry Dearborne, the local coroner, is determined to find the murderer.
Hidden secrets of a past life leave Kerry wondering if those involved are focused on betrayal or redemption.
And has her asking, “Can someone be forgiven of murder?”
This fourth book of the Lake Pines Mystery Series is full of suspense, mystery and action that will keep you glued through to the final sentence.
A harsh cold winter blows into Lake Pines, and with it, the murder of a much-loved local artist.
The grim discovery of the artist's body sends chills through the small town, as the local police rush to find the killer and put the residents at ease.
Lack of evidence at the murder scene; suspects that hold a trail of deceit; as well as one of the area's worst blizzards all threaten to leave the case unsolved. However, Dr. Kerry Dearborne, the local coroner, is determined to find the murderer.
Hidden secrets of a past life leave Kerry wondering if those involved are focused on betrayal or redemption.
And has her asking, “Can someone be forgiven of murder?”
This fourth book of the Lake Pines Mystery Series is full of suspense, mystery and action that will keep you glued through to the final sentence.
278 pages, Paperback
Published November 10, 2020
About the author
L.L. Abbott
53 books77 followersL.L. Abbott writes fiction, mystery and suspense thrillers. Having called both Canada and the U.S. home, she pulls interest, settings and ideas from many cultures, weaving stories and characters into her novels. Having been a life-long reader and storyteller, she began self-publishing her own work after a decade of copywriting and ghostwriting for others. Loving the element of plot twists and 'a-ha' moments, Abbott is constantly challenging herself to come up with a new way to tell an old story. You can also connect with Abbott on Instagram @llabbott_author, Twitter @ll_abbott, Facebook @LLABBOTTwritenow and through her author website @LLABBOTT.com.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 19, 2022
Set in Lake Pines in the cold of winter L.L. Abbott’s 4th book in the series, “The Dead of Winter” begins with the death of a well-known, reclusive artist Josip Kovic on nearby Popular Island. With little evidence identifying the killer, and a blizzard on the way the case could remain unsolved until local coroner Dr. Kerry Dearborn gets involved.
Tension escalates when a mysterious phone call has Kerry and her boyfriend Police Officer Simon Phillips following a lead only to have their snow machine break through the ice leaving Simon in a coma, and Kerry with a loss of memory after the frigid ordeal. Suspense though mounts with the discovery of the knife that stabbed the victim and a missing painting, but the case may have to be put on hold when 5 young hikers are found missing and a blizzard could threaten their lives if not found.
With twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat anxiety deepens as Kerry struggles to regain her memory of events previous to the accident and Simon seems locked in a coma. The action never stops as the mystery deepens and the case takes on a new dimension that may have far reaching implications. The characters are well-developed as secrets from the past are revealed and the plot flows seamlessly to s surprising ending.
I liked “the Dead of Winter” and plan to read other murder mysteries in the Lake Pines series.
Tension escalates when a mysterious phone call has Kerry and her boyfriend Police Officer Simon Phillips following a lead only to have their snow machine break through the ice leaving Simon in a coma, and Kerry with a loss of memory after the frigid ordeal. Suspense though mounts with the discovery of the knife that stabbed the victim and a missing painting, but the case may have to be put on hold when 5 young hikers are found missing and a blizzard could threaten their lives if not found.
With twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat anxiety deepens as Kerry struggles to regain her memory of events previous to the accident and Simon seems locked in a coma. The action never stops as the mystery deepens and the case takes on a new dimension that may have far reaching implications. The characters are well-developed as secrets from the past are revealed and the plot flows seamlessly to s surprising ending.
I liked “the Dead of Winter” and plan to read other murder mysteries in the Lake Pines series.
August 22, 2021
The Dead of Winter, is the fourth book in the thrilling Lake Pines Mystery series, with a great dramatic start the reader is hooked. This book grips the readers mind from beginning to end and is creatively written with wonderful imagery and suspense is a key factor, always.
I like that the continuance of the characters are so well developed and carried on from book to book. You actually feel a connection to each and every one of them, especially Kerry, Simon and the dog Raven. Sometimes, people are never who they claim to be and secrets from long ago have a way of coming to the surface especially when that one person has an eye for detail.
Abbott, definitely had the ability to keep the reader in suspense until the very end in this whodunnit Pine Lake Mystery series. I am throughly enjoying this Canadian author.
I like that the continuance of the characters are so well developed and carried on from book to book. You actually feel a connection to each and every one of them, especially Kerry, Simon and the dog Raven. Sometimes, people are never who they claim to be and secrets from long ago have a way of coming to the surface especially when that one person has an eye for detail.
Abbott, definitely had the ability to keep the reader in suspense until the very end in this whodunnit Pine Lake Mystery series. I am throughly enjoying this Canadian author.
November 22, 2022
Fun little whodunit set in northwestern Ontario, close to the Manitoba-Ontario border. It involves the murder of an artist and an art theft ring in the small town of Lake Pines. The main protagonist is a female coroner who is battling memory issues after a near fatal snowmobiling accident with her boyfriend - who happens to be a member of the local constabulary (must be an Ontario thing. 😉)
Neatly done, several red herrings and I really was surprised at the eventual conclusion of the book.
There were a couple of loose ends that I felt could’ve been tied up better which weren’t, which is why I gave this three stars instead of four – although it would be 3.5 if Goodreads allowed that in their system.
Still, it was a fun read and the author does a really good job of painting images of a typical northwestern Ontario winter with her words.
Neatly done, several red herrings and I really was surprised at the eventual conclusion of the book.
There were a couple of loose ends that I felt could’ve been tied up better which weren’t, which is why I gave this three stars instead of four – although it would be 3.5 if Goodreads allowed that in their system.
Still, it was a fun read and the author does a really good job of painting images of a typical northwestern Ontario winter with her words.
May 26, 2025
The Dead of Winter
An action packed, suspenseful novel, it was meant to be read quickly. Always a surprise ending in the first books of the series, this book was no exception. Looking forward to the next adventure by L L Abbott.
An action packed, suspenseful novel, it was meant to be read quickly. Always a surprise ending in the first books of the series, this book was no exception. Looking forward to the next adventure by L L Abbott.
April 30, 2021
The fourth one .... the author is getting more comfortable with the recurring characters. More twists and red herrings. Decent cozy read.
November 16, 2022
Excellent
April 19, 2023
A fast read. I would definitely read another book by L.L. Abbott. Nice that she/he is from my area.
February 13, 2025
A good story spoiled by the lack of good editing. Too many errors of various kinds. Please employ better editing and research on terminology. Be picky. Good writers are meticulous.
May 6, 2025
Great book
January 4, 2021
A nice quick read and an entirely enjoyable one.
February 7, 2025
so somehow i read this not knowing it’s the 4th book in the series. Well anyways it’s super good you don’t even need any background to it atall
December 20, 2020
Lots of twists and turns in this book. This was a mystery thriller where nothing was obvious and I was fooled time-and-time again. Extra points for vivid descriptions of the lake landscape.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews