Winter's Cry

DI Winter Meadows #7

by Cheryl Rees-Price

The grim discovery of a body brings up a past that threatens to rip a community apart.

Whilst a farmer is tearing up trees near the boundary of a reclusive commune in the Welsh hills, he unearths the remains of a man, clearly buried years ago.

DI Winter Meadows grew up within this unusual community and uses the trust he has there to investigate the case. But he is knocked sideways when the body looks to be that of his father, who disappeared years ago when the detective was a teenager.

Taken off the investigation, he goes to stay in the village of tents and makeshift buildings, and makes informal inquiries. Reliving the time he last saw his father, he becomes convinced someone there knows what happened all those years ago.

But will the culprit want Meadows messing in their affairs? And if they get their way, will the truth remain buried forever?

WINTER’S CRY is the seventh standalone mystery to feature DI Winter Meadows and his chirpy sidekick DC Tristan Edris. It can be enjoyed entirely on its own but look out for the other books in the bestselling series.

The full list is:

1. THE SILENT QUARRY
2. FROZEN MINDS
3. SUFFER THE CHILDREN
4. A KNOT OF SPARROWS
5. LIES OF MINE
6. RISE TO THE FLY
7. WINTER'S CRY

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2022

About the author

Cheryl Rees-Price was born in Cardiff and moved as a Young child to a small ex-mining village on the edge of the Black Mountains, South Wales, where she still lives with her husband, daughters and two cats. After leaving school she worked as a legal clerk for several years before leaving to raise her two daughters.

Cheryl returned to education, studying philosophy, sociology and accountancy whilst working as a part time book keeper. She now works as a finance director for a company that delivers project management and accounting services.

In her spare time Cheryl indulges in her passion for writing, the success of writing plays for local performances gave her the confidence to write her first novel. Her other hobbies include walking and gardening which free her mind to develop plots and create colourful characters.

Reviews

[Lavins · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

By far my least favourite one in this series.
It is extremely repetitive and they keep going in circles over and over again, saying the same stuff.
As other pointed out, far too many characters which also change names so it becomes very hard to track who was who and did what.

The ending is a stretch.

[Elizabeth Roxburgh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Winter Meadows police series

I have read all the books in the series and enjoyed them very much, but found this one very complicated and difficult to work out with all the name changing.

[vickie swarthout · Rating 1 out of 5]

What????

I was totally lost. It was way to long. It was way to long. It went on and on .I was not a fan

[Mark Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep your wits about you!

What a great story - complex and utterly compelling, and head-scratchingly difficult to keep track of the tale. So many characters are not who they appear to be, it’s wonderful! A great story.

[Marney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out well enough but was too confusing in the second half, with too much endless speculation by the characters, and lots of misleading information. Many characters going by more than one name and swapping between, extremely difficult to follow or make sense of.

[Rhian B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This for me was the best one of of the Winter Meadows series, It tells the story of the past and was a fantastic read. I read it all in 2 sittings. The story could be confusing and possibly hard to follow but I enjoyed it.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all the others this is a well written story. I highly recommend this series !

[Ridel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Cry of Anguish

Just like before, I would suggest fans avoid the back of the book before reading Winter’s Cry. I highly recommend the novel, and the remainder of this review will assume you’re aware of the back cover’s minor spoilers.

The author appears to have taken a second stab at The Silent Quarry. Her debut novel had several weaknesses, but Winter’s Cry provides her a second opportunity at an event of personal consequence to our hero. Intimate crimes often lead to authority figures acting stereotypically, and there are instances where the typical Hollywood tropes rear their ugly head. On the bright side, a lot of that drama is solved in a mature and realistic manner, and the author deftly explores Winter’s past in far superior scenes to the hamfisted flashbacks of Beth and Gwen in the first novel.

The change to the police procedural is also a refreshing change of pace, as our hero is now a victim, taken off the case and isolated from his coworkers. Forced to approach the mystery as an outsider, he leverages different skills as we dive deeper than ever into the lives of persons of interest. With so much detail, we face the most complex and twisted mystery thus far.

Winter’s Cry is beyond convoluted. I resorted to drawing a web of relationships to keep all the characters straight. Cheryl Rees-Price has always excelled at gritty and flawed motivations, and adding those emotions to the quagmire of interconnections between a dozen characters left me faffing about trying to solve the mystery. It is solvable! But unless you have the patience to build your own investigative whiteboard, I suspect the plot twists will keep you in suspense until the end.

Being the seventh in the series, I appreciate the variation on the Winter Meadows formula. Combined with the most difficult mystery to date, Winter’s Cry is joined by my own, as I give up trying to outwit the author.

Highly Recommended.

The following is in spoiler tags, and I say so since some Goodreads clients may not respect it. You’ve been warned:

I had a lot of trouble keeping Kern and Jerome’s storylines separate, as their pasts are similar overall, and then they switched names. This resulted in paragraphs of confusion as often I couldn’t remember which person did what, and who was being discussed at the time. This alone doubled the effort in attacking the mystery.

I was also quite close to solving the crime at about the 75% mark, though certainly, the novel assists by striking out persons of interest the further into the novel you read (Iggy’s real name let me strike him off the board). The revelation that there were three historical crimes, Kern and Jerome’s original sins, as well as the first corpse’s murder, was quite devious since there was information provided in the context of events that were mundane at the time, but a few chapters later, were relevant because the crime had changed.

This is a common problem for real-life detective work as well. Often new information arises that requires good detectives to revisit their assumptions and even their investigative techniques (previously friendly interactions should have been approached combatively). This piece of classic misdirection fooled me into identifying the wrong suspect.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed all the DI Winter Meadows books, set in Wales. The location and local customs in rural Wales make the books even more interesting to me and Winter Meadows is a complex and fascinating characters. In this book, the crime involves the commune where Winter and his brother grew up and he is deemed too close to the case. Of course that doesn't stop him. The seemingly peaceful commune has many secrets and most of the founding members (the "old") came there to start over and hide from the public. Winter learns many things about his deceased father that he didn't really want to know. The only reason for the 4 stars is that the plot is very complicated and convoluted, with multi identities for several of the characters. It makes the story a little hard to follow but the plot is unique and fascinating all the same and I will wait for the next installment.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this series very much so far, but this one is definitely my least favorite. Too many characters with multiple names, poor detective work, and pretty boring overall. Hope the next one is better.

[Robert Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of this excellent series, I enjoyed being back with Winter Meadows and his team. Only he isn’t a part of the team this time, after a body is found buried in woodland. The land belongs to the commune where he’s spent much of his life. As the murdered man could be his father, he steps away from the investigation. But members of the commune still view him as a police officer and remain suspicious.

It’s the start of a twisting, baffling story that goes to the heart of the commune, the main players there and Winter’s family. Some people are not who they seem to be. Some people are keeping secrets about past events and crimes they committed.

But the danger is definitely in the present, as the death of a respected member of the commune causes more confusion and fear.

Could Winter also be in danger?

While more personal than previous books in the series, the insights into Winter’s life and past are fascinating. It develops into an intriguing read that builds from a gentle start into a complex story that keeps you guessing. With no real leads, and more questions than answers, nothing is as it seems until Winter’s own investigation makes the connections that lead to a solution.

If you enjoy crime stories that are a little different from the usual, take some time to get to know this series, which continues to entertain and intrigue with each book.

Highly recommended.

[Valerie Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I enjoy good murder novels and as this is part of a successful series I had high hopes even though I'd not read anything by this author before. I persevered to the end but wished I hadn't bothered, it was the most confusing story I've ever read. There are lots of name changes, I don't understand why the author would make it even more difficult to remember characters by giving Jonah and Jerome such similar names, characters are not who they pretend to be and it was so convoluted I had no idea who did what, or who Winter's father was by the end. In addition, the author seems to have no knowledge of the Motor insurers Board who compensate people injured in accidents caused by uninsured drivers as she has Christine Parry saying "there was no insurance payout" . This book does not encourage me to read anything else by this author and I cannot recommend it as the story meant nothing to me.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a body is found on land belonging to the Commune where DI Winter Meadows grew up he knows he will have to step back a bit. However when suspicion seems to be coming close to home & the senior members of the group are only really willing to talk openly to Winter, it looks like this is going to be a tricky case.

This was a twisty whodunit that, just when you thought you knew what was what another surprise appeared. I loved the setting & found the characters easy to become involved with. It was a great read. I can't believe DI Winter Meadows has slipped under my radar & this is book seven in the series. I'll definitely be looking out for the next one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really warmed to the characters in this series and I love the notion of the hippy DI and his team. This story was a tad over complicated I thought with so many characters and people using other peoples names and for me it became hard to follow. I stuck with it because I do like the team and the way they work together which has an almost cosy family feeling. I can’t say I followed all the intricacies of who was who and when but the plot was solid overall. Real life isn’t always simple and people often weave tangled webs so I’m glad I stuck with it to the end. Looking forward to the next in the series now.

[Elva Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter’s Cry (DI Winter Meadows Book 7)

Another superb book written by Cheryl Rees-Price in the DI Meadows Series. I recommend reading this series. They are so superbly written and full of exciting stories and ideas. Twists and turns so involved takes a good memory to follow without looking back. The most lovely thing is we read about the same team all through so we get to know them all well.

[Erik Empson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an intriguing installment in the series as we learn more about the engimatic detective Winter Meadows' past, which clearly wasn't as rosy as we might have expected it to be. We travel to the commune where he grew up when a body is found near by, and the story takes a dark turn when we find out the personal connection. A gripping read.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it wasn’t for the constant “he said” instead of the myriad of options the author could use then I’d give the series a 5 star review. The author’s editor should have pointed this glaring issue out in book 1!
The stories themselves are good, and I am kept guessing until near to the end, I just wish the author knew how to use a thesaurus for a few other choices of words she could use.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the plot and characters, but there are so many spelling & grammar mistakes in the kindle edition. Aren’t books edited any more? Some of these are embarrassing - there instead of they‘re, knew instead of new. Inevitably authors will make typing mistakes, but surely publishers employ editors to read the books and tidy these up?

[Julian Tremayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting case where Meadows has to step back from the investigation because he's too close to it. This leaves Blackwell in charge of the case. Ultimately, meadows cannot help but be involved in a very protracted story involving his father's past. A good read.
Julian Tremayne, Cromer, Norfolk

[ALISON A O BRIEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but confusing at the end

It was a bit challenging to keep all the identities straight, but I liked the book a lot. I look forward to reading more books featuring Winter Meadows.

[DOROTHY Beasley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.

An interesting novel with a strong central character but I also found it to be very mixed up in parts and for me that detracted from the storyline. I found it disappointing as it did not live up to a strong start.

[Mr Kenneth L Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story

Another great story in the Inspector Winter Meadows series and one that brought bAck his harrowing past. Well written and crafted with good strong characters. Looking forward to reading more.

[Jessie hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story!

God story, plot and very interesting characters to portray the parts. Twists and turns along with rich details of communal living, herbal
medicine and plants. Good work my Ms Rees-Price

[Mary Longo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery. Unusual location and twists and turns throughout. The author laid the red herrings down and I followed straight to an incorrect guess as to "who-dun-it". Loved it!

[lloyd tewcragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good gripping mystery

I have enjoyed reading all the Detective Meadows stories. The series is good and look forward to more twists and turns in this series. An enjoyable read and very hard to put down once you start.

[Amanda Giles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series from Cheryl, a local Welsh author. This story gave me a deeper understanding of Winter Meadows, and his childhood in the commune. Lots of mystery and a bit of confusion, but I enjoyed it. (Library)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the commune where detective Winter Meadows grew up, a body is discovered. Soon identified as their father Kern by items found with the body. But who was he really and was was he killed.
An entertaining modern mystery

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many characters with multiple names. After identity switches, even the characters in the novel have difficulty explaining which character they are talking about. This reader was more than a little frustrated about Kern/Jerome. And Jonah was a pawn more than a character.

[Debra Whisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book but did get a little confused with the name changing characters.
Quite an unusual plot and I enjoyed the inclusion of Winter’s brother Rain.

[brian john tudor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of twists and turns

Great book, love the characters in this series. A real page turner..
Hopefully this won't be the last we read about Winter Meadows.