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A Ski Diva Mystery #2
Fade to White
Heavy snow is falling on Spruce Peak when Stacey Curtis returns in her second skiing mystery. Hollywood has-been Harper Stone arrives in Stacey’s little Vermont town to shoot a mouthwash commercial, and he’s far from happy about it. When the actor turns up dead—and the last person to see him alive is Brian Russell, Stacey’s jealous ex-fiancé—Stacey can’t help but become involved.
261 pages, Hardcover
First published December 22, 2010
3 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Clinch
4 books22 followersBorn and raised in Ocean County, NJ, Wendy Clinch is the founder of TheSkiDiva.com, the premier internet community for women skiers. A graduate of Syracuse University, Wendy now lives in Vermont with her husband, Jon Clinch, author of "Finn: A Novel," "Kings of the Earth," "The Thief of Auschwitz," and "Marley."
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 9, 2019
First of all, a warning: page 2 of this novel appears to give away the solution to the mystery of the first "Ski diva" novel, Double Black, which I haven't read & guess I never will now.
Fade to White is pleasant to read, with conversations that sound quite natural and well-written descriptions of the joy of downhill skiing by day and night, both on and off the prepared tracks. The protagonist, Stacey Curtis, works as a waitress/barmaid in the evening so she can spend the days on the slopes at Spruce Peak, a ski resort in central Vermont; her character is well developed and congenial, as is that of her landlord Sheriff Guy Ramsay. Chip Walsh, the ski patrol guy she pals around with, is also a sympathetic character but didn't feel as solid to me as Stacey or Guy. Stacey's cheating ex-fiance Brian, who pursues her relentlessly, is presented at excruciating length and remains a one-note scoundrel throughout. Other characters get more superficial treatment but tend to fit their roles.
The publisher's blurb on the inside front cover drops a big spoiler--it's once-famous movie star Harper Stone who turns up dead, but that doesn't happen till halfway through the book. So we know there's a murder mystery coming and naturally we start trying to spot possible clues and evaluating all the characters we meet as potential suspects long before the police get in on it. Stacey works well with Guy the local sheriff, but the state police/VBI based over in Rutland, who run the eventual investigation, remain fairly invisible along with the medical examiner, etc.--we just get occasional reports of their findings.
As we expect, Stacey and Guy catch the killer, but there are a lot of loose ends. The last chapters are so skimpy on important details that I re-read them twice, and I'm still uncertain about (1) exactly how the murder was carried out, (2) to what extent three other people were criminally involved, and (3) what law enforcement was going to do with them. Still pleasant reading, even if it leaves some bits to the reader's imagination.
Fade to White is pleasant to read, with conversations that sound quite natural and well-written descriptions of the joy of downhill skiing by day and night, both on and off the prepared tracks. The protagonist, Stacey Curtis, works as a waitress/barmaid in the evening so she can spend the days on the slopes at Spruce Peak, a ski resort in central Vermont; her character is well developed and congenial, as is that of her landlord Sheriff Guy Ramsay. Chip Walsh, the ski patrol guy she pals around with, is also a sympathetic character but didn't feel as solid to me as Stacey or Guy. Stacey's cheating ex-fiance Brian, who pursues her relentlessly, is presented at excruciating length and remains a one-note scoundrel throughout. Other characters get more superficial treatment but tend to fit their roles.
The publisher's blurb on the inside front cover drops a big spoiler--it's once-famous movie star Harper Stone who turns up dead, but that doesn't happen till halfway through the book. So we know there's a murder mystery coming and naturally we start trying to spot possible clues and evaluating all the characters we meet as potential suspects long before the police get in on it. Stacey works well with Guy the local sheriff, but the state police/VBI based over in Rutland, who run the eventual investigation, remain fairly invisible along with the medical examiner, etc.--we just get occasional reports of their findings.
As we expect, Stacey and Guy catch the killer, but there are a lot of loose ends. The last chapters are so skimpy on important details that I re-read them twice, and I'm still uncertain about (1) exactly how the murder was carried out, (2) to what extent three other people were criminally involved, and (3) what law enforcement was going to do with them. Still pleasant reading, even if it leaves some bits to the reader's imagination.
March 30, 2011
Fade to White is a light, airy bit of escapism. The mystery itself isn't too complicated, but what remains unsolved is precisely how protagonist Stacey Curtis' account manager ex-fiance (and unlamented) Brian manages to insinuate himself onto a commercial photo shoot. While delighted that Stacey left the philandering moron as the set-up for this series, one is left seriously doubting what she ever saw in this self-absorbed dolt. The best bit of these stories is author Wendy Clinch's (er, I mean Stacey's) love and knowledge of skiing. Not a complex story, but an enjoyable bit of escapism to the Great White North, to be sure.
September 23, 2025
First half is 4 stars, second half is 3 stars. This is a cozy-esque mystery—the crime isn’t really the focus so much as life in the small town. If you love skiing, it’s the perfect read for when you’re missing skiing in the summer, because you can really immerse yourself in life in the mountain town. I really enjoyed following “Stace” around as she enjoyed the snow and interacted with the wide array of people and places in the mountain ecosystem, and that’s where the book shined for me. Realistic with good quality writing, though one or two sections dragged a little. The mystery was interesting but not fleshed out or climactic enough for people interested solely in a good mystery. Overall, I liked it and would like to read another in the series.
December 2, 2010
I got my hands on an advance reader copy and read it while at an early season ski vacation. Other than the first line of the book, I’ve forgotten the plot to Wendy Clinch's debut, Double Black, so it may not be fair to say that I enjoyed Fade to White more. Stacey Curtis is back waitressing at the Broken Binding in Vermont when a Hollywood has-been rolls into town with a crew to film a mouthwash commercial. What happens next is a well-told story – that it’s a murder mystery is almost a bonus. The dialogue and references to pop culture (and skiing!) are fresh and believable, and Stacey’s character is one you want to root for. And, I really liked how all the characters were developed this time around. It’s a fun read, particularly [I]après[/I] après ski. Well done, Wendy!
March 28, 2011
This book has a lot of the same feel as the first book "Double Black", which is both good and bad. Good, because Stacey is her same, likeable, headstrong self. Good, because the story is a fast read that's easy to pick up any time of the day. Good, if you're a skier, since it again captures a lot of nuances that only a skier would get (Brian's dinosaur hat was a nice touch). Bad, because of Scooby-Doo-like ending...all that was missing was the old man saying "and I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids!"
Regardless, it was another fun and fast read - it was perfect to have in my purse to pick up a few minutes at a time whenever I could. I'm sure I'll be picking up the next whenever Wendy gets around to writing it! :)
Regardless, it was another fun and fast read - it was perfect to have in my purse to pick up a few minutes at a time whenever I could. I'm sure I'll be picking up the next whenever Wendy gets around to writing it! :)
January 22, 2011
Stacey Curtis returns! She's still solving crime at Spruce Peak (and serving drinks at the Broken Binding), but this time the murder victim is washed-up action hero Harper Stone, and Stacey's slimy ex Brian is in the picture, too.
The Ski Diva mysteries are so much fun -- they're clever, fast-moving, and often hilarious. Often, successful mystery novels are gorefests or triumphs of characters driving around talking to people, then driving explaining to the reader what just happened, then driving again. Fade to White avoids both of these traps neatly, managing to be both refreshingly bloodless (for a murder mystery, I mean) and genuinely engaging from start to finish.
The Ski Diva mysteries are so much fun -- they're clever, fast-moving, and often hilarious. Often, successful mystery novels are gorefests or triumphs of characters driving around talking to people, then driving explaining to the reader what just happened, then driving again. Fade to White avoids both of these traps neatly, managing to be both refreshingly bloodless (for a murder mystery, I mean) and genuinely engaging from start to finish.
June 5, 2011
I was intrigued by the cover and the synopsis. I really wasn't impressed. It was a quick read, characters were fairly funny. But it didn't go too far to keep me interested. A murder mystery, the author could have gone a little deeper with the intrigue. The murdered man wasn't killed until halfway into the book and then it was all cleared up so conveniently in just a few pages. Too much background on the main character and not enough of the investigation. Rahter like an old Nancy Drew.
October 23, 2011
This second in the series was pretty disappointing. The mystery itself turned out to be very thin -- promising through the first half and a letdown through the ending. Stacey, amateur sleuth and main character, was somewhat in the background in this one as well. Her parts of the book were mostly ski driven, or, amazingly, making the sheriff look completely inept to his face while not actually helping the investigation along.
March 17, 2011
Ski bum/bartender Stacey Curtis isn't too excited by the commercial featuring old-time movie star Hampton Stone--she's too young to be in his fan base--until she and her friend Chip find him dead on the mountain. Stacey is more concerned with the presence of her ex-fiance, who seems to want to reconcile with her. No way, Dude! Probably those into skiing will enjoy this more than I did.
July 21, 2011
Enjoyed this second in the series about Stacey Curtis who gets involved with murders in her small Vermont ski town. The author, Wendy Clinch very well captures the physical side of skiing, from the exhilaration of flying down a mountain to the cold of riding up the chair lift. The mystery is okay, I did figure it out before the end, but it was a fun read for a hot and stemay summer afternoon.
January 20, 2011
I love Clinch's fun, quick mysteries featuring Stacey Curtis, bartender and super skier in Vermont. Perhaps it's the ski resort setting, or my experience living in the part of Vermont she describes, but I just can't get enough. Looking forward to the next one...
May 9, 2011
As enjoyable (maybe more so) than the first book by Wendy Clinch. This is not heavy duty literature but it's quick entertainment with quirky characters. Kind of strikes me as "murder in Stars Hollow" with the Gilmore girls as sleuths.
September 30, 2013
Very enjoyable, a quick read. Great likable protoganists on cusp of...relationship or staying pals, that's another mystery which to me feels real and modern and relevant. Good murder mystery but it wrapped so fast I kinda wanted more to round out the tale. Love the ski theme.
January 9, 2011
Such an easy, breezy page turner I had to stop myself to admire the sentence-level craft. Great read.
April 4, 2011
Even worse than the first. Story is boring and the who-dunnit is neither thrilling nor likely.
February 4, 2011
Booooooring.
February 10, 2011
I'm not a skier so some of this series is lost on me. However I like the characters and the setting. A decent mystery and I think the series will get better.
February 12, 2011
Second book of hers I have read...really enjoyed the first one. Really struggled thru this one. Ski town mystery about an old movie star.
March 21, 2011
A so-so read. Seemed fairly loose and I don't seem to have developed any connection with the characters.
May 15, 2011
Really enjoyed this second installment. Going to be a fun series
June 19, 2013
This was as good as the first one! Hope there is a 3rd!
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June 20, 2011 a alittle slow but a good ending.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews