SNOW DROWNED

On Fall Island, there’s a saying: “The snow will getcha.”

Sixteen-year-old Gracie Hutchinson doesn’t want to be stuck on Fall Island for the impending snowstorm, which is expected to be of historic proportions. Snow almost always brings the threat of danger; many have disappeared under mysterious circumstances in snowy weather. The small community in the North Atlantic, off the coast of New England, was founded by English religious pilgrim Fitzwilliam Wescott. While dutifully taking flowers to her grandmother’s grave before the snow starts to fall, Gracie encounters an acquaintance from school, Joseph Wescott. The pair stumble upon a gruesome scene in the Wescott family mausoleum: a man and three sheep, all recently murdered and bearing symbols carved into their bodies. Strange rituals are afoot on Fall Island, and the snowstorm is closing in. Can Gracie escape, or will the snow swallow her up, too? In this tense, atmospheric read, it’s never clear who can be trusted. Family secrets intertwine on the remote island, creating a web of mysteries that readers unravel alongside Gracie. Fitzwilliam looms over the happenings like a bad dream, a figure of religious fervor who remains shrouded in legend. The worldbuilding is solid, and the magical elements are darkly whimsical. The dialogue is sometimes stilted, but even the awkward lines keep the story moving. Characters are cued white.

A stormy tale of blood and snow.