A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Hannah Griffin was a girl when tragedy struck on her family s farm. She still remembers the flames reflected against the newly fallen snow and the bodies the police dug up - one of them her mother s. It was the nation's worst murder scene in decades and the killer was never found.Twenty years later Hannah is a talented CSI investigating a case of child abuse when the past comes hurtling back. Years of buried questions are brought to life. A killer with unfinished business is on the hunt. And an anonymous message turns Hannah s blood cold: Your Mom called..."

My Thoughts:

Hmm...this is a difficult book to write up my thoughts on and share with you all.  This book really started off with a bang for me.  It easily pulled me into the mystery that surrounded Hannah Griffin and I was instantly hooked.  The author does an amazing job of really making the reader question what is going on and I couldn't figure it out.  There are all of these questions and Hannah is a bit of a mystery herself.  Before I knew it I was reading as fast as I could so I could see how it would all end.  And end it did leaving me slightly frustrated.  Now I'm the kind of reader that doesn't mind a few questions here and there.  I actually like it when it is done right and the author leaves me wondering...thinking about the book days after I've finished.  (Spoiler Warning) But what really didn't work for me in this book is that nothing is really resolved.  The book ended and I was left looking at it wondering if I was missing pages.  There were too many questions that the author left unanswered in my opinion to leave me feeling fully satisfied when I finished.  It definitely affected my reading experience and my overall rating of this book.

Even though I ended the book less then pleased, I overall enjoyed it.  Which is weird when I say that but this is an author that I do want to read more of.  Olsen did an amazing job with the atmosphere of the story and it captivated me from the very beginning.  In fact, I think that this book really, really would have worked for me if it was part of a series and we could learn more about Hannah and her childhood.  But that's just my opinion on it!  I'm not sure what else I can say other than this book was good but not great.  I can't help but wonder if I would have enjoyed this book more if I had known that I wasn't going to get all of the answers.  Overall, recommended but with a few reservations.

Bottom Line:  This is a dark, thrilling book that just didn't quite meet my expectations.

Disclosure:  Checked out from my local library!