Nora and Brendan Hamilton had, by all appearances, a happy marriage and good life. At least that's what Nora thought before she woke up one morning and found that her husband had committed suicide. The only question that Nora can focus on is why? After the funeral and life for most of the residents of Wedeskyull, New York returns to a sense of normalcy, Nora begins her quest to answer why her husband killed himself. Little does she know that this quest is placing not only her life, but the lives of others in grave danger. Will she be able to uncover the truth before she is silenced?

I found the first few chapters of Cover of Snow to read a little slow and my focus on the book began to pall. However, after setting aside the book for a few hours, I found myself immersed into Nora's world and intrigue and read to the last page without interruption. Brendan's personal history is slowly revealed over the course of the book, and it's almost as if we are learning about Brendan at the same as Nora. The relationship between Nora and her sister Teggie came across just as loving and sometimes awkward as most sibling relationships during moments of personal trials. Teggie is loving, supportive and understanding, as well as impatient and brutally honest with Nora. But it is perhaps Teggie's impatience as much as the local mishaps in Wedeskyull that push Nora forward. Nora is portrayed as an outsider that had married into the Wedeskyull family. At first her marriage and connection to the Hamilton family are a plus but they quickly become more of a curse or hindrance as she continues to investigate her husband's death. She doesn’t have the support of her mother-in-law or the police department. She’s constantly cautioned to let things go and forget about the past. But the more Nora learns, the more she realizes that she didn't really know anyone in this small town and that there isn't anyone she can trust. I enjoyed the twists and turns Nora takes as she searches for the truth. I thought that Ms. Milchman did an admirable job in describing life in a small town as well as in creating a mystery-suspense read that kept me guessing until the bitter end. If you enjoy mystery-suspense and are seeking something new to read, then I can wholeheartedly recommend Cover of Snow.

Nora's husband had been a policeman in the small town where they live. In her quest to learn why he committed suicide, she learns some disturbing secrets about the police department. She also finds out more about her husband's past and how both his secrets and those of the police department are linked.

Although it has some faults, this book really grabbed me. That is, it kept me reading instead of eating and late into the night. I didn't want to put it down.

That grab-me factor is the biggest test of a good book but not the only one. While, it seemed to me that Jenny Milchman was careful not to overwrite, go on and on when a simple sentence or two will do, I sometimes wished for more description. For example, her emphasis on the cold and the small-town surroundings were excellent, but some of Nora's finding's about her husband's past and the people from his past were a little confusing.

Also lacking are good transitions from present to past and vice versa, differentiation between the past of 25 years ago and more recently, and careful use of pronouns. But these are not overwhelming and just mean the reader sometimes had to read sentences more than once.

The club members gave this book a 3-4 star rating. While no members professed to love this book or want to give it 5 stars, it sure did promote a lively discussion. Everybody wanted to talk! Our moderator had to tone us down a few times when everybody wanted to talk at once about ife in a small town, police corruption and the many loose ends left in the storyline.

I have found me a new mystery author to follow. $1.99 on my Nook allowed me two days of a great story and wanting more.

Imagine living in a small town, your husband is on the local police department and you are taking the first steps in opening a home remodeling business. You have a memorable romantic evening with your husband to wake up in the morning and find that he's hung himself. Sympathy from the town's people abounds but answers are few and far between. The more the wife asks questions, the more things aren't adding up. How well did she know her husband? Was he keeping secrets? Are the police protecting her feelings or protecting themselves? Some secrets can't stayed buried, no matter how frozen the ground.

Sub-zero temperatures, winter storms and heavy snows are at the theme of this story, but even the cold temperatures can't cover up the heat that ignites as the author weaves you through a maze of deceit. I love it when an author doesn't play all their cards up front and keeps a little something special held back to entice and intrigue you. If this is indicative of her writing style, count me a fan.

I chose this book for my bookclub because of the good reviews.
Nora Hamilton thinks she has the perfect life until her husband, a police officer kills himself. As she investigates, to find out why he did this, she uncovers the many secrets of her small town.
I found this to be a confusing story with two many character.