Book Review: THE END OF WINTER by T. D. Griggs

Title: The End of Winter
Author: T. D. Griggs
Read: October 2016


Synopsis (Goodreads):

Surgeon Michael Severin flies to disaster areas all over the world - floods, earthquakes, fires. He is good at his work, courageous and skilled - a natural rescuer.

But at what cost to himself and those he loves? Returning early from an assignment he finds his wife Caitlin dying from a brutal assault in their London home. His world shattered, Severin sets out to unravel the tangled skein of events which led to the tragedy.

He finds more questions than answers. And he is forced to confront the biggest question of all: do you ever really know the one you love?

My thoughts:

What a wonderful treat this novel turned out to be! Purchased as a kindle special deal, it gave me many hours of pleasure reading, and I am very glad I chanced upon it whilst browsing Amazon. The End of Winter is a haunting tale of love, grief, loss and the effects one person’s actions can have on the lives of many different people, packaged in a slowly unfolding murder-mystery. Griggs tells his story through the eyes of an interesting protagonist, MSF surgeon Michael Severin, a man who has dedicated his life to saving others. Like many of his kind, Michael threw himself into his rescuer role as a means to assuage his own guilt over a tragedy in his past, only to find that it has now become an integral part of his personality he cannot easily let go. I found Michael to be a fascinating, well-rounded character, whose melancholy musings over how he ultimately may be to blame for his wife’s death occasionally threw up doubts about his reliability as a narrator, which added to the mystery. The cast of supporting characters were all very well developed, adding an interesting mix of diverse personalities from different social classes into the mix, each with their own crosses to bear and their own potential motives for the crime committed. As Michael sets out to solve the mystery, the story becomes so much more than just a crime novel, but an exploration of the dynamics that drive a relationship, redemption for decisions made and the ability to let go of the past.

The End of Winter may well be one of my favourite murder-mysteries I have read this year, with its evocative voice still haunting me after the last page has been turned. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy a slower paced mystery that focuses on the human psyche and the forces driving our actions, decisions and relationships.