GREAT READS

Snow Angels

James Thompson.

Longing for a vacation from the sizzling summer heat and humidity? Read Snow Angels by James Thompson and escape to Lapland, a hundred miles inside the Arctic Circle during kaamos, just before Christmas, where the setting is as much a character as any human. The never-ending darkness and cold so bitter that any exposure causes instant frostbite might be an explanation for rampant alcoholism and the high crime rate. Still, the murder of Somali actress Sufia Elmi is unusually brutal and even the experienced Inspector Kari Vaara is profoundly affected by the sight of her bloodied, naked body sprawled in the snow.

Snow Angels offers readers a glimpse into the chilling Arctic climate as well as the insular culture and dark stoicism of the inhabitants of a small town in Finland. While Inspector Vaara follows clues that involve him with a memorable cast of characters, he also struggles to preserve his marriage to Kate, a young American, eleven years his junior and newly pregnant. Past and present relationships collide and politics and racism add to the complications.

The story will chill you to the bone and that's a pretty good feeling right now.

Recommended by Carol Brannock