The Winter People Mass Market Paperback – August 30, 2016

Creepy, goosebumpy, scary ghost stories aren't only for cool fall evenings. It turns out that the middle of January in remote Vermont when it's buried in snow is also the perfect setting for a psychological thriller filled with ghosts.Written by Jennifer McMahon, this is two stories in one with the common factor the setting of an old farmhouse on a secluded road in the very small town of West Hall, Vermont. The stories alternate: One takes place in January 1908, including flashbacks about 20 years earlier. The other takes place in the present day, also in January. This thickly-wooded homestead includes an outcropping of giant boulders that looks so much like a hand, the area has always been called Devil's Hand. Wander too far into the woods, and you might not make it out alive. Something is going on here, and those who have seen it believe there are ghosts in this spooky forest.It's January 1908. Sara Harrison Shea and her husband Martin Shea live in the farmhouse with their little girl, Gertie, who is 8 years old. One day she is found dead, having fallen 50 feet down a well. Sara collapses in grief, but writes her fears, anguish, and hopes into a secret diary. Sara comes to an untimely and gruesome death, which remains the stuff of legend in West Hall a hundred years later. She hid her diary in one of the hidey-holes in the old farmhouse, and many people want to find it because in it she supposedly left instructions on how to raise the dead to life.Meanwhile in the present-day, Alice Washburne lives in the same farmhouse with her two daughters, Ruthie, 19, and Fawn, 6. Alice, who is widowed, has lived off the grid for about 20 years. No computer. No cell phone. No links to anyone in the world. Even in this small town, not everyone knows who she is. On New Year's Day, Alice disappears. More than anything, Alice dislikes the police, so Ruthie knows she shouldn't call the cops. (This is one of several plot points—some small, some big—that make the mystery work. If Ruthie did call the cops or someone didn't lock her cell phone in the car so she didn't have it when she really needed it, things would have worked out quite differently. A little cheesy, perhaps.) The two stories—past and present—converge as Ruthie discovers dark secrets about her own past and those surrounding this strange house.This is one of the creepiest stories I have ever read, and while the plots from both time periods are rather farfetched, the book is a page-turner. It will keep you up past your bedtime, and if you read it then, you may very well have nightmares.

Loved how the story was told by charactersin the past and present. Ending seemed a little rushed but tied up all loose ends!

This story is about different women, generations apart, living in the same farmhouse and hiding a supernatural secret that will give you chills. The year is 1908, and a young girl, Sara Shea, is playing in the woods near her farm. She sees the ghost of a classmate who died two weeks before. The spirit also sees Sara, recognizes her, and flees. The dead girl's mother runs by Sara in a few minutes, calling her daughter's name. It was the first time that Sara saw what she learned to be "a sleeper," but it wasn't the last.Sara relates the incident to her "Auntie," a Native-American woman who helped raise her after Sara's mother died. Auntie promises Sara that she will reveal a secret to her that can resurrect the dead in a letter to be opened by Sara only when she is ready. Sara grows up and marries Martin, and they live on her farm, which she has inherited from her father. Martin and Sara have a child, Gertie, on whom Sara dotes. Sara and Gertie are so close; they seem to share a secret language that confuses Martin. As a farmer, Martin is unlucky. The ground on their farm is infertile, and Martin has persistent problems growing things. Still, they manage to eke out a living.Sara warns Martin from plowing near a piece of land near a large rock called the Devil's Hand. Several times Martin has inadvertently plowed up things like broken teacups, doll clothing, and teeth. When Martin's labor unearths a ring and brings it to Sara as a present, she becomes frightened and makes Martin promise to take it back and rebury it. Of course, he decides not to follow Sara's demand.One day Gertie goes exploring near the forbidden Devil's Hand rock. She never comes home. Sara and Martin are devastated and launch a community search for her. When Gertie's body is found, Sara remembers Auntie's letter of instructions for bringing back the dead.The story of Gertie is interwoven with a present-day one of a mother and two daughters living on the same farm. The daughters come home one day to find their mother missing. They encounter a widow who had just lost her husband in a car accident. She is looking for a mysterious woman seen with her husband right before he died. The mysterious woman is the daughters' missing mother.This story is genuinely terrifying, and the theme will quickly pull mystery and horror readers in. If the story also sounds a little convoluted, that's because it is. The jumps in time and the many characters require close attention and may be confusing for some. I wouldn't advise putting the book down long between reading sessions. The novel does deliver scares and should appeal to many horror fans.

Winter People is a mix for me. The way this is formatted was a tad annoying. There are a lot of characters and their stories throughout this book and usually that doesn't bother me.However, the past timeline (Sara's journal pages) and the way it is thrown into the mix disrupted the present timeline for me. I would have much preferred the journal pages at the start of each section, together, like a mini-prologue. That's just my preference though.The story itself wasn't my favorite either. I did love the atmosphere that was set and the cave setting. I was just hoping for some actual spooky as this is touted to be a ghost suspense. It's not actually about ghosts though...so that doesn't really fit. Maybe more of a paranormal women's fiction...Overall, I was disappointed. I didn't love this one but didn't hate it either. It would be good for those who want an eerie type atmospheric read for Spooktober, but don't expect to be thrilled or scared with this one.

This book is set in small town Vermont and begins with events at the turn of the century involving the death of a young girl whose mother is so overcome with grief that she resorts to a magical/witchcraft rite which she believes will ring her daughter back to life for seven days.The story then moves forward to the present day, where the mother of two girls, who live together in an isolated farmhouse, appears to simply vanish one night in the middle of winter.Over the course of time there have been a number of unexplained disappearances in the surrounding area, and many of the local people warn against venturing far into the nearby forest.Although this might sound fairly run of the mill and predictable, I found that Jennifer McMahon very skilfully built up the creepy atmosphere and tension and I wasn't able to put the book down. There were one or two coincidences which stretched credibility as little, but for me they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Very good. If you like scary stories. Good all the way through. Am reading another of her books now !!

Thoroughly entertaining mystery

Arrived promptly and in good condition, was such an enjoyable read that I found it very difficult to put down, would read her books again, definitely!

One of the best book I have had a chance to read!And i am reading a lot.Brilliant.I recommend to you!