Reviewed by coollibrarianchick for TeensReadToo.com

Fans of the Nancy Drew stories will enjoy this latest book by Kathryn Reiss. BLACKTHORN WINTER is a well-written "who done it?" mystery that leaves you wondering until the very end.

Blackthorn is a perfect place for a mystery to take place. It is a damp, gloomy town in England, an artist's colony with some very interesting residents. All the residents seem to be busybodies, knowing a little too much gossip and happenings in the town. It's a far cry from sunny California, where Juliana and her family used to live.

Her mom, facing a crumbling marriage and wanting to explore her artistic roots further, made Juliana and her brother and sister move to England with her. The adjustment wasn't easy - she was away from her Dad, her friends, and everything else she knew. England, at least where she was, didn't look like any of the pictures in the calendar Mom bought her. Even worse, Juliana had a constant nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

The book has two mysteries intertwined together. The first mystery that has to be solved is finding the murderer of Liza Pethering. As you delve further into the book you will discover that finding the culprit is easier said than done. The person arrested is the easy choice, but not particularly the right choice. The second mystery has to deal with Juliana's past, which has to be unraveled so she can move forward. At five years old, Juliana joined the Martin-Drake family. Ever since she was little, Juliana has had trouble with recalling memories of her past. It seems that she can't remember anything before she was five.

Did something happen to her to make her repress the memories? Are the two mysteries tied together somehow? All she knows is that she must solve both of them before another person, maybe herself, becomes the next victim. ( )

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I found this book during the time of it's release date (January 2006) through Amazon and I immediately went to the my local library to order a copy. It sounded like an amazing mystery book and I loved that it was set in England. After a good amount of time waiting for the library to make the order and process it, I finally got and read the book in June. As soon as I read it, I remember being engrossed with the novel. It had the whole murder mystery suspense vibe and not to mention Duncan, a very cute red head, English boy as a potential love interest. I highly recommend this book. ( )

too many coincidences make this a little "clunky" but overall it's a decent teen mystery read. ( )

Blackthorn Winter was a terrific read. I enjoy Katheryn Reiss's books. They always pack a punch and deliver "The Chills", when reading her stories. I often get goosebumps when recommending them to someone. This story is about a girl whose mother moves them to a small town in England. Her mother is an artist and her father has stayed behind in California. A local artist turns up in the river murdered and Juliana and friends try to investigate the murder and find themselves in the heart of trouble. Suspenseful and chilling, this is a good read!! I would recommend Paperquake too!! ( )