Indie Book Reviews: October Snow by Jenna Brooks

​Josie Kane is a "difficult" woman, a pure enigma - one who survives her abusive husband by honing her unnerving talent for playing mind games: she knows exactly how to manipulate a bully. Her one remaining refuge is in her bond with Maxine and Samantha, the two friends whom she loves like sisters. When Samantha becomes pregnant by Jack - an abuser who makes known his intentions to use the baby as a weapon of control - Josie's hatred ripens to a vengeful fury. She sets out to take on one more batterer, manipulate one more bully... 


With her friends helpless to stop her - and with Samantha hanging in the balance - Josie squares off with Jack in a life-and-death, winner-lose-all battle of wits to determine which side will win Sammy's future. 

Like its sequel, the equally compelling An Early Frost, Jenna Brook's debut novel, the award winning October Snow is a nail-biting thriller. Showcasing the long-term damage done by domestic violence, this book also explores the daunting legal obstacles that victims have to overcome in separating from their tormentors. 

Josie and Jack emerge as the opposing dark forces that drive the narrative. Jack is an abuser who isn't about to let go of Sammy, the lost woman at the heart of the problem. Josie, a former victim and worn-out advocate, is haunted by her past, tormented by her present, and rapidly losing hope. She's holding on, if only by a thread, and even her two best friends, Sammy and Maxine, can't seem to get close enough to help. But Josie's a warrior and she's got just enough twisted smarts to bring this last bully to justice - but will it be enough?

Written with Brook's usual unflinching honesty and natural prose, this book is dark, driven, and truly gripping. With believable characters, heart-twisting scenarios, a jaw-dropping final act, and a realistic style that will leave you unnerved, October Snow is one book that will stay with you long after you put it down.

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