Review: Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira

Winter Sisters

by Robin Oliveira

Publisher: Viking

Pages: 416

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  New York, 1879: After an epic snow storm ravages the city of Albany, Dr. Mary Sutter, a former Civil War surgeon, begins a search for two little girls, the daughters of close friends killed by the storm who have vanished without a trace.

Mary's mother and niece Elizabeth, who has been studying violin in Paris, return to Albany upon learning of the girls' disappearance--but Elizabeth has another reason for wanting to come home, one she is not willing to reveal. Despite resistance from the community, who believe the girls to be dead, the family persists in their efforts to find the two sisters. When what happened to them is revealed, the uproar that ensues tears apart families, reputations, and even the social fabric of the city, exposing dark secrets about some of the most powerful of its citizens, and putting fragile loves and lives at great risk.

Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series and this book picks up years after book one ends.  Dr. Mary Sutter has moved back to Albany and is in a good place in life when a blizzard hits the city and lifelong friends of her have been found dead and their daughters are now missing.  She is determined to find them and after a natural disaster tides will turn and this story goes a little dark.  

I enjoyed this book leaps and bounds more than the first book.  I am completely on the fence as to if you should start with book one or skip on to this one.  I was glad that I had the background information on Mary Sutter, but I could have absolutely enjoyed this one without the knowledge of the first book.

I loved Mary Sutter so much more in this book.  She was a fierce female and having to deal with the low expectations of females at the time and her high expectations of her self - I just loved her so much more in this book.  I applauded her so much in this book!

I don't love talking about trigger warnings, so I rarely warn readers, but this book had some hard and dark stuff in it, so I thought I would give a warning.  There was some definite violence against children and it is talked about and discussed and a central part of the book, so if you are sensitive about reading things like that I would maybe avoid this book.  I think I am a pretty tough broad and I had a few times where I had to put this book down and get a minute away and come back to it.  

I wonder if Robin Oliveira will continue with Mary Sutter.  I would read more from her due to book two completely exceeding my feelings of book one.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 25 out of 100


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Viking Penguin.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.