In the Bleak Midwinter

Juliet Spencer-Fleming's In the Bleak Midwinter is a very solid first novel.  I liked several things about it very much, and there wasn't really anything to dislike.

First, there's a real tangible feeling of place in her upstate New York setting, and it feels almost like another character.  The ice and snow are constant companions, from the beginning of the novel when Rev. Fergusson rescues a baby from hypothermia, right through the climax when she again confronts the driving snow and cold.  But even in the normal scenes of driving from place to place, the cold and ice are there, whether it's in the driving conditions, the cold feet, etc.  Reminded me of my days in Rochester.

Second, the two main characters, Rev. Fergusson and Russ VanAlstyne are very believable.  I've mentioned before that it seems to be hard for most authors I read to make interesting/believable religious characters.  Here, Spencer-Fleming has created a nice dichotomy between Rev. Fergusson and Van Alstyne, without tilting the field toward one or the other.

I look forward to reading more novels about these characters.