Reviews: The Last Winter of Dani Lancing (2)

I must admit that when I started reading The Last Winter of Dani Lancing, my initial reaction was one of “Oh no, not another ‘I see ghosts’ type of book”, but thankfully this impression was quickly dispelled and this proved itself to be a really quite clever and compelling read…

What I loved particularly about this book was the way that the story gradually unfolded with more than one or two surprises along the way. This could so easily have devolved into a very linear tale of the lives of those in the shadows of loss- Dani’s parents and her closest friend Tom- and consequently been a little dull. However, thanks to the skill of Viner’s writing and his control of the pace, the reader is constantly wrong-footed, as the details of Dani’s brief life are revealed and the totally surprising consequences of her murder, as evinced by the actions of her mother on the man she believes culpable, and the undertaking of a career in the police force of her friend Tom in the wake of his personal loss. These two characters in particular, carry the weight of the novel, as the death of Dani reverberates through, and dictates their actions, and both characters are incredibly empathetic as the strands of their stories are unveiled. Dani’s father acts as a foil to the more extreme actions of the aforementioned, and Viner skilfully depicts the sad image of a man bereft, trying to hold onto his memories of his daughter by conversing with her and seeking to come to terms with his personal loss. The depth of feeling conveyed in these passages is really quite heartrending, especially set against the more vital actions of her mother and Tom. I am loathe to go into details of the plot as I would want any reader to be surprised as I was by the clever touches of misdirection that Viner instigates throughout, that truly added to my experience as a reader.

There is an ease to Viner’s writing seldom achieved in crime fiction, that does make this book exceedingly difficult to put down- I read this almost in one sitting. His attention to the more sensual details of a scene is unerring, so that the reader really experiences the feel and sensory perception of the smallest details- the coldness of the snow and the smell of blood for example- as well as being totally caught up in the strength of human emotion and weaknesses of the main protagonists. The book is cut through with some nice little comic touches as well to, at times, that lighten the whole affair as this really is a book fair bursting with the gamut of human emotion. I loved that this book so quickly revealed itself as something new and refreshing in a fairly well-used story arc, and the power and intelligence of the writing kept me reading. An excellent debut and a refreshing new voice in crime fiction.

This is the story of Dani Lancing, a girl tragically found murdered, and of her family and friends she left behind.
Her father has seen her ghost since she was murdered, whereas her mother dreamt of revenge and was tracking down the killer herself, whilst her best friend became a policeman and tried to help other girls like Dani.
I enjoyed this book, the author weaves the story really well and the plot gradually unfolds what really happened to Dani, and what impact it has had on her family. Touching and tragic.