When teenager Lucinda Hayes is murdered in a small Colorado town, Detective Russ Fletcher is assigned to investigate the case. In Girl in Snow, Danya Kukafka slowly unravels the mystery through the perspectives of Russ and two of Lucinda’s schoolmates: Cameron Whitley and Jade Dixon-Burns. 

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Girl in Snow is the kind of thriller I love, which is to say that it's not so much a traditional thriller as a character study, where character development takes precedence over plot. It is dark, introspective, and often beautifully written. 

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While I enjoyed much of the book, and thought that Cameron’s perspective was particularly well-written, I found Lucinda’s portrayal somewhat two-dimensional. Additionally, despite Jade’s narrative being central to the story, she had no real role in the plot, which struck me as odd. 

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This is the second book I’ve read by Kukafka, the first being the brilliant Notes on an Execution. It’s worth noting that Girl in Snow is Kukafka's debut novel, and while it’s an impressive debut, the leap in storytelling skill between the two books is significant. As such, while Girl in Snow is a solid and enjoyable murder mystery, I’d recommend starting with Notes on an Execution if you’re new to Kukafka’s work. 

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