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Radio 2 Book Club: Girl in Snow

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 5 March.

We have the chance for you to win 10 copies of this book for your reading group. Please enter by Friday 9 March.

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We also have an exclusive extract available for you to read, and some discussion questions for your group.

Girl in Snow

When beloved high school student Lucinda Hayes is found murdered, no one in her sleepy Colorado suburb is untouched – not the boy who loved her too much; not the girl who wanted her perfect life; not the police officer assigned to investigate. In the aftermath of the tragedy, these three unforgettable characters – Cameron, Jade, and Russ – must each confront their darkest secrets in an effort to find solace, the truth, or both.

Selection panel review

The book was selected with the help of a panel of librarians from across the UK.

The panel loved Girl in Snow – here are some of their comments:

“Colorado student Lucinda Hayes is found dead in a school playground and the novel follows the lives of 3 small-town misfits – schoolboy Cameron, police officer Russ and teenage goth Jade – as the hunt is on to discover the identity of her killer. With an intuitive grasp of human nature, the author delves into the depths of these characters, beautifully delineating their flaws and frailties. This is, however, more than a crime thriller; with such accomplished characterisation it is also an engaging portrait of small-town life where lives are intertwined and relationship secrets struggle to remain hidden. I didn’t foresee the ending but the conclusion made perfect sense and there were no loose ends left trailing. I really enjoyed this novel; it is expertly and compellingly written. I thoroughly recommend it.”

“I thought this book was brilliant – I read it in two days because I was enjoying it so much. The characters were multi-faceted and each had their own flaws and redeeming qualities. The plot was perfectly paced and kept doling out more and more backstory as well as revealing the details of the crime and its eventual conclusion. It wasn’t your average whodunnit; the story had real heart behind it, and it was almost more of a character study than a crime thriller. It was heartbreakingly sad in all the right places, not so much that it ruined the book, but enough to tug at your heart when you realised what was happening. It is a perfectly balanced book in many ways, with superb writing and a story and characters you really care about. I can’t fault it.”

About the author

Danya Kukafka is a graduate of New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She works as an assistant editor at Riverhead Books. Girl in Snow is her first novel.

A word from Danya

“It’s an honour and a thrill to be chosen for such a brilliant, distinguished programme – as a devoted lover of books from a very young age, I can assuredly say that the local libraries in my hometown actively turned me into a reader (and therefore, a writer). And as a debut novelist, particularly, I am wildly grateful for the opportunity to reach such a wide and engaged audience. I hope you love Girl in Snow.”

Get involved

Tune in to Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Monday 5 March to hear a live interview with Danya.

Have you read Girl in Snow? You can share your thoughts with us on Twitter using #girlinsnow, or follow Danya

You can also see what other readers thought or add the book to your group’s reading list

Want to find out more? Take a look at the Radio 2 Book Club Twitter feed or find out more on the Radio 2 Book Club website.

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