No Winter Lasts Forever

by Jonathan Epps

In the wake of a high school massacre, a copycat shooter begins to stalk otherwise sleepy Franklin, Missouri, further traumatizing the community. Disturbed by these crimes, logistics manager, Jackson Warner, finds his way into an illicit chatroom ‘happydayz,’ dedicated to glorifying the killers. Jackson fixates on the young men’s disregard for life and suspects the copycat is among them. In his frenzy, will he mistake a troubled youth for one of possibly many shooters?

“Great plot…really well done…” Thomas Jones, British author of GAME THEORY

Genres: Fiction, Mystery Thriller

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2019

About the author

I'm either (too) late GenX or (too) early Millennial, depending on how you view these things. It's kind of a lost space in the culture. But here I am.

I write realism though I work within genres, trying to break through those molds to write something original. I write about many things but never shy away from adult themes. No Winter Lasts Forever, my attempt at a tragic thriller, probably needs a major trigger warning. And two of the three short stories deal with two vastly different subcultures which include some explicit language.

I'm deeply appreciative of any and all of my readers.

Reviews

[Wayne Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to call this an action-packed story, and indeed it is filled with action, but not the fun-filled, exciting kind. That's not to say the book isn't good, this really is a page turner, it's just that this is one of those stories that are full of the disturbing realities we face in today's society.

I think one of the things that weighed on me while reading was the the focus on the differences in age gaps--the lack of older generations being in touch with those following behind them. How can we help the depressed, and the troubled if we can't relate to them on an equal level?

Jonathan Epps has taken one of modern times greatest nightmares, school shootings, and segued into a thriller that delves into the dark corridors of the dark web, drug addiction, and mass murder. This is a novel that is sure to keep you entertained.

[Ed Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shoutout to Jonathon Epps for bringing his novel to my attention, I was sceptical at first but his brief explanation of the story grabbed my attention

No Winter Lasts Forever follows an out of touch 50-something on a monomaniacal (new word I learned in the book, it means total obsessive focus on on particular thing, cool I know) mission to take out a online chat room. Not your normal Reddit chat room- a chat room full off school shooters, shopping mall shooters, all kinds of weird psycho things like that.

The story took turns I really wasn’t expecting and with novels it’s usually quite easy to kinda guess what’s going to happen. There are plenty of teased endings, but what happened is the opposite.

The book goes in to all kinds of current day issues, the aforementioned school shooters, America’s drug crisis, uncensored social media platforms used to distribute perverse material and a good old dose of family upset.

I really rate this book although I was left frustrated at times with some of the characters, it just goes to show the skill in the writing! Definitely one for those of you that like an indie novel, no happy endings here....

[April Cote · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often come across many books that not only suck me for the thrills it delivers but also makes me think deeply about many current issues. I have sat on this review for weeks, because I needed to turn this story over and over in my head.

There are so many important topics in this book; ideas on masculinity, mass shootings, depression, family struggles, addiction, and human connections. Jonathan Epps blends them all perfectly to create a thriller that will draw in you from the first page to the last.


The story will suck you in, and when you put it down, the wheels will turn in your head, not only digesting the story, but forcing you to think about and face issues in our society that are mostly ignored because people find them too upsetting. For me, it was a mental roller coaster of emotions and thoughts that I truly enjoyed.

I think this is a very important book that many in our society need to read.

Highly recommend for lovers of thrillers and contemporary fiction.

[Maxiumus · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Winter Lasts Forever is a very well-written and thought-provoking read. Epps addresses a timely and difficult topic in what felt to me like a very authentic manner. The pace of both plot and character development was spot on. He managed to draw me into the midst of a gripping, seemingly real-life drama, without sensationalising the event and I have to congratulate the author for that. I was wary of reading anything which might be seen to capitalise on such unfortunate and current events, but this author has managed to examine the experience from diverse perspectives in a manner I found compelling and eminently readable. I recommend this book without reservation. Well done!

[Tabithw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book engaged me. This book thrilled me. This book moved me. I highly recommend this story. Not only is it moving, but it woke me up. Wake up and read this story

[Pegboard · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Winter Lasts Forever by Jonathan Epps is terrifying, enlightening, and gratifying all in one book. A lost generation is finding themselves in time between two worlds; virtual reality and real life. They don’t know how to cope with both and the poor choices in their virtual reality are spilling into a life that doesn’t regenerate, spawn, or start over. Jackson Warner was once a public school teacher, but quit when he realized he was part of a system that was failing these kids. After a school shooting, he inspects a chat room that may hold the answers, but will he scar his soul to find them?
 
I found No Winter Lasts Forever very mesmerizing as Jonathan Epps creates a story that could have happened in your own town. Even though Jackson had clues, it was hard to find the right people to listen to him. The intricate scheme of the psychopaths behind the shootings was sad. This was a good book, but not for the faint of heart.       

[Todd Bequette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is truly superb literary fiction -- very well-written with a devastating plot twist.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franklin, Montana is your typical small town. It is a community where everybody pretty much knows everyone, and they all look out for one another. When in the wake of a school shooting, a copycat begins to stalk the town, residents begin to fear for their safety. Jackson Warner is a unassuming man, going about his business when he stumbles upon a chat room that glorifies the recent shootings. Drawn into the disturbing and horrifying dark web of young males who disregard the worth of a human life, Jackson has to figure out who is behind all this and who he can trust to help him stop it.
This book is a thriller, there are so many elements that are in play at any given moment and the author does a good job of juggling the different plot twists. I think this book is very timely in todays age of mass shootings we have in America. It certainly will strike a nerve with most folks.

[Diane Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giveaway win!!

This is a typical small town that is quiet and everyone watches out for everyone else. But then there is a school shooting and then a copycat arises in the town. Then everyone starts being afraid and unsure of their safety. Then one man discovers a chat room where they are discussing the shootings and he starts wondering what is going on. So, he gets involved in the chat room trying to figure out what is going on.

It really gets you wondering about today's society and what prompts folks to do these types of things. This was a good story that was well written.

[Adele Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a literary work, a tragedy. The protagonist vacillates between depths of existentialism and glimpses of universal predestination. At once holier-than-thou and unconditionally forgiving, Jackson Warner rages against society’s ills as exhibited in senseless, random shootings. Taking matters into his own hands, he risks becoming part of the problem. If he succeeds he may lose the very meaning of his existence. Well written, thought provoking, timely.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for an airplane or the beach. The author makes you feel like you are in the scenes with the characters, which is what I look for in a good book. The story has a great twist near the end that I wasn't expecting, and it wrapped up with a good ending. Many authors these days don't know how to end a story properly (e.g. Dan Brown -- great books until the ending falls flat). Thankfully this author didn't fall into that trap. I look forward to more novels from him. Well done.

[Mike Billstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not done, yet, but I am loving how sometimes fiction is real life. The resentful and weak men of the world are the most dangerous.

It keeps me reading.. Even when I am distracted by 1,212,222,000,000 other books I still need to know how it ends.

Can there be a hero in this story? This book cuts close to our society's bone.
One person found this helpful

[Itsbarbiesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

No winter lasts forever

“NO WINTER LASTS FOREVER” by Jonathan Epps Had me hooked😳!
I could not put the book down! The more I read the more I wanted to know what was going on with young “Luke” and his uncle “Jack”; who are the main characters in the beginning of this story.

My mouth was open to find out how some school shootings are created or influenced through internet chat rooms👨‍💻, and how brainwashed, mentally challenged, lonely, and depressed are the ones behind them.
Sad to know.

The book is filled with many emotions and surprises. It shares: family life, teachers, law enforcement, violence, depression, drugs, addiction, guns,(Safe and unsafe gun usage), love, betrayal, death, and sadness.
The main subject is “shootings / gun violence.”

There are different characters throughout the story who are important, but to me
(The main character “Jack”) is who experiences the most catastrophic feelings, and who I admired a lot throughout the story.
Jack is tough, supportive, brave, naive, not a know it all; but the kind of person I wish I had in real life as a family member, because of how caring he is as a brother /uncle / person🙏🏻 I think I developed a little crush on him 😂.
I enjoyed his qualities as a man even though I saw him go through so much in this story.
He stood up for things that not many would👏🏻

I felt Jacks pressure and frustration to help his nephew Luke. I thought 💭 a few times how annoying that his sister Elizabeth and brother- in-law Tony, didn’t do more for their son. I wanted to go in the story and shake them😂; this was one big reason why I admired Jack so much.
He goes deep into the rabbit hole of the internet chat rooms / dark web to get to the bottom of what he wants to know, and along the way so many surprising things come out from this.
There was a connection between Jack and “Lonerlife Joey” who was a character I had a bad feeling about, and just couldn’t believe my eyes on the revelation.
I loved Penny as Jacks companion❤️she’s the sweetest most supportive woman. I Loved her🙏🏻

One ☝🏻 important issue I saw and gave me an eye opener was, the way some teachers neglect their students that are aiming towards hurting themselves or others; and it made me think a lot. As a future educator this hit home for me🙏🏻 This entire story gave me a whole new perspective on a lot.

I highly recommend everyone to read this book 📖
Especially parents and educators! It won’t disappoint you and you will learn a lot!

I also loved Epps writing ✍🏻 style 😍it flowed perfectly for me.
This is by far a book I will never forget this 2020 year and will be gifting🎁 to my friends and family to read.

[Ingolda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Jonathan Epps has impressed me yet again with this very well written and thought provoking thriller novel No Winter Lasts Forever. It is about a school shooting, which is of course a very sensitive subject to touch on, however Epps does a wonderful job of highlighting this difficult and subjective subject matter.

This is one of those stories that will play over and over in my head for some time to come. The content is so close to bone, and it covers a variety of sensitive but poignant topics that are current in today’s sometimes sad world: guns, shooting, depression, addictions, family, communication, the dark web and much more.

The plot line caught my attention early on, and upon finishing the book I can say Epps is fast becoming one of my favourite writers. I love his writing style.

[Roseann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!


This book brought out a lot of emotions in me about shootings. So scary and senseless. This book was a book I had a hard time putting down.

[Annery · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3.5***

This is way off from my usual playground but I'm happy I listened to it.

a) The narration by Garrett Kiesel is pretty excellent.

b) The story, about what has tragically become a common headline in America, is treated sensitively but not tritely.

c) There are some pleasant narrative turns that were unexpected but very welcome.

Enjoy

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads for this ebook giveaway win! Here's my unbiased review:

I wish I hadn't won this, and that I didn't feel like I had to read it...And it's not because of the themes and triggers. I've done a fair share of reading statistics and ethics about mass shootings and gun policies. I don't shy away from hard topics or challenging books. Sadly, I found this book to be a waste of "paper" and my time. I hate writing such critical reviews.

I'm not sure what the author's goal for this book is supposed to be. A judgement for our culture? A fictionalized analysis of mass shootings? A thriller for entertainment? A mockery of the disconnect between generations? It's not clear, not even at the very end. There was nothing "thrilling" about this, it's predictable, lackluster and unimaginative. It read like a political tantrum from an old man; incoherent, immature, and blaming everyone else for everything that's wrong. A political rant not dissimilar to an old man yelling at those HOOLIGANZ, GIT OFF MY LAWN!

The author chose a very hot, very touchy, very triggering topic without any apparent research or care to respect the actual shootings or honor the investigators and victims. There are scores of well written research articles that can enlighten those who are interested. Why on earth write a novel for entertainment on this topic?

If the author wanted to warn about a culture with too many guns and disconnect, he did nothing to encourage a closer community or respect for the news and police. There's a ludicrous scene where the narrator, who apparently has handled guns and is a good shot, randomly buys an assault rifle that he later claims he doesn't know how to use, throws it in his trunk to drive to a recent shooting scene but pulls over when he hears the gun bumping around, a police officer magically appears and demands to see what's in the car with ZERO probable cause to even pull over next to the guy let alone search his car--though of course the author threw that phrase around to justify his officer's actions; the guy lies about the gun then has to admit it's hiding in the trunk but the officer only pretends to arrest him? What? Unless this happened to the author in real life, this is the most ridiculous, improbable scene. It's not clear whether the author is pro- or anti- police, but he did a wonderful job of portraying cops as bumbling idiots.

The writing is sloppy, flat, and shallow. The characters are worse than one-note. I understand that the narrator is supposed to be a flawed character, but he's just awful and is awfully written. He lives a weird, loner life even before his "obsession" kicks in, yet it's barely described. For a novel, the author barely tells you anything about the characters, setting, or action except what's absolutely necessary for his murky message of...anti-guns? anti-youth? anti-white men? I still don't understand what the message is supposed to be. The dialogue is so strange--it reads like a church skit. Stilted, fake, staged. His nephew is supposed to be 21 yet he's written like he's 16.

The author portrays everyone the narrator knows as awful. His family, his coworkers, the police, the witnesses he talks to--everyone is dumb, greedy, stupid, selfish, and unrealistic. The author makes a mockery of so many tropes that he does a disgrace to the real tragedy that shootings are.

[Lenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fiction book that hits too close to the reality. Author Jonathan Epps writes a chilling story about a school massacre where three shooters enter the premises of a school and begin shooting, throwing out the window the school peace and the entire community safety; after this tragic incident, a group where people begin admiring the shooters is created, and a copycat is amongst the members.

This book had me completely hooked from the very first pages, this is an intense read, so just know, that this is the kind of reality we face as a society and the author completely portraits it as it is.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I shouldn't give reviews on books I couldn't get into it as this was one of those. For some reason it just felt off to me - what I did read.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked all the way through, great read.

[Rebecca]

Powerful

I loved this book from the first page to the very last. “No Winter Lasts Forever” is written beautifully. It touches on a subject about school shootings: a subject very difficult to touch on because of all the recent tragedies that have occurred within the past couple of years. It caught my attention for that reason and kept my attention consistently throughout the book. The investigative nature of the main character kept me on my toes the entire time. Such a great book. It had my heart racing, it had me feeling all the emotions that the characters were feeling. The ending (without spoilers) is satisfying and made me feel that great sense of accomplishment after reading a good book. Great great great!

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Winter Lasts Forever is a tragedy through and through. It starts out right into the action of a school shooting. Jack the protagonist struggles with the knowledge of the shooting and shootings that follow after. His nephew Luke is a young man who still lives with his parents with no ambition. Jack learns that Luke partakes in a chat room called EasyChat where some dark and disturbing conversations take place. Jack dives into this realm he is unfamiliar with and quickly becomes obsessed. Jack is befriended by LonerLife in the chatroom and he believes he can help him better his life. There are some twists that I found to be predictable but all in all for a tragedy it was still a good read. The ending is tied up nicely. Ultimately a sad feeling will be left when you finish the book.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three shooters – par of an EasyChat group – the beginning of terror

Washington, DC author Jonathan Epps offers little biographical data – except that he has written three novels, NO WINTER LASTS FOREVER being his third novel: his other novels await publication. He has published THREE STORIES – a collection of his short stories. As he has stated, ‘I'm either (too) late GenX or (too) early Millennial, depending on how you view these things. It's kind of a lost space in the culture. But here I am. I'm happily partnered to a good guy named Patrick for fourteen years.’ After reading this exceptionally fine book, it appears obvious that his future as an author is sound!

This story may be fiction, but it is so closely related to events of the past couple of years that the message it offers is wholly credible. Jonathan understands the importance of initial impact when bringing a thriller to his audience, and he captures attention in his Prologue, set in Franklin, Missouri: “Normal day; perfect weather. April: relative present. Franklin-Betty High School is near full capacity. Three college-aged men in masks – one Frankenstein, one ski, one latex – approach in the mild air of the sunny day, guns jammed in their waistbands, rifles cocked in hand. They split up. The bell rings to change class from first period to homeroom. Students chat casually in the busy halls. Frankenstein, positioned at the primary administrative building, fires into the air, into the dirt. Ski, on the opposite side, fires into the brick wall, the windows of the main entrance. Security is frayed. Latex bursts into the back wing, filled with students, and fires indiscriminately. Dozens fall. Blood spatters lockers, the hallway floor, other students. Survivors whimper in heaps on the floor. Then, silence. Latex steps outside and fires three times rapidly into the air, lodges the handgun into his mouth, fires. Frankenstein and Ski, hearing the successive shots, fire bullets at the back of their throats. All three fall dead.’ Terrifying and so realistic that it jars us into the following story.

It is where Jonathan takes this incident that makes his book so relevant to now: ‘ In the wake of a high school massacre, a copycat shooter begins to stalk otherwise sleepy Franklin, Missouri, further traumatizing the community. Disturbed by these crimes, logistics manager, Jackson Warner finds his way into an illicit chatroom ‘happydayz,’ dedicated to glorifying the killers. Jackson fixates on the young men’s disregard for life and suspects the copycat is among them. In his frenzy, will he mistake a troubled youth for one of possibly many shooters?’

Jonathan’s sensitive expertise makes this ‘debut novel’ stunning. His ability to magnetize our attention is evident on every page. In taking on a very contemporary criminal problem he helps us understand the psychology of it, and in doing so allows us to become more acutely aware of how to deal with mass shootings in schools – and elsewhere! Very highly recommended.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Goodreads giveaways. After a high school shooting inspires a copycat killer in his community, a man becomes obsessed with finding those responsible. Ugh, such a good premise but ultimately a letdown.

The writing is stilted, with run-on sentences and paragraphs. The story is muddled and not quite sure what it wants to be - a commentary on gun violence, a thriller, a family drama? The main character obviously has anger issues, but his emotions also completely run the gamut, from anger, to depression, to euphoria, so quickly it felt like whiplash. The pacing is poor; there's a lot of action right at the beginning, but then it felt like the main plot was put aside in favor of these random scenes. It ping-pongs from one topic to the next with little connection.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

when the violence is over healing begins…?

In Franklin Missouri it was another Monday morning and everything looked the same, but nothing would be the same ever again. Three mast students walked into Franklin Betty junior high and that they killed 22 students and then killed their self. This was not the end of the death or the victims though and it will take one man to solve the mystery of who is next? Why is it happening? And where will it happen again? This book was so good I really hate to make myself stop reading it. With the FBI and local government on the case a normal guy save the day and it is so good. I loved him and I loved his on again off again girlfriend family and thought the story was so well written. I highly recommend this book if you love drama and thrillers you would definitely love this book I totally did!

[Mary Bly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book through a giveaway and unfortunately did not love it. It was hard to figure out what the purpose of the book was and what the message being given was. The first half of the book was very slow and the characters were never really developed. It felt very disjointed and I couldn't find any way to connect with the characters. It got better towards the middle/end, but even still the main character never felt realistic. The subject matter felt like an important commentary to be had, but done poorly.

[Yejin Park · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book had an intriguing plot with lackluster execution. The writing was rushed and dragged at the wrong moments that left you feeling incomplete at the end of the book. Although the plot twist was predictable, there were other aspects added to it that really shines the complexity of Jack's hunch.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*. I felt like this book was a little underdeveloped in some areas, and dragged on or got sidetracked in others. It was a little slow at first, but I was invested at the halfway mark. Thought provoking and ultimately sad story.

[Barbara Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story was eye opening

OK, in all fairness to my rating it was not because of the writing or the storyline, it was strictly the fact this was a book I couldn't connect with. The subject matter was spot on with what is happening in today's sad world but sometimes, as a reader, books connect with me and sometimes they just don't.

[Jennifer Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this book in a giveaway. The story is a scary thought that many people can relate to. The main character's obsessive personality is quite annoying and probably the reason that I didn't give this book a higher rating. There are a couple twists that got me and I actually enjoyed. I expected that he was going to get shot at the end so that even surprised me.