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Faith Fairchild #15
The Body in the Snowdrift
Caterer Faith Fairchild has a bad feeling about her father-in-law's decision to celebrate his seventieth birthday with a family reunion ski week at the Pine Slopes resort in Vermont -- the Fairchilds' favorite getaway since Faith's husband, the Reverend Thomas Fairchild, was a toddler. At first her unease seems unfounded -- until Faith comes across a corpse on one of the cross-country trails, the apparent victim of a heart attack. Then one catastrophe follows the mysterious disappearance of the Pine Slopes' master chef, a malicious prank at the sports center, a break-in at the Fairchild condo, the sabotage of a chairlift. And when a fatal "accident" with the snow-making machines stains the slopes blood red, Faith realizes she'll have to work fast to solve a murderous puzzle -- because suddenly not only are the reunion and the beloved resort's future in jeopardy . . . but Faith's life is as well.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
142 people are currently reading
452 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Hall Page
54 books460 followersKatherine Hall Page is the author of twenty-five previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery. The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story “The Would-Be Widower.” The recipient of the Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement, she has been nominated for the Edgar, the Mary Higgins Clark, the Maine Literary, and the Macavity Awards. She lives in Massachusetts and Maine with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 14, 2025
Caterer and minister’s wife Faith Fairchild knows better than to think that a vacation to the Pine Slopes ski resort in Vermont with the entire Fairchild clan is going to be a real vacation. But, really, poor Faith didn’t know the half of it!
In this 15th cozy in the Faith Fairchild series, the brilliant chef of the resort’s French restaurant vanishes, and Faith agrees to step in to keep the place afloat. After all, the Stafford family that owns the Pine Slopes resort have been friends with the Fairfields for generations. But soon, more and more tragedies befall the family-owned resort, and Faith starts poking around….
Author Katherine Hall Page has woven yet another suspenseful cozy; however, I did subtract one star because the culprit(s) was(were) pretty obvious by the halfway mark, and the ending was somewhat unrealistic. That said, those new to the series will enjoy it, too.
In this 15th cozy in the Faith Fairchild series, the brilliant chef of the resort’s French restaurant vanishes, and Faith agrees to step in to keep the place afloat. After all, the Stafford family that owns the Pine Slopes resort have been friends with the Fairfields for generations. But soon, more and more tragedies befall the family-owned resort, and Faith starts poking around….
Author Katherine Hall Page has woven yet another suspenseful cozy; however, I did subtract one star because the culprit(s) was(were) pretty obvious by the halfway mark, and the ending was somewhat unrealistic. That said, those new to the series will enjoy it, too.
September 20, 2025
The Body in the Snowdrift, the 15th Faith Fairchild mystery by Katherine Hall Page and winner of the 2006 Agatha Award for Best Novel, delivers four stars of chilling intrigue. Don’t let the recipes tucked in the back fool you—this cozy mystery leans darker than most.
Many reviews skip over one of my favorite parts: the deep bond between Faith Fairchild and her sister, Hope. They’re opposites—Hope’s a money-making machine, while Faith, who swore she’d never marry a minister, tied the knot with one. Yet Page masterfully shows their friendship, forged in childhood, thriving now as both navigate adulthood and motherhood. It’s a brief glimpse, but it shines. Faith cherishes time with Hope to dodge her dread of a Fairchild family reunion in Vermont, where Tom’s dad, turning 70, treats the clan to a week at Pine Slopes, a ski resort the Fairchilds know well.
On day one, Faith skis down a slope where wealthy attorney Boyd Harrison, a resort investor with a bad heart, met his end earlier. Someone swapped his nitroglycerin pills for mints—minty breath didn’t save him. Faith stumbles across his body, but everyone chalks it up to a heart attack. His death stings the already struggling resort, and trouble keeps piling up. The chef quits, so Faith steps in to cook until the owners find a replacement. Then someone sabotages a chair lift, injuring riders, though not gravely.
The mystery darkens when the former chef’s body turns up in the snow-making machine, spewing blood-soaked snow and body parts across the resort. Page pulls you into the grim underbelly of Fairchild family dynamics—uncomfortable but riveting. You won’t put it down.
Many reviews skip over one of my favorite parts: the deep bond between Faith Fairchild and her sister, Hope. They’re opposites—Hope’s a money-making machine, while Faith, who swore she’d never marry a minister, tied the knot with one. Yet Page masterfully shows their friendship, forged in childhood, thriving now as both navigate adulthood and motherhood. It’s a brief glimpse, but it shines. Faith cherishes time with Hope to dodge her dread of a Fairchild family reunion in Vermont, where Tom’s dad, turning 70, treats the clan to a week at Pine Slopes, a ski resort the Fairchilds know well.
On day one, Faith skis down a slope where wealthy attorney Boyd Harrison, a resort investor with a bad heart, met his end earlier. Someone swapped his nitroglycerin pills for mints—minty breath didn’t save him. Faith stumbles across his body, but everyone chalks it up to a heart attack. His death stings the already struggling resort, and trouble keeps piling up. The chef quits, so Faith steps in to cook until the owners find a replacement. Then someone sabotages a chair lift, injuring riders, though not gravely.
The mystery darkens when the former chef’s body turns up in the snow-making machine, spewing blood-soaked snow and body parts across the resort. Page pulls you into the grim underbelly of Fairchild family dynamics—uncomfortable but riveting. You won’t put it down.
May 15, 2018
Fun little mystery. I would read more of this series.
January 30, 2019
I quite enjoyed this cozy mystery. While there was a main mystery to the book, there were also a number of side stories that developed as the book continued. Near the end, all the tangents became a little too entangled. But I liked the way each story concluded. Perfect winter reading!
January 28, 2016
Fourteenth chronologically and fifteenth in the publication order in the Faith Fairchild cooking mystery series that finds the Fairchild family in Vermont.
In 2006, The Body in the Snowdrift won the Agatha Award for Best Mystery Novel.
My Take
It's an interesting look at family dynamics. Amongst the Fairchilds, Betsey resents being invisible — everyone refers to the "Fairchild boys" — and the family disciplinarian for the boys; Craig has been so petted and rescued that he's never developed his own identity; and, Robert has been an athletic nonentity. Fred and Naomi Stafford actually set all the events in motion with how they treated Joanie/Ophelia. An opportunity happily taken up by Aunt Gertrude.
That's just the business externals. From the outside, all the Fairchilds look happy until you get a closer look at Craig and his new bride, Glenda, and the relationships between Betsey and the boys and between her and her husband, Dennis. Personally, I think Faith should get a sainthood.
The Staffords' personal issues are exploding all over the place. "Ophelia" resembles Shakespeare's Ophelia fairly well. Betsey is driving the boys away; Scott is particularly interested in Ophelia's orbit while Ophelia herself is being sucked into Gertrude's sphere of influence. Who can blame her? At least Gertrude treats her like a person. Craig is panting at Fred's heels while his wife is panting at her ski instructor's.
Life is imploding everywhere.
It was rather weird at the end when we jumped from the third week in February to Thanksgiving.
The Story
It's Dick Fairchild's birthday this Valentine's Day in 2004 and he wants the whole Fairchild clan to spend the week at Pine Slopes.
Faith is resigned to an entire week spent with Tom's family but murder steps in. A valued friend and investor is found dead of what is thought to be natural causes. Then the chef for the restaurant disappears, and Faith very gratefully steps in to help out. More acts of sabotage follow. None of it makes sense and Simon is working overtime to put a good spin on things.
In between, the week is a success. Ben and Amy are getting intensive ski lessons with Ben picking up tips on boarding from Ophelia, Scott, and Andy, and the older Fairchild boys are on the slopes morning, noon, and night.
The Characters
Faith Fairchild is a caterer with a very successful business, Have Faith. She's also married to The Reverend Tom Fairchild, and they have two children, Ben and Amy.
Dick Fairchild is Tom's father and is celebrating his 70th birthday with his wife and children: Craig (his new bride is Glenda), Betsey (married to Dennis; they have sons whom I think are Scott and Andy (I'm trying to recreate this)), Robert, and Tom.
Aunt Gertrude is Miss love-and-peace herself.
Pine Slopes is…
…a ski resort in Vermont owned by Naomi and Fred Staffords, friends of the Fairchilds and where the Fairchilds have had a condo since before Tom was born. Joanie, oops, sorry, Ophelia (Joanie renamed herself) is Naomi's daughter and Fred's stepdaughter. Simon Tanner is the manager.
The Cover and Title
What a subtly gruesome cover! And so appropriate with the snow-laden trees…it also reminds us of the title, The Body in the Snowdrift, or what remains of it.
In 2006, The Body in the Snowdrift won the Agatha Award for Best Mystery Novel.
My Take
It's an interesting look at family dynamics. Amongst the Fairchilds, Betsey resents being invisible — everyone refers to the "Fairchild boys" — and the family disciplinarian for the boys; Craig has been so petted and rescued that he's never developed his own identity; and, Robert has been an athletic nonentity. Fred and Naomi Stafford actually set all the events in motion with how they treated Joanie/Ophelia. An opportunity happily taken up by Aunt Gertrude.
That's just the business externals. From the outside, all the Fairchilds look happy until you get a closer look at Craig and his new bride, Glenda, and the relationships between Betsey and the boys and between her and her husband, Dennis. Personally, I think Faith should get a sainthood.
The Staffords' personal issues are exploding all over the place. "Ophelia" resembles Shakespeare's Ophelia fairly well. Betsey is driving the boys away; Scott is particularly interested in Ophelia's orbit while Ophelia herself is being sucked into Gertrude's sphere of influence. Who can blame her? At least Gertrude treats her like a person. Craig is panting at Fred's heels while his wife is panting at her ski instructor's.
Life is imploding everywhere.
It was rather weird at the end when we jumped from the third week in February to Thanksgiving.
The Story
It's Dick Fairchild's birthday this Valentine's Day in 2004 and he wants the whole Fairchild clan to spend the week at Pine Slopes.
Faith is resigned to an entire week spent with Tom's family but murder steps in. A valued friend and investor is found dead of what is thought to be natural causes. Then the chef for the restaurant disappears, and Faith very gratefully steps in to help out. More acts of sabotage follow. None of it makes sense and Simon is working overtime to put a good spin on things.
In between, the week is a success. Ben and Amy are getting intensive ski lessons with Ben picking up tips on boarding from Ophelia, Scott, and Andy, and the older Fairchild boys are on the slopes morning, noon, and night.
The Characters
Faith Fairchild is a caterer with a very successful business, Have Faith. She's also married to The Reverend Tom Fairchild, and they have two children, Ben and Amy.
Dick Fairchild is Tom's father and is celebrating his 70th birthday with his wife and children: Craig (his new bride is Glenda), Betsey (married to Dennis; they have sons whom I think are Scott and Andy (I'm trying to recreate this)), Robert, and Tom.
Aunt Gertrude is Miss love-and-peace herself.
Pine Slopes is…
…a ski resort in Vermont owned by Naomi and Fred Staffords, friends of the Fairchilds and where the Fairchilds have had a condo since before Tom was born. Joanie, oops, sorry, Ophelia (Joanie renamed herself) is Naomi's daughter and Fred's stepdaughter. Simon Tanner is the manager.
The Cover and Title
What a subtly gruesome cover! And so appropriate with the snow-laden trees…it also reminds us of the title, The Body in the Snowdrift, or what remains of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2010
Body in the Snowdrift (Katherine Hall Page)
Murder/Mystery. Another Faith Fairchild mystery. Faith and her husband Reverend Thomas Fairchild go to Vermont for his fathers 70th birthday party. The ski Lodge they are staying at is a family friend of the Fairchilds. Once there Faith finds herself involved a murder mystery. Fun read with the introduction of the Fairfield clan. Interesting up until the last page. Also included at the end some recipes, bakers will be delighted at that!
Murder/Mystery. Another Faith Fairchild mystery. Faith and her husband Reverend Thomas Fairchild go to Vermont for his fathers 70th birthday party. The ski Lodge they are staying at is a family friend of the Fairchilds. Once there Faith finds herself involved a murder mystery. Fun read with the introduction of the Fairfield clan. Interesting up until the last page. Also included at the end some recipes, bakers will be delighted at that!
November 7, 2007
Some nice bits to this cozy mystery series---the protaganist Faith is married to a minister and runs a catering company but still manages to be fish out of water urbanite in their small town. I'm 15 books in so I will certainly continue to read these as they come out. Also like the included recipes, although I have yet to try to make any. The food sounds so good!
December 22, 2023
Faith Fairchild is apprehensive about a forthcoming holiday with her husband’s family. A year ago, her father-in-law Dick Fairchild had announced that to celebrate his seventieth birthday he would take the entire family for a week of fun at the Pine Slopes ski resort. As Faith confides to her sister Hope ‘It’s not that I don’t like Tom’s family, but in smaller, shorter doses.
The holiday starts well enough, although Betsey, Tom’s elder sister seems rather uptight and strict with her two boys Scott and Andy, and Craig’s new wife Glenda is rather an unknown quantity. Then on the first morning Faith stumbles over a body - probably not the best start to a family holiday. And after that it’s all rather downhill.
The resort chef just disappears, and so does Betsey’s diamond ring. A break-in and the sabotage of one of the chairlift’s does little to raise morale. Things are further complicated when Faith notices that Scott seems to have taken a shine to Ophelia Stafford, the daughter of the owners of Pine Slopes.
Faith starts a little sleuthing and discovers a rather interesting cottage in a clearing in the woods, but draws a blank when she tries to find out just who is the strange woman that inhabits the cottage.
Despite a murder in the first chapter, the overriding theme of the book is families - both the Fairchild’s and the owners of the resort. An enjoyable read.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
The holiday starts well enough, although Betsey, Tom’s elder sister seems rather uptight and strict with her two boys Scott and Andy, and Craig’s new wife Glenda is rather an unknown quantity. Then on the first morning Faith stumbles over a body - probably not the best start to a family holiday. And after that it’s all rather downhill.
The resort chef just disappears, and so does Betsey’s diamond ring. A break-in and the sabotage of one of the chairlift’s does little to raise morale. Things are further complicated when Faith notices that Scott seems to have taken a shine to Ophelia Stafford, the daughter of the owners of Pine Slopes.
Faith starts a little sleuthing and discovers a rather interesting cottage in a clearing in the woods, but draws a blank when she tries to find out just who is the strange woman that inhabits the cottage.
Despite a murder in the first chapter, the overriding theme of the book is families - both the Fairchild’s and the owners of the resort. An enjoyable read.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
January 24, 2018
#15 in series. Hope dreads Tom’s family reunion to celebrate his farther’s 70th Birthday at a northern Vermont ski lodge the family have used for decades. Being together brings out the worst in his three brothers and strong minded sister, their assorted spouses and children. Her first morning there, Hope discovers the body of partial owner, major investor on a ski run in the woods. One disaster follows another, Faith takes over running g the lodge’s well known French restaurant when the chef disappears after the first night. Nasty and gruesome pranks and accidents make the failure of the overstretched ski lodge likely. Tom’s family steps in to ski and help and make things worse, while Faith collects unconnected clues to the deadly week. One gruesome death too vivid for me. Ugh. Not my favorite in the series.
October 12, 2021
Ms. Page writes interesting stories. They can get boring but are still interesting. I would classify her stories as "family dynamics" more than murder mysteries. The death or mystery is sort of thrown in and not the major subject of her stories.
The first death made me wonder why no one questioned it. So much of what occurs after gets explained away and I wondered would there be a murder at all or would this be like "The body in the Casket" where there was never a body in the casket or a murder.
The Fairchild family is a mess and, while interesting, adds nothing to the solution of the murder except pages. In fact the book is about the family and any murder seems secondary to the story.
Ms. Page's stories are quite readable but I will have to change my expectations of them.
The first death made me wonder why no one questioned it. So much of what occurs after gets explained away and I wondered would there be a murder at all or would this be like "The body in the Casket" where there was never a body in the casket or a murder.
The Fairchild family is a mess and, while interesting, adds nothing to the solution of the murder except pages. In fact the book is about the family and any murder seems secondary to the story.
Ms. Page's stories are quite readable but I will have to change my expectations of them.
August 16, 2023
When Faith's father-in-law treats his adult children and their families to a week at a Vermont ski resort, everything starts going wrong. One person associated with the resort is found dead on the slopes of a presumed heart attack. The resort's chef goes missing. Someone plays a bad prank and leaves what looks like a dead body in the pool.
Faith, a professional caterer, helps out in the kitchen and soon suspects all of these mishaps are not accidents.
With this being my first entry into the series, I didn't know if I was supposed to know all the players. I don't think it really matters. This was a slow read but once I got into the murder investigation it got a little more interesting.
Faith, a professional caterer, helps out in the kitchen and soon suspects all of these mishaps are not accidents.
With this being my first entry into the series, I didn't know if I was supposed to know all the players. I don't think it really matters. This was a slow read but once I got into the murder investigation it got a little more interesting.
January 10, 2020
Boring.. It's been a few years since I've read a Faith Fairchild mystery, and I guess I'd forgotten what a Mary Sue Faith is. I agreed with Betsey about not taking her son's somewhere without permission --Aunt or not! We were supposed to sympathize with Faith over Betsey's reaction but she got none from me. I figured out who dunit early on and was correct. There were also too many characters, and it got very confusing to keep track of all of them. Still don't get who Ophelia and Gertrude were and how connected to plot. I won't be reading any more of this series!
January 16, 2019
The Fairchild's are celebrating Tom's father's 70th birthday at a resort in Vermont. All in going well until Faith finds a corpse (heart attack) on one of the cross country slopes. This starts a series of unfortunate events - the chef disappears, their condo is broken into, a prank is played in the sports center. Then a snow making machine "accident" puts other lives in jeopardy. The first half of the book was painfully slow and the writing seemed disconnected.
August 24, 2019
Another book that took me awhile to read. It seemed to drag a little more than other books in this series have, and I think it’s because there were so many players. Faith went on vacation with her in-laws, and keeping all of her siblings-in-law and their spouses and their friends straight was a lot of work.
Overall, though, that’s my only complaint, and I enjoyed the majority of the storyline once I was able to keep the characters straight.
Overall, though, that’s my only complaint, and I enjoyed the majority of the storyline once I was able to keep the characters straight.
March 2, 2022
Overall a very good book, I definitely got pulled in and read it all in a few days. The biggest obstacle for me was the sheer amount of characters: 13 just from the Fairchild family, plus the staff of the ski resort where this book takes place. Once you get that down though, it's a book full of events, but maybe a little too full, as I almost missed trying to guess the end before it was too late.
March 9, 2022
A more gruesome scene at one point than most in the series or other cozies. The Some of the characters behaved in ways that were so over-the-top obviously bad that it wouldn't take a great sleuth to figure out they were up to no good. The description of Faith and Tom's relationship and the characterization of the kids remain high points.
March 2, 2023
This has been my favorite so far! You are introduced to the entire Fairchild clan. You really haven't learned much about the extended family until now. The story takes several twists and turns along the way, just like a ski run! I didn't really expect the ending so that is always a good thing. A must read.
May 8, 2017
Good cozy mystery. This is part of a series with the same detective, but it wasn't a problem not having read others. It wasn't deep or serious character development, but kept my attention without feeling it was stupid.
November 18, 2019
Non-violent
I enjoy reading the Faith Fairchild books. Although they speak of murders, it usually not described. Plus, the books are not all about the murders. There is something else going on. As in this book, there is a Fairchild family reunion with its problems as well.
I enjoy reading the Faith Fairchild books. Although they speak of murders, it usually not described. Plus, the books are not all about the murders. There is something else going on. As in this book, there is a Fairchild family reunion with its problems as well.
March 24, 2022
I really enjoyed this book even though it seemed a little slow moving at the beginning. The ending is a blizzard of revelations with only one person escaping her just desserts. Not a cozy as there is a really horrifying death scene!
January 10, 2023
I read this for a book group and it really isn't my thing: too cozy. I liked the main character fine but there was a lot of details that were just really unnecessary and the references to cooking recipes completely took me out of the story.
August 18, 2017
Not as good as others in the series
March 3, 2019
Faith didn't get much of a vacation but she did solve all the murders and other suspicious acts around the ski lodge!
January 8, 2021
A family gathering
I thought it was a good story, easy read and follow the clues. The story had to many people involved, even though it was a family vacation in a ski lodge.
I thought it was a good story, easy read and follow the clues. The story had to many people involved, even though it was a family vacation in a ski lodge.
May 28, 2021
Excellent once more.
July 6, 2021
This one was pretty complicated - the Fairchild family could use a lot of therapy!
March 6, 2022
I liked this, but I didn't know who all the characters were, and that was confusing. I need to go back and start with the 1st in the series.
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September 13, 2022Humane.
January 15, 2023
Started very slow, last few chapters were exciting.
February 8, 2023
even though you pretty much know who is the bad one in early on, the book is still very good. There are so many side stories that you keepturning pages just to see what omes next. Good characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews