Review: Thin Ice by Paige Shelton

Title: Thin Ice

Author: Paige Shelton

Series: Alaska Wild Mysteries, #1

Published: December 2019, Minotaur Books

Format: ARC Paperback, 288 pages

Source: Publisher

Summary: 

First in a new series set in Alaska from beloved author Paige Shelton, Thin Ice will chill your bones.

Beth
Rivers is on the run – she’s doing the only thing she could think of to
keep herself safe. Known to the world as thriller author Elizabeth
Fairchild, she had become the subject of a fanatic’s obsession. After
being held in a van for three days by her kidnapper, Levi Brooks, Beth
managed to escape, and until he is captured, she’s got to get away. Cold
and remote, Alaska seems tailor-made for her to hideout.

Beth’s
new home in Alaska is sparsely populated with people who all seem to be
running or hiding from something, and though she accidentally booked a
room at a halfway house, she feels safer than she’s felt since Levi took
her. That is, until she’s told about a local death that’s a suspected
murder. Could the death of Linda Rafferty have anything to do with her
horror at the hands of Levi Brooks?

As Beth navigates her way
through the wilds of her new home, her memories of her time in the van
are coming back, replaying the terror and the fear—and threatening to
keep her from healing, from reclaiming her old life again. Can she get
back to normal, will she ever truly feel safe, and can she help solve
the local mystery, if only so she doesn’t have to think about her own?

My thoughts: I have been on a kick lately reading some great mysteries and this one was no exception. Paige Shelton is a new-to-me author, though she does write cozy mysteries. This book is the first in a new series that has a darker, grittier feel to a normal cozy mystery and I absolutely loved it!

I’m always a sucker for a book about a writer, and when that book happens to be a mystery series – all the better. Set the series in a remote, isolated, town that drips with atmosphere and you have me sold. Add in a murder mystery in the isolated town and now I can’t put the book down!

I loved Beth’s character. She is an intriguing character and I felt completely invested in her story. I also liked the other characters that we meet in this first book in the series. There are some really quirky characters in this small town and while I’m not exactly sure which ones will be sticking around, I do know a few will and I look forward to the continued character development as the series continues.

There are a few plot lines at work here in this first installment – one that will continue into the next book or two, I believe, and one that was tied up within this book. I enjoyed both and felt both were strong, compelling story lines that kept me flipping the pages to see where they would lead. The murder mystery, which is tied up by the end of the book, kept me guessing as to who was ultimately responsible and I did not guess the right culprit. The other plot line, that involving Beth’s kidnapper, which will continue into the next book or two, is filled with twists and turns and we are left with quite the cliff-hanger! 

This was a great, atmospheric read perfect for this time of year. I have read few books set in the Alaskan wilderness and felt this one was chilling and had just the right amount of tension and suspense. I cannot wait for the next installment!