Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of The Coldest Case in exchange for my honest opinion.
Publisher: Severn House
Published: November 5, 2024
Summary:
News of a missing Instagram celebrity brings Senior Investigator Shana Merchant to a frozen island community of just eight people. When the visit turns deadly, her hunt for a killer collides with a cold case she’ll never forget . . .
It’s February in the Thousand Islands and, cut off from civilization by endless ice, eight people are overwintering on tiny, remote Running Pine. Six year-rounders, used to the hard work, isolation and freezing temperatures . . . and two newcomers: social-media stars Cary and Sylvie, whose account documenting their year on the island is garnering thousands of followers, and thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury gifts.
The long-term islanders will tell you Running Pine can be perilous – especially for city slickers who’ll do anything to get the perfect shot. So when Cary doesn’t return from ice fishing one morning, his neighbors fear the worst.
With the clock ticking to find the missing influencer, a police team are dispatched to take the dangerous journey to the island . . . but Sylvie, his frantic partner, will only talk to one person: newlywed Senior Investigator Shana Merchant.
Where is Cary – and what is it that Sylvie’s not sharing? With aspects of the case reminding Shana of an unsolved homicide from her past that haunts her still, she risks her own safety to help. But little does she know that a storm is coming – and if she doesn’t solve both crimes soon, she may become the island’s next victim . . .
The latest taut, thrilling small-town mystery featuring New York State senior investigator Shana Merchant, and set against the beautiful backdrop of the Thousand Islands, is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware.
My thoughts:
This is the latest book in the Shana Merchant series, and while it absolutely can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the series in order if you have the chance.
Each book in this series has a self-contained case that needs to be solved but then there is the one thread that has been carried through that I have loved watching develop throughout the series. We are given the last pieces of puzzle to finally have closure on this thread and boy was it satisfying.
Between the two plots, I found myself glued to the pages, unable to tear myself away until I reached the end. I loved all the twists and turns the book took, and found myself surprised quite a few times at some of the revelations that popped up along the way. Atmospheric, claustrophobic and highly suspenseful, these books are not to be missed!
Books in this series:
- Death in the Family
- The Dead Season
- Dead Wind
- The Kind to Kill
- Devils at the Door
- The Coldest Case
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