Thin Ice by Paige Shelton is the first book in the NEW “Alaska Wild” traditional mystery series. Publisher: Minotaur Books, coming December 3, 2019.

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?

Purchase Link

A new town and hoping for the best, Beth learns of a murder that precipitated this fantastic debut series. A fast-paced and tightly woven plot takes center stage and I’m completely immersed and enthralled in the details created by the author who tells a grippingly riveting drama that I could not put down until all was said and done.

The author did a great job in staging this mystery in the wilds of Alaska with a superb cast of characters and it is the quirky nature of some that makes this an enticingly intriguing tale. The narrative was visually descriptive with engaging dialogue and a setting so surreal that made me feel like I was a part of all the action.

I like how the foundation of this drama was set up with a double mystery, a strong plot buildup, character development, vivid description of the locale and the right amount of suspense that kept me in the game as I followed the journey the author put forth. The nibbles from the various interactions during the investigation as well as strategically placed twists and turns enhanced my reading pleasure. The ending told me there was more to come and I, for one, can’t wait to see how this plays out.

This was a terrific read and I look forward to more Alaska wild adventures.

**********
FTC Full Disclosure – I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher.