User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I'm somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars.
I've commented before just how much I love books set in Alaska. It doesn't matter what kind of book—the imagery of the wilderness (and wildness), even the danger posed by the elements both animal and meteorological fascinate me. That was definitely one of the characteristics that led me to pick up Paige Shelton's new mystery,
Thin Ice , but boy, it's so much more than just its setting.
Beth Rivers is known to the world as best-selling thriller author Elizabeth Fairchild. There are times she really can't believe a woman who started out a secretary to her police chief grandfather in Missouri could be a best-selling author. But when she is kidnapped and held captive in a van for three days, everything changes. She must overcome her fear and the ways her kidnapper has restrained her to escape, or she'll face certain death, if not worse before that.
She is able to escape the van one day but sustains a brain injury in the process. But with her kidnapper still at large, she worries how she can live the rest of her life without being afraid and looking over her shoulder every minute. So when she's (mostly) well enough, she decides she's going to run as far away as possible—to the remote town of Benedict, Alaska. It seems like the best solution, at least until the police find the suspect.
When she arrives in Benedict she discovers that a lot of people come to Alaska to run away from something, so while her presence drums up some curiosity, she probably fits in better than she would in most places. She also finds out that she booked herself a room at a halfway house for women rather than the historic inn she assumed she was, but she takes some comfort in knowing these women aren't violent felons, and the house is run under the watchful eye of Viola, a tough, take-no-prisoners-type of woman.
As she settles in, she finds that the fickle nature of the weather takes some getting used to, but she enjoys the relative isolation the town provides her. At the same time, she starts remembering bits and pieces of her kidnapping, which cause her to experience fear and paranoia, and prevent her from the full recovery she desperately needs. But when the local police chief, who knows her real identity (her pen name was how most people knew her), asks for her help looking into a suicide that doesn't quite look like one, it both gives her an opportunity to stay busy, and it forces her to confront some of the fears that sent her into hiding in Alaska.
I really enjoyed
Thin Ice and read it in just a few hours. It's a mystery with lots of twists and turns, and while the culprit wasn't quite surprising (although I suspected the heck out of everyone who appeared in the book, which is my usual way with mysteries and thrillers), I love the way Shelton told her story. I'm hoping the cliffhanger-type ending means this is the start of a new series, because I really enjoyed these characters and the small-town setting.
I'm fairly critical of mysteries and thrillers because there are so many out there and many seem to share similar characteristics.
Thin Ice hooked me from the get-go, and while it relies more on character development than action and danger, that's perfectly fine. I hope we'll see more of Beth and her fellow citizens of Benedict in the future.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
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Rating: really liked it
This is my first Paige Shelton book. A good pace mystery in small-town Alaska. I'm looking forward to the next!
Beth Rivers is an accomplished writer. She narrowly escaped a kidnapping by a lunatic fan when she was taken in a moving van. She was injured in the process and lost short-term memory. Nervous that the kidnapper will be coming back, she made a haste arrangement and moved to Alaska arriving at Benedict House, a boarding house that also serves as a halfway house for non-violent felons.
We get to meet many engaging characters in this remote town. There are two mysteries, one with the locals and another with her abductor.
Paige Shelton is known for her cozy mysteries, but this one didn't feel too cozy. Overall I really enjoyed it.
Rating: really liked it
To what lengths does one have to go to escape a crazed kidnapper? To the far-ends of the earth? Will that even be far enough?Bestselling author Beth Rivers was kidnapped and tortured. Barely escaping with her life, she’s on the run. Her kidnapper, Levi Brooks has never been found and she knows he’s still out there hunting for her. She’s got to run fast and far. Question is, where might that be? Perhaps the wild, vast expanse of Alaska is remote enough to hide? Think again Beth! He may be coming for you and closer than you think!
Beth arrives in a dot-on-the-map Alaskan village only to be greeted by some very troubling news. There has just been a murder in this tiny, distant town. What’s more, the local ME has been unusually quick to declare it’s a suicide. Although everyone who knew the victim is positive she was murdered. But why? Everyone knows each other here, and they’ve always had to trust one another...right!?
A quick, easy read but failed to completely grip me. Lacking much action I felt like I was waiting for something epic to happen. If you enjoy a slow burn mystery, this is the perfect read for you. The ending sets us up for a follow up to Beth's Alaskan adventures or should I say hideaway.
A buddy read with Susanne.
Thank you to Minotaur Books for an ARC to read and review.
Rating: really liked it
Thin Ice by Paige Shelton is a well-written suspense novel. The story is set in Alaska and centers around Beth Rivers, a successful thriller writer. She was kidnapped by a fanatic fan, escaped from him, but sustained a brain injury and she cannot remember what he looks like. While the police are still looking for him, she decides to recover and hide in Alaska until he is captured. While there she gets involved in an investigation of the death of one of the small town’s inhabitants.
This is a suspenseful and riveting story that hooked me with the first paragraph and kept me interested throughout. From the small town residents to the descriptions of Alaska to the various mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
Beth’s character was well-developed for a first novel in a series as well as those of several of the town’s residents. Secrets are numerous and add to the enjoyment of the book.
Overall, it was a solid mystery that was engaging, suspenseful, fast-paced and compulsively readable. While it does leave one major plot point unresolved, all other items were resolved. This is the first book in the Alaska Wild series and I look forward to reading the next one.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Paige Shelton for a digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Rating: really liked it
Beth Rivers is a best selling author who has run away to Alaska to hideout and recover from a kidnapping that has left a devastating physical and mental assault on her body and spirit and to make matters worse she has amnesia from the the assault and is fearful her kidnapper will find her again. The day Beth arrives she discovers that the town is more remote than she could have imagined with barely any cell phone or wi-fi signals available but that only makes her feel more secure with her surroundings until she finds out that a body has just been found moments after she arrived. What will happen to Beth now? Is she safe or has she now made the biggest mistake of her life?
This was a very clever and enjoyable read for me. It was not a cozy mystery but it was not the dark type of story I usually read. The characters were quirky and fun, I enjoyed th at there were several mysteries happening within this book at one time and I really didn't have the story completely figured it until the end, so that made this book a very worth while and entertaining read. It was also a nice break from my hardcore books.
I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for allowing me he opportunity to read this book!
I do recommend this story to any mystery reader and have given a rating of 4 Clever 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
Rating: really liked it
3 Stars
Where better to escape maniacal killer Levi Brooks, than a tiny town in Alaska? Beth Rivers is a famous author, whose beautiful face was plastered onto the back cover of mystery suspense novels, prior to being scarred for life. Now, she needs to be completely inconspicuous and she has found the perfect place to hide out: a halfway house for violent women located in Benedict, Alaska.
Beth is sure she won’t be found and is perfectly safe until a local woman is found murdered. Is Levi Brooks responsible or could there be another killer on the loose? Whatever the possibilities, Beth is terrified and she has reasons to be.
“Thin Ice” by Paige Shelton will make your pulse pound and will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. This is a crazy atmospheric mystery/suspense with lots of twists and turns. The beautiful yet harsh Alaskan setting sets the tone for this novel and truly makes for an adventurous mystery. This was a buddy read with Kaceey.
Thank you to Minotaur Books and Paige Shelton for the arc.
Published on Goodreads on 2.8.20.
Rating: really liked it
Thin Ice is the start of a new mystery series set in Alaska. Beth is on the run, and of all things, she’s a thriller author! A fan of hers, Levi, has become obsessed with her, and she has no choice but to go in hiding after she manages to escape his kidnapping attempt. When a woman is found murdered, she can’t help but think of Levi. Has he harmed this woman, too? Beth begins to wonder if she’ll ever feel safe again.
Thin Ice checks all the right boxes for a new mystery. I LOVED Beth. I loved the atmospheric setting. I think it laid the groundwork as the start of a series, and I can’t wait to hear more from Beth. Of course I think a thriller writer makes for an amazing main character!
I received a free copy from the publisher.
Many of my reviews can also be found on instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Rating: really liked it
Damnit, the second I read Alaska, female author protagonist, and creepy stalker fan, I was so excited to read this, but it was a major letdown.
For a little positivity I'll go over what I liked - the setting, mostly. Paige Shelton mentioned visiting Alaska to make sure she got it right, and that paid off in spades. There are moments I'd swear I could feel the cold - or the rain - and the sense of scale was similarly well-communicated. The central idea of the book was great too, just read that synopsis!
But unfortunately for me, the execution fell short, and largely it was in the main character. The woman is so, so damn stupid. And I HATE writing that. But would you go out into an Alaskan storm when you're not in proper winter gear? Would you later approach A WOUNDED BEAR when you literally have to leave a nice safe building to do so? Would you THEN go out into the woods by yourself when you think you've uncovered a murder, and have zero survival equipment?? It's not endearing, it's infuriating. This is a woman who has a successful book series and managed to survive a kidnapping by an obsessed fan. Not to mention the using your real name instead of your pen name to make sure said obsessed fan doesn't find you. It's not like obsessed fans ever want to know more about the object of their obsession than a pen name.
That was the most annoying of it, but there's more to it - some of the writing is clunky, particularly toward the start, but I tend to forgive that in a debut, or I would were it not for the rest. Writing is damn hard and getting a book out into the world is nothing to sniff at. There's some unravelling going on in the plotlines too, and unfortunately we hit a pet peeve of mine with a fricking cliffhanger ending. How many times, people, if you have to trick people into coming back for the next book with a cliffhanger, you're doing it wrong.
This all sounds really harsh, and I genuinely don't like being harsh in my reviews. I did finish the book and I might even come back for the next one, but damnit if this book didn't hit some really big buttons of mine.
Rating: really liked it
I love books about Alaska and and enjoyed this in that it is the start of a new mystery series for this author. I felt the characters could have been developed a little more but as this is the first book in the series, it is setting the scene and introducing everyone. I have a feeling the characters will fill out more and, in some cases, become a little more interesting. The book is centered around Beth Miller, a successful author who is kidnapped by an obsessed stalker/fan, terrorized by him, and ends up suffering from a head wound, when she escapes, that causes amnesia. However, she has flashbacks as her memory slowly comes back. In order to heal and still be able to work, Beth hides in the most remote place she can find, Benedict, Alaska. It is here she will attempt to remain anonymous while assuming the duties of a former reporter for the town newspaper which will also allow her to write. The book centers around her mystery, in trying to find who kidnapped her and a subplot of a mystery in town involving a shooting that is deemed a suicide.
I am definitely looking forward to more books in this series.
Rating: really liked it
I enjoy Paige Shelton's Scottish Bookshop and Country Cooking School cozy mystery books. When I saw she had a new series starting, I jumped right on it. This new series is a bit more serious than the usual light-hearted cozy fare. Nothing graphic. But, there is a bit more meat to the characters and mystery plot. Loved it!
Beth Rivers is an author...a well known one. After a kidnapping incident where she was traumatized, she relocates to Benedict, Alaska to recover and hide out. Her kidnapper is still free....and she wants as far away from her memories, and him, as possible. She wants to hide her identity as an author and get her life back. Just as she starts trying to settle into her new remote Alaskan home, a resident of Benedict is murdered. The crime brings back memories of the hours she spent locked in a van, victimized by her kidnapper. But she's determined to help solve the crime.
I enjoyed this story! The characters have real personality. I liked the setting in a small rural Alaska town with its quirky citizens and its own culture. Beth is a strong and intelligent main character. The mystery moved along at a nice pace, with plenty of investigation and suspects. While the story started with quite a bit of background -- Beth's kidnapping, relocation, the town, etc -- the story didn't get bogged down in it. The mystery got started relatively quickly....with Beth's previous experience enhancing it, rather than taking away from it.
All in all, an entertaining read. I'm definitely going to read more of this new series!
**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Rating: really liked it
New series by Paige Shelton set in Alaska I’ve seen she’s written cozy mysteries I’ve never read but will check them out. This isn’t a cozy mystery it’s a lot of suspense and makes you think who actually kidnapped Beth Rivers and why!
A city girl who chooses to flee to Alaska and takes a room at the Benedict House the only place that survived the massive fire a few years ago but Beth expected a hotel but turns out into a halfway house for felons. She gets involved in a local investigation into a crime. She decides to stay for now. Story ends on a cliffhanger.
Thanks to NetGalley, St-Martin’s Press Minotaure Books and Paige Shelton for this advanced e-copy in exchange of an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
4 STARS for Thin Ice (Alaska Wild mysteries #1) (audiobook) by Paige Shelton read by Suzie Althens. I really enjoy getting to travel through reading books. In this book I got to go back to Alaska. The sense of small town Alaska really came through. It was interesting getting to know all these new characters. There is always some odd characters in these small towns. This is a great place to set a murder mystery. I’m looking forward to many more books in this series.
Rating: really liked it
Beth is on the run. She was abducted, held for several days, and somehow escaped. Because of an accident that resulted in a brain injury, she doesn't remember a lot of what happened to her.
She's a writer, so she can go anywhere she wants ... maybe using a different name. Until her abductor is caught, she's afraid of anyone knowing who and where she is.
She winds up in a small town in Alaska ... where it seems a lot of people who are also hiding who they are. Beth accidentally booked herself in a halfway house, run by a woman paid by the state to take care of women-only law breakers.
She's okay with this until she's told there has been a recent death. Murder or suicide?
when the local police ask for her limited help, she's more than happy to comply. . 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?
I enjoyed the Alaskan setting. I liked most of the characters .. the ones I didn't like were written than way. I like small town mysteries ... plenty of suspects, and you just know that not everyone is who they say they are. The mystery is good .. maybe a step up from a cozy.
Beware .. this is part of a series and although one crime is solved, there is more to come and it ends with a huge cliff hanger.
Many thanks to the author / St Martin's Press / Minotaur Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Rating: really liked it
Fantastic! I have always enjoyed Paige Shelton's writing, especially her descritive voice, whether with characters or location. She has surpassed herslf.
Rating: really liked it
Thin Ice by Paige Shelton is a totally new direction for Ms. Shelton. I have enjoyed several of her cozy mystery series so I was intrigued to read this suspense story. I am so glad that I did because I was pulled into the story from the first page.
Ms. Shelton's descriptive writing made me feel like I was with Beth Rivers throughout the story. Benedict, AK became so real to me as I read that I felt like I could find it on a map of Alaska. Beth's character is well developed in this book and several of the secondary characters are developing into "real" people for me. I love that many of the town's residents have their own secret reasons for moving to Benedict. In spite of the reason why Beth chose Benedict to hide in, she is becoming an integral part of the town. A quickly paced plot with suspense made this a book that I didn't want to put down. Although Beth's main reason for being in Alaska is not resolved, the secondary mystery is complete by the end of the book. I am definitely going to be watching for the next one in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
