Reviews

Thin Ice by Paige Shelton

cabbage_patch's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

Thin Ice by Paige Shelton is an intriguing new mystery. Beth Rivers is her real name, but most people know her as Elizabeth Fairchild, a best selling author. After escaping from a passionate fan, Beth decides to disappear into the Alaskan wilderness. After a search online, Beth picks Benedict, Alaska. Beth soon discovers that she is not the first person to have selected this remote town as a hiding place. Beth arrives to find one of the residents has died and Sheriff Grilson Samuels suspects foul play. Beth is given the unpaid job of running the local “newspaper” as well as being a consultant to Gril. As Beth delves into the victim’s life, memories of the three days held captive surface. As you can tell, there are multiple storylines in Thin Ice. I like the unique characters that live in Benedict. Each one of them has their own reason for being in this isolated town which means there is a lot of fodder for future books. It will be interesting learning about each of these individuals. I am especially curious about Donner Montgomery’s story (the park ranger). Viola runs Benedict House (sounds like an elegant hotel) which Beth discovers is a halfway house for parolees. Viola reminds me of a female Indiana Jones with her hat and ever present gun. I am not a fan of Beth’s mother. She is a woman with issues of her own and the last thing Beth needs in her life. The mystery surrounding the death of Linda Rafferty was complex along with kidnapping of Beth. Only one of them is solved by the end of the book. Beth was on edge throughout the story which is understandable. The poor woman has been through a terrible ordeal and the man who caused it is still on the loose. Beth is also in a new town where a murder just took place and the residents tend to be secretive. I like how Donner takes the time to make sure Beth is equipped for the harsh weather and gives her rules to follow (she needs them). I enjoyed Paige’s descriptions of the Alaskan landscape which she brought alive with her vivid word imagery. I would also envision the characters especially Beth with her vivid scar. The only disappointment is not knowing how long we must wait for the next book in the Alaska Wild Mysteries. Thin Ice is a suspenseful mystery novel with the cruel climate, a mysterious murder, a crazed captor, close mouthed citizens, and missing memories.

impreader2023's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious relaxing tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lynguy1's review against another edition

4.0

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.

lydia016's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.5

kimlb's review against another edition

5.0

How did I overlook this series by Paige Shelton! I loved this and can't wait to read the next one. Highly recommended if you like suspense with an Alaska setting.

kimdavishb's review against another edition

5.0

THIN ICE by Paige Shelton, the first book in the new Alaska Wild Mystery series, grabs the reader from the very first sentence and continues with suspense that had me on the edge of my seat for the entire read. The multi-plots kept the action going and I didn’t want to put it down until I read the very last page. Even then, I wanted the story to continue. As each of the characters are introduced, especially protagonist Beth Rivers, aka novelist Elizabeth Fairchild, the reader is treated to layers of reveal. This amps the suspense up as we slowly find out what each multi-faceted person is hiding. Ms. Shelton does an outstanding job developing the characters and having them adapt as the situation calls for. Beth, recovering from a severe head injury sustained while she escaped from a horrific kidnapping, has blocks of memory missing. Her captor has disappeared, and in fear of her life, Beth flees to Middle of Nowhere, Alaska, using her research as a thriller writer to escape her tormentor while remaining incognito.

The author captures the setting of the Alaska wilderness in an effective way. The reader feels the remoteness and can envision the brutality of nature, along with the stunning beauty. The wildlife is plentiful and often fierce, and Beth must learn to adapt to her new surroundings in order to survive. In addition to the suspenseful mystery surrounding Beth’s kidnapping, she finds herself embroiled in the middle of an investigation surrounding a suspicious death. Although it’s been deemed a suicide, not one of the townspeople believe it. With her past experience working with her grandfather, who had been a small-town police chief, Beth pieces together the puzzle of the death. With a heart pounding reveal that solves the murder mystery, the story comes to an end and leaves me waiting impatiently for the next book in this series!

I was provided an advance copy via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

luciearan's review against another edition

4.0

Tak toto je další kniha, u které si dovolím hned z počátku tvrdit, že se jedná více o detektivku, než thriller. Nechci tím říct, že se mi kniha nelíbila, líbila, ale jediné prvky thrilleru, které jsem u ní shledala, byly prostředí, ve kterém se kniha odehrává a vzpomínky Beth. A to je další věc. Trochu mi přijde, že vzpomínky na minulost a očekávání toho, co by se mohlo stát v návaznosti na ni, trochu přebíjí zápletku a dějovou linku odehrávající se v současnosti a tak jí čtenář nevěnuje tolik pozornosti, kolik si zaslouží. Tedy alespoň u mě to tak rozhodně bylo, což je trochu škoda. V každém případě se mi ale kniha četla dobře a bavila mě, takže pokud bude možnost, ráda si přečtu i další díly.

sandyfleener's review against another edition

5.0

Very good

dustin_o's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5