You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
Margo is a pregnant doctor and on a train traveling through the Rocky Mountains when a stranger approaches her and claims her survival depends on moving to the last train car. Should she trust him?
Nick is a former Army Ranger on the train and sees a looming avalanche that will kill them all. He tries to evacuate everyone to the last car but only succeeds in convincing the heavily pregnant woman. Should he tell her who he really is?
Now, they must face the frozen tundra of the Rockies, depending on each other for the chance to stay alive in an unforgiving environment. But what if they can’t trust one another?
Told in alternating voices and timelines leading up to the present, we find out what led both Margo and Nick to get on that deadly train voyage and how strong the human desire for survival can become.
Holy train wreck! Literally a freaking train wreck in a blizzard in the mountains. This book was wild from the jump and elevated my anxiety and blood pressure. I did not see the twist coming and legit said “WTF!?!” at least three times in the last quarter of the book. This book is edgy and graphic at times - which is right up my alley.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️ TW - animal cruelty, child abuse, war/PTSD
Nick is a former Army Ranger on the train and sees a looming avalanche that will kill them all. He tries to evacuate everyone to the last car but only succeeds in convincing the heavily pregnant woman. Should he tell her who he really is?
Now, they must face the frozen tundra of the Rockies, depending on each other for the chance to stay alive in an unforgiving environment. But what if they can’t trust one another?
Told in alternating voices and timelines leading up to the present, we find out what led both Margo and Nick to get on that deadly train voyage and how strong the human desire for survival can become.
Holy train wreck! Literally a freaking train wreck in a blizzard in the mountains. This book was wild from the jump and elevated my anxiety and blood pressure. I did not see the twist coming and legit said “WTF!?!” at least three times in the last quarter of the book. This book is edgy and graphic at times - which is right up my alley.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️ TW - animal cruelty, child abuse, war/PTSD
Cover Your Tracks Review
I wanted to read this book solely based on the cover. It just looks like it would be a good book. Therefore, I went in thinking I was going to love it. The premise was okay, but the book itself was just... meh. It was very, very, unbelievable which I could have gotten past. But I did not love how they handled a few of the topics in the book, specifically PTSD.
Margot is a doctor and 8 months pregnant while taking a train to visit family. When an avalanche is hurling itself at the train, another passenger, Nick, convinces her to move from her seat. The two of them survive the ordeal but with no help coming, and more avalanches, they are struggling to survive.
Warnings: adoption, teen pregnancy, PTSD, death, war, animal mutilation, racial slur
I wanted to read this book solely based on the cover. It just looks like it would be a good book. Therefore, I went in thinking I was going to love it. The premise was okay, but the book itself was just... meh. It was very, very, unbelievable which I could have gotten past. But I did not love how they handled a few of the topics in the book, specifically PTSD.
Margot is a doctor and 8 months pregnant while taking a train to visit family. When an avalanche is hurling itself at the train, another passenger, Nick, convinces her to move from her seat. The two of them survive the ordeal but with no help coming, and more avalanches, they are struggling to survive.
Warnings: adoption, teen pregnancy, PTSD, death, war, animal mutilation, racial slur
This was such a fun read! It is fast-paced, engaging and genuinely so interesting. I love the overall concept for the story - I think it’s such a unique one. I absolutely did not see the ending coming and was truly surprised by how everything pans out. I breezed right through the book over the course of two days & enjoyed every minute of it.
The descriptions were amazing. Particularly the way the author describes the mountains. The scenes just felt so ominous and spooky and I really felt like I could see the setting and what the characters were looking at. I love mountains & it’s so interesting to consider that while they’re intensely beautiful they can also present a great danger.
I highly recommend this book for the thriller lovers out there! Great character building with some interesting and shocking twists - it ticks all the boxes in my opinion! I’m absolutely looking forward to seeing what else Auffenorde has written or will write.
My overall rating is 4.5 stars - highly recommend! I will definitely be telling some of my thriller loving friends about this one because I know they’ll love it.
The descriptions were amazing. Particularly the way the author describes the mountains. The scenes just felt so ominous and spooky and I really felt like I could see the setting and what the characters were looking at. I love mountains & it’s so interesting to consider that while they’re intensely beautiful they can also present a great danger.
I highly recommend this book for the thriller lovers out there! Great character building with some interesting and shocking twists - it ticks all the boxes in my opinion! I’m absolutely looking forward to seeing what else Auffenorde has written or will write.
My overall rating is 4.5 stars - highly recommend! I will definitely be telling some of my thriller loving friends about this one because I know they’ll love it.
Whoa! This book is pure craziness. Starts off with Margo on a train, 8 months pregnant. Next thing she knows, there's a crazy man pointing out an avalanche heading straight for them. He urges everyone to the back of the train but only Margo listens. They manage to avoid the avalanche, but Nick (crazy guy) insists that they have to move farther up the mountain or they're going to end up buried.
The book is told from both points of view and is quite fascinating. Their trek through the mountains, attacked my animals, Nick using his Army training to keep them all alive. It was gruesome at times, but pretty wicked. And that ending... wtf...
The book is told from both points of view and is quite fascinating. Their trek through the mountains, attacked my animals, Nick using his Army training to keep them all alive. It was gruesome at times, but pretty wicked. And that ending... wtf...
Thank you so much to Daco Auffenorde and Turner Publishing for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
This book is based in the isolated, snowy wilderness somewhere in the Rockies. Margo is on her way to her parents house for her niece's wedding, but she's 8.5 months pregnant and train was the only travel her doctor would sign off on. But a massive avalanche threatens the safety of all the passengers. Army Ranger Nick Eliot urges everyone to move to the back of the train and only Margo believes him. During their fight for survival, we learn both Margo and Nick have secrets that brought them together and also threatens to destroy them.
I thought the character development was great - I started out not loving the characters, but Margo definitely grew on me. The story is told in present time, with flashbacks to Nick and Margo's pasts. It was fun learning about the two of them.
This is a short book, at 260 pages, but it packs in a lot of action. While I predicted the big twist, I was still sucked into the story because of everything else happening.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to start reading thrillers, or anyone who wants a quick, thrilling read.
4/5 stars; 260 pages; mystery/thriller
This book is based in the isolated, snowy wilderness somewhere in the Rockies. Margo is on her way to her parents house for her niece's wedding, but she's 8.5 months pregnant and train was the only travel her doctor would sign off on. But a massive avalanche threatens the safety of all the passengers. Army Ranger Nick Eliot urges everyone to move to the back of the train and only Margo believes him. During their fight for survival, we learn both Margo and Nick have secrets that brought them together and also threatens to destroy them.
I thought the character development was great - I started out not loving the characters, but Margo definitely grew on me. The story is told in present time, with flashbacks to Nick and Margo's pasts. It was fun learning about the two of them.
This is a short book, at 260 pages, but it packs in a lot of action. While I predicted the big twist, I was still sucked into the story because of everything else happening.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to start reading thrillers, or anyone who wants a quick, thrilling read.
4/5 stars; 260 pages; mystery/thriller
To start this off, I do not recommend this book at anyone, ever. And I'm kinda upset that a magazine would put this up for awards in 2020. This is not a book about man vs nature with a little bit of the others tied in, it's for the most part man vs man and man vs self.
There was a lot of insensitivity in the book, with Native American and African American racism, animal cruelty and murder, forced adoption, and lots and lots of Misogyny.
I think this would have been better as a fantasy or something because a lot of ridiculous things happen that makes it completely unrealistic. Also, Margo is supposed to be super pregnant but is some how able to travers mountains and snow.
I don't even know where to begin with what's wrong with this book. I'll begin with the main characters Nick and Margo. They're pretty one dimensional with Nick only about being a soldier and Margo a mother. Speaking about Margo I believe her characterization was supposed to be how smart she is, but she makes so, so many dumb mistakes that would have got her killed if Nick wasn't there. Then all of a sudden she becomes a survival expert in the end out of nowhere. She talks about how it's the 21st century and women can do whatever they want, but then the next sentence says and I summarize from a sentence, "It's the natural order of life for women to have kids." And if that doesn't sum it up then I don't know what will.
I try to respect people's ratings on books, but with how problematic this book is I truly do not understand how anyone rated this above a 3 star.
There was a lot of insensitivity in the book, with Native American and African American racism, animal cruelty and murder, forced adoption, and lots and lots of Misogyny.
I think this would have been better as a fantasy or something because a lot of ridiculous things happen that makes it completely unrealistic. Also, Margo is supposed to be super pregnant but is some how able to travers mountains and snow.
I don't even know where to begin with what's wrong with this book. I'll begin with the main characters Nick and Margo. They're pretty one dimensional with Nick only about being a soldier and Margo a mother. Speaking about Margo I believe her characterization was supposed to be how smart she is, but she makes so, so many dumb mistakes that would have got her killed if Nick wasn't there. Then all of a sudden she becomes a survival expert in the end out of nowhere. She talks about how it's the 21st century and women can do whatever they want, but then the next sentence says and I summarize from a sentence, "It's the natural order of life for women to have kids." And if that doesn't sum it up then I don't know what will.
I try to respect people's ratings on books, but with how problematic this book is I truly do not understand how anyone rated this above a 3 star.
I'm starting to feel the bite of winter in the air, which is the perfect time to read a wintery thriller! Am I right? There is just something about thrillers set in the winter that chill me to my core, and this one was no exception.
The story is told from duel viewpoints- Margo and Nick- as they journey through the Rockies on a train bound for Washington. While in a remote area of the mountains, a sudden avalanche threatens all of those on the train. Nick, who is an Army Ranger, orders everyone to the back of the train, but the conductor demands that everyone remain calm and stay seated. Only Margo trusts what Nick says and follows him to what she thinks is safety. When Nick uncouples the last train car and the rest of the train careens down the mountain buried by the avalanche, the true fight for survival begins.
Both Nick and Margo have plenty of secrets (of course...this is a thriller, after all). Throughout the book, we get glimpses into both characters' sometimes troubling pasts. The insights that you gain from these flashbacks really help to put all the pieces together and heighten the general atmosphere or anxiety and suspense, even if some of the details were a little overkill. I really disliked everything about Nick and found his behavior towards Margot to be very controlling, arrogant, and even disturbing. I think the author intended for readers develop a distain for him though, so it worked in the context of the story. His behavior towards Margot struck me as odd at first, but it did all "add up" at the end. There were parts of the Margot's story where my heart ached for her and other parts where I was genuinely frightened for her. She was an easy character to like and cheer for.
This book is a solid addition to the thriller genre. It started off as a fast paced, suspenseful read....it slowed down and stalled a bit in the middle with all of the flashbacks....but then it picked right back up in the last 25% or so. Overall, you're not going to want to put this one down until you figure out what it is that brought Nick and Margo together- was it fate? chance? or something more complicated? If you're a fan of survival, adventure, thrills and chills, suspense, relationship dynamics, and twist endings that leave your questioning why you didn't put the pieces together sooner, then you may want to scoop this one up!
**Thank you to Turner Publishing for providing me this copy in exchange for an honest review.**
The story is told from duel viewpoints- Margo and Nick- as they journey through the Rockies on a train bound for Washington. While in a remote area of the mountains, a sudden avalanche threatens all of those on the train. Nick, who is an Army Ranger, orders everyone to the back of the train, but the conductor demands that everyone remain calm and stay seated. Only Margo trusts what Nick says and follows him to what she thinks is safety. When Nick uncouples the last train car and the rest of the train careens down the mountain buried by the avalanche, the true fight for survival begins.
Both Nick and Margo have plenty of secrets (of course...this is a thriller, after all). Throughout the book, we get glimpses into both characters' sometimes troubling pasts. The insights that you gain from these flashbacks really help to put all the pieces together and heighten the general atmosphere or anxiety and suspense, even if some of the details were a little overkill. I really disliked everything about Nick and found his behavior towards Margot to be very controlling, arrogant, and even disturbing. I think the author intended for readers develop a distain for him though, so it worked in the context of the story. His behavior towards Margot struck me as odd at first, but it did all "add up" at the end. There were parts of the Margot's story where my heart ached for her and other parts where I was genuinely frightened for her. She was an easy character to like and cheer for.
This book is a solid addition to the thriller genre. It started off as a fast paced, suspenseful read....it slowed down and stalled a bit in the middle with all of the flashbacks....but then it picked right back up in the last 25% or so. Overall, you're not going to want to put this one down until you figure out what it is that brought Nick and Margo together- was it fate? chance? or something more complicated? If you're a fan of survival, adventure, thrills and chills, suspense, relationship dynamics, and twist endings that leave your questioning why you didn't put the pieces together sooner, then you may want to scoop this one up!
**Thank you to Turner Publishing for providing me this copy in exchange for an honest review.**
This was my first book by this author and also her debut novel. It was a gift that I truly appreciate.
This book was very good. It had a couple of things going on that I found unbelievable.
Margo is eight and a half months pregnant and an emergency room doctor. She's taking a train across the country to the wedding of her niece. She's been estranged from her family for six years and wants to make amends. For them to get to know her baby. But something is wrong.
Nick is an ex military man who is on the train also. He knows something is very wrong and wants only to help the other passengers. He convinces Margo to go with him to the last train car where they will be safe. They tried to get others to go but none would. Not a single one. You would have thought that at least one would have but none did.
What these two go through next is quite scary. From a blizzard that leaves them in much danger to wild animals they have to hide from. Nick is good and saving them and leading them to safety yet Margo decides that it's best for her to travel down the mountain alone to find someone to help her. This part threw me for a loop. Margo is a very intelligent woman who is scared to death and does not want to be alone yet she takes off down a mountain on her own? I did not buy that part. I just couldn't. Needless to say she ended up back with Nick and they made it to a watchtower where they were pretty much safe.
Things start getting very tense from here on out though. This book starts out strong, hits a snag when Margo decides to take off down the mountain, then picks back up in the watchtower. They go through so much and the battles with the elements and each other are pretty intense. This part will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure. You won't know what to expect from one page to the next.
This book goes back and forth between the train derailment and to both Margo and Nick's childhoods. To the things each went through that made them who they are now. To Margo's trip to Birmingham, AL to Nick's time in the military where he learned how to survive. How he fell in love and how it shaped him to be who he is now. Each has a backstory and they are both very interesting. A few hidden secrets in them also.
I have to thank the author for this copy of this book. Daco S Auffenorde gifted me this copy and I am very thankful for that. This is my own review and it being a gift in no way hinders the truth.
I gave it 4/5 stars. One star lost because of the one part that I just didn't buy. I do highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good edge of your seat thriller. It's very well written and you will like most of the characters. Not Margo's parents though. I detested both of them.
This book was very good. It had a couple of things going on that I found unbelievable.
Margo is eight and a half months pregnant and an emergency room doctor. She's taking a train across the country to the wedding of her niece. She's been estranged from her family for six years and wants to make amends. For them to get to know her baby. But something is wrong.
Nick is an ex military man who is on the train also. He knows something is very wrong and wants only to help the other passengers. He convinces Margo to go with him to the last train car where they will be safe. They tried to get others to go but none would. Not a single one. You would have thought that at least one would have but none did.
What these two go through next is quite scary. From a blizzard that leaves them in much danger to wild animals they have to hide from. Nick is good and saving them and leading them to safety yet Margo decides that it's best for her to travel down the mountain alone to find someone to help her. This part threw me for a loop. Margo is a very intelligent woman who is scared to death and does not want to be alone yet she takes off down a mountain on her own? I did not buy that part. I just couldn't. Needless to say she ended up back with Nick and they made it to a watchtower where they were pretty much safe.
Things start getting very tense from here on out though. This book starts out strong, hits a snag when Margo decides to take off down the mountain, then picks back up in the watchtower. They go through so much and the battles with the elements and each other are pretty intense. This part will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure. You won't know what to expect from one page to the next.
This book goes back and forth between the train derailment and to both Margo and Nick's childhoods. To the things each went through that made them who they are now. To Margo's trip to Birmingham, AL to Nick's time in the military where he learned how to survive. How he fell in love and how it shaped him to be who he is now. Each has a backstory and they are both very interesting. A few hidden secrets in them also.
I have to thank the author for this copy of this book. Daco S Auffenorde gifted me this copy and I am very thankful for that. This is my own review and it being a gift in no way hinders the truth.
I gave it 4/5 stars. One star lost because of the one part that I just didn't buy. I do highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good edge of your seat thriller. It's very well written and you will like most of the characters. Not Margo's parents though. I detested both of them.
I feel like this synopsis held such promise. Two strangers nearly escape an avalanche and help each other survive until help arrives.
Sadly this one did not do much in developing the characters or the setting or properly building tension. I feel like this could have been so much more atmospheric with e snow and the cold and the wild animals, instead it felt very bland and uninspired.
We followed the main storyline of Nick and Margo as they are trying to survive the elements but lucky Nick seems pretty handy and has been able to ward off the wild animals and kill animals for food to sustain them. We also get glimpses into each Nick and Margo's backstory and both of their families are horrible and I just couldn't see how any of it was going to relate.
In the end it's one of those stories where the ending is so far fetched that you could never predict what the "secrets" were. All of a sudden near the end it was revealed and I was just thinking huh ok. The wrap up after the "secrets" were revealed dragged on and were supposed to be tension filled I am guessing but it just didn't work. I didn't care about the characters or what happened to them. There were also just way too many conveniences for the characters in their situation to make it believable at all.
2 stars instead of 1 because it was a fast read and the pacing and switching of storylines was decent.
Sadly this one did not do much in developing the characters or the setting or properly building tension. I feel like this could have been so much more atmospheric with e snow and the cold and the wild animals, instead it felt very bland and uninspired.
We followed the main storyline of Nick and Margo as they are trying to survive the elements but lucky Nick seems pretty handy and has been able to ward off the wild animals and kill animals for food to sustain them. We also get glimpses into each Nick and Margo's backstory and both of their families are horrible and I just couldn't see how any of it was going to relate.
In the end it's one of those stories where the ending is so far fetched that you could never predict what the "secrets" were. All of a sudden near the end it was revealed and I was just thinking huh ok. The wrap up after the "secrets" were revealed dragged on and were supposed to be tension filled I am guessing but it just didn't work. I didn't care about the characters or what happened to them. There were also just way too many conveniences for the characters in their situation to make it believable at all.
2 stars instead of 1 because it was a fast read and the pacing and switching of storylines was decent.
This fast-paced survival thriller has got me in the mood for winter. The first chapter starts off with a bang, immediately immersing readers into the action. I do not even want to imagine how terrifying it would be to find myself stranded in the frozen wilderness with a complete stranger, cut off from civilization and struggling to survive, but Auffenorde brings that experience to life.
Margo, 8 months pregnant with no previous survival skills, has no choice but to trust Nick, a former Army Ranger, to keep her and her unborn child alive, but something is clearly off about him, and she doesn’t know if she can trust that he truly has her best interests at heart.
The story alternates between past and present, providing insights into the characters’ pasts that shaped who they are today. These flashback sometimes included unnecessary details that slowed the story down, but the short chapters kept the pace moving.
Nick’s backstory is particularly disturbing. The ARC includes a problematic scene in which a young Nick and a classmate discuss Native Americans scalping their enemies, foreshadowing animal mutilation. However, the author informed me that the publisher is removing all references to Native Americans in her book at her request.
This thriller is full of disturbing twists that lead to a shocking and pretty graphic ending. Some scenes toward the end were pretty gross and I can only imagine the horrified facial expressions I was making, but I couldn’t put it down. This book takes readers on a wild ride, but it is not for the faint of heart. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted review copy.
Blog | Instagram
Margo, 8 months pregnant with no previous survival skills, has no choice but to trust Nick, a former Army Ranger, to keep her and her unborn child alive, but something is clearly off about him, and she doesn’t know if she can trust that he truly has her best interests at heart.
The story alternates between past and present, providing insights into the characters’ pasts that shaped who they are today. These flashback sometimes included unnecessary details that slowed the story down, but the short chapters kept the pace moving.
Nick’s backstory is particularly disturbing. The ARC includes a problematic scene in which a young Nick and a classmate discuss Native Americans scalping their enemies, foreshadowing animal mutilation. However, the author informed me that the publisher is removing all references to Native Americans in her book at her request.
This thriller is full of disturbing twists that lead to a shocking and pretty graphic ending. Some scenes toward the end were pretty gross and I can only imagine the horrified facial expressions I was making, but I couldn’t put it down. This book takes readers on a wild ride, but it is not for the faint of heart. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted review copy.
Blog | Instagram