Second in a new series set in Alaska from beloved cozy author Paige Shelton, Cold Wind will chill your bones.Beth Rivers is still in Alaska. The unidentified man who kidnapped her in her home of St. Louis hasn’t been found yet, so she’s not ready to go back. But as October comes to a close, Benedict is feeling more and more like her new home. Beth has been working on herself: She’s managed to get … been working on herself: She’s managed to get back to writing, and she’s enjoying these beautiful months between summer and winter in Alaska.
Then, everything in Benedict changes after a mudslide exposes a world that had been hidden for years. Two mud-covered, silent girls appear, and a secret trapper’s house is found in the woods. The biggest surprise, though, is a dead and frozen woman’s body in the trapper’s shed. No one knows who she is, but the man who runs the mercantile, Randy, seems to be in the middle of all the mysteries.
Unable to escape her journalistic roots, Beth is determined to answer the questions that keep arising: Are the mysterious girls and the frozen body connected? Can Randy possibly be involved? And–most importantly–can she solve this mystery before the cold wind sweeping over the town and the townspeople descends for good?more
This is a solid second entry in the Alaska Wild series by Paige Shelton. While I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one, it was still an interesting read and definitely good enough to keep me hooked on the series.
A random mudslide in the Alaskan wilderness leaves an exposed corpse and a big mystery to be solved. Who is the unidentified person? And does their death have anything to do with the unexplained noise that’s not quite human, not quite animal heard by one of the local residents?
This book is a page turner. It has a great continuation of the story lines created in the first book. Beth is still hiding from her kidnapper. Viola has a new tenant in her halfway house. Gril and Donner are busy as ever with the discovery of both a body and a random living quarters that’s found on private, government owned land. And Mil, Beth’s mom, is as feisty and crazy (in a good way) as ever!
I really did enjoy this book. I have grown to like the characters and am definitely invested in them. I also find the Alaskan setting to be unique and appealing. There’s so much to learn about the harsh wilderness, the isolation and remoteness of the territory and the impact it has on the lives of the people that reside there.
If I had one complaint, it would be that the reader really has to allow a great deal of room for coincidence and the acceptance of some really unlikely scenarios to be played out to make this a completely enjoyable story. I am willing to stretch the limits of my imagination but I felt certain things in this book pushed the envelope a good bit. Shelton does explain it away (to some degree) with the remoteness of the area and the fact that there are a different set of cultural norms there however. Even so, the plot is attention grabbing and there are some spine tingling moments as well.
All in all, a pretty good book and one that I would recommend to others. Although, I would highly recommend readers tackle the first book in the series prior to this one because the first is a solid foundation for a great deal of what happens in the second!
Another really fast read that was hard to put down. A fall mudslide has changed the landscape around Benedict, Alaska, Old roads are uncovered and an ice cave is accessible again. When Beth discovers two mud covered girls at the door of the newspaper building, the twisty mystery begins. They seem to be sisters, but are unable to speak. The search for their family expands the boundaries of the town and characters. Being that Beth is in hiding, I continue to find it concerning that she has so much contact with people back home. I am guessing this will be addressed in a future book.
I love the concept in this story. An author who was stalked and kidnapped escaped then went into hiding…but not just anywhere. The MC went as far away from civilization yet stayed in the US as she could be running away and hiding out with a new persona in Alaska. The town, characters, situations and back story keep me hoping Paige Shelton will keep this series going. even though there is an element of tension knowing a bad guy s out there still looking for her, your fall in love with this strong character who is continuing her life despite being scared to death of her past…and solving mysteries while trying to remain incognito. Love it!!!!
Cold Wind by Paige Shelton is book two but this was the first for me. I was able to get caught up quickly. I am planning on reading book one.
This is a well written mystery that has you on the edge of your seat. It has great characters, some are quirky. And you will feel as if you are in Benedict, Alaska.. I couldn’t put it down. to the jaw dropping end.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review.
I don’t think I can possibly say enough good things about this book. The author does a good job giving you the backstory so, you can read this as a standalone. The storyline is fast paced and atmospheric. I definitely felt like I was right there in Benedict, Alaska. I found the book to be a little dark and gritty and the characters complicated. This is just one riveting read. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I’m voluntarily providing an honest review.
Cold Wind (Alaska Wild Volume 2)
by Paige Shelton
Beth Rivers is on her way to her job as the only employee of the Petition, Benedict, Alaska’s, weekly newspaper, when she strikes up a conversation with Randy Phillips, proprietor of the Mercantile. After a bit of conversation, Randy reveals the night before he heard sounds he’s never heard in the six years he’s lived in Benedict. Randy describes the sounds as screams that were neither human nor animal. As they talk, Randy wants to know if the body of a man found months ago on the beach, which is several miles from town, was ever identified. It hasn’t been, as far as Beth knows, and that signals the end of their conversation. Randy walks into the Mercantile and Beth drives over to the shack that is the home of the Petition.
Beth keeps the door to the shack locked. She arrived in isolated Benedict months ago, seeking a safe place to hide and recover from the head injury sustained after escaping from her kidnapper. Even though her kidnapping happened in the lower forty-eight, she’s still on edge about her experience. But at-large kidnappers aren’t the only reason she locks the door. Beth Rivers is also the well-known novelist Elizabeth Fairchild. Only the police chief, Gril, knows Beth’s true identity. Beth uses her time at the Petition’s office to work on the paper and her next novel. Locking the door gives her time to hide her work-in-progress and keep her identity a secret. People know to knock and identify themselves when they want to see Beth.
Except for the person or persons knocking on her door now. The only response to Beth’s “whose there” questions is more knocking. She’s searching for a weapon when she hears the same noise Randy heard the night before at his isolated home. In spite of her fear, Beth opens the door and discovers two muddy little girls standing on the stoop. The little girls can’t speak but are able to write their names-Annie and Mary.
The police chief can’t get any more information from them, but he does have information for Beth. The frozen body of a female was discovered in a shack outside of town. Are the two little girls tied to the body in the shack? If yes, then how? If no, where did they come from? Who is the woman in the shed? How did she get there? How long has she been dead? Is there a killer living in Benedict?
Beth is determined to help find the answers, especially when it comes to the two little girls. But as she unravels the events surrounding Annie, Mary, and the mystery body in the shed, her own secrets begin to slip as local fans of Elizabeth Fairchild begin to recognize the author in their midst.
Recommendation
Cold Wind is an enjoyable read. The characters are quirky and engaging and the plot pulled me in and kept me guessing. (And I really liked the cover. ) The still-missing kidnapper and the questions involving Beth’s father are good lead-ins for the next book in the series. Recommended.
Copy provided by Netgalley
#Netgalley, #coldwind
I just finished listening to the audio book. OMG! I want the next book now! Paige write faster. This is the best series. Beth Rivers’ experiences in Alaska are informational and riveting. I’ve never been there but I now nave a feeling of what it would be like to do so. Paige writes the story in such a way that you never really know “who done it” until almost at the end. I can’t wait to know more about Beth’s wacky mother and if the kidnapper will get caught soon. Read this book. You won’t regret it!
Second in a new series set in Alaska from beloved cozy author Paige Shelton, Cold Wind will chill your bones.
I’m thinking that if I had read the first book I would have enjoyed this one much better. Since I didn’t read it I have to give my honest opinion. This is a very well written and researched book. It’s descriptions are great. I actually felt the freezing temps. It was easy to picture all the scenes. The people were great. Very likable, with the exception of Beth’s mother. I just could not relate to her at all. To me she just seemed childish and a bit over the top. Maybe she was expressed better in book one. I have no idea but I do know I just could not get into her way of saying things.
Beth is a very likable character even though she sort of came across and a bit nosy in places. But she is an author so has to explore things. She was certainly brave for someone who had to up and leave her place and move to the wilds of Alaska. With her past I would have thought she might be a bit more jumpy. But she wasn’t. She attacks the mystery in this book like a pro. Finding out what happed and who did what. There are several surprises along the way and I did not figure out anything about anything. That’s always a good thing.
I enjoyed this book. It took me places that I have never been. Alaska, what a place. I thought the author truly captured the area perfectly. The people seemed to be spot on. They stick together and don’t tend to trust outsiders while at the same time they welcome you with open arms. Now I have no idea exactly how Beth ended up there as I didn’t read the first book. I didn’t know a whole lot of anything expect what happened right here in this story. It was a page turner for sure. A very quick read and I’m positive if you read the first book you are going to love this one. I’m positive there will be another also and hope I get a chance to read book one before that.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #PaigeShelton, #StMartin’sPress #Minotaurbooks for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this story.
4/5 stars from me and I do recommend it.
Read 12.4.2020
When I got the first book in this series, I had no idea it wasn’t a cozy [as I have read Ms. Shelton’s other book series, that are in the Cozy Mystery genre] and was a little hesitant because I am just now getting into the regular mystery genre. And then I started the book and was sucked in and now I am officially hooked [which is just a way of saying that Ms. Shelton knows her way around her genres and knows what and how to write a REALLY good book]. I was so excited to see that the second one was due and that I got it from NetGalley and I couldn’t wait to dive in and immerse myself back in the world of Benedict, Alaska [a place that, for me, is great to read about and one I would never, ever go to]. And this book did not disappoint. I am not sure that I will sleep real well tonight after that last 15%. And that end? Boy-howdy. WHOOSH.
I never saw ANY of this coming. NONE. OF. IT. Which is just absolutely glorious. I read a lot of cozies and other “mild” mysteries and so I have gotten good and figuring stuff out – when I cannot, well that book goes to the top of the list and stays there.
Beth is a great main character and while her backstory is always there [it kind of has to be], it doesn’t always interfere with the here and now [though sometimes it does, but it never feels like a plot device, it just feels like Beth trying to deal with the crap that life has dealt her] and you just keep rooting for her to get ahead and move forward. I love her interaction with Gril and Donner and Viola and Orin and how even though they don’t know her well, and she has only been there a short time, they all trust each other [as much as one can, and needs to in the middle of freaking BFE] and as each day passes, she trusts them all a little bit more and that is a good thing. I hope. EEK. CANNOT. GO. THERE.
The mystery was good, but there is no way to break this down without a crapload of spoilers, so I will just say that if you are looking for a good read, like grittier mysteries and are fascinated by the wilds of Alaska [I’d prefer to NOT be eaten by a bear, so I am not that into it except by book], then this is the book [and series] for you. I am NOT looking forward to the possible year wait for the next one!!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Paige Shelton, and St. Martin Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
COLD WIND is a suspenseful tale of murder and mystery set in a harsh Alaskan backdrop. Author Shelton’s descriptive writing draws readers in from the first page. An array of quirky characters and three interwoven storylines come together to make an engrossing read.
Protagonist Beth, still dealing with the demons of her past, is settling into her temporary home in Benedict, Alaska, hiding from her kidnapper. When the frozen body of a woman is found after a recent mudslide and two mute girls arrive on Beth’s doorstep, Beth finds herself drawn into the investigation. She does some unsavory things and faces danger in the name of sleuthing, but her heart is always in the right place. The pace of the story is brisk with clues doled out sparingly to keep readers guessing.
I really enjoyed COLD WIND and look forward to reading more of Beth and Benedict.
I gratefully received an ARC of this title from Minotaur Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
In this second book of the series Beth Rivers has decided that Benedict, Alaska has been the perfect place to hide out and plans to continue to do so. The man who kidnapped her and has her running hasn’t yet been found and she doesn’t feel safe going back to her old life. She is actually falling into a routine and enjoying the new life she is carving out for herself, with the upcoming cold weather though she’ll have to see if she can endure it. When a mudslide occurs unveiling a section that has been hidden for years the town is turned upside down. Two young girls are found wondering around the paper, neither talk so figuring out who they are has become harder. The frozen body of a women is found in shed that the mudslide has uncovered. Figuring out who she is and how she ended up there is another mystery that needs to be solved. Beth starts getting a funny vibe from Randy the local mercantile owner and can’t help but wonder if he has anything to do with all the mysteries popping up left and right. Beth can’t help her curious nature and decides she needs to look into things, hoping to help figure out.just what is going on. Will she be able to put all the puzzle pieces together before she herself becomes a victim? Dive in and see if you can figure out just what is going on! This is such a wonderful news series that will immediately pull you in and won’t let you go until the end. The characters are well developed and easy to relate to, the location is beautiful yet dangerous, and the plot is easy to get lost in. I look forward to the next book!!!
Cold Wind is the second in a series but I had no trouble reading it as a standalone. Beth Rivers is still hiding out in Alaska after escaping her kidnapper who still has not been caught. Running the local newspaper and still writing mysteries, Beth’s life is getting back to some kind of normal when a frozen body is discovered. If murder was not enough, two little girls are found wandering and refuse to talk. Trying to help the local law enforcement, Beth begins investigating on her own and is quickly drawn into danger as the past and present still go wonky in Beth’s head. The case twists and turns to deliver a satisfying conclusion that makes this reader want to read more of Beth’s stories that are full of interesting characters and suspense. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Cold Wind by Paige Shelton is part of the Alaska Wild mystery series. First I have to say, for someone who has a secret, Beth is sure up and in everybody else’s business. That said, this is a kind of dark book, meant to be, I guess. It starts with discovering a frozen body in a shed and digs deeper after that. There are orphans children, fires, an unknown dead body washing up on shore, plus plenty of cold and snow, although not as much as there will be. Mix this with Beth’s own trauma and her PTSD, and there is plenty of story to go around.
Beth is a good, if secretive, character. She is struggling, not only with her past, but with her mother and father, and her father’s disappearance years before. She lives in a halfway house, by choice, and she likes it, although there are rarely any convicts there. Ellen is a new character, a halfway house addict, and promises to lend some twists and turns in the future. The town is full of interesting characters, all with secrets of their own, and Shelton does a fine job making them real, and probably revealing most of their secrets in the end. Beth helps investigate and learns about herself along the way. This is an edge-of-your-seat kind of story with new mysteries overlying the one major mystery in Beth’s life. People are beginning to recognize her; maybe some have all along and just kept still? How will this impact her in the future? Shelton has created plenty of storylines to keep us busy in the future. Looking forward to it. This could be read a stand-alone, but will be much more satisfying if the reader reads the first in the series, Thin Ice, first.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Cold Wind by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own.
I loved this book! It grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let go until the very end. I love the small town Alaskan setting. I liked getting to know more of Beth and how she is recovering from her past traumas. The mystery was well written and kept me guessing until the very end. This book can be read as a standalone but I would recommend reading Thin Ice, the first book in the series, where we were introduced to Beth and why she is in Alaska.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press in return for my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Beth Rivers is still hiding out in Alaska because the man who kidnapped her has yet to be apprehended. She is getting more comfortable in her surroundings and is writing again.
There was a recent mudslide that has shaken the town up a bit. Two young girls are found. They can hear but they don’t talk. Their mud-covered state leads everyone to believe they have been out in the elements awhile. The mudslide also opened up a path to reveal a house in the woods and a shack with a dead body. The woman is frozen stiff and while it is chilly in Alaska it is not cold enough to freeze a body solid and keep it frozen.
Is there a connection between the woman and the girls? or just crazy incidents happening at the same time? Beth is very drawn to the girls and needs answers, so she inserts herself into another investigation that could make living in the lower 48 staying a step ahead of a kidnapper safer than the wild winds blowing through Benedict Alaska.
I was thrilled to receive an early copy of the first book in this series, Thin Ice, and have been waiting somewhat impatiently for this book but let me tell you it was worth the wait.
Just like Thin Ice, Cold Wind grabbed me right away and the book was impossible to put down. Many authors have a descriptive writing style but Ms. Shelton’s is unique in that she takes us on the scene like we are watching a movie. She is able to paint pictures with her words without getting overly wordy. The scenes came alive in my mind in living color and the story just flowed. There are several suspenseful scenes intermixed with some milder ones but the pages seemed to fly at breakneck speed. I had to know what was going to happen next.
I was very impressed with the way Beth is evolving as she remembers more about the trauma she survived that had her landing in Alaska. She really is a strong woman because life in Alaska isn’t easy especially after all she has been through. She is surrounded by a very interesting group of supporting characters. We met several more in this story. Some who escaped to Alaska for their own reasons.
Cold Wind actually gave me shivers and chills. Beth Rivers is a powerful character and I am so enthusiastic about this series and to see her story continue.
To really appreciate this story you should read Thin Ice first to understand Beth’s journey, plus it is an awesome story too! Look for Cold Wind on my Best Reads of 2020 list.
I love books set in Alaska, the Last Frontier, because the lifestyle is so different. Shelton shows you how different and introduces her characters as how they survive. This book is very well written with great characters. Adventure and intrigue abound. Enjoy!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.
suspense, thriller, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, trauma, Alaska, journalist, PTSD, writers
Beth, an author, is still hiding out in a remote area of Alaska from the man who kidnapped/traumatized/brain injured/stress disordered in her hometown of St Louis. A fiction writer and journalist, she has assumed the local paper and uses its building as a writer’s retreat and even uses a typewriter to work on a novel to keep off the grid while staying in a former hotel, now a sort of minimal security women’s rehab and only using burner phones. She has confided in the local law and an interesting man who has more than enough secrets of his own. Enter two nonverbal young girls who are frightened and may know something about a body found earlier that day after a major mudslide. Add in some very interesting people who have left the mainstream to enjoy their semi solitude in the wilderness. And another body or two. Absolutely riveting! I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
COLD WIND by Paige Shelton is a well-written mystery novel that combines traditional police detective work and amateur sleuthing. It is the second book in the Alaska Wild series. The story is set in Benedict, Alaska and centers around Beth Rivers, a successful thriller writer known as Elizabeth Fairchild. Beth is still hiding and recovering in Alaska while the Missouri police look for her stalker turned kidnapper. When two muddy eight- or nine- year-old girls show up at her office and then a body is found, it is only the beginning of the mysteries that unfold. Why are the girls by themselves? Who are their parents? Who is the dead person? Will Beth’s kidnapper finally be arrested? Will she stay in Alaska? Will Beth learn to fully trust more people in the Benedict community? These are only a few of the questions that must be answered.
Beth’s character was well-developed. She continues to be a flawed protagonist that also has shown some growth through making friends and learning to deal with her post traumatic stress disorder, but she still keeps secrets and finds it hard to trust people. Several of the secondary characters gained depth in book two of this series as some secrets are revealed while others continue to add to the enjoyment of the book. There are a large number of characters in this story, but several of them were introduced in book one so it felt like I was catching up with old friends.
The author does a great job of portraying the hardships and lack of amenities as well as the friendships, pace of life, the wonders, and the dangers of living in and around small town Alaska. I could easily visualize the town, the people, the road conditions, the cold, the isolation and much more.
This is a riveting story that hooked me with the first chapter and kept me interested throughout. It’s suspenseful and there are twists and turns and surprises along the way in an intricate plot that kept me guessing. From the small town residents to the descriptions of Alaska to the various mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Several themes run through the tale including murder, drug addiction, disappearances, PTSD and much more.
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 others were resolved. If you enjoy well-written mysteries, then I recommend you check out this series. The books are best read in order, but there is enough background that COLD WIND could be read as a standalone. I’m looking forward to book three.
St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Paige Shelton provided a complimentary 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. Publication date is set for December 1, 2020. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
I’m really enjoying this series, more than a cozy, but not so dark you can’t enjoy it. I think I was a step or two ahead of the characters the entire book, but Beth isn’t a trained investigator so it’s more realistic that she has to work her way through things more.
The writing and story lines are starting to get me invested in the characters. I want to learn the full story on the stalker and see what happens with the girls and Ellen.
There are a couple of weak spots like Beth’s financial situation. As a successful writer I can see her having access to money, the fact that she doesn’t appear to have needed to tap into it seems off. Gril is not the most active and dynamic cop, but then, if he was, there’d be nothing for Beth to do. Standard mystery situation.
I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Cold Wind by Paige Shelton was an absolutely absorbing suspenseful read. I couldn’t put this book down until I finished it. Ms. Shelton’s descriptive writing allowed me to feel as if I was experiencing the wild and remote Alaska setting of Benedict.
Beth’s character is rapidly developing and I could easily empathize with her mixed feelings as more of her memories come back from her traumatic experience before her move to Alaska. A mystery woman’s body is found in a remote storage shack which leads Grif, Donner and Beth on a quest to find answers for more than one mystery from the past.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.