The stunning wilds of Alaska are not for the faint of heart–but when Beth Rivers finds herself with a need to disappear, she’s already faced far worse. So how hard could it be? Beth Rivers, known to the world as Elizabeth Fairchild, has spent years as a bestselling novelist. Her twisty, page-turning thrillers have garnered a legion of fans, but unfortunately, her story-telling landed her in an … landed her in an unbelievable tale of her own–a situation even more terrifying than she could have dreamed. Crazed Elizabeth Fairchild super-fan Levi Brooks stalked and kidnapped Elizabeth, holding her captive inside a van for three days. She escaped by throwing herself from the speeding van, suffering a severe head injury and memory loss.
Scarred and still healing from her injuries, she secretly escapes to the beautiful–and very remote–Benedict, Alaska. It’s the only place she can be sure no one will find her. But just before Beth’s arrival, the already small population of Benedict was reduced by one. Linda Rafferty’s death was ruled a suicide, but no one in the close-knit community quite believes that conclusion, even the sheriff.
While she waits for her attacker to be apprehended in the lower 48, Beth takes on a project to revamp the Benedict town newspaper. She knows enough to go where the story is, and there’s clearly one behind Linda’s death. As rumors of murder spread, suspicion falls upon the felons staying at a local halfway house–and Beth herself. Intrigued by both the mystery and the wary folks who call Benedict home, Beth starts asking questions–only to find her investigation stirring up memories she’d much rather had stayed forgotten…
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I have been on a real mystery kick lately and when I saw this one was available on NetGalley and was my one of my favorite cozy authors, I just knew I had to give it a chance. And boy, was I NOT disappointed.
Grittier than her cozies [with a much stronger story-line and much more “adult” language], this was a very good read from page 1. Beth is an intriguing protagonist and you are invested in both her AND her story from the second you meet you. And the beauty and ruggedness of Alaska just adds to the fantasticness [why yes, I DID just make up that word] of this book. I just finished it and I already want a second one – it was just that good. If you like really good, somewhat gritty, mysteries, and language doesn’t bother you, then this is the book for you!!
Well done Ms. Shelton. Well. Done.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Fast-paced and entertaining, with a vividly drawn setting and intriguing characters. I can’t wait to visit Paige Shelton’s Alaska again!
What a great start to a new series. This book had me hooked from the beginning. I love that the book is set in Alaska. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
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.
Beth has moved as far away as she can find from her former home. She loved her work as a thriller author but when an obsessed fan kidnaps and holds her hostage for several days she just wants to get away. She was able to escape but by then the damage was done mentally and physically. She find a wonderful place to hide in Alaska, where she hopes to mend her emotional turmoil. She feels a bit of peace in her new home until she learns a murder has occurred. She worries that the murder could have something to do with the past she is trying to escape. Will any healing that she hopes will happen be dashed away quickly by this unexpected happening. Beth starts getting to know the residents and wants to help solve the murder so she can move forward. Follow along and see how Beth progresses in her new life, if she is able to make a place for herself, and whether this murder will get the best of her. This was a fantastic start to What I hope is a new series. Beth was a wonderfully written character who stands out from the beginning and the cast of supporting characters for in well with her. You truly get a sense of who everyone is and you just want to know more about them!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Beth Rivers is a successful thriller author using the pseudonym of Elizabeth Fairchild. She has many fans but one fanatic took things way too far. Kidnapped and held in a van for 3 days, she manages to escape as the van was going down the road. Recovering in the hospital from her injuries her captor is still on the loose and she knows she is not safe. With a little help, she unexpectedly leaves the hospital to go to an undisclosed location.
Beth soon touches down in Benedict, Alaska with only her typewriter and a backpack full of paper and clothes. She has booked a room at the Benedict House, not knowing it is a halfway house for women who committed non-violent crimes. With lodging options at a minimum, she sets that aside because she feels safe, or at least safer than she felt before. That is until she learns a woman was killed shortly before she arrived. Could the death be connected to her? Had she been found already?
The police chief was contacted by the detective overseeing Beth’s case and he has vowed to keep her safe. She has come up with a cover story to explain her injuries and reasons for her travel for the rest of the town. She continues to have memories of those three days making it hard to move on but after learning more about her the police chief consents to let her help with his current case and even finds her a job to pass her time. She may never get back to normal but for the moment she is safe.
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Paige Shelton gives readers a cozy-ish protagonist but she turns up the suspense as she deals with her kidnapper on the loose and her escape to Alaska. Beth’s injuries were serious, her head is scarred and she has a brain injury. She finds herself enmeshed in Benedict, getting used to the weather, getting to know the people and finding a killer. She is also striving to remember anything that would bring her kidnapper to justice. The severe headaches, mini seizures, and flashbacks really resonated with me. I also identified with her funky haircut. After my accident in 2001, I dealt with the same, thankfully no kidnapper was involved.
All the characters within this story have layers and I believe we have just started to peel them away. Benedict seems to be a place where everyone has come to escape from something and we really don’t find out too much about any of them except for the deceased and people directly connected to her. That means the author has plenty of material for this series going forward.
I really enjoyed the way Ms. Shelton described her settings. From the airplane and the images out the windows, the airport, the town, Benedict house, the forests, everywhere Beth traveled was brought to life and easily imagined. Readers are taken to the wilds of Alaska and yes, there is wildlife too.
The plot weaves Beth’s trauma together with the death in Alaska but only one is wrapped up by the final page. I really enjoyed the author’s approach to the entire story. The pace was quick and there were several happenings that could have turned the situations in different directions. You could feel that Beth was on edge the entire time.
I read this book incredibly fast and I want more! I was a little disappointed that both mysteries were not completed because I hate waiting for the other shoe to drop and I imagine and hope there are going to be many more suspenseful moments ahead before that other mystery will be wrapped up. I can’t wait!!
This book will be released on December 3rd and I highly recommend you pre-order your copy. I am very excited for this series to continue.
I just listened to the audio version of Thin Ice. I loved it! Paige Shelton is a master storyteller. I felt like I was in Alaska experiencing the same things as the characters in the book. Suzie Althens was the perfect narrator. The book was over far too soon. I immediately got a copy of Cold Wind and had to listen to it and continue the story of Beth Rivers. Get yourself a copy of one or both! You wont be sorry.
I was fortunate enough to have won this book through a Facebook giveaway.
Beth Rivers is an author who writes under the pen name Elizabeth Fairchild. She finds herself on a plane to a very remote spot in Alaska, that of Benedict, after suffering an ordeal at the hands of the “bad guy” in this story. While on her way to Benedict, one of the local residents, Linda Rafferty, ends up dead. The people of Benedict learn to trust folks because it is a matter of survival in some cases. Beth booked her room at the Benedict House, what she thought was a hotel, but turned out to be a halfway house for parolees flown in from Anchorage. Of course, staying at the “House,” Beth is automatically assumed to be another parolee. Only one person in Benedict knows her true identity and keeps it to himself. Beth finds herself taking over the local paper, Petition, and finds that her author curiosity lends her to helping with Linda’s death which is not as it seems. There are more stories wrapped up in this tale while Beth wrestles with her own memories of what really happened to her and no one seems to be who they say they are.
This is an entertaining read and realistic, to the point where one might find themselves thinking that Benedict, Alaska, may just be the place to “escape” to … it is remote and no one really knows one another, but the residents do know who they can trust. I believe this is going to be a series, but certainly can be read as a standalone, though it may leave one with questions as it ends with the assuredness that there will be more adventures for Beth.
Got this book from the library because I agreed to read Cold Wind, book 2 in this series, and leave a review. I’m a fan of the author and have read all of her cozy mysteries so adding one more book to read was no hardship.
I’m glad I took the time to read this one. I enjoyed it. It vaguely reminded me of the Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong which I also really like.
The book weaves two main mysteries, one personal to Beth and one in her new community on Alaska and smaller ones about the town folk. We meet lots of interesting characters who will hopefully get more developed as the series goes on. They are not over the top quirky like the characters from tv’s Northern Exposure, just real people there for a variety of personal reasons and band together as one must in a small, remote community.
Since this is a mystery series, and while not full of gross detail, much on page violence or sex (YAY! no romance or love triangle (so far) in this one), it is not a cozy, not everything is completely wrapped up at the end. I would not say it had a cliffhanger ending at all. I felt no “gut punch” at being left with something(s) unresolved.
Going to start straight into Cold Wind.
This is a so-so cozy with little to recommend it besides the lovely Alaskan setting. I persevered and found it confusing that what sounded like the main plot line disappeared as the protagonist got herself entangled in a series of local dramas including a possible murder.
I enjoy Paige Shelton’s cozy mysteries so I jumped at the chance to read THIN ICE, and I was not disappointed. It reads like a cozy mystery on steroids, edgy and suspenseful.
Beth, a successful author, escapes her fanatic kidnapper with a pretty serious brain injury. With the kidnapper still on the loose, she chooses to leave her home and hide in Alaska, figuring she can write anywhere. While trying to remember more details of her experience, she soon becomes involved with the murder of a local Benedict woman.
THIN ICE is compelling. Beth is resilient and interesting. All of the characters seem to have yet unknown back stories that lead them to remote Benedict. The rugged isolation of Alaska is also a character, fascinating and engrossing. I particularly like the sheriff and look forward to learning more about all of the characters. There is so much potential for future adventures within these characters’ secrets.
Shelton does a great job of weaving Beth’s trauma and history with the local death, providing a taut puzzle to unravel. I did guess the killer’s identity, but there were enough twists and turns to keep me second guessing. The story ends with a sudden revelation that, though not a cliffhanger, makes me impatient for the next book in the series.
I enjoyed THIN ICE and recommend it to any fan of thrillers and suspense.
I received an ARC of this title through NetGalley from St Martins Press and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
This book is first in the series, and my first book to read from author Paige Shelton. I would have to say I enjoyed this read very much and enjoyed reading about a book with amazing destinations like the remote Benedict, Alaska which adds to the thrilling atmosphere of this suspenseful mystery. The story begins as our main character, Beth Rivers, who is a thriller author was kidnapped by a fan. Beth miraculously escapes capture but sustained a brain injury, which caused her to lose her memory. Reeling from a recent ordeal of being kidnapped, she finds a perfect place to hide in this remote town in Alaska. While in Benedict, she partners with the Police Chief Gril Samuels, while he works on a case involving the suspicious death of a woman who also seems to be hiding things.
Overall, I liked the character and how she tried to acclimate herself to this new town. It did hold my interest and found it to be an entertaining read. It did leave me hanging with lots of questions unanswered until the next installment which I am anxiously waiting for.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thin Ice
By: Paige Shelton
*REVIEW*
I was initially drawn to the Alaskan setting in this story because I would love to live there myself. Anyway, Thin Ice is a great read read for numerous reasons. The female lead, Beth, is actually a successful author on the run and looking for a good place to hide and get herself together. She was recently held captive for three days by a crazed fan. Beth is in recovery mode, and she chooses a small Alaskan town to stay for a while. Unfortunately, a murder happens, and she gets involved in the investigation. This tragedy drags up terrible memories for Beth. It is basically Beth solving a smaller mystery within the larger context of her personal mystery situation of who held her captive. This book is first in a new series, and I enjoyed reading this one, so I’ll probably like all of them. The story is entertaining and compelling from beginning to end, and I could not resist reading at every opportunity. I highly recommend!
I’ve enjoyed Paige Shelton’s cozy mysteries, and I was excited to see her branching out into the mystery/suspense/thriller genres. Beth Rivers is hiding in Benedict, Alaska…and she’s not the only one. It’s a small town with lots of secrets and trying to figure them out is helping keep her focus away from the reason she’s hiding.
Lots of mystery and intrigue in this story. I liked the two separate elements of the story – the mystery unfolding in Benedict, as well as the mystery of what happened to Beth. Though at times, I didn’t feel like the two subplots meshed well together. I was hoping we would learn more about Beth’s back story. But I will say that I haven’t read a mystery/thriller book like this before…where the character has their own mystery playing out in addition to the mystery in the story. The ending definitely gave me a shock. I’m excited to see where this series goes and can’t wait to read book two.
I won a copy of this book and I am voluntarily sharing my review.
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.
What a page-turner! I really enjoyed reading about Beth, her nightmarish past, and adventures in her new Alaska home. This story kept me guessing what would happen next and if Beth’s past would come back to haunt her in ways beyond her emotional and physical scars. I found myself drawn to the tiny, remote village where others were also hiding secrets or just plain hiding out. There are some great, intriguing characters that I’m looking forward to learning more about, too. The book moves at a good pace and is a well-written mystery.
I’m so glad this is the first in a series, because I just want more!
I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
When I read the blurb for Thin Ice, my attention was caught. A mystery set in a remote town in Alaska? Count me in!! I am glad that I read Thin Ice because this book was fantastic!!
Thin Ice has a fast-moving plotline, which I appreciated. The book’s flow was good too. I didn’t have an issue following the story. There were some plotlines or characters that I had questions about. But, I have a feeling that those will be explained (or explored) in later books.
I did feel that Beth River’s character was a little predictable at first. I also felt that her character was one dimensional. But, as the book went on, her character became anything but predictable. Also, her character fleshed out. Those two things alone made Thin Ice a more enjoyable read for me.
The main plotline centers around Beth. She had been kidnapped and sustained a brain injury when she escaped. She has no recollection of her kidnapper other than a name and the make/model of the van she was held captive in. Fearing that her kidnapper would return for her, she made plans to stay in a small, almost off the grid town in Alaska. I could understand why she wanted to be off the grid. Honestly, if I were in her shoes, I would have done the same. I also got why she didn’t trust anyone. She couldn’t remember what her kidnapper looked like, which is why Beth ran to Alaska and why she didn’t trust anyone there.
Beth’s predictableness, for me, began when she arrived in Alaska and got involved in the murder investigation. There was a point where I was eye-rolling because it was so cliched. A thriller writer gets involved in a mystery of her own. But, the author did add a neat spin to that plotline.
I didn’t like how the detective treated Beth during the book. My internal antenna began to quiver during that first interaction. I felt that she didn’t take Beth’s memories seriously. Heck, I would have been jumping with joy at some of the details that Beth remembered. The detective’s reactions, to me, seemed one of irritation.
I need to mention Beth’s mother. She was obsessed with finding her husband and then added finding Beth’s kidnapper to her agenda. I am rooting for her finding the kidnapper before the police. Why? Because I have a feeling that Beth’s mother is going to lay down some old fashioned, “You don’t mess with my baby” justice.
The townspeople were a motley crew. Each person was running from something, which makes me wonder how these people will be in the upcoming books.
Thankfully, there was no romance in Thin Ice. The book was uber focused on Beth and the murder investigation even to go there. I loved it.
The end of Thin Ice was nail-biting. I was on edge for a couple of chapters because of what was going on. The author did a great job of wrapping up the murder angle of the plotline. But everything else, well, that was left open. I cannot wait to read the next book!!
First I’ve read by this author … won’t be the last. Stalking … Kidnapping … Hiding out …. New life … Murder in a small town …. Story pulled me in from the beginning and I hated to put it down. I wasn’t crazy about the murder mystery that Beth becomes involved in when she moves. I felt that the reason behind it was a little blah and wish it had more “meat” to it. However, with that being said the main story plot was quite enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next in the series to learn more about Beth’s stalker/kidnapper and more about the mystery of what happened to her father.
3.5/5
Thank you #netgalley and #stmartins press for the eARC.
Beth Rivers, aka author Elizabeth Fairchild, fled to Benedict, Alaska after leaving the hospital. She is recovering from the three days that she was held captive by her kidnapper. He is still on the loose. Beth has written six bestselling novels and since she can write anywhere, she is hoping that she will be safe in Alaska. Unknown to her, she will be staying in a halfway house for women who are on parole for minor offenses…not what she planned at all, but so far what is? Police Chief Grilson Samuels is aware of Beth’s history and encourages her to open up the small-town newspaper. When a local woman is found dead, did she commit suicide or was she murdered? A blend of unique characters adds charm to this mystery. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
Thin Ice is several mysteries in one. We spend most of this first book getting to know the heroine Beth Rivers aka thriller author Elizabeth Fairchild who is recovering from a traumatic event that has sent her hiding in small town Alaska where she is drawn into a mystery not her own. This is a fast paced ride that kept me rethinking the villain and rooting for the good guys. I look forward to future installments as Beth heals and grows into her new reality.