‘Twisty, atmospheric and haunting … I devoured this thriller in one tense sitting’ ERIN KELLY. It is the week before Christmasand the cathedral city of St Albans is blanketed by snow. But beneath the festive lights, darkness is stirring.The frozen body of a young girlis discovered by the ice-covered lake. The police scramble for clues. A local woman, Jenny, has had visions of what happened the … clues. A local woman, Jenny, has had visions of what happened the night of the murder. But Jenny is an exhausted new mother, whose midnight wanderings pull her ever closer to the lake. Can Jenny be trusted?What does she really know?
Then another girl goes missing, and the community unravels. Neighbour turns against neighbour, and Jenny has no idea who to believe. As Christmas Eve approaches, Jenny discovers a secret about her past– and why she could be key to everything…
PRAISE FOR UNDER THE ICE:
‘Twisty, atmospheric and haunting… I devoured this thriller in one tense sitting’ Erin Kelly.
‘An outstanding debut, so atmospheric it made me literally shiver’ Angela Clarke.
‘A fantastically evocativebook that twists you expertly up in the world of its vivid characters, making you feel the unfolding plot blow by blow’ Gytha Lodge.
‘Packed with atmosphere, suspense and a cold that chills the heart. Under the Iceannounces Rachael Blok as an exciting new voice in crime fiction’ Lesley Thomson.
‘A lyrical, haunting thriller that’s impossible to put down… Under the Icewill get under your skin’ J.S. Monroe.
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Twisty, atmospheric, and haunting… I devoured this thriller in one tense sitting.
For once, “unputdownable” was the right word. I was gripped. I loved the ghostly atmosphere and the tense settings. The characters were believable and I couldn’t wait to find out what was at the bottom of Jenny’s strange imaginings. I did have an inkling who the murderer was, as he seemed unusually nice to Jenny when everyone else was doubting her. But I didn’t have a clue how the plot would unfold. The ending had me shivering with the cold. Very clever!
A masterfully written thriller full of suspense. Great characters and story!
Lots of twists & turns. Great read
A good story and kept my attention
I enjoyed the everyman characters who are drawn into the sinister by being just ordinary
Love finding a new author especially one like Rachael Blok. Four and a half stars.
She has written a deeply atmospheric novel of a young mom and the death of a young girl.
Jenny is such a sweet person and a good mom to her baby Finn. And like all new moms, she is sleep deprived, unsure of her new duties to Finn and her hubby Will. Will is not as developed a person as Jenny…..and the author did this on purpose. Friends like Erin and Connor and Sam are present and personable but again not as if I could point them out if they jumped off the page ……again, for a reason.
St. Albans is a small quiet town till Leigh at just fourteen goes missing in the winter cold. Jenny becomes obsessed with the missing girl and her husband Will is not exactly hubby of the year as he reacts to his wife’s problem.
Imogene and Maarten are in charge of the investigation that leads to another missing girl, Becky, only age nine. You see a police procedural, a mystery, people accusing each other of the crimes, and the toll of looking for the missing. Will backs off from Jenny wondering what is going on and why she knows things. The police investigate the fathers, friends and Jenny.
It’s cold and damp and snowy and yet Jenny is drawn to the lake, to water, at night, alone. Clues are presented and hope is almost abandoned and Jenny, well, Jenny is in trouble.
The past is always with us. We can hide it, bury deep, and move on. But sometimes the past returns and haunts you. You start to look at your husband and friends and wonder about them as suspicions take over. Lack of sleep, dreams, and the past take hold.
Very descriptive, great plotting, deeply engaging lead character, and the community drawn tight in the cold …..bundle up and enjoy this book.
An outstanding debut, so atmospheric it made me literally shiver.
A lyrical, haunting thriller that’s impossible to put down… Under the Ice will get under your skin.
This is a dark, scary story about a woman haunted by her mother’s death and by death’s of girls in her home town of St Albans in the UK. I was asked to read this before publication and had no trouble recommending it, so I’m doing so again. I read it in a heatwave, but was chilled right down by the darkness, the snow and the silent lake. A must read!