From the ominous cover image, a mayen nestled in the Swiss Alps, to the final word, Rijks will have you engaged in the atmosphere of panic. You'll feel jumpy and get caught up in the rush as she builds up the tension that creates her signature thriller.

Set in Corviez, a small but upcoming resort, in Valais, Switzerland Rijks’ plot centers around the actions of a man stuck in a conundrum - a situation he should never have gotten himself into in the first palace.

The author explores the split-second decisions we make every minute of the day and shows us that we never fully appreciate the consequences of those decisions until it’s too late. She also examines the definition of love and questions if that’s all that’s needed for a successful marriage.

I loved the chapters from Helen Sellers’ point of view because she’s definitely the underdog in this novel and has the most to lose. With all her baggage, she brings complexity and emotion to the story and gives it character. Rikjs’ use of multiple points of view allows us to see inside the head of most of her characters, thus building more dramatic tension.

As is always the case, (1) I walk away with more knowledge and (2) am challenged. This time I was educated about the traditions of the canton of Valais; the Inalpe festival, Desalpe, and the combats de reines. I loved how the author leads us to question if we were facing the same circumstances, what would we do?

I enjoyed the captivating story which I raced through in a day and the sinister read full of twists which kept me off balance and piled on the pressure. Most appealing was the freshness; a new and unique setting, with an unpredictable plot and great, new characters with not often written about careers.

My only regret? That we were not having raclette for dinner.

I was gifted this advance copy by Inkubator books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Good book! Wow! I really enjoyed reading this book! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!