I really liked this new series set in Alaska. In fact I was a little lonely this morning because I wanted to read what was going on with Beth and the other residents of small town of Benedict, AK. Luckily the ending left no doubt that there will be more books coming and I can't wait.

Beth Rivers is a well known author who is kidnapped by a crazed fan and held for several days. She is severely injured during her escape and has lost her memory but it is coming back slowly and erratically. The kidnapper has not been found so Beth decides to hide out in remote Alaska. She has made a good choice. It is hard to get to and snowed in for much of the year and has very spotty cell phone and Internet reception.

She accidentally books her self into a half way home for criminals and is totally unprepared for the weather. She has health problems. Yet she slowly merges into her new life and becomes the new volunteer editor of the newspaper and the object of curiosity. Then there's a murder and Beth is involved in the investigation. She worries its connected to her kidnapping.

The characters in this are delightful. It has a great story line with two separate mysteries, Beth's kidnapping and the town murder. The setting is breathtaking. I have read the author's series of a girl who gets a job in a Scottish bookstore which I enjoyed but this is even better. It has more depth and heart. I look forward to more. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for a fair review.

I received this book as an ARC copy so I want to say thank you for sending me this copy for review. I really started out liking this book in the beginning but by the end I ended up being really disappointed unfortunately and I really disliked the ending. The story started out strong with a lot of great things going on but by the end I just started getting bored and it was taking forever to find out what was going to happen, which even with part of the whole story of being kidnapped by a "Levi Brooks" and never really mentioning much of that in the book or finding out what happened made the ending horrible. I wish it would have been different and we left with a very weird ending to what is even going on. Not sure if there would be a second book to this, I am assuming there will be but I give it about a 2.5 star rating.

This was an enjoyable read! Beth makes an excellent heroine.

A bestselling author escapes to remote Alaska to avoid a stalker who has previously kidnapped her. She’s recovering physically and emotionally, and just as she begins to feel comfortable in her new environment, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery. Did Linda Rafferty kill herself as the ME reported? Or was she murdered? And was she even Linda Rafferty?

I thought Beth was an excellently written character. I loved the setting, the minor characters, and Beth as a sleuth. However, the mystery itself fell flat for me. I didn’t find the conclusion satisfying or even believable. I also struggled with the pacing of the book.

I’m definitely going to read the next in the series, but I hope the mystery component is stronger and that the pacing is more even.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital copy.

I enjoy Paige Shelton's Scottish Bookshop and Country Cooking School cozy mystery books. When I saw she had a new series starting, I jumped right on it. This new series is a bit more serious than the usual light-hearted cozy fare. Nothing graphic. But, there is a bit more meat to the characters and mystery plot. Loved it!

Beth Rivers is an author...a well known one. After a kidnapping incident where she was traumatized, she relocates to Benedict, Alaska to recover and hide out. Her kidnapper is still free....and she wants as far away from her memories, and him, as possible. She wants to hide her identity as an author and get her life back. Just as she starts trying to settle into her new remote Alaskan home, a resident of Benedict is murdered. The crime brings back memories of the hours she spent locked in a van, victimized by her kidnapper. But she's determined to help solve the crime.

I enjoyed this story! The characters have real personality. I liked the setting in a small rural Alaska town with its quirky citizens and its own culture. Beth is a strong and intelligent main character. The mystery moved along at a nice pace, with plenty of investigation and suspects. While the story started with quite a bit of background -- Beth's kidnapping, relocation, the town, etc -- the story didn't get bogged down in it. The mystery got started relatively quickly....with Beth's previous experience enhancing it, rather than taking away from it.

All in all, an entertaining read. I'm definitely going to read more of this new series!

**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

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!!

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.

What an amazing book! I was hooked on the first page! Beth moves to no-where Alaska to hide from a kidnapper she escaped once. While there, she gets involved in solving a local murder. I read this book in one day because I couldn’t get enough of it. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! I have seen mention that this is the beginning of a series, and I’ll definitely be watching for the next book. The end of this book leaves a good opening for the next book in the series! If you’re a mystery fan, this book shouldn’t be missed. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are my own.

What better place to run away to than to a remote spot in Alaska? Beth Rivers has done just that after being kidnapped by a stalker, held three days, and escaping. Beth suffered a brain injury during the escape, but ran away straight from the hospital so that kidnapper, Levi Brooks, couldn’t follow her. She still has problems with memory and headaches, and can’t remember much of her ordeal. Thin Ice, by Paige Shelton (bestselling author of The Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series, as well as others), will grab readers from the first chapter, and hold them captive throughout the book. In her haste to book accommodations in Alaska, Beth, who is a bestselling thriller author using the pseudonym Elizabeth Fairchild, has made reservations at a halfway house, thinking it is a hotel, and there are criminals housed there. She feels fairly safe, though, until there is a murder in the small town of about 500, and she wonders if that murder is connected to Brooks.

Trusted law enforcement friends at home have contacted the sheriff; he is supportive of her and promises he won’t reveal her identity. In fact, he actually asks for input on the murder. She is given the task of being a journalist for the local paper, and uses that to investigate the murder. The sheriff knows who she really is and trusts her.

Since this is the first of a new series, there are several characters introduced. Shelton does an excellent job of developing her characters to make them believable and interesting. Readers will anticipate the new scenarios in the subsequent installments of this series.

From the first chapter and through to the dénouement, suspense builds, and will keep readers on the edges of their seats. Shelton is an excellent storyteller, and the novel is well-organized and easy to follow. Beth’s story is fascinating, and her ongoing slow recovery from the brain injury, as well as the manhunt for Levi Brooks in the states and the fact that she is terrified that he will find her, make for interesting, albeit suspenseful reading.

Readers who enjoy a bit of a change will want to start this series, and will anticipate the subsequent novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

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)

Beth Rivers has gone to a small town in Alaska to recover from a traumatic event while hiding from the perpetrator. The setting is very much a part of the story, and the characters she encounters are interesting, as she gets involved in determining whether a recent death was suicide or murder.

Thin Ice is a very well written suspense novel. It is set in a very small town in Alaska called Benedict that can only be reached by ferry or plane. Beth Rivers is a very successful mystery writer, who was abducted by a fanatical stalker and suffered a traumatic brain injury during her escape. Beth's memories of the ordeal and her kidnapper are coming back in flashbacks, but she flees to Benedict without telling anyone in order to feel safe. When there is a murder in the small town, she wonders if her stalker has found her and if the death is related.
The author does a great job describing the town, its surrounding wilderness and the sometimes harsh weather conditions as well as providing a full set of characters in town who all seem to be running away from something. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and although the ending was not a cliff hanger per se, it did leave a lot left in Beth's story to be continued in future books.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of THIN ICE by Paige Shelton. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for the chance to read and provide an honest review.

In THIN ICE, Beth Rivers has come to Alaska to keep herself safe, having just been through a traumatic event that she doesn’t entirely remember. She only knows that she was taken by a man named Levi Brooks and held in a van for three days before she manages to escape. She is physically scarred from necessary brain surgery and emotionally scarred as well. Not knowing what exactly happened or what the man even looked like, Beth has made a plan to hide her identity and go somewhere isolated and remote.

Beth’s new home is both exactly what she wanted and at the same time not what she expected. The town is sparsely populated even moreso than she expected and she didn’t realize that her new housing accommodations aren’t exactly the hotel she expected, but she’s eager to make a place for herself in this small community. Unfortunately things aren’t as peaceful as she expected and just as she’s arriving there has been a death that is either a suicide or a murder.

I picked this book up over a weekend, really wanting a fun mystery that would keep my attention and this wound up being the perfect pick! There are two mysteries at play, the one in which Beth is still trying to piece back together the trauma she went through. Beth gets sporadic updates on the investigation happening back home and her own traumatized brain also begins to piece together more of the pieces through flashbacks, not all of which make a lot of sense initially.

The second mystery is one that Beth is able to watch with a bit more objectivity. Beth has had some experience working with law enforcement and has some expertise that can be of assistance to the local police chief. Along with the cast of characters, often quirky and a bit mysterious themselves, Beth is able to find a place for herself.

The author did an excellent job of building both mysteries and keeping me equally interested in both. This was my first read from Paige Shelton, but I will definitely look to read more. THIN ICE is book one in a new series. The story winds up one mystery while leaving some open questions as to the second so I will definitely be looking out to the next in the Alaska Wild Mysteries series to see where the story goes next!

I really enjoyed this read and it is going to be a perfect mystery for a cold December evening! Keep an eye out for this one when it publishes on December 3, 2019!

Links to blog and instagram reviews will be added upon posting!

4 / 5 stars

I’m a simple woman: I see a book that takes place in Alaska, I add it to my to-read stack.

I initially requested this from NetGalley because the cover was GORGEOUS and it’s a mystery set in Alaska, one of my favorite settings. I looked at other works by the author, Paige Shelton, and saw she had also written several cozy mysteries. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a cozy mystery or a thriller, but I can say it felt like a cozy turned up a notch and with added suspense.

Beth Rivers is a famous author, with millions of thrillers sold under her pen name, Elizabeth Fairchild. After she is kidnapped and held captive for 3 days by a crazy and obsessed fan, Beth finds a place to hide in Benedict, Alaska. The small, remote town seems perfect for a place to hide from her at large kidnapper, but when a local death is suspected to be a murder, Beth can’t help but wonder if the events are related.

This book was a joy to read, and I found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. It’s a well-written mystery with an air of suspense, and the ending left me both satisfied and jonesing for the next book. Seriously, what a cliffhanger! I can’t wait to go back to Benedict.

I loved the characters, especially Beth and Viola. Beth is a great protagonist: she’s smart, emotionally strong, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. She was not without her flaws (sometimes I wanted to shake her and be like “do NOT do that, you fool!), and was a realistic, down to earth character. Viola was also a strong, intelligent character, and I am a sucker for confident and aggressive women.

The plot and two mysteries - who Beth’s kidnapper actually was, and if the Benedict death was actually a murder - were told in tandem well. I love a good mystery where the reader is fed little bread crumbs to keep them guessing, and Shelton does a great job of giving us just enough to keep us wondering while also keeping the plot moving. One mystery was solved, but the other will have to be continued in the next book, and I personally can’t wait!

My only complaint was that there were a lot of side characters that didn’t really play a role. Several characters were fleshed out and had depth, but there were also a lot of Benedict residents who were mentioned a few times in passing. A few times someone would be mentioned once, then they wouldn’t come back up until much later in the book, leaving me wondering if I had missed something. I think in this case less is more, but it wasn’t a big enough problem to really detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

“Thin Ice” is a well-written mystery with a likable main character, a charming setting, and two good mysteries for the price of one. I think this would be an excellent cozy winter read by the fire. :) My huge thanks to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for my review copy!

Thin Ice opens with Beth Rivers flying into Benedict, Alaska (pop. 500) with a backpack and typewriter where she has rented a room in Benedict House. Recovering from a head injury and psychological trauma, Beth just wants to feel safe after being stalked and kidnapped in Missouri.

Landing in Benedict she is surprised to learn that the Benedict House is really a halfway house for non-violent offenders that accepts regular guests when rooms are available. When Beth meets Police Chief Sam Grilson, she finds the detective investigating her case in St. Louis has reached out to inform him of her situation.
While Beth escaped from her kidnapper, he is still free, unidentified and believes his object of affection to be Elizabeth Fairchild, bestselling author and a Beth’s pen name.

So now Beth is in Alaska. Chief Grilson enlists her to take over the Benedict Petition, the local newspaper, in an effort to keep her occupied. On the day Beth arrived, a local woman was found dead and authorities don’t know whether it’s murder or suicide. Beth offers to help with the investigation, citing her experience helping her sheriff grandfather with cases back in Missouri.

Paige Shelton skillfully integrates the slowly returning memories of Beth’s ordeal with her sleuthing efforts in Benedict. The result is a convincing account of how Beth works to get on with her life. The author paints a realistic scenario with effective characters, interesting twists and a healthy pace.

Thin Ice by Paige Shelton is a totally new direction for Ms. Shelton. I have enjoyed several of her cozy mystery series so I was intrigued to read this suspense story. I am so glad that I did because I was pulled into the story from the first page.

Ms. Shelton's descriptive writing made me feel like I was with Beth Rivers throughout the story. Benedict, AK became so real to me as I read that I felt like I could find it on a map of Alaska. Beth's character is well developed in this book and several of the secondary characters are developing into "real" people for me. I love that many of the town's residents have their own secret reasons for moving to Benedict. In spite of the reason why Beth chose Benedict to hide in, she is becoming an integral part of the town. A quickly paced plot with suspense made this a book that I didn't want to put down. Although Beth's main reason for being in Alaska is not resolved, the secondary mystery is complete by the end of the book. I am definitely going to be watching for the next one in this series.

This was an engrossing mystery set in a fictional town in Alaska. I absolutely loved the setting with all its quirkiness and small-town drama and characters. Beth is a writer who is hiding from a traumatic kidnapping that left her with a brain injury and only fragments of memory about her abductor. So when she flees to the wilderness, she hopes to recuperate but is quickly drawn into a murder mystery that she feels compelled to look into with the chief of police. Although the book ends in a cliffhanger, it only makes you want to urge Shelton to finish the next in the series!

Thin Ice by Paige Shelton is a strong start to a new series, Alaska Wild Mysteries and has every element I look for in a good mystery book.

Beth Rivers is well-known author, Elizabeth Fairchild, who is now running for her life after a deranged fan kidnapped her and was never found. Levi Brooks held Beth captive for three days until she manages to fling herself from her captors moving van, causing a serious head injury. Levi is still at large and Beth decides to leave the hospital for the wilds of Alaska, in hopes that he won’t be able to find her there. Arriving by tiny plane in Benedict, Alaska, Beth starts to have flashbacks and memories of her capture; the trauma and details that she couldn’t quite recall before her abduction are now starting to come back to her. She’s barely holding on by a string and she’s all alone in a strange and remote town, with nothing but a few changes of clothes and her beloved antique Olympia typewriter. Beth soon finds out that the Benedict House, the grand-ish hotel she thought she was staying at is, in fact, a half-way house for non-violent, yet felonious women. When a murder occurs just before her arrival, Beth loses her short-lived sense of safety, wondering if her troubles may have followed her to Benedict.

I loved reading about the Alaskan setting of Thin Ice; from the town moose, Gladys, to the absolute remoteness and harshness of the area. The main characters had so much depth and personality; I look forward to seeing them again in her next book. Beth is a wonderful protagonist; she is smart, witty, and courageous, even though she doesn’t think so.

The plot moves quickly, had some great twists but it does leave a bit of a cliff-hanger. I’m actually ok with this because this is a series I’m going to read until the end and I feel like the cliff-hanger is one of necessity. Until the next book in the series!

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review this title.

Thin Ice by Paige Shelton is a well-written suspense novel. The story is set in Alaska and centers around Beth Rivers, a successful thriller writer. She was kidnapped by a fanatic fan, escaped from him, but sustained a brain injury and she cannot remember what he looks like. While the police are still looking for him, she decides to recover and hide in Alaska until he is captured. While there she gets involved in an investigation of the death of one of the small town’s inhabitants.

This is a suspenseful and riveting story that hooked me with the first paragraph and kept me interested throughout. From the small town residents to the descriptions of Alaska to the various mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Beth’s character was well-developed for a first novel in a series as well as those of several of the town’s residents. Secrets are numerous and add to the enjoyment of the book.

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 other items were resolved. This is the first book in the Alaska Wild series and I look forward to reading the next one.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Paige Shelton for a 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.

A very solid thriller about a writer who, having been abducted by an unknown person and escaped, flees to Alaska to recover. There she assists the local police in solving a mystery and begins to remember more of what happened to her when she was abducted. The author points strongly to the perp, but ends the novel without confirming it, as the protagonist is launched into another police investigation that undoubtedly leads to the next novel in this series. The characters are interesting and well-written, and the descriptions of Alaska add nice details.

A thriller writer escaping to the wilds of Alaska to recover from a horrific event...Why yes that sounds exactly like a book I would like to read. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me step in to Beth Rivers/ Elizabeth Fairchild world and experience this first adventure of the series.
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Thin Ice is told from the viewpoint of Beth. As the book opens up we are introduced to the town of Benjamin, Alaska and its current resident, while slowly learning about what has driven her to this remote part of the country. The beauty, for me, of this book was not only the mystery that Beth is trying to hide away from but also the one she stumbles into.
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Speaking of Beth, I really came to like her and am already looking forward to what she will venture into next. I also found the people of a Benjamin an interesting group and hope they continue to be featured in future books (particularly Gril and Viola). But the very best part of this book was the setting. Alaska absolutely fascinates me and I loved reading about life their, even when it is supposed to be the "warm" season!
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Interesting mysteries, well developed characters, and a beautiful setting made this a great start to the first book of a new series!