Wow! This book had me from the moment it got creepy. Not all thrillers are also creepy so this one was a terrific read.

The author works in the conservation field and that is the background in this story. I guess, write what you know really is true because this book was interesting, informative and very much the thriller.

The author has created a very likeable female protagonist in Alex Carter who is dedicated to saving as much of nature as possible. She is willing to go above and beyond to save endangered species and that is how she ends up in Montana at a deserted ski lodge which is now a conservancy for the local wild life but she is there specifically to study wolverines, actually to discover if there are any wolverines left in that area.

This was one of those books that I devoured in whole chunks. Three reading sessions simply because I had trouble putting it down. I kept thinking ‘one more chapter’ and then I go to sleep or start dinner or eat lunch! LOL True! It is that sort of book so be prepared to have the time to put aside to read it because you’re not going to want to read only a chapter or two at a time. It strikes me that this is likely the first book in a series, well, I hope so.

Thank you to Scene Of The Crime, NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers and the author Alice Henderson.

Wow! This book is an amazing combination of mystery, survival, and wildlife conservation. The author has created a wonderful main character, Dr. Alex Carter. She has a love of being in nature, and a desire to protect endangered species. She receives a job offer to study wolverines at a protected nature preserve, located near a small town. She soon realizes that all of the townspeople are not in favor of her work, or the preserve, and finds herself fighting not only for the wolverines, but for her life. The book combines the beauty of the natural world, excellent information on wolverines, a deepening mystery, with many twists and turns, and a main character who has heart, courage, and resourcefulness. I would love to see Dr. Alex Carter in another book! This is definitely a book that you can't put down! I loved it. I did receive a complimentary copy through Netgalley and Harper Collins and I am very glad I did.

This is my first book by this author and I loved it. I can't wait for the next book to come out. This is a well written story that has characters that bring the story to life. It is a fast paced story that I had a hard time putting down until the end. I loved being pulled in to the story right from the beginning and kept engaged to the end. The characters bring life to the story with each twist and turn that is created. Alex is my favorite character as she is strong and determined. A few times I found myself a little mad at some of her choices but she is a great character. I highly recommend this book. You don't want to miss out on this one for sure.

Dr. Alex Carter is a wildlife biologist and she is no dummy. I was glad to see that the character was written with a brain. I don’t like when women are written to be helpless. Alex is not helpless! This was very informative about wolverines and life in Montana. It was a thriller with smarts. Hard to put down at the end. It looks like there will be another book by Alice Henderson and I will read it.
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGallery for an early copy of this ebook.

Holy cannoli what a wild ride this book was!!! And that ending! A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson was a crazy read that I could not put down. Alex Carter is a wildlife biologist who just took a job in a remote part of Montana studying wolverines. While she is excited to begin her field research, the town's citizens are less than thrilled with her arrival. As she begins to feel as though she is being watched, she must quickly figure out what is going on if she is to make it through the winter. I read this book as part of @readwithangie 's #thrilleroctoberv2 readathon and oh boy do I recommend it! I am definitely going to have the worst bookhangover and can't wait to see what else this author comes up with next! Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollins for the advance copy! A Solitude of Wolverines comes out Oct. 27!!!

This book kept my attention throughout. It moved quickly and the tension kept building. A superb mystery with twists and turns. I received a free copy from the publisher and NetGalley.

This book intrigued me because it was described as a survivalist story and a mystery. The author is a wildlife sanctuary monitor, so she documents wildlife to ensure their safety. Our main character, Dr. Alex Carter does the same. The descriptions of nature and the work that Alex does are very accurate and detailed, due to the author's expertise in this area. Alex has taken a job in the Montana wilderness on a wildlife sanctuary to monitor wolverines in the area. She is staying at an abandoned ski resort many miles from the nearest town. She has taken this job after a terrifying experience back in Boston, where she had lived and worked. Alex soon discovers that she isn't as welcomed as she thought, as strange things start to happen that would have scared away a less determined woman. Alex pushes through, committed to her belief that she can make a difference and be a voice for animals that don't have a voice. As the story progresses, Alex faces obstacles and mysteries that lead to a conclusion, albeit one that I felt needed further explanation.

I enjoyed the plot of this story and the descriptions of the Montana wilderness. There was a subplot that seemed unnecessary to the story, as the main idea will surely lead to other books in this series. I can imagine Alex in other locations, meeting challenges and doing the work of saving animals. I enjoyed this first book and would definitely read more by this author.

A Solitude of Wolverines was not at all what I was expecting in the best of ways! It’s an engaging page-turner, catch you by surprise thriller!

Great beginning to a new series - can't wait for the next one!

Very interesting story about wildlife conservation with a page turning mystery. Good characters, great plot development - kept me guessing till the end!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

I really liked this! It's definitely the start of a series I want to follow. I do think that there were some disjoint elements to this particular plot, but it seems like these are intended to build up to future books. This was fast paced overall, and I was just so drawn in to the story. Even the slower moments like when she's just checking traps and settling in were still so interesting with lots of great details. The action scenes are so intense, especially the ending! There were certainly some crazier elements to the story that I didn't predict at all.

I really liked Alex. She takes this job after realizing her relationship isn't really going anywhere and being shot at during an event. It's great to see her realize where her passion is and how she needs to be true to herself. She's very intelligent and resourceful!

I guess the only minor complaint that some readers may have is that the narrative about conservation may be a bit too much at times. This was not particularly bothersome to me as I agree that there's a need for conservation.

There are some content warnings for animal cruelty and gun violence/shootings.

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 23:38-25:57 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIAVTt2RnQc&t=1420s

A SOLITUDE OF WOLVERINES by Alice Henderson is the first book in the Alex Carter mystery series. After the opening scenes in Boston, Massachusetts, the rest of the book takes place in Montana. Dr. Alex Carter is a wildlife biologist who had moved from California to Boston to be with her corporate lawyer boyfriend. However, they are now taking a break in their relationship. When she gets the opportunity to study wolverines on a wildlife sanctuary in Montana, she immediately packs and takes the job. However, the locals aren’t welcoming and incidents start occurring. Will Alex survive? Will she continue to study whether wolverines are even back in the sanctuary? Will she reconcile with her boyfriend? What is really happening on the sanctuary?

Alex is a likeable character that is three-dimensional and had depth. She is supported by an array of secondary characters that enhanced the story, but were not fully developed. However, the relationships seemed believable and not contrived. The writing was so descriptive that I felt like I was with Alex as she carried out her research. The plot had some twists and turns and several surprises. It was engrossing, heartfelt, well-researched, and action-packed. I’ve seen comparisons to Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series and I can see the similarities. Note: There are some descriptions of animal abuse and more that may disturb some readers.

Overall, this was both a mystery and a survival novel. Not only was this a fascinating mystery that kept me fully engaged, but I learned a lot about wolverines and other wildlife that Alex encountered. The story was compelling, shocking at times, intense, and a great start to a new series. While the ending was over-the-top, it was gripping and dramatic. If you enjoy action-packed mysteries set in rural areas with lots of wildlife during late fall then this may be the next novel to read. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

HarperCollins Publishers and Alice Henderson provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Alex is a wildlife biologist who has followed her boyfriend to Boston where he's pursues a career in corporate law. She's almost killed in the city; since Brad has moved out and doesn't return her calls, when she's offered a job tracking wolverines in Montana for a land trust, she jumps at the chance. But the locals don't want her there. They don't like the idea of the land trust preserving the ecosystem, preferring to use the land themselves for hunting and grazing. There are a lot of nasty characters in this book, and the animal abuse descriptions are sickening. It's very heavy on wolverine facts, almost like reading a bit from a textbook. And the book had a cliff-hanger ending, which always bothers me. I liked the idea, but hope her next book won't be so didactic--or so disturbing. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

The beginning of a new series featuring animal and land conservation. Interesting facts tied in referencing wildlife and protected lands. A chapter that doesn't really fit until the cliffhanger at the end. Well drawn good guys and bad guys with a few twists and plenty of tension. I will be reading the next entry in the series.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

“The wetlands dedication ceremony was a resounding success until the gunman showed up.” With an opening sentence like that I was sure this was going to be a really enjoyable read, and I was right. A Solitude of Wolverines has everything a reader like me would hope for in a thriller. First, wildlife biologist Alex Carter is a believable, appealing character, whose ups and downs I can follow with interest and sympathy. Then, there is a wonderful natural setting, beautifully described, and fascinating lore about wolverines and other wildlife. Finally, the plot is truly gripping and suspenseful. I am not ordinarily a big fan of action scenes, and the book has plenty of them; I enjoyed them all! In addition, there are some clever surprises along the way.
After reading Alice Henderson’s vivid descriptions of the wolverines, many readers are going to want to know more, and she has kindly provided a short list of books and videos, as well as wolverine volunteer opportunities for those who are super enthralled. I have read one of her references, Douglas Chadwick’s The Wolverine Way, and I highly recommend it.
Where did the title come from? To tell you THAT would be a spoiler, so I will let you find out for yourself.
I am very demanding in my denouements, and this is the only area where I might have a small quibble. I found it somewhat difficult to believe the bad guys could pull off what they were doing, and I think it needed a bit more explanation to be fully credible.
Nonetheless, although I think a comparison with the Nevada Barr series is an apt one, I think this was perhaps better than the best of the Barr books. I look forward to reading more in the series.

This was a fun, fast read. Was it full of completely improbable events? Was it a quiet, nice young wildlife biologist who by the end of the book basically turned into a female James Bond/MacGyver?? All yes. Did that ruin the book for me? No.
If you want an action novel set in the wilderness, with a female main character, dastardly locals, and a random mystery serial killer/sniper thrown in, look no further. I read it in one night. Highly entertaining, but make sure your disbelief button is turned off. Otherwise you might get annoyed.
Alex is hired (in 30 seconds) to go to Montana and do a study on wolverines in the Rockies. She just happens to have to stay in a rundown, abandoned old wilderness lodge that was popular in the 30s and 40s. It just happens to have been the site of not one, but two murder sprees over the decades (as the locals gleefully tell her as soon as she arrives).
Alex hikes around, building camera traps to take pictures of wolverines, and just happens to get stalked by creepy beings who just happen to always stay out of her headlamp range. She is put into increasingly outlandish situations, but luckily she just happened to have a mom who made her play "survival games" when she was 11 and learn to escape with only the items around her and her wits!!
It's also good that she just happened to learn how to fix cars when she was young(er), as she thinks aloud on the page when her cool 1940s truck is sabotaged by someone in town!
The one that really got me - and had my partner almost spit out his drink when I told him, because I'd been telling him all night about the convenient things in Alex's past that kept popping up whenever she was in danger - was when she found some old TNT and it was so good that she just HAPPENED to work at a ski resort in Tahoe in college and hang around the avalanche control crew so she knew a bit about their ways and TNT!!!
This is the beginning of a series, which I will probably read, like I read Jack Reacher novels. Not for any believability, but because they are entertaining and a nice escape.

3.5 stars, rounded up
All it took was a comparison to Nevada Barr to get me interested in this book. There’s something perfect about combining nature and mystery.
Dr. Alex Carter is a wildlife biologist, who accepts a job tracking wolverines on a nature preserve in Montana. The locals don’t want her there and within days she’s had threatening notes and been forced off the road. And the sheriff keeps dismissing her concerns.
The book includes plenty of nature descriptions, making the comparison to Barr apt. I enjoyed learning about not only wolverines but the other wildlife Alex is lucky enough to witness.
The mystery part moves at a fast pace and there’s a constant level of suspense. Henderson has created a realistic, interesting main character with Alex. I would never want to live alone in the wilderness, but she made me understand the appeal.
The plot took a twist I didn’t see coming. It’s unbelievable at the end, but a fun read.
My thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book.

Fans of Nevada Barr and C.J. Box will be thrilled as I was with this start to a new series. And it pulls you in with the very first sentence (which I unfortunately am not permitted to quote as my copy is an ARC). Unlike Box and Barr, the main character is not law enforcement, but a biologist working toward the reintroduction of endangered species to their natural habitat. In this story, a wildlife preserve has hired Alex Carter to do a complete study on wolverines within their preserve over the winter, with her base at an old ski lodge high in the Montana mountains. Not only do the locals not give her a warm welcome, odd incidents begin happening almost immediately. And yes, her friends did warn her in advance not to read The Shining.
The story starts out with a bang, and then reforms and rebuilds steadily to another climax. I found it fascinating throughout. Alex is an interesting, engaging character, and all the secondary characters had plenty of depth so you were never quite sure who to trust. The animal and woods lore is a big draw for me, so really held my interest, and I think was handled beautifully. The bad guys were thoroughly despicable, and should have been fed to a pack of hyenas. Well, maybe not in real life, but in a book, definitely.

SPOILER ALERT -
The shooter in the background... he could become a problem for the narrative if he continues to show up at just the "right" time.

I really lies this new series. Alex is a wildlife biologist, stifled in the city. After escaping a harrowing shooting incident she leaves for Montana to study and track wolverines. Funny odd things begin to happen. The action was good and I loved how adept, capable, and verstile Alex was against her enemies. I did find her a little dense a times and slow to recognize clearly human activities instead of animals. Like when she knows something is following her in the woods, she thinks it's deer. No way, so that was implausible. And she needed to have a firearm after the first creepy thing happened. I look forward to reading the next installment to see who is "helping" her.

A thank you to NetGalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In keeping with the spirit of an honest review, I have to admit I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would and it proved itself to be far more than I thought it would be. I requested it less for me and for more my library's patrons Anna Pigeon fan base (which is fine, but not quite as dark as I prefer.) I stand corrected, it's definitely dark and Alex is a fearless and badass heroine - far more than I would be in her situation. I also absolutely adored her passion for animals and unwillingness to sacrifice her dreams for 'love.' Incredibly pleased with this and hope it spawns into a series. Already ordered a copy for the library and would happily order subsequent books.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this free ARC.
If you are a fan of Nevada Barr, then you'll love this book. You can totally tell Alice Henderson works in the same field as the heroine of the story and loves it. It did feel like it was repeating itself in a few places, but otherwise a great thriller.