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

COLD WIND is the second book in Paige Shelton’s Alaska Wilds Mysteries series and it picks up shortly after the first book, THIN ICE ends. Beth Rivers is settling into her new life in Benedict, Alaska having left her old life behind in the wake of having been kidnapped, injured and traumatized. She has taken on the task of reporting the news to the small local community.

When a mudslide hits near the town, the landscape is changed and new mysteries are brought to light. Two young girls appear at Beth’s door out of the wilderness and more secrets are uncovered in the woods, including a dead and frozen body. Beth’s history of helping out the police and her own investigative instincts lead her to investigate.

I really enjoyed THIN ICE last year, so was excited to get a copy of the newest series installment. Just as with the first book, I found this one easy to settle into and perfectly paired with hot cocoa on a cool night. While the author does a good job of reintroducing the characters and the setting, I would suggest starting with book one even though it isn’t necessary. The characters are an interesting mix, down to earth and quirky with plenty of potential suspects at hand.

As with the first book there are multiple mysteries going on. The new stories introduced in this novel are wrapped up to a good conclusion and progress is made on the series’ overarching mystery of why Beth was kidnapped, though answers are clearly still to come in future books.

I really enjoyed this read and it is going to be a perfect mystery for a cozy December evening! Keep an eye out for this one when it publishes on December 8, 2020!

suspense, thriller, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, trauma, Alaska, journalist, PTSD, writers

Beth, an author, is still hiding out in a remote area of Alaska from the man who kidnapped/traumatized/brain injured/stress disordered in her hometown of St Louis. A fiction writer and journalist, she has assumed the local paper and uses its building as a writer's retreat and even uses a typewriter to work on a novel to keep off the grid while staying in a former hotel, now a sort of minimal security women's rehab and only using burner phones. She has confided in the local law and an interesting man who has more than enough secrets of his own. Enter two nonverbal young girls who are frightened and may know something about a body found earlier that day after a major mudslide. Add in some very interesting people who have left the mainstream to enjoy their semi solitude in the wilderness. And another body or two. Absolutely riveting! I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

Bestselling author Elizabeth Fairchild, using the name of Beth Rivers, has moved from St. Louis to the remote town of Benedict, Alaska to escape a dangerous stalker. The man was able to abduct her and thankfully she was able to get away, but is afraid if he finds her, she won’t be so lucky the second time. Slowly her memories about her time in captivity and her captor are coming back and she hopes this helps her to keep safe and help the authorities find the man who is also on the run. As she gets used to a completely different environment from what she is used to, she helps the local police chief solve an usual case of murder and missing persons.

This is the second book in the Alaska Wild series. These books have more depth in both plot and characters than her lighter, cozy series. I read the first book, but think new readers could jump in and enjoy it. I don’t consider it a standalone though, since the parts about Beth’s missing father as well as her stalker are left unresolved at the end. I enjoyed the case on which this book is centered around which comes to Beth’s attention when two young girls show up on her doorstep under mysterious circumstances. Beth takes some risks in helping the police chief gather clues that could be tied to a cold case and when everything is revealed, the explanation is a little confusing but ultimately ties all the loose ends together.

The strong point of this book and the series is the unique setting and how Beth adjusts to it, and the interesting people she meets. I am eager to find out how things turn out for Beth, especially now that some of her past memories are returning and there is even a hint of romance for her by the end of this book. I look forward to the next book in this intriguing series.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Let me start by saying that I love Paige Shelton's Scottish Bookshop series, so when I saw she had started another series set in Alaska, and NetGalley was offering the second one in the series, I decided to give it a try. I did go back and read the first one and was hooked. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read #2 for a review. I enjoyed it very much and can't wait for the next books to see how the author continues to describe the characters and the wilds of Alaska.

Beth Rivers is still in Alaska. The unidentified man who kidnapped her in her home of St. Louis hasn’t been found yet, so she’s not ready to go back. But as October comes to a close, Benedict is feeling more and more like her new home. Beth has been working on herself: She’s managed to get back to writing, and she’s enjoying these beautiful months between summer and winter in Alaska. Then, everything in Benedict changes after a mudslide exposes a a frozen body that has been hidden for years, and no one seems to know who she is. Two mud-covered, silent girls appear, and a secret trapper’s house is found in the woods. Unable to escape her journalistic roots, Beth is determined to answer the question if the dead woman and the girls are related. Can she solve this mystery before the cold wind sweeping over the town and the townspeople descends for good?

This is the second in the Alaska Wild Mysteries, which I didn't realize until after I had already started the book, so while I always like to read a series in order, you could read this without reading the first one. It's a pretty standard mystery with a main character who isn't a detective but experienced trauma and starts investigating things anyway. What stood out for me was less the characters or mystery and more the setting of Alaska - it was a very well developed backdrop, and I noticed it a lot more than I typically notice backgrounds in stories.

Overall, this was fine and I'd pick it up if you read the first one!

This is the second book with these characters set in Alaska. It's a cozy mystery series starring a woman named Beth who moves to Benedict, Alaska to escape a kidnapper. I really enjoyed both the first book and this one. The sense of Alaska permeates the book and acts as another character.
Beth is making her life in Alaska slowly but surely and discovers that the small town is starting to grow on her. She works at the town's tiny lending library and is shocked to discover that two little girls have been living on their own in the woods. She investigates with the town's sheriff, and the solution is complicated.
I loved reading about life in Alaska during the winter and the steps people have to take to survive the elements and the animals. I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are unsolicited.

Thriller which delivers on both atmosphere and story, so all in all am incredibly satisfying read. Curl up with a cup of tea and immerse yourself in late Autumn in Alaska!

"Cold Wind" is the second book in the Alaska Wild Mysteries series by Paige Shelton, and it was a great follow-up to the series debut! Main character Beth, an author, is still hiding out in a remote area of Alaska after having been kidnapped in her hometown of St Louis. She is settling into life in the Alaska wild, taking over writing and printing the town's newspaper working on writing a new book, and continuing to live in the town's half-way house for women convicts on release. While at work one day in her newspaper office, Beth comes upon 2 girls who are mute. Beth and the police begin investigating who the girls belong to, while they are being cared for by some of the town's residents. While trying to find how the girls got there, they soon come across a hidden cabin of a trapper in the woods, on land owned by the state, and subsequently, the frozen body of a dead woman in the the trapper's shed. Also of interest is the owner of the town's general store, Randy, after the girls draw a picture of a home very similar to his. As the mystery of the girls and the dead woman's body grow, Beth, and police Grif & Donner work to solve them while some of the residents' past secrets begin to emerge during the investigation. At the same time, Beth is keeping tabs on the investigation back home in the search for her abductor.

"Cold Wind" was a quick & exciting read, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more in this series. We continue to see the character of Beth continue to grow, especially dealing with recent trauma of her abduction, as well as the father leaving when she was young.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "Cold Wind" is set to be released on 12/1/20.

Mud reveales much. A frozen corpse. Two mute children. And a lot of unanswered questions. Beth is still coping with her recovery in Benedict, Alaska when another mystery is dumped in her lap. Together with her new found friends the answers will be derived, but the road is full of mud and snow. I like reading mystery series set in Alaska. Many people escape to Alaska and I like to escape into the stories. I really liked Tex and the synergy between he and Beth. The confession at the end was a little stretched, in my opinion. This series reminds me of Hanover House series. I'm eager to read the next book.

I'm really enjoying this series, more than a cozy, but not so dark you can't enjoy it. I think I was a step or two ahead of the characters the entire book, but Beth isn't a trained investigator so it's more realistic that she has to work her way through things more.

The writing and story lines are starting to get me invested in the characters. I want to learn the full story on the stalker and see what happens with the girls and Ellen.

There are a couple of weak spots like Beth's financial situation. As a successful writer I can see her having access to money, the fact that she doesn't appear to have needed to tap into it seems off. Gril is not the most active and dynamic cop, but then, if he was, there'd be nothing for Beth to do. Standard mystery situation.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Although the first book in series was a great read, this one is even better as the characters are now feeling like friends. It's my belief that this series need to be read in order.

This book had me engaged from the first few pages and I couldn't stop reading this one. I had to finish this one in one sitting. It's an easy to read book that kept me on the edge of my seat wondering if her St. Louis kidnapper would find her. It's suspenseful without being a 'thriller'.

I love the way Ms. Shelton writing style and the way describes Benedict and its residents.

I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

COLD WIND by Paige Shelton is a well-written mystery novel that combines traditional police detective work and amateur sleuthing. It is the second book in the Alaska Wild series. The story is set in Benedict, Alaska and centers around Beth Rivers, a successful thriller writer known as Elizabeth Fairchild. Beth is still hiding and recovering in Alaska while the Missouri police look for her stalker turned kidnapper. When two muddy eight- or nine- year-old girls show up at her office and then a body is found, it is only the beginning of the mysteries that unfold. Why are the girls by themselves? Who are their parents? Who is the dead person? Will Beth’s kidnapper finally be arrested? Will she stay in Alaska? Will Beth learn to fully trust more people in the Benedict community? These are only a few of the questions that must be answered.

Beth’s character was well-developed. She continues to be a flawed protagonist that also has shown some growth through making friends and learning to deal with her post traumatic stress disorder, but she still keeps secrets and finds it hard to trust people. Several of the secondary characters gained depth in book two of this series as some secrets are revealed while others continue to add to the enjoyment of the book. There are a large number of characters in this story, but several of them were introduced in book one so it felt like I was catching up with old friends.

The author does a great job of portraying the hardships and lack of amenities as well as the friendships, pace of life, the wonders, and the dangers of living in and around small town Alaska. I could easily visualize the town, the people, the road conditions, the cold, the isolation and much more.

This is a riveting story that hooked me with the first chapter and kept me interested throughout. It’s suspenseful and there are twists and turns and surprises along the way in an intricate plot that kept me guessing. From the small town residents to the descriptions of Alaska to the various mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Several themes run through the tale including murder, drug addiction, disappearances, PTSD and much more.

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 others were resolved. If you enjoy well-written mysteries, then I recommend you check out this series. The books are best read in order, but there is enough background that COLD WIND could be read as a standalone. I’m looking forward to book three.

St. Martin’s Press - Minotaur Books and Paige Shelton provided a complimentary 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. Publication date is set for December 1, 2020. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I was anticipating this title since reading the first book in this series. I was not disappointed. Cold Wind was so engaging, I wanted to stay up all night reading it. The plot had many twists and kept me guessing as to what was going on throughout the book. Paige Shelton has easily become one of my favorite authors to read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this digital ARC. All opinions are my own. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

Beth Rivers is in Benedict, Alaska, and the authorities in Missouri haven't found the man who kidnapped her. Now a mudslide has revealed the dead body of a woman who was strangled, two mute girls show up at Beth's workplace, and Beth is still having flashbacks. This is a character driven novel. We get to know more about the people who live in Benedict as well as some of their history. A good mystery with a little action and suspense. I really like the series, not only for the Alaskan setting, but also for the good solid mystery, and maybe some romance in the future?
#ColdWind #NetGalley

Beth is living in a remote town in Alaska hiding from the man who abducted her. A mudslide and two lost girls reveal a mystery that leads to more questions.

This book series is a surprising find. Beth is slowly gaining her memories of what happened to her. Slowly, she's gaining more confidence in the world around her. She's also stopped being as cautious during her investigations, which was disappointing as I loved that about her last book.

Still, this is an intriguing world that goes deeper as we explore more of the surrounding forest and next door town.

The plot has a decent amount of twists and revelations that leads to more questions and twists.

This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Cold Wind is the second in a series but I had no trouble reading it as a standalone. Beth Rivers is still hiding out in Alaska after escaping her kidnapper who still has not been caught. Running the local newspaper and still writing mysteries, Beth's life is getting back to some kind of normal when a frozen body is discovered. If murder was not enough, two little girls are found wandering and refuse to talk. Trying to help the local law enforcement, Beth begins investigating on her own and is quickly drawn into danger as the past and present still go wonky in Beth's head. The case twists and turns to deliver a satisfying conclusion that makes this reader want to read more of Beth's stories that are full of interesting characters and suspense. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Plot: 4/5 Characters: 3.5/5 Writing: 3/5

I enjoyed this book — the first Paige Shelton book for me (although it looks like she has written a ton of mysteries across multiple series). I’m a sucker for interesting settings, and I love reading stories that take place in the more remote parts of Alaska. The writing was decent, the characters interesting enough for me to care, and I found the plot intricate and not terribly predictable. I was particularly happy that the book didn’t have a lot of filler which is something I find in a lot of genre fiction — especially when the authors are on their umpteenth episode and appear to have run out of fresh ideas. This was fun, I read it quickly, and I was able to read it at night (not an edge-of-your-seat thriller which is absolutely fine with me!)

This was number two in her Alaska series — I haven’t read number one and was able to figure everything out just fine (but may go back and read the first!)

I wish I could pin down what made Cold Wind such an enjoyable read. It was one of the few books I read all the way through on my Kindle. I prefer paper but just had to keep reading to see what was going to happen. The characters all had their own personalities which made one want to keep reading just to see what happened to them next. The coastal Alaskan small town setting was spot on.

Cold Wind by Paige Shelton was an absolutely absorbing suspenseful read. I couldn't put this book down until I finished it. Ms. Shelton's descriptive writing allowed me to feel as if I was experiencing the wild and remote Alaska setting of Benedict.

Beth's character is rapidly developing and I could easily empathize with her mixed feelings as more of her memories come back from her traumatic experience before her move to Alaska. A mystery woman's body is found in a remote storage shack which leads Grif, Donner and Beth on a quest to find answers for more than one mystery from the past.