Entertaining mystery in Alaska with a some twists. I enjoyed Lost Hours even though I have not read any of the previous books I was not lost. I think I would have been more invested in the individual characters. Paige Shelton had me feeling like I lived in Benedict, Alaska and the main characters were my neighbors. Always a win! The ending screams to get the next book. #LostHours #PaigeShelton #Minotaur #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

Paige Shelton brings atmosphere, mystery, and danger to Lost Hours , the fifth book in the Alaska Wild series set in fictional Benedict, Alaska. This well-written novel combines traditional police detective work and amateur sleuthing. Secrets, murder, and a horrific experience that continues to haunt and traumatize the main character make for a suspenseful and riveting read.

Beth Rivers, a successful thriller writer known as Elizabeth Fairchild, is still recovering in Alaska following her abduction a year ago. Until recently, only a few locals knew Beth’s story including police chief Gril Samuels and his deputy Donner. She now feels at home in Alaska, even as tourists return to the area for the summer. When she and Tex, Beth’s boyfriend and local search and rescue expert, decide to take a tour boat to view the glaciers, the boat is diverted to an island to rescue a woman covered in blood and waving for help. She claims she was kidnapped from her home in Juneau and that a bear killed her captor.

Beth’s character is well-developed. She continues to be a flawed protagonist who has shown some growth through making friends and learning to deal with her traumatic past, but she still finds it hard to trust people. However, readers will see a dynamic character change in attitude and outlook as she responds to events. She is curious, somewhat nosy, and has become an amateur sleuth. Several of the secondary characters gained depth in this book as secrets are revealed. This is especially true of Tex as well as Viola, the owner of the house where Beth rents a room. There are numerous characters in this story, but many of them were introduced in the earlier books so it felt like I was catching up with old friends.

The author’s writing style continues to hook me quickly, and the story builds momentum that leads to an action-filled conclusion. It’s suspenseful and there are twists and turns and surprises along the way in an intricate plot that kept me guessing. The atmosphere is tense and serious throughout the novel. From the quirky and eccentric residents to the descriptions of Alaska to the various mysteries, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The author does a great job of portraying the lack of amenities as well as the friendships, pace of life, the wonders, and the dangers of living in and around Benedict. I could easily visualize the setting and felt transported to Alaska. I also enjoy the way she works with the local police. My biggest quibble is that the ending was more telling than showing. While the mysteries in this story were nicely wrapped up, the set-up for the next book also occurs leaving this reader anxiously awaiting book six in the series. Several themes run through the tale including death, trust, found family as well as biological family, disappearances, secrets, lies, family dynamics, vengeance, and much more.

Overall, this enjoyable mystery was engaging, suspenseful, atmospheric, and full of adventure. Darker than many cozy mysteries, the well-developed ideas with good pacing from scene to scene kept me turning the pages. If you enjoy well-written amateur sleuth mysteries, then I recommend you check out this series. The books are best read in order. I’m looking forward to book six.

St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Paige Shelton provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for December 05, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Lost Hours by Paige Shelton is another chapter in the ongoing story of Beth Rivers, who has escaped her kidnapper by hiding in Alaska. At first, no one knew, but after he was captured and incarcerated her story became public. Her friends and neighbors in Benedict understood and supported her. Now she had relaxed into her life, despite the fact that her father had reappeared after all those years of being missing. He was running a small fishing boat business and living with Gril, the policeman living in Benedict and Beth’s first friend. As the story opens she and her man friend, Tex, were on a sightseeing boat to visit a glacier when instead they saw a bloody woman frantically waving from the shore. The boat picked her up and discovered none of the blood was hers. She had a fantastic story about being kidnapped and her kidnapper being attacked by a bear. Not too many days after that Beth accepted her father’s invitation to join him and some passengers on his boat. She was not overly fond of water but the teen girl appeared to be a fan and he promised he’d stop at the island where they’d found Sadie. Tex and Gril had been all over it; she wan’t sure what she wanted to find. Then, Gracie, her fan, disappeared while she and her dad were hiking the island. Everyone kicked into search mode.

Benedict was made up of people who wanted privacy. Beth lived in a big house with Viola which acted mostly as a halfway house for women leaving prison. It had previously been a hotel of sorts so each of the rooms had a locking door. That is where they took Sadie and her ever growing story. Viola wanted her to move out for a few days, but she was resistant. She wanted answers. It was in her nature. Beth is a thriller writer and full of endless curiosity. She was also a researcher. She couldn’t let it rest. Her friend, Orin, who worked at the library when he wasn’t undercover for a federal agency, was her best source. He could tap information that was not available to her. Fortunately, Gril saw him the same way. Gril was an excellent law enforcement agent. He was older than Beth, and gruff and taciturn, but caring and honest. He was one of her best friends. The characters in this book often drive the excellent mysteries they contain. This was a good one, all parts of it interesting and deep. It kept me on the edge of my seat; excellent plotting. Shelton knows just when to share information with the reader. Excellent read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Lost Hours by St. Martin’s Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #PaigeShelton #LostHours

Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy of Lost Hours in exchange for a review.

The book has a cool setting- small town Alaska, and a nice community with interesting characters. It is the fifth book in a series, I had not read the first four books. Did not miss out on anything, as adequate descriptions of history and status was given. I enjoyed the book, would rate it as a cozy mystery, when at first I thought I was reading a thriller. Because of some of the improbability of the "nosy neighbor" being given free reign to all crime scenes and information regarding a murder and missing person, some suspension of reality is needed. The end got quite far fetched which did affect my overall enjoyment of the book, but overall it was a cute easy read. At the beginning I was thinking I would definitely go back and read the first books, but towards the end as the resolutions got more and more out there, I am not sure I will rush to pick them up. If the mood strikes, I still may. I am curious about the backstories of some of the town residents.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC: And enjoyable mystery set in Alaska--it's part of a series and as I'd never read any of the other books, I found some of the many characters to be confusing. The sense of place in Benedict Alaska is well conveyed and the mystery moves quickly. The protagonist is a horror mystery writer who was abducted and has moved to Alaska to escape her past. There are many supporting characters. The story moved quickly and it was an enjoyable read. As a stand alone, it could benefit from some more character development, but overall it's a well written, well plotted mystery with interesting characters and a strong sense of place.

I liked that this was set in Alaska. The story dragged a little forme but all in all it was a decent mystery.

This is book #5 of the Alaska Wild series and it’s my very first book by this author. It read great as a stand-alone but now I want to read the first 4. Alaska - a place I dream to visit one day! This book just makes me want to go more! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published December 2023.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martins Press through netgalley.com. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Alaska, the remoteness, and the small town play a major part in these books.

I loved the interaction between Beth and her father, the struggle to forgive him being missing for most of her life. Trusting him is tough but you can feel Beth starting to thaw. I loved the idea of a remote island with spooky caves, not so thrilled about bears though which I think all of these characters would agree with.

With a woman who claims she was kidnapped and a missing teenager This small village has its hands full. With no cell phones and limited numbers of people everyone pitches in when needed. Beth used to help her Grandfather who was a police chief so crime is not new to her and the local sheriff often asks for her help.

Overall this is a fun installment of this series with a set up at the end for the next book.

I love the setting for this series. This book was a bit harder for me to follow, even though they did explain it all at the end of the book. Ended on a nice plot twist. I will definitely read the next book in the series.

This is the fifth book in this series set in Alaska, I haven't read the previous books but this book stands alone. It is a fast-paced story that had me guessing figuring out who were the guilty parties. I enjoyed the setting a plot, and plan to read the first four books.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Thriller author Beth Rivers fled to Benedict, Alaska, after being kidnapped. She has made a new life for herself and finally feels confident enough to go on a tourist ship to see the glaciers. What she doesn't expect to see is a blood-covered woman calling for help from one of the remote islands as the ship passes it.

Sadie claims to have been kidnapped and escaped her kidnapper when he was killed by a bear. She is also quick to tell Beth that she is in the Witness Protection Program but doesn't tell her why. However, there is no evidence on the island to support her story. At least there isn't until Beth's boyfriend Tex discovers a body in one of the island's inlets. Sadie claims amnesia about the events of her kidnapping leaving Beth and her friends including Gril who is the sheriff to puzzle out what happens on that island.

Meanwhile, Beth's father Eddy invites her along with a family who hired him to go on a fishing trip. The teenage daughter claims to be a big fan of Beth's writing. Beth agrees as long as Eddy makes a stop at the island where Sadie was found. Beth wants to take a look herself. But when she and Eddy return from their hike, the young daughter is missing. A thorough search of the 5-sware-mile island doesn't uncover her leaving her parents and the residents of Benedict puzzled.

Beth begins to wonder if those two occurrences are connected and wonders if the prison break-out of a young man soon to be tried for murder also fits into the puzzle. Beth also has stressors in her personal life too. The man who kidnapped her has hired a high-powered lawyer to defend him and she's already got one piece of evidence thrown out. Beth worries that he'll get away with his crime.

Beth and her friends in Benedict manage to untangle all the various pieces of the mysteries which are connected and Beth does finally get to see the glaciers. But a phone call from her police friend back home in Missouri leads to a cliffhanger ending to this story.

I was not able to finish the book and therefore do not feel that I can give an unbiased review about the book, its plot, characters, or the author's work. I might revisit this book at a later time and finish it then, but not right now.

Summary
In this fifth book in Paige Shelton’s Alaska Wild series, readers return to Benedict, Alaska, an isolated town on the edge of the Alaskan wilderness. Beth Rivers has made Benedict her home to recover from a violent kidnapping months earlier. She’s decided to take a boat tour to see glaciers, but before she and her “man-friend” Tex can reach their destination the tour is diverted by a woman in distress on the shore of one of the islands in the area. She’s covered in blood and it’s obvious she needs help. Once she’s brought aboard, Beth finds out Sadie Milbourn, the rescued woman, is a kidnap victim. Her story is similar to Beth’s and it’s through that similar experience the two women establish common ground. Sadie reveals to Beth that Sadie is in witness protection and has lived in Juneau for the last six years. As the investigation into Sadie’s case continues, more questions than answers arise. Another kidnapping takes place. Beth suspects the two cases are connected but can’t find the answers she needs.

Lost Hours-Likes
The characters. Benedict is a small, isolated town on the edge of the Alaskan wilderness. The only ways in or out are either plane or ferry. Internet is spotty at best and any emergency help is hours, if not days, away. Because of the isolation, the people in and around Benedict are self-sufficient, but also ready to help anyone needing it. Beth’s estranged father has also moved to Benedict, and she’s still trying to figure out what kind of relationship to have with him. The relationships are complicated, changing, and greatly influenced by the setting.
The setting. The Alaskan wilderness. It’s beautiful but potentially deadly. Alaska is one of my favorite places, ever. (At least in the summer. I haven’t experienced winter. Yet.)
The mystery. The twists and turns in Lost Hours kept me on my toes and the ending was one I didn’t see coming. Well-done.

Lost Hours-dislike
The plot line that has been running through the series took a predicable turn. As I read the book, my hope was that particular plot point wouldn’t come into play, but it did, and I was disappointed.

Recommendation
I’ve read all the books in the series, usually ordering them as soon the pre-orders are available. The mysteries keep me guessing, the Alaskan setting and characters draw me into the books, the covers are gorgeous, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
If you haven’t read any of the other books in the series (Thin Ice, Cold Wind, Dark Night, and Winter’s End) you can read this as a stand-alone, but I would recommend starting with Thin Ice and working your way through the series.
4/5 stars.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for a copy of #LostHours. All opinions are my own.

In Lost Hours, Beth is feeling very settled in Benedict, Alaska, where she originally came to hide out from the man who kidnapped her. She even feels comfortable enough to go on a glacier sight-seeing boat. When a bloody woman is seen waving frantically from a small island, the tour ends and Beth is drawn into a mystery involving the woman, a possible kidnapping, a missing teenager, and more.
The story keeps you engaged from the beginning and Beth’s personal story is woven skillfully into the mystery. The mystery is complex and entertaining. What will Beth do in the next story? I can’t wait to find out!

While I've previously read another series by this author, this series was new to me. I found it easy to dive into the fifth installment and get acquainted with the residents of Benedict, Alaska. I'd characterize this one as a cozy mystery with an edge, as the story does have some dark elements. Those aspects were not gory or explicit, but rather added an air of tension to the story.

In the latest installment in this series, Beth Rivers, a mystery author who has moved to Alaska to escape a dark period in her past, is pulled into a real life mystery while on a cruise to view the glaciers. A woman emerges on the shore line, covered in blood, claiming to have been kidnapped and that her kidnapper has been killed by a bear. However, an investigation on shore comes up empty with no body found and no evidence of a bear attack. Beth is enlisted to help the woman tell her story since she, too, endured a kidnapping in her past. The mysterious woman is reluctant to speak but eventually shares enough details for the town folks to know that troubles from the Lower 48 are threatening to disrupt the relative peace and isolation of Benedict.

I found the story to be well-paced and that I wanted to know more about the characters and their lives in Alaska. While I am sure I missed out by diving into book five, I felt like enough details from the past were effectively woven into this one, so I didn't feel lost or disconnected from the characters. I suspect that fans of the series will like getting more insight to Beth's past and her relationships with her family. I liked the setting quite a bit, having recently visited Alaska for the first time. I am glad that my trip was much less eventful, though!

Many thanks to Minotaur for the NetGalley copy and a chance to read the latest installment in the Alaska Wild series early!

This is a new to me author but I loved this book set in small town Alaska. Alaska as in any book set there is a main character and just like the state the characters in this book are quirky . I loved this cozy mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Thank you @minotaur_books for the #gifted copies of this book!

I am a sucker for books based in Alaska so when I saw this one I was excited to give it a try! This is the 5th book in this series and although I’ve not read any of the others it read completely fine as a standalone. I am sure there are details I have missed about the characters from previous books that may enhance the reader experience but overall it was just fine for me!

This book was the perfect tense adventure in small town Alaska. I would say this book falls along the lines of a cozy mystery with a little more thrill. I think I am always drawn to an Alaska book because having been there I know the scenery is unbelievable and the possible intense experiences that could unfold is always the main draw for me. Paige Shelton does a great job bringing in all of those things to keep the story interesting and setting the scene for a perfect Alaskan mystery. I think the secrets, lies, and the family dynamics is what ending up bringing this book together for me! If you enjoy cozy mysteries, small town family dreams and amateur sleuthing this series may be perfect for you! I will have to check out the other 4 books before this one!

I think if you’ve been reading this series for awhile, you’ll be happy with this next installment. It’s a very quick read, with little dull moments. The writing didn’t really make me want to go back and read the previous books, or keep an eye out for the next one. There were a lot of repeat phrases that I found distracting, but that’s probably a me thing. For instance, characters would say “I don’t disagree” on various occasions. Just kind of a weird thing to repeat that stuck out to me.

Overall if you’re a longtime reader of the series, definitely give this one your attention. But if it’s new to you, I wouldn’t strongly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

This is my first Shelton book. Having been to Alaska and loved it. I read any books that I can about Alaska. And this one did not disappoint! The author had a great plot and was very descriptive about what was happening and where they were. I felt like I was in Alaska too! Great read and I highly recommend for anyone looking for a good suspense book.

This is the fifth book in the Alaskan Wild series. I am beyond shocked to have only just heard of this series and must now go back to the start. Beth Rivers is a survivor and sleuth at heart and totally gives off edgy Nancy Drew vibes.