This is yet another book I read recently without initially realizing it is part of a series, but I think it was fine as a standalone. What drew me to the story was the setting, in the Thousand Islands on the American side of the border. The cold and isolation of the setting definitely added to the tension of the mystery, and I’d like to check the series out from the beginning.

Thank you to Severn House for the digital copy to review.

Gosh, this series is so good, and this book was indeed my favorite of them all. Shana is 7 months pregnant, and this case takes her and the crew across the way to a frozen island where only 8 people live. This also flashes back to an unsolved case of Shana’s that is most likely related to her past, and she is trying to get to the bottom of it while helping to solve the current case. This was a wild one, and as the two cases come together, I was flipping the pages to see how it would end. It was a wild and spectacular read. I can’t wait to see what Wegert writes next!

What an atmospheric, stunning read! I don’t know how Wegert continues to deliver on the Shana Merchant series but I am so here for it. The level of attachment I have for both Shana and Tim is getting a bit out of hand. Reading The Coldest Case felt like spending time with my old friends… well friends who constantly raise your blood pressure. While the previous books read well as standalones, The Coldest Case is more for longtime fans of the series.

This is the perfect read to curl up with this winter. Especially for readers who appreciate characters with grit and a plot that will keep your pulse racing

TITLE: THE COLDEST CASE
SERIES: A Shana Merchant Novel, 6
AUTHOR: TESSA WEGERT
PUB DATE: 11.05.2024

News of a missing Instagram celebrity brings Senior Investigator Shana Merchant to a frozen island community of just eight people. When the visit turns deadly, her hunt for a killer collides with a cold case she'll never forget.

THOUGHTS:

I have read every Shana Merchant book so far, and I love it every time I get to spend time in the Thousand Islands solving a mystery with a motley crew of new characters. If you love an atmospheric locked room mystery and a fantastic police procedural with unexpected twists and turns, then this series is for you.

Shana is pregnant and called to a remote island where a social media influencer goes missing and ends up being murdered. Secrets are prevalent on this sparsely populated island and aspects of this case are a reminder of a cold case from her past. It's a race for her to solve both crimes before she becomes the next victim. With it being a "closed room" mystery, there were so many twists to this book, and it kept me guessing as to who the culprit was.

Shana's confidence, strength and wit make her such a fantastic protagonist! Every character was so well done. I loved some, I hated some and that is just the way I like it in a mystery.

The Thousand Islands make such a great setting for this twisty, eerie book. The cold, realistic descriptions of the harsh winter setting had me wanting to pick up my knitting and get that sweater finished.

This is the 6th book in the Shana Merchant series! Reading the previous books is not necessary as this can be read as a standalone. It was my first book and I definitely want to go back and read them all.

Tessa is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me because i'm literally obsessed. This book was full of all my favorite thing: Likable characters, short chapters, a jaw dropping ending, a fast paced plot, and lots of twists & turns. I really enjoyed this one, as i have with other books in this series. Look forward to more by Tessa.

3.5 ⭐

• Dual timeline
• Cosy
• Winter ❄️
• Isolated Island
• Solid female MC

This book follows 2 cases. The main storyline on the island and a previous/ongoing case with flashbacks.

I really wanted it to just follow the island case. The other one kept interrupting and disturbing the flow. Plus, I honestly think both were strong enough to stand on their own.

I wish the island inhabitants had been really fleshed out and we'd gotten to really dig deep and enjoy it. In the end, we miss the climax with the first case, because the "real climax" is the ending to the 2nd case.

Saying all that, I'd still read another.

This was my first journey into the world of Shana Merchant and without a doubt it won't be my last. I've already purchased Death in the Family because I need to start this series from the beginning. I've visited the Thousand Islands area before, and it's depicted so well in this book. Combine that with an intriguing mystery and one of those iconic types of crime detectives that sticks in your mind—Shana Merchant definitely qualifies—and you have the perfect recipe for a crime thriller. Fans of Louise Penny will enjoy this book.

I’m sad to say I hadn’t been introduced into the Shana Merchant series before this! Because the thrilling murder mystery the author serves us was intriguing, fun, and twisty! This takes place in a dead cold winter in the small island Running Pine and Shana is ready to discover just what happened to a disappeared social media influencer. I definitely recommend!

Thank you Netgalley & Severn House for an eARC of The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert!

Another one in the Shana Merchant series, and damn I love these books. Tessa Wegert keeps them original yet bingeable and I hope (selfishly) that they never cease to exist and continue to pub each year.

This one brings us to a frozen island community of a mere 8 people - Bringing Shana to the island when the visit turns deadly for a missing Instagram celebrity. Another book set in the Thousand Islands, Wegert keeps this series mysterious and atmospheric while you uncover each piece of the brutal crimes that have taken place.

PLEASSSE more Shana!

Another fascinating installment in the Shana Merchant series. Like the previous five books in the series, this one can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the whole series.
In this one, Shana is seven months pregnant and the setting is a remote island in the middle of a snowy winter giving this one a chilling atmosphere and closed room feel. I enjoy the author's use of the setting as a character in its own right. Snow storms always heighten the stress levels and help push the pace in a race to overcome the elements. The other cast of characters kept me guessing as to who might be involved in the mystery and I was pleasantly surprised by the reveal and ending. Shana is such a strong protagonist, I love going along for the ride as she solves these cases. The fact that Bram (a relative and nemesis) is an almost constant earworm in Shana's head, helps keep the stories connected while also helping with a non-linear plot as she recounts the events from her past. I look forward to the day that Shana can put the past to rest but I hope as a reader that doesn't happen too soon.

Truly enjoyed this thriller! Make sure you know what’s going on in the previous books prior to picking this one up, it really does matter! Locked room thrillers are my absolute favorite, so I was thrilled to find a component of that within this book.

Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own!

The Coldest Case is the sixth installment in a mystery series featuring detective Shana Merchant. This was the first book I had read in the series, and while I feel my enjoyment would have been enhanced by knowing the character throughout the series, I still very much enjoyed the book and will seek out some of the earlier ones at a later date.

This is a true locked room mystery, set on a remote and ice-enclosed island. There are six people that live on remote Running Pine year-round. They are a somewhat closed off group, and they have to rely on each other to virtually survive. There are two new additions to the island Sylvie has inherited her family home. She and her partner Cary have recently become successful Instagrammers, and they decide to document their life on remote Running Pine to their million plus followers. Then Cary disappears on an ice fishing trip, which bring Shana to the island to investigate.

From the first Shana feels like the islanders are hiding things. Even Sylvie's emotions seem strange. She is as worried about producing Instagram content as she seems to be to find missing Cary. Then his body is discovered under the ice. This is no accident. He has been murdered and everyone is a suspect.

I really enjoyed the story set in Running Pine. There was also a flashback tale from Shana's past. I couldn't quite understand why it was included, but don't worry, in the end, all will become clear.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Wegert, and publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I jumped into this book without having read the previous books in the series and ended up really enjoying this one. I think you can certainly read this as a standalone story.

The main mystery centers around the death of a social media influencer who was wintering on a freezing island with very few residents who tough out the winter. Like any good police procedural, there is a new case and mysterious backstory of the main character, in this book it's, of course, a cold case that haunts Senior Investigator Shana Merchant.

I ended up enjoying the cold case more than the current case which probably means I need to go back and read the series in order! Overall both cases kept me guessing which I love in a mystery/thriller. I also really enjoyed the isolated setting, creating essentially a "locked room" mystery.

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of The Coldest Case in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the latest book in the Shana Merchant series, and while it absolutely can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the series in order if you have the chance. ⁣
⁣
Each book in this series has a self-contained case that needs to be solved but then there is the one thread that has been carried through that I have loved watching develop throughout the series. We are given the last pieces of puzzle to finally have closure on this thread and boy was it satisfying. ⁣

Between the two plots, I found myself glued to the pages, unable to tear myself away until I reached the end. I loved all the twists and turns the book took, and found myself surprised quite a few times at some of the revelations that popped up along the way. Atmospheric, claustrophobic and highly suspenseful, these books are not to be missed!

I have not read the other books in the Shana Merchant series, so I was worried that I may be a little confused. However, the synopsis of this book really struck my interest! Where is Cary? Why will Sylvie only talk to Shana, and what dark memories does this bring up for Shana? This book has many twists and turns and took me on a roller coaster of emotions! You do not need to read the first five books in this series prior to reading this one! However, I am now dead set on finishing the series in it's entirety!

This is one of my favorite series. Shana Merchant is a character I love to revisit, watching her life change as she continues to battle criminals, as well as her own past.

Senior Investigator Shana Merchant and her team are called to the frozen and desolate island of Running Pines to help search for a missing Instagram influencer. He was only one of eight people overwintering on the harsh and brutal island.

The isolation of the island alone lends itself to creating a suspenseful and eerie locked-room thriller. But the author did a marvelous job of describing the frigid, bone-numbing, and stinging of the cold and ice that the Islanders and Shana’s team were dealing with. It left me reaching for a blanket.

Those familiar with this series won’t be surprised that Bram still haunts her thoughts as a cold case is plaguing her. With action, suspense, and twists, this all comes together with chilling conclusions.

You can read this as a standalone, but I know you’ll want to go back and discover Shana’s whole story.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @tessawegert for a spot on tour and a gifted book and ebook via NetGalley.

This series just gets better and better! I enjoyed this one so much!! It definitely gave more thriller/mystery vibes than the others. I enjoyed the flashbacks to her older case, also. If you haven't read this series yet, what are you waiting for?!?!

*Thank you partner @suzyapprovedbooktours and @tessawegert for the #gifted e-galley in exchange for an honest review.*

I have been reading this series for a while but this book was the best one! I am super late reviewing this but I need to do it because I loved it.

In this installment we find all the regular characters, but we are adding a lonely island with only 9 individuals that spend the winter there. The weather conditions are terrible, and most of the time it’s impossible to get in or out. And now one of the islanders is missing, so our detectives have to go and investigate.
Will they all be able to go back to their lives or will someone meet their end on this island?

Interesting story. Fast paced. Creepy setting. Five stars!

I love Shana Merchant! I believe this is my fourth book in this series. Shana is a badass detective but she also has her own demons to battle with. She is a perfect female lead - there may be some dents in her armor, but she is strong, brave and determined nonetheless.

We have a social media celebrity gone missing in this one. The book takes place in a kind of creepy location - an ice fishing island that only has eight inhabitants. Think these people have secrets? Mhm…

Will Shana be able to solve this mystery - or will she be Running Pine’s next victim?