I did not anticipate the level of profanity in the book. Since it occurred early in the writing, I skipped through a lot. The plot had my attention which is the reason I requested Bitterfrost by Bryan Gruley who was a NTM author.

Releases Apr. 1st. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3,5 ⭐

jimmy baker, once a professional hockey player, now works as the zamboni driver for the amateur IceKings team in his small hometown of bitterfrost, michigan.
one morning, he wakes up at home with no memory of the night before, only to discover that he was involved in a brutal fight. soon after, he is arrested for the brutal murder of two men. now, defense attorney devyn payne and local detective garth klimmek have to unravel the truth behind the case.

the book revolves around ice hockey which i'm not a fan of and know nothing about. however, i still enjoyed the story :D
though, it kinda took a long time to reach the main plot, and by the time it did, i had lost interest. overall, the book was just okay for me. it kept my attention throughout, and i loved the setting, but i guessed who the killer was pretty quickly. nevertheless, i still had fun with this one - it was a quick and engaging read which i'd reccomend.

i found the characters interesting and likeable.
i think devyn is my favorite one - relentlessly pursuing the truth no matter the cost, even if it meant risking her career and life. i really admired her dedication.

it was definitely a solid first book in the bitterfrost series, can't wait to read more and see how the characters develop. this was my first bryan gruley book and i actually liked the writing style so i'm looking forward to reading more.




*thanks to NetGalley, Severn House and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Really good story line with interesting characters . Ending was little bit disappointing , but overall really good fast read.

Thanks to NetGally for avance copy

I really liked this book. It kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I figured out pretty quickly who did it, but it was still a very good read. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Zamboni driver Jimmy Baker wakes up with no memory of the night before. But that is not the only troubling thing. There is the blood on the doorknob and the sleeve of his shirt. Then two out of town men turn up dead. Jimmy becomes Detective Klimmek’s chief suspect and is soon arrested. Attorney and friend, Devyn Payne, agrees to represent him. So the search for the truth of what happens begins. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to many more. Great read.

Feisty defence attorney Devyn Payne faces off against veteran detective Garth Klimmek as they work to solve a vicious double homicide in their small, icy town of Bitterfrost.

When two out of towners turn up dead after causing a scene in the local bar and the local Zamboni driver Jimmy Baker wakes up with no memory of what happened after he left the bar, he becomes the prime suspect.

This is a fast paced book, that hooked me really quickly into the story and I really enjoyed the characters, I believe this is the first in a series, so I can't wait to read more and see how these characters develop.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Jimmy Baker is the Zamboni driver for the amateur IceKings hockey team in his tiny hometown of Bitterfrost, Michigan. It's a long downfall from his days as a hockey star which abruptly ended 13 years ago.

Then Jimmy wakes up at home with no memory of the previous night. He finds evidence that he had been in a brutal fight. He is soon arrested for the brutal double murder of 2 men.
Defence attorney Devyn Payne and Bitterfrost detective Garth Klimmek are on the case.
They soon find that hockey and bitter family rivalries affect everyone & force some to take drastic actions.

This is a gripping, solid start to a new series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Severn House. All opinions are my own.

Bitter Frost has a very active ice hockey following and is the home of a minor hockey team. Jimmy is a former professional hockey player that has a lack of opportunities for employment after nearly beating a fellow hockey player to death. He now is tasked with driving the Zamboni for the local team. Devyn is a female hockey player after hours and during working hours is a defense attorney. One morning Jimmy wakes up in his house covered with blood, missing a shoe, and lacking the memory of how he got into that position. He then learns of a murder victim that was found in the woods not far from his home - beaten to death. Jimmy starts to panic because he has a history of forgetting things after undergoing so much head trauma from hockey and fighting. He has texts he doesn’t remember sending or receiving. He desperately tries to piece together events of the night before. Then it becomes an even more dire situation when he is charged with the man’s murder. Devyn scrambles to help Jimmy, represent him, and find out what happened. The story held my interest throughout the book. The characters were well developed and the story well written. I gave the book four stars because I caught onto the ending ahead of time. The ending fell a little short for me, but does make sense as it’s the beginning of a series and there’s more to come.

Bitterfrost is a captivating thriller that dives in the world of small town politics, murder & mayhem. In this cold town of Bitterfrost, Jimmy Baker is a former hockey player that finds himself primary suspect in a double homicide. Simple enough to plead guilty or non guilty right? Not exactly when you have no memory or recollections of that night. With an already checkered past, people are quick to throw Jimmy under the bus and assume his guilt. With small town corruption front & center, how will Jimmy get out of this? Fast paced story, with easy to love main characters! I did not find a single dull moment in this novel & plan on reading more by this author.

Thank you Severn House and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

An gripping read that kept me hooked all the way through, I couldn't put it down. Pacing was perfect, it was full of suspense and tension and the twists kept me guessing

This book kept me interested the entire way through, the story was easy to keep up with and not so many characters that it got confusing. The twists just kept coming. Loved it

I became a rabid Bryan Gruley fan with the publishing of “Starvation Lake” fifteen years ago; Gruley followed that book with a couple of outstanding sequels that left me yearning for more —so much so that I even wrote to him begging for more. Although Mr. Gruley did author a new series (Bleak Harbor) he didn’t accede to my demands for more “Starvation Lake.” However, I am thrilled to announce that his latest story, entitled “Bitterfrost” may not only be the start of a new series but also may be his best work. “Bitterfrost” immerses the reader into small town, cold, and yes, “bitter” weather conditions of northern Michigan that reflect the harsh living conditions that swirls amongst hissignificant characters.
Mr. Gruley has a beautiful, lean writing style that reflects his Pulitzer Price writing efforts in his non-fiction life. Ah yes the plot: the protagonist is Jimmy Baker, a retired former minor league hockey player who was the dedicated “goon” on his teams. The goon’ role was to be the enforcer of physical punishment to opponents usually with hard hip checks followed by a fist fight on the ice. Retired from his hockey career and living a modest life as a Zamboni driver Baker is caught in the middle of a double murder mystery that may involve drugs, politics, and perhaps even the mob. The narrative, the characters, and the tone of “Bitterfrost” reminds me of a Midwest version of James Lee Burke.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read “Bitterfrost” and now I shall wait impatiently for the next chapter in what I hope will be how Mr. Gruley spends the next decade in his writer’s loft.

Bitterfrost, the first in a new mystery series by Edgar Award winner Bryan Gruley, is an uneven but memorable legal thriller set in Michigan’s harsh north country—about as far north as one can go before crossing to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Jimmy Baker—Bakes when he’s on the ice playing hockey—is a local legend. As a kid Jimmy played for the local hockey team, the Ice Kings, and later went on to play in the minors. As a professional hockey player Jimmy was a team enforcer, or a “goon,” tasked with intimidating opposing players with his fists. A role he did well, until he walked away from the game after sending an opponent to the hospital.

Now Jimmy works at Bitterfrost’s ice rink, where the Ice Kings play, driving the Zamboni, nicknamed Zelda, and trying to piece his life back together after a divorce. Everything changes for Jimmy when two strangers from down state—read that as Detroit—are beaten to death. One was found near Jimmy’s house and the other outside the ice rink where he works. Jimmy is the logical suspect since he had a run-in with the men at a local bar the night they were killed and everyone knows Jimmy is violent. Jimmy’s friend, Devyn Payne—whose mother owns the ice rink and the hockey team—takes Jimmy’s case. What she finds is a labyrinth of crime wreathing just beneath Bitterfrost’s placid looking surface.

Bitterfrost’s opening chapter is as close to brilliant as any you’ll read in popular fiction. It is atmospheric and claustrophobic as Jimmy awakens on his kitchen linoleum with no memory of the previous night. His knuckles are scraped, a bruise on his head, and a text on his phone he doesn’t remember sending. The narrative falters as additional characters are introduced, including the heroine, Devyn Payne, but recovers in the novel’s second half as all the pieces begin clicking into place. The small-town politics, especially the rivalry between the Paynes and a duplicitous bunch called the Dulaneys, are well crafted and impact the story just right. The bitter cold Michigan winter adds flavor, too. Bitterfrost is a tale you need to be patient with—there are a few contrived oh my God moments for the characters that are never shared with the reader—but the ultimate payoff is worth wading through the flaws.

This review will be published at darkcityunderground.blogspot.com & gravetapping.blogspot.com on Mar. 31, 2025.

Bitterfrost was my introduction to Bryan Gruley and to the frigid winter climate and topography of north Michigan and it left me craving more of both. Bryan Gruley has written a tight, pacey thriller with brilliantly drawn characters and wonderfully atmospheric descriptions of the small town community of Bitterfrost in which the action is set. The book is an enticing mix of small town life, murder mystery and legal drama which drew in this reader from page one. Recommended.

This was a really good book. I enjoyed it. Didn't take long to figure out who the killer was, but I still enjoyed it.

This was an engaging and masterful piece of writing .,overall it was a good book and an excellent addition to the genre
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and the publisher for letting me review the book

Bitterfrost by Bryan Gruley is a gripping crime thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The suspense is masterfully crafted, making it a fast-paced read that’s nearly impossible to put down. I’m eagerly anticipating more captivating stories from Mr. Gruley!

This was a good story and I think you would probably enjoy it a lot more if you were a fan of hockey. Jimmy Baker (Bakes to his friends), drives a zamboni for a small town hockey team, he's a solitary sort of guy, keeps to himself, doesn't bother anyone and expects the same in return. Except one night he wakes up on the floor of his house with no memory of how he got there or why his truck has blood inside it. Detective Klimmek is the local police detective, he's called out to a scene where a body has been found, trying to identify it might be difficult as it appears most of the face has been obliterated. Not long after he gets another call, a truck has been found abandoned and the detective thinks it may be belong to the man found earlier. Jimmy used to be a hockey player, he used to be what was called a 'goon' someone who went on the ice with the sole purpose of beating another player up, and he did that one time and the player was severely injured and Jimmy quit hockey. Because of this history, Klimmek likes Jimmy for the murder and a number of items that appear to tie Jimmy to the murder, Jimmy is soon arrested and charged. He hires Devyn Payne a local lawyer to defend him and good thing he did, another body is soon found and Klimmek likes him for that one too. The story is told at a fairly quick pace, I really liked Devyn, she really cares about her clients and going the extra mile. Overall a good story and I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Severn House for the ARC

The small town setting is perfect when it comes to winter stories. This setting makes the whole book so much more creepy and thrilling. I loved it! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author. Set in the town of Bitterfrost, a town named by the Finns when they came to America because of it's icy coldness lives Jimmy Baker. Baker is a former Ice Hockey Champion and had to retire 13 years earlier when during a game a attacked an opponent badly leaving him wheel chair bound. So now he is a ice resurfacer for the local ice rink in Bitterfrost and does not play anymore. One morning he wakes covered in blood and is quickly arrested for a gruesome double murder, which he cannot remember anything about. His friend, Devyn Payne, an attorney and the town's chief detective Garth Klimmek race to find the truth. This is a nailbiting read. A small town mystery and you can really feel the coldness, violence and power coming through the book. I enjoyed this book immensely.