4 and 1 / 2 stars

Amanda Doucette is a survivor of a Nigerian horror who is still trying to cope with it. She leads a group of culturally mixed inner-city teens to the wilderness for a camping adventure. Two go missing, an eighteen-year old youth and a young Muslim girl.

The young man, Luc Prevost is someone of whom Amanda was wary of from the start of the adventure. When they receive a report of a man killed not far from their camp, they suspect it might have been Luc. Unable to get any more information, Amanda and the group are frustrated. They decide after a search to carry on with their plans.

When the Yasmina, the young woman, goes missing panic begins to settle in. Did the two run off together? Was this planned from the beginning of the trip?

Amanda contacts the police, but in such an isolated place, there are jurisdictional issues. Amanda contacts Matthew Goderich. He is a journalist and friend of Amanda’s who also assists her in her outdoor adventure endeavor. She wants him to get information on some of the key people such as Yasmina’s parents and Luc’s mother. Matthew goes so far as to contact Luc’s father as well. Matthew suspects there is something odd going on. When Matthew finds a hidden laptop of Luc’s, he knows it.

Chris Tymko from Newfoundland an RCMP officer and friend of Matthew and Amanda’s who is in Montreal doing a French-speaking course. He gets involved too. At first he tries for information, but then becomes embroiled in the affair.

As the connections come together and the tensions mount, the reader races towards the conclusion. It is both surprising and explosive.

This is an extremely well written and plotted novel. The characters were likeable, except for Amanda’s tendency not to listen to advice and run off half-cocked into danger. This is my first Barbara Fradkin book, but it certainly won’t be my last. I truly enjoyed this novel. It was a refreshing and original storyline.

I want to thank Netgalley and Dundurn for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read.

I loved this Canadian thriller.

Last fall, I went to Montreal and Mont Tremblant, so I could picture exactly where the story took place. I liked that it alternated between a city setting and the wilderness. It gave a full view of Quebec in the winter.

The mystery was so chilling. I really didn’t know what would happen. There were many possible explanations for disappearances, from drugs, to accidents, to escaping to terrorist groups, so I didn’t know what was the real answer.

I really liked that this was such a Canadian story. Even the way that the youth who go on the trip are immigrants from other countries demonstrates how the way that Canada is so multicultural.

I loved this story. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I’ll have to look for more books in this series!