Known for her cozy mysteries, Shelton turns thriller author for this riveting story with an unusual setting and cast of characters. Fans of strong amateur sleuths will admire Beth’s struggle to build a new future in a remote location. Readers of Vicki Delany’s Molly Smith books, set in British Columbia, will also enjoy.
... Shelton delivers in every way. A sense of dread persists from the opening page to the novel’s surprising conclusion, with an overall tense mood and an all-too-real terror felt by the book’s protagonist, Beth Rivers ... Shelton methodically introduces Beth to a wide-ranging cast while swiftly ramping up the tension ... nothing cozy here, only danger.
Much of Thin Ice reads like a cozy with the same tone, tenor, and rhythm found in that popular mystery subgenre ... There are a few instances in this slow moving somewhat talky novel where the reader might question the validity of Beth's reaction to her circumstances. On the way to Benedict in a bush plane, having just escaped from the hospital, injured, in pain, and terrified, her demeanor seems a bit out of character. Even so, readers will sympathize with Beth, and be enthralled with the colorful descriptions of Alaska[.]
Shelton’s portrayal of the bonds between people that are an essential component of life in a rough environment is a highlight here; the ties that Beth forms and reluctantly relies upon save her from the more frightening elements of the two mysteries at play—whether she can remember enough about her kidnapper to put him away, and what happened to Linda Rafferty. Readers are left wondering up to the last exciting page what the answers are, and will eagerly await the second in this new Alaska mysteries series from the author of the Scottish Bookshop mysteries.
... disappointing ... Too many unresolved subplots overshadow the intriguing setup and distinctive setting. In the end, Beth’s reason for moving to Alaska proves more interesting than the mystery behind Rafferty’s death.