Review by Booklist Review
After escaping from her kidnapper, best-selling thriller writer Beth Rivers fled to small-town Benedict, Alaska. A year later, with her kidnapper in jail awaiting trial, Beth has settled into Alaskan life as the editor of the weekly newspaper. She is on board a tour boat when they stop to rescue a hysterical woman, covered in blood, from a small island. Sadie Milbourn claims she was kidnapped, and that her kidnapper was killed by a bear. Sympathetic at first, Beth begins to believe Sadie's story is suspicious, and then a teenage girl disappears on the same island. Beth, along with law enforcement officials, works to unravel Sadie's past, obscured by the fact that she is part of the Witness Protection Program. Complicating matters, Beth is also exploring a tentative new relationship with her father, who abandoned Beth and her mother when Beth was a child. Beth, a complex, well-drawn character, is instrumental in solving the mysteries in this compelling, fast-paced story framed by its beautiful Alaskan setting, which ends with a twist that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Shelton's enticing fifth Alaska Wild mystery (after 2022's Winter's End) begins with thriller writer Beth Rivers embarking on a day trip to see the coastal glaciers near her home in Benedict, Alaska. As the tour boat approaches Lilybrook Island, Beth spots a bloodied woman standing on the shore. The woman--Sadie--claims to have been kidnapped and held prisoner, and to have escaped when her captor was killed by a bear. Beth befriends Sadie, who soon confesses that she came to Alaska as part of the witness protection program, though she won't share why. A second kidnapping in the area leads Beth to believe that the two cases are connected, and she begins investigating alongside local police chief Gril Samuels. As the investigation unfolds, Shelton deepens Beth's relationships to her boyfriend, Tex, and her estranged father, Eddy. While readers may wish Beth reached a few obvious conclusions more quickly, Shelton wraps up the central mystery with a satisfying and surprising conclusion. Series fans will find much to enjoy. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary. (Dec.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
After she was kidnapped in Missouri and held captive for three days, thriller writer Beth Rivers hid in Benedict, AK, for a year. Her kidnapper has now been arrested, so Beth feels safe to emerge from hiding and take in the sights. She's finally taking a tour boat to see the glaciers when the boat is forced to veer off course to rescue a woman waving from a nearby island. Covered in blood, the woman identifies herself as Sadie and claims she was taken from her home in Juneau and that her kidnapper was killed by a bear. While Beth sympathizes, Sadie's claim to be in witness protection doesn't ring true to her or to Police Chief Gril Samuels because of her attitude toward the Juneau police. Beth and Gril are investigating Sadie's story when a teenage girl disappears. With the story of an escaped prisoner circulating around Benedict, Beth and Gril suspect all the cases could be intertwined. VERDICT Although the sequel to Winter's End is tortuous at times, with a convoluted plot, the quirky characters and Alaskan setting are series strengths.--Lesa Holstine
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Alaska provides the stunning backdrop to a complex tale of abduction and murder. The small town of Benedict has provided a safe haven for author Elizabeth Fairchild, who, a year ago, was kidnapped and escaped her captor, though not without mental and physical scars. Under her real name, Beth Rivers, she has made fast friends and gained the strength to return to St. Louis to testify at the trial of her abductor. Beth's mother is currently off the radar, but her semi-estranged father, Eddy, is in Benedict running fishing trips for tourists. While Beth and her boyfriend, Tex, are on a sightseeing boat trip, a woman covered in blood is spotted on an island, and Tex and others go ashore to rescue her. Hoping that her own experiences might help Sadie Milbourn recover, Beth listens to the woman's story, which includes having spent six years in the Witness Protection Program and having been kidnapped from her home in Juneau three days earlier. The searchers find no body, no other blood, and no sign of the bear Sadie claims killed her abductor. Beth has helped Benedict Police Chief Gril Samuels with many cases, so he trusts her to assist him with this one, especially since Sadie refuses to talk to the police from Juneau, who seem to dislike her. Many things about Sadie's story don't add up, but Beth sympathizes with her because she remembers how her own traumatic experiences messed with her memory. When Beth takes the opportunity to return to the island with her father and three tourists, one of them vanishes, producing more confusion but also revealing a clue that may crack the case. A mystery, a thriller, and an all-around great vehicle for an intrepid heroine who never gives up. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
