Well this was definitely not a cozy! But it's not really a grisly police procedural either - instead walking a line somewhere in the middle. Beth is the main character who has some law enforcement in her background, an aptitude for investigating thanks to her obsessed somewhat unstable mother, a flourishing career writing thrillers, and a seriously traumatic backstory. This is the second book in the story and I had no trouble figuring out Beth's story or who was who in Benedict.

The mystery is multi-layered. Who is the body in the shed and what is the identity of the two little girls who appeared out of nowhere. There are past tragedies and general unhappiness involved as well as lots of unanswered questions compounded by the fact that people in Benedict keep themselves to themselves. Parts of the conclusion seemed somewhat out of left field but that didn't keep me from enjoying the read and wanting to know just what would happen next.

I really like the town of Benedict and am looking forward to going back. I can't wait to see more of Orin, Gril, and Viola and I hope Ellen returns in the next book. As well I can't wait to find out if any of the mysteries from Beth's past are ever solved.

Wow! about sums up this book. I started thinking it would be an okay read, then as I got further into it, I fell down the rabbit hole! I could not put it down. In spite of not having read the first book (which I have on hold at the library), I literally carried this book everywhere I went!

The plotting is amazing. The author kept me spellbound by the cold Alaska wilderness and by the darkness of some of her characters. This book was amazing and I heartily recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity and pleasure of reading and reviewing this book. I won't be forgetting it anytime soon!

t’s just as good as the first. Beth is getting more acclimated to Alaska and the people in town. She is doing some writing too. When two young girls show up after a mudslide, then a previously unknown trapper’s cabin is found, with the body of a dead woman in it. It seems that Randy, who runs the local general store, is somehow involved, and Beth turns her skills toward answering all of these questions.
The book introduces some new characters and updates readers on those we met in “Thin Ice.”

I don't think I can possibly say enough good things about this book. The author does a good job giving you the backstory so, you can read this as a standalone. The storyline is fast paced and atmospheric. I definitely felt like I was right there in Benedict, Alaska. I found the book to be a little dark and gritty and the characters complicated. This is just one riveting read.

COLD WIND (ALASKA WILD MYSTERIES #2)
BY PAIGE SHELTON

This is book two in this new Alaska Wild Mysteries series and throughout reading this I couldn't tell I was reading a series book until I read the very last page and the ending didn't seem like an ending. So I suppose that this can easily be read as a stand alone. I really enjoyed reading this novel. The writing really flowed and the chapters were really short and ended on a cliffhanger. Yes. I really loved this so much I am going to purchase the first book in the series and read it next. It takes place off the grid where Juneau, Alaska is the nearest city. The appeal of the setting taking place in the Alaskan wilderness is what drew me to give this a try. I usually don't read series very often but I am surely going to follow this one.

Paige Shelton is an excellent writer. I like that she keeps her chapters short ending with me having to read the next one. I usually fly right through short chapters with anticipation luring me into finding out the rest of the story as each chapter ends with suspense and I can't put the novel down. I really like Beth who is the protagonist who coincidentally happens to write thrillers and is the small town's journalist. I know from this book that her mother is very supportive of her and that when her grandfather was the police chief she often assisted him in solving crime. She knows the police chief in this little village with a population of about 500 people. She must have gotten abducted in the first book in this series so she is keeping a low profile and uses a pen name to write her novels. I was given small nuggets of the back story but just enough to not interfere with this story. But she has fled to where she is and likes it there.

Throughout the story the season is Winter and the temperature is freezing cold and it snows a lot. A lot of people get lost in the wilderness due to the elements and it is easy to get lost. I read this very quickly and now I have a new favorite author to follow. This was interesting for so many reasons and I love cozies. I would highly recommend this to family and friends and if you are looking for a taut suspense that keeps you turning the pages but is also light. I get tired of the really dark murderous plots so I have to say all in all that this was a pleasure to read. Now I am off to purchase Book #1 in this series.

Publication Date: December 8, 2020 Available Now!

Thank you to Net Galley, Paige Shelton and St. Martin's--Minotaur Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#ColdWind #PaigeShelton StMartin'sPressMinotaur #NetGalley

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the second book in Paige Shelton's Alaska Wild Mysteries series and I loved it just as much as the first one, if not more! This series has such a dark, gritty feel to it and is completely atmospheric, too!

There are so many things I love about this series, but one that really stands out is how we have a combination of an amateur sleuth and a police procedural. I love this and think it really works well here. I also love that our main character, Beth, is a writer. She is such a fascinating character to begin with, but with all that she has been through, it just adds to the intrigue. Now that some of her memory is coming back, there is a little more tension surrounding her and of course, she can't help but insert herself into the mystery surrounding the young girls and the frozen woman.

While this can be read as a standalone as the author does give just enough backstory to fill you in on what has happened in the first book, I highly suggest reading it. It will make for a much richer reading experience as there is a plot line that is carried over and will be continued into the next book(s). This is what I love about series - that one continued plot line that builds over the course of multiple books. In this case, it is the basis for Beth moving to Alaska in the first place and that is explained in the first book. We get a little more detail here in this book and are left with a bit of a cliffhanger on that end.

I really enjoy this series and am eager for the next book to be released. This is the perfect read for this time of year...the cold, Alaskan setting makes for a chilly, tense read and I cannot recommend this one enough!

Cold Wind (Alaska Wild Volume 2)
by Paige Shelton
Cold Wind-Summary
Beth Rivers is on her way to her job as the only employee of the Petition, Benedict, Alaska’s, weekly newspaper, when she strikes up a conversation with Randy Phillips, proprietor of the Mercantile. After a bit of conversation, Randy reveals the night before he heard sounds he’s never heard in the six years he’s lived in Benedict. Randy describes the sounds as screams that were neither human nor animal. As they talk, Randy wants to know if the body of a man found months ago on the beach, which is several miles from town, was ever identified. It hasn’t been, as far as Beth knows, and that signals the end of their conversation. Randy walks into the Mercantile and Beth drives over to the shack that is the home of the Petition.
Beth keeps the door to the shack locked. She arrived in isolated Benedict months ago, seeking a safe place to hide and recover from the head injury sustained after escaping from her kidnapper. Even though her kidnapping happened in the lower forty-eight, she’s still on edge about her experience. But at-large kidnappers aren’t the only reason she locks the door. Beth Rivers is also the well-known novelist Elizabeth Fairchild. Only the police chief, Gril, knows Beth’s true identity. Beth uses her time at the Petition’s office to work on the paper and her next novel. Locking the door gives her time to hide her work-in-progress and keep her identity a secret. People know to knock and identify themselves when they want to see Beth.
Except for the person or persons knocking on her door now. The only response to Beth’s “whose there” questions is more knocking. She’s searching for a weapon when she hears the same noise Randy heard the night before at his isolated home. In spite of her fear, Beth opens the door and discovers two muddy little girls standing on the stoop. The little girls can’t speak but are able to write their names-Annie and Mary.
The police chief can’t get any more information from them, but he does have information for Beth. The frozen body of a female was discovered in a shack outside of town. Are the two little girls tied to the body in the shack? If yes, then how? If no, where did they come from? Who is the woman in the shed? How did she get there? How long has she been dead? Is there a killer living in Benedict?
Beth is determined to help find the answers, especially when it comes to the two little girls. But as she unravels the events surrounding Annie, Mary, and the mystery body in the shed, her own secrets begin to slip as local fans of Elizabeth Fairchild begin to recognize the author in their midst.
Recommendations
Cold Wind is an enjoyable read. The characters are quirky and engaging and the plot pulled me in and kept me guessing. (And I really liked the cover. ) The still-missing kidnapper and the questions involving Beth’s father are good lead-ins for the next book in the series. Recommended.

Copy provided by Netgalley

#Netgalley, #coldwind

This is an amazing mystery novel! The character development was great, which is not always the case with a good mystery. I really enjoyed learning Beth’s personality and flaws and watching her character grow. Even the minor characters were well developed and felt like they played a bigger part in the story. Though this is a good mystery, it is more than that. It’s a story of trust or lack of, growth, and friendships. It draws the reader in from the first page, and doesn’t ever lose pace. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. The suspense was there. The storyline was great. The writing style was spot on. This is a great, well developed mystery/thriller that I would highly recommend to anyone. 4/5⭐️

This is the second book in Paige Shelton’s series about thriller writer Elizabeth Fairchild, now in hiding in tiny Benedict, Alaska as Beth Rivers, after being kidnapped by a crazed fan. Elizabeth/Beth lives in a halfway house and appreciates the privacy she finds in the Alaskan wild, a place that truly seems to be its own country, existing without a real nod to the rules and regulations more common in the lower 48. Shelton, the author of four other cozier series than this one, is a real pro at narrative, pacing, and character. These skills easily transfer to this series which is a bit darker in tone, and fits in more with work by writers like Ellen Hart, Dana Stabenow and Julia Spencer-Fleming.

Beth is the “editor” of the tiny local paper, working out of a shack where she is able to filch wi-fi from the local library. While she does put a paper together she also uses the office to continue writing her novels, though no one in town knows what she’s up to, though several, including the librarian, Orin, guess that there’s plenty she’s not telling. In Alaska, though, no one pries into another’s business – except, of course, Beth.

Beth suffers from PTSD and bears a scar on her head from her kidnapping, a scar which gives her pain and keeps her in close contact with the local doctor. It doesn’t hurt for her to live in the local halfway house where she’s watched over a bit by its proprietor, the gruff and watchful Viola. As the book opens, Viola has taken on a new resident, a recovering addict named Ellen. When Ellen arrives, she’s in full withdrawal mode and is exceedingly hostile, to the point of being a little dangerous.

The element which truly kicks off this fast paced story is a mudslide, a mudslide which uncovers some hidden secrets (including a body) and finds two girls, covered in mud and unable to speak, at Beth’s office door. She takes them to the authorities where they are cared for until their father is found. He takes them back home, but Beth has bonded with the two girls and can’t seem to let them go.

Meanwhile, the mudslide has uncovered a frozen body in a shed near the home of the owner of “the mercantile,” Randy. Because Beth has been helpful on an investigation in the first book (Thin Ice) and because she has bonded with the two mysterious girls, she’s allowed along on some of the official investigation and makes some more discoveries on her own.

The story, the setting, and the characters all unfold organically and naturally into one another as the mudslide reveals more and more secrets about some of the residents of Benedict. Shelton is an incredibly vivid and gifted story teller, and I was totally drawn into both Beth’s investigation and the mystery as well as her ongoing fear of her kidnapper (who has not been caught) and the personal and psychological ramifications that has for her.
I was fascinated by the way people in Alaska accept many things, not least of all the weather, which is a factor in several white knuckle driving episodes in the book. It turned out to be Shelton’s version of letting her character venture-into-a-dark-house on her own, despite reasonable warnings not to do so. It was believable, though, and since most of us have had a less extreme version of this driving in a snowstorm experience, very relatable.

This book is a real standout. Shelton’s storytelling skills are top notch and I was glued to my reading seat as I followed Beth’s story. There’s no doubt Beth is in for a long haul in Alaska, and I hope this series is in for a long haul as well.

The second installment in Paige Shelton’s “Alaska Wild” series picks up exactly where the first left off, and I was glad I’d read that one first. Beth Rivers is an interesting, complicated character, and the setting is fresh. Somehow, though, not quite a page turner. Interview with Shelton linked below ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sunday, adec. 13, and is posted on stltoday.com.

3.5 stars

Although I hadn’t read the first book in this series, the author does a great job of filling in what you need to know. I really enjoyed learning about the various people in Benedict, Alaska, and learning about how they dealt with the challenging climate, lack of modern niceties, etc. The main character, Beth Rivers, is hiding out in Benedict, after escaping from a kidnapper. She is starting to learn how to move on and adjust to life in Alaska. Almost no one in Benedict knows she’s really a famous thriller novelist. Her kidnapping is an overarching theme for this series, with Beth learning/remembering bits and pieces as the book proceeds. Her mother is trying to track down who the kidnapper is and she seems like a piece of work! However, the main action of the book is a local mystery which has many layers: a frozen body is discovered and two girls appear seemingly out of nowhere and they can’t/won’t speak. This mystery is of course solved by the end of the book, but I found the solution not to be particularly satisfying. This could almost be considered an amateur sleuth mystery, as Beth asks a lot of questions and does some things that the local police would/should frown on. I did thoroughly enjoy the people of Benedict, so I may go back and read the first book in the series, Thin Ice.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Second in a new series set in Alaska from beloved cozy author Paige Shelton, Cold Wind will chill your bones.

I'm thinking that if I had read the first book I would have enjoyed this one much better. Since I didn't read it I have to give my honest opinion. This is a very well written and researched book. It's descriptions are great. I actually felt the freezing temps. It was easy to picture all the scenes. The people were great. Very likable, with the exception of Beth's mother. I just could not relate to her at all. To me she just seemed childish and a bit over the top. Maybe she was expressed better in book one. I have no idea but I do know I just could not get into her way of saying things.

Beth is a very likable character even though she sort of came across and a bit nosy in places. But she is an author so has to explore things. She was certainly brave for someone who had to up and leave her place and move to the wilds of Alaska. With her past I would have thought she might be a bit more jumpy. But she wasn't. She attacks the mystery in this book like a pro. Finding out what happed and who did what. There are several surprises along the way and I did not figure out anything about anything. That's always a good thing.

I enjoyed this book. It took me places that I have never been. Alaska, what a place. I thought the author truly captured the area perfectly. The people seemed to be spot on. They stick together and don't tend to trust outsiders while at the same time they welcome you with open arms. Now I have no idea exactly how Beth ended up there as I didn't read the first book. I didn't know a whole lot of anything expect what happened right here in this story. It was a page turner for sure. A very quick read and I'm positive if you read the first book you are going to love this one. I'm positive there will be another also and hope I get a chance to read book one before that.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #PaigeShelton, #StMartin'sPress #Minotaurbooks for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this story.

4/5 stars from me and I do recommend it.

Cold Wind by Paige Shelton is the 2nd book in the Alaska Wild Mysteries series, and it was great. Beth Rivers escaped to a small town in Alaska to hide and recover from a recent attack, and until her attacker is caught. While working one night, Beth hears a knock on the door, than a strange sound. When she opens the door, two mud covered little girls are there, and neither one of them speaks. Next a women's frozen body is found frozen in a shed. Who are these girls and who is the women? I love this book, and am anxiously waiting the next book in the series. There are so many twists and turns that kept me reading until the end. If you are looking for an exciting and spooky book, I strongly recommend this book/series, you will not be disappointed. The first book Thin Ice is also excellent.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

I love this series - it is a bit of a step up from a cozy mystery, but not full on gore. And really - no one works in a bakery. I love the setting of rural Alaska where Beth is hiding out. As this is the second book in the series we get to learn more about the town and residents that Beth interacts with. In this way, it is almost like a locked-room mystery. There is always one main crime that Beth helps to solve, but there is also the sub-plot that runs through the series - the crime that Beth was involved in. I really do hope there are more books coming - and soon!

Cold Wind by Paige Shelton is part of the Alaska Wild mystery series. First I have to say, for someone who has a secret, Beth is sure up and in everybody else's business. That said, this is a kind of dark book, meant to be, I guess. It starts with discovering a frozen body in a shed and digs deeper after that. There are orphans children, fires, an unknown dead body washing up on shore, plus plenty of cold and snow, although not as much as there will be. Mix this with Beth's own trauma and her PTSD, and there is plenty of story to go around.

Beth is a good, if secretive, character. She is struggling, not only with her past, but with her mother and father, and her father's disappearance years before. She lives in a halfway house, by choice, and she likes it, although there are rarely any convicts there. Ellen is a new character, a halfway house addict, and promises to lend some twists and turns in the future. The town is full of interesting characters, all with secrets of their own, and Shelton does a fine job making them real, and probably revealing most of their secrets in the end. Beth helps investigate and learns about herself along the way. This is an edge-of-your-seat kind of story with new mysteries overlying the one major mystery in Beth's life. People are beginning to recognize her; maybe some have all along and just kept still? How will this impact her in the future? Shelton has created plenty of storylines to keep us busy in the future. Looking forward to it. This could be read a stand-alone, but will be much more satisfying if the reader reads the first in the series, Thin Ice, first.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Cold Wind by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #coldwind

COLD WIND is a suspenseful tale of murder and mystery set in a harsh Alaskan backdrop. Author Shelton’s descriptive writing draws readers in from the first page. An array of quirky characters and three interwoven storylines come together to make an engrossing read.

Protagonist Beth, still dealing with the demons of her past, is settling into her temporary home in Benedict, Alaska, hiding from her kidnapper. When the frozen body of a woman is found after a recent mudslide and two mute girls arrive on Beth’s doorstep, Beth finds herself drawn into the investigation. She does some unsavory things and faces danger in the name of sleuthing, but her heart is always in the right place. The pace of the story is brisk with clues doled out sparingly to keep readers guessing.

I really enjoyed COLD WIND and look forward to reading more of Beth and Benedict.

I gratefully received an ARC of this title from Minotaur Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

Cold Wind follows Thin Ice as the second in Paige Shelton's atmospheric Alaska Wild mystery series. The first episode introduced thriller author Elizabeth Fairchild.

She escaped from an obsessed kidnapper, but was left with a visible scar - and memory loss - from neurosurgery after a severe head injury. She fled to remote Benedict, Alaska as Beth Rivers, to hide until her stalker is caught.

This time, a woman's body is been uncovered in a trapper's shed in the woods. As before, Beth is embroiled in the investigation - and gets into trouble.

In this second book of the series Beth Rivers has decided that Benedict, Alaska has been the perfect place to hide out and plans to continue to do so. The man who kidnapped her and has her running hasn't yet been found and she doesn't feel safe going back to her old life. She is actually falling into a routine and enjoying the new life she is carving out for herself, with the upcoming cold weather though she'll have to see if she can endure it. When a mudslide occurs unveiling a section that has been hidden for years the town is turned upside down. Two young girls are found wondering around the paper, neither talk so figuring out who they are has become harder. The frozen body of a women is found in shed that the mudslide has uncovered. Figuring out who she is and how she ended up there is another mystery that needs to be solved. Beth starts getting a funny vibe from Randy the local mercantile owner and can't help but wonder if he has anything to do with all the mysteries popping up left and right. Beth can't help her curious nature and decides she needs to look into things, hoping to help figure out.just what is going on. Will she be able to put all the puzzle pieces together before she herself becomes a victim? Dive in and see if you can figure out just what is going on! This is such a wonderful news series that will immediately pull you in and won't let you go until the end. The characters are well developed and easy to relate to, the location is beautiful yet dangerous, and the plot is easy to get lost in. I look forward to the next book!!!

Chilling, suspenseful and twisty, this mystery was the perfect read on a dark -10C October night. From black as pitch snowy forest to isolated cabins to rugged characters and secrets from the past, this story drips with atmosphere. I felt it! No way was I going to bed before finishing.

Author Beth Rivers has recently moved to small town Alaska to escape and start a new life after a traumatic kidnapping. As the kidnapper is still at large, she lives in a secure home, holding her secrets close, including her writing books. However, she is making friends and growing to appreciate her new beautiful surroundings whilst struggling with and combating PTSD.

A dead...very cold...body is found in a trapper's shed which leads to discovering layers of other mysteries, including two little girls showing up on a doorstep. Beth involves herself along with the police and they are led to searching and unraveling, discovering skeletons in closets.

The subplots are well written. I like that the characters are flawed and that the setting is unique. Refreshingly, the story has substance.

Though not a cozy mystery, it is definitely not that scary or gory. Those who appreciate suspenseful mysteries will enjoy this. There is some adult language.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this engrossing book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

2 stars
This is the 2nd book in the series which made it very hard to follow. I had high hopes but I am just not a fan.