ᴡɪɴᴛᴇʀ’s ᴇɴᴅ ʙʏ ᴘᴀɪɢᴇ sʜᴇʟᴛᴏɴ is book four in the Alaska Wild Mystery series and just might be the best one yet!

I enjoyed this installment and the new characters that were introduced. I was pulled in right away and ended up finishing it in one sitting. With not one, but three mysteries to follow along with, this book kept me on my toes.

Paige does an excellent job of hooking you within the first few pages and the book is consistently entertaining until the very end.All of the characters are intriguing and the multiple mysteries will keep you in suspense.

I encourage you to pick up Thin Ice, the first in the series, and read them back to back. The narrator for the audiobooks does such a wonderful job!

Winter's End A Mystery by Paige Shelton is an excellent adventure tale set against the stunning backdrop of Alaska.

This was a really great read that I enjoyed from beginning to end. It has a great story, interesting characters that you want to know and moves along at a pace that works for the story being neither too slow or too fast but just the right speed. This is a must read book.

Paige Shelton has done a very good job of describing small town Alaska life and insuring it is realistic. I lived there for over 20 years and she makes very few errors or assumptions. This adds to the overall feeling of the book for me. I can easily visualize the characters and their community.

Beth Rivers has a very unusual back story. This is the 4th book in this series. It could be read as a stand alone but the characters have grown and matured throughout the first three books so you would miss some of their backstory. Beth is a renowned author under the alias Elizabeth Fairchild who has been kidnapped by a fan. Her kidnapper has not been captured so she is "hiding" in small town Alaska. Circumstances have pushed Beth into befriending many of her neighbors even though she had planned on remaining apart. When many of her neighbors are missing, Beth assists in the investigation.

This is a great book. Watching the development of the characters makes the story so much better. I'll keep reading them as fast as they come out.

Winter's End is the fourth book in the author's Alaska Wild series. The main character, Beth Rivers, has moved from St. Louis, Missouri to the small, remote town of Benedict, Alaska to flee from a dangerous stalker. She is an author and also runs the local newspaper. She is smart, caring, and curious, sometimes to the point of being a little too nosy and impulsive! I like Beth, but she really puts herself into unnecessary danger several times during this book, which started to annoy me.

The setting and the harsh Alaska conditions are important to the book and the whole series and really makes it unique. This book is set at the very beginning of Spring and it's the custom of the town to have an annual "Death Walk" for all of the residents to gather together to make sure everyone has survived the long winter. Not everyone makes the gathering, though. This plot about missing people works well as a standalone. However, other parts of the book relate to a continuing storyline about Beth that will be better if you've at least read the first book in the series. Developments are revealed at the end that seem to be setting the framework for a subsequent book in the series. If so, I look forward to reading it when it comes out! If you've not yet read the series, these books are the perfect winter reads.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Minotaur Books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

I really enjoy Paige Shelton's Alaska Wild series, a series she calls "Cozy ++" due to its slightly more intense nature. Winter's End is another winning installment that uses an annual Death Walk as its starting point. Most of us in the lower 48 never experience brutal winters that keep us shut up in our homes for months on end. Living in such a climate calls for special measures, like getting out when the weather warms up to make sure everyone is all right, and-- as one resident tells Beth, "...when you live with people, locked together over a winter, you need to make damn sure you're good with their company." If there are conflicting personalities within a home, winter gives those folks plenty of time to come to loggerheads with each other.

Having started Shelton's Alaska Wild series from the beginning (Thin Ice), one of the best things is watching thriller writer Beth Rivers's recovery from the trauma that sent her running to hide in Benedict. Beth is stronger and more confident, and as a result, she's making friends, being accepted by the other residents, and feeling comfortable in sharing her history with them. This confidence will only help her as she continues to search for her elusive father-- and to hope that law enforcement back home can find the man who kidnapped her and turned her life into a nightmare.

This is a series where all the various threads are being woven together, a series where the main character-- fascinating to begin with-- grows and changes in each successive book. This is a series to savor, and I'm looking forward to doing just that with the very next book.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)

Get cozy and prepare to revisit Benedict, Alaska in this 4th installment featuring thriller writer Beth Rivers. We find the inhabitants of this small town getting ready for the Spring thaw by participating in the annual Death Walk. The walk has people "checking in" with authorities to see if everyone survived the winter.

This year, a local woman, Kaye Miller, a friend of Beth's is found dead. Her had has been smashed with a rock. Beth is shocked by the discovery and proceeds to find the murderer. There are also a few missing residents that add to the mystery. There is a sub-plot involving Beth's father and her attempt to locate him.

Beth is in Alaska after having been kidnapped by a "fan" when she lived in Missouri. She escaped but the fan is still on the loose, hence her move. I would recommend reading the series from the beginning to get to know Beth and how she changes, but this can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Paige Shelton has written a book filled with mystery, great characters, and community life in a small town in Alaska. I highly recommend and look forward to more.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

Lots of surprises packed into Winter’s End. It’s the annual Death Walk. The community gathers for the annual check in after the long winter has receded. Some are unaccounted for, but the body that turns up is Kaye, dog owner and acquaintance of Beth’s.
The tone of this book is different. I couldn’t quite out a finger on it, but the rhythm and Cadence were a bit out of sync with the previous books.
It’s a good read but I felt it sputtered a few times.
Beth does learn of a major revelation in her case that gives her options.
I am eager to learn which options she selects.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5 hearts

I was happy to continue the Alaska Wild Mysteries . I would read the series in order as both the mystery plot arc and the personal relationships grow throughout the series. Each book has smaller mysteries in addition to, and sometimes tangled up in, the main series mysteries. Beth came to Alaska to hide from a stalker. She doesn't remember everything about her abduction and keeps her story close as she isn't sure who to trust. She is getting to know and trust more people in this small town.

Benedict Alaska has some small town quirkiness. One thing is each year at Winter's End, they hold an event called the annual Death March. Everyone comes into town to check in so the town knows they are ok. Anyone who doesn't show up, the sheriff or deputy goes to find them. Sometimes people forgot, or they are old and not up to a trek into town, and sometimes they are dead.

Beth goes with Orin to check on an older man. They find him at his home. Beth tries to get some food in him and Orin goes for medical help. Orin disappears. Beth worries about another husband and wife, Warren and Kaye who haven't turned up.

Beth is taking care of some dogs left by a friend. She takes one herself and another has been rehomed with Kaye. She likes Kaye and hopes they will be friends. Warren's family and another family have had an ongoing feud, so there's worry they are why Warren and Kaye are missing. There is also a new person at the halfway house and it's a male! They have never had a male, and he's an awesome cook.

So there is plenty happening and Beth jumps into everything trying to solve all the mysteries herself. That seems a bit unrealistic to me but she does it in every book and the sheriff lets her do it. She really puts herself in danger too. She has a good mind for investigating but no physical / defensive skills. A couple big story arcs are resolved here so it will be interesting to see where things go next.

Winter's End by Paige Shelton is the fourth installment of the Alaska Wild series. I wasn't aware that it was part of a series but I think I did pretty well without reading the previous three books (though I am definitely going back to read them to get more background on the characters!). This was a complex mystery, or, mysteries as there are several, set in Alaska. I really enjoyed this one!

I loved the Alaskan setting! This was the first book I’ve read in the series. It can be read as a stand-alone but I’m definitely going to read books 1-3 to really understand Beth and these characters more. I wasn’t lost while reading it but I feel like you kinda need to read those to understand more!

I enjoyed this complex mystery, the little twists and turns we got kept me guessing! We found out a lot of secrets of people in this town that some I can see showing up in the next book. I liked the community and the Sheriff. And I really liked Beth. I’m curious to read more about her situation as it was just lightly touched on in this book. But it looks like she’s making Benedict her home. ❤️

[Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!]

The Death Walk. It's critical at the end of the winter in Benedict Alaska because it lets the town know that everyone (hopefully) made it through the winter alive. Kaye made it through the winter- Beth just walked with her- but she didn't make it to the walk because someone killed her. This latest installment in a series featuring a thriller writer hiding out in Alaska from a man who kidnapped her finds Beth more deeply settled in the community, a new felon on parole living at Viola's, and an old time feud between two families. The mystery of who killed Kaye (and why) has a few twists I didn't expect. Fans of the series will be pleased to learn a bit (and just a bit) about Orrin, more about Viola, and then there's Beth's own story. I wasn't pleased with the last installment which was too dependent, I thought, on the reader remembering a lot of details from the first two books- this is much more immediately accessible and likely will be one that a new reader can enjoy as well. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me but I'm very much looking forward to the next one.

In Benedict, Alaska things are handled a little differently. Winters are rough and most people are shuttered in their homes. So, when spring comes, they have their Death March. The purpose of this event is make sure everyone is accounted for, and if someone does not show up, they send neighbors to do a wellness check. When Beth goes with Orin to the home of an elderly neighbor, they find him in poor condition and in need of medical attention. Orin states that he will go into town for help, but he does not return. He sends someone else. After that point, things get a little strange. Orin disappears after their discovery. There is a mystique about him that you will not fully understand (or I did not fully understand). I had my suspicions, but I was not sure if he is a spy, an agent, or whatever my imagination can conjure up. This is just one mystery in a book full of mysteries. A day later a local woman (who was a friend to Beth) is found dead. There is no doubt that it was murder. This little isolated town has some strange residents with their family feuds and weird lifestyles. After reading this book, I understand why it is called the Alaska Wild series because this is definitely the wild. Apparently Beth is a world renowned novelist who is hiding in this small town from a maniac. It would probably be helpful to start at the beginning of the series so you can more fully understand the characters. However, the author does an excellent job of filling in the blanks so you can understand the past. For me it was a little slow at the beginning, but once I got a few chapters into this book, I could not put it down. There are several mysteries to be solved in this book.

Beth has an eye for solving mysteries, and even though she has obvious fear from her previous traumatic experience, you would never know it by the way she goes full steam ahead trying to solve this case and check out the clues. I really liked her as a character. She is interesting and obviously very smart. All of the characters were interesting to get to know. I will now have to go back and read the first three books because my interest has been peaked. I did learn (if I did not already know) that I have no desire to live in a remote town in Alaska cut off from all civilization. This was an interesting mystery with clues interspersed throughout the book and plenty of suspects to choose from.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

June in in Benedict, Alaska, is spring, and time for the annual Death March, where all the local citizens gather in town to check in and show they've survived another winter. It's the first one for Beth Rivers, who came to the area about a year ago. The day sets many events into motion, from checking in on a 94 year old resident who failed to show at the Death March, to the disappearance of Beth's friend Orin, and a murder. The characters are interesting and the unforgiving wilderness of Alaska is highlighted in this captivating and unique story. Mysteries abound and their solutions were not readily obvious. Although I have not read previous books in the series, I found this one easy to read as a standalone, and while there are hints at events in earlier stories, I didn't feel like they spoiled what happened and look forward to checking out the earlier books.

Winter's End by Paige Shelton is the fourth book in Alaska Wild series and was not disappointing. Filled with suspense and mystery the book kept me glued to the pages.
Ms. Shelton continues to draw Beth Rivers, the protagonist, as realistically flawed due to her past. The secondary characters in this small town of Benedict, Alaska have all been evolving throughout the series and there were some intriguing history revealed for Viola in this book. Missing residents, murder, suspense, a plot that sped along as each step led to new discoveries and a very joyful resolution for Beth made this a book that was hard to put down.

This is one of my favorite series and this one doesn't disappoint. (Ms. Shelton has written several different series that I enjoyed but this is my favorite one of hers.) I was afraid that it's be a bit too suspenseful but I found that it is just the right level of suspense with traditional cozy elements.

The residents of Benedict are an entertaining group and I have enjoyed reading about them and the town itself. I found the idea of the annual Death Walk quite interesting. I really stayed up very late reading this one. Now, I'm ready for the next one!

Winter's End
Paige Shelton
December 06, 2022


In Benedict, Alaska winter is winding down with spring trying its best to spread throughout the territory. True, there are still cold winds and rain that turns to snow but the small town in the large territory finds its citizens out and about. In fact it will soon be time for the Death Walk. All the locals must venture into the bar to check off their name so all will know who made it through the intensity of the season. When all is done, Gril and Donner will be out with a few other locals and Dr. Powder to search for those who never made it into town. In the interim Beth has found a friend, one who she has felt capable of owning one of Elijah’s dogs from the team. Beth now owns Gus and she felt Kaye would be good fit for Quinn. The duo walk their dogs most days. There is not much conversation but truly nice to have a companion to walk with when all of nature is coming back to life.
Winter's End by Paige Shelton will be published on December 06, 2022 by Minotaur Books of New York. I appreciate their allowing me to read Shelton’s 3rd in the Alaskan series via NetGalley. After reading the first Thin Ice I was so looking forward to reading the second, Cold Wind. Winter's End was equally as thrilling. For a place as tormented as Benedict the amount of suspense was excellent. Her characters are equally interesting. It would be great to have a fourth sequel. Shelton’s writing is compelling. She hooks the reader with her first book and keeps us on our toes until the next follows. I highly recommend Winter's End.

In the 4th installment of Paige Shelton’s Alaska Wild series Beth Rivers has survived her first winter in Benedict, AK. With the other residents of the local area she’ll be attending her first “Death Walk”, an annual event held every spring as a way to account for the residents after a cold isolating winter. Beth gets involved helping Gril & Donner investigate a murder, feuding families and a missing friend. This could be read as a stand-alone but so much better to start at the beginning of this addictive series!

Alaska, amateur-sleuth, counselling, family-drama, family-dynamics, famous-author, feuding-families, friendship, isolation, journalist, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, psychological, PTSD, read, rural, seasonal-affective, sled-dogs, small-town, suspense, thriller, unputdownable, winter, writers*****

Just to catch you up a little earlier (the book gets around to it, but I hope this helps):
Beth, an author, is still hiding out in a remote area of Alaska from the man who kidnapped/traumatized/brain injured/stress disordered her in her hometown of St Louis. A fiction writer and journalist, she has assumed the local paper and uses its building as a writer's retreat and even uses a typewriter to work on a novel to keep off the grid while staying in a former hotel, now a sort of minimal security women's rehab and only using burner phones. She has confided in the local law and an interesting man who has more than enough secrets of his own.
Now to the current story!
Intense!
In the isolated wilds of a part of Alaska there is a group activity called the Death Walk which aims to locate each member of the town. Alive or dead. One old man is found alive but uncharacteristically ill in his own remote cabin and taken to the resident MD and later to the former hotel to be monitored while he gains strength. Later this usually all female establishment is host to a white-collar criminal at the request of the state authorities. Then Beth inadvertently gets involved in a feud between two local families and things get bizarre. As if that wasn't enough there are important persons of the town who have gone missing. Then the body of a woman with ties to both of the feuding families is found. And don't forget about the dogs. Beth and law enforcement are stretched to the limit trying to solve things while some very interesting secrets are unveiled.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

In this fourth installment of the Alaska Wild series, Spring has come, and it is time for the annual Death Walk. People gather in town and then go off to check on those people who don't show up. Beth and her friend Orin head to the isolated cabin of ninety-four-year-old Al who is in need of help. Orin goes off to a place where his phone works to call for help. When help arrives, Orin has disappeared.

Also missing are Warren Miller and his wife Kaye who was beginning to be a friend of Beth's. When Kaye's body is found by the river with indications that she died of blunt force trauma, and Warren is still missing, Beth is eager to find out who murdered her.

Their investigation leads to a long-standing feud between the Millers and the Oliphants and lots and lots of people lying. Throw in a new "guest" at Viola's half-way home who is an excellent chef and a would-be embezzler and things quickly get complicated.

As Beth tries to unravel the complicated relations between the Millers and Oliphants and also determine who wanted Kaye dead, she is dealing with her own traumatic kidnapping and fear that she is still being followed.

I really enjoyed the Alaska setting and the quirky characters, including Beth, who live there. The plot was nicely twisty and entertaining. While I might not recommend beginning the series with this story, I think it would stand alone well enough to be an enjoyable read. All of the books in the series have been engaging.