3.5 ⭐

• Dual timeline
• Cosy
• Winter ❄️
• Isolated Island
• Solid female MC

This book follows 2 cases. The main storyline on the island and a previous/ongoing case with flashbacks.

I really wanted it to just follow the island case. The other one kept interrupting and disturbing the flow. Plus, I honestly think both were strong enough to stand on their own.

I wish the island inhabitants had been really fleshed out and we'd gotten to really dig deep and enjoy it. In the end, we miss the climax with the first case, because the "real climax" is the ending to the 2nd case.

Saying all that, I'd still read another.

This was my first journey into the world of Shana Merchant and without a doubt it won't be my last. I've already purchased Death in the Family because I need to start this series from the beginning. I've visited the Thousand Islands area before, and it's depicted so well in this book. Combine that with an intriguing mystery and one of those iconic types of crime detectives that sticks in your mind—Shana Merchant definitely qualifies—and you have the perfect recipe for a crime thriller. Fans of Louise Penny will enjoy this book.

I’m sad to say I hadn’t been introduced into the Shana Merchant series before this! Because the thrilling murder mystery the author serves us was intriguing, fun, and twisty! This takes place in a dead cold winter in the small island Running Pine and Shana is ready to discover just what happened to a disappeared social media influencer. I definitely recommend!

Thank you Netgalley & Severn House for an eARC of The Coldest Case by Tessa Wegert!

Another one in the Shana Merchant series, and damn I love these books. Tessa Wegert keeps them original yet bingeable and I hope (selfishly) that they never cease to exist and continue to pub each year.

This one brings us to a frozen island community of a mere 8 people - Bringing Shana to the island when the visit turns deadly for a missing Instagram celebrity. Another book set in the Thousand Islands, Wegert keeps this series mysterious and atmospheric while you uncover each piece of the brutal crimes that have taken place.

PLEASSSE more Shana!

Another fascinating installment in the Shana Merchant series. Like the previous five books in the series, this one can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the whole series.
In this one, Shana is seven months pregnant and the setting is a remote island in the middle of a snowy winter giving this one a chilling atmosphere and closed room feel. I enjoy the author's use of the setting as a character in its own right. Snow storms always heighten the stress levels and help push the pace in a race to overcome the elements. The other cast of characters kept me guessing as to who might be involved in the mystery and I was pleasantly surprised by the reveal and ending. Shana is such a strong protagonist, I love going along for the ride as she solves these cases. The fact that Bram (a relative and nemesis) is an almost constant earworm in Shana's head, helps keep the stories connected while also helping with a non-linear plot as she recounts the events from her past. I look forward to the day that Shana can put the past to rest but I hope as a reader that doesn't happen too soon.

Truly enjoyed this thriller! Make sure you know what’s going on in the previous books prior to picking this one up, it really does matter! Locked room thrillers are my absolute favorite, so I was thrilled to find a component of that within this book.

Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own!

The Coldest Case is the sixth installment in a mystery series featuring detective Shana Merchant. This was the first book I had read in the series, and while I feel my enjoyment would have been enhanced by knowing the character throughout the series, I still very much enjoyed the book and will seek out some of the earlier ones at a later date.

This is a true locked room mystery, set on a remote and ice-enclosed island. There are six people that live on remote Running Pine year-round. They are a somewhat closed off group, and they have to rely on each other to virtually survive. There are two new additions to the island Sylvie has inherited her family home. She and her partner Cary have recently become successful Instagrammers, and they decide to document their life on remote Running Pine to their million plus followers. Then Cary disappears on an ice fishing trip, which bring Shana to the island to investigate.

From the first Shana feels like the islanders are hiding things. Even Sylvie's emotions seem strange. She is as worried about producing Instagram content as she seems to be to find missing Cary. Then his body is discovered under the ice. This is no accident. He has been murdered and everyone is a suspect.

I really enjoyed the story set in Running Pine. There was also a flashback tale from Shana's past. I couldn't quite understand why it was included, but don't worry, in the end, all will become clear.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Wegert, and publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I jumped into this book without having read the previous books in the series and ended up really enjoying this one. I think you can certainly read this as a standalone story.

The main mystery centers around the death of a social media influencer who was wintering on a freezing island with very few residents who tough out the winter. Like any good police procedural, there is a new case and mysterious backstory of the main character, in this book it's, of course, a cold case that haunts Senior Investigator Shana Merchant.

I ended up enjoying the cold case more than the current case which probably means I need to go back and read the series in order! Overall both cases kept me guessing which I love in a mystery/thriller. I also really enjoyed the isolated setting, creating essentially a "locked room" mystery.

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy of The Coldest Case in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the latest book in the Shana Merchant series, and while it absolutely can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the series in order if you have the chance. ⁣
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Each book in this series has a self-contained case that needs to be solved but then there is the one thread that has been carried through that I have loved watching develop throughout the series. We are given the last pieces of puzzle to finally have closure on this thread and boy was it satisfying. ⁣

Between the two plots, I found myself glued to the pages, unable to tear myself away until I reached the end. I loved all the twists and turns the book took, and found myself surprised quite a few times at some of the revelations that popped up along the way. Atmospheric, claustrophobic and highly suspenseful, these books are not to be missed!

I have not read the other books in the Shana Merchant series, so I was worried that I may be a little confused. However, the synopsis of this book really struck my interest! Where is Cary? Why will Sylvie only talk to Shana, and what dark memories does this bring up for Shana? This book has many twists and turns and took me on a roller coaster of emotions! You do not need to read the first five books in this series prior to reading this one! However, I am now dead set on finishing the series in it's entirety!

This is one of my favorite series. Shana Merchant is a character I love to revisit, watching her life change as she continues to battle criminals, as well as her own past.

Senior Investigator Shana Merchant and her team are called to the frozen and desolate island of Running Pines to help search for a missing Instagram influencer. He was only one of eight people overwintering on the harsh and brutal island.

The isolation of the island alone lends itself to creating a suspenseful and eerie locked-room thriller. But the author did a marvelous job of describing the frigid, bone-numbing, and stinging of the cold and ice that the Islanders and Shana’s team were dealing with. It left me reaching for a blanket.

Those familiar with this series won’t be surprised that Bram still haunts her thoughts as a cold case is plaguing her. With action, suspense, and twists, this all comes together with chilling conclusions.

You can read this as a standalone, but I know you’ll want to go back and discover Shana’s whole story.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @tessawegert for a spot on tour and a gifted book and ebook via NetGalley.

This series just gets better and better! I enjoyed this one so much!! It definitely gave more thriller/mystery vibes than the others. I enjoyed the flashbacks to her older case, also. If you haven't read this series yet, what are you waiting for?!?!

*Thank you partner @suzyapprovedbooktours and @tessawegert for the #gifted e-galley in exchange for an honest review.*

I have been reading this series for a while but this book was the best one! I am super late reviewing this but I need to do it because I loved it.

In this installment we find all the regular characters, but we are adding a lonely island with only 9 individuals that spend the winter there. The weather conditions are terrible, and most of the time it’s impossible to get in or out. And now one of the islanders is missing, so our detectives have to go and investigate.
Will they all be able to go back to their lives or will someone meet their end on this island?

Interesting story. Fast paced. Creepy setting. Five stars!

I love Shana Merchant! I believe this is my fourth book in this series. Shana is a badass detective but she also has her own demons to battle with. She is a perfect female lead - there may be some dents in her armor, but she is strong, brave and determined nonetheless.

We have a social media celebrity gone missing in this one. The book takes place in a kind of creepy location - an ice fishing island that only has eight inhabitants. Think these people have secrets? Mhm…

Will Shana be able to solve this mystery - or will she be Running Pine’s next victim?

After getting snowed in for a couple of days, this was THE PERFECT WEEK to read this book.

I live in the country, so I'm not generally a fan of scary books, but this book was the best exception.

The plot pacing, short chapters and the clausterphobic setting left me nearly gasping for breath. The deep and robust characters had me swinging wildly from affinity to deep loathing, and the added tension of Shauna's pregnancy gave the story an extra edge.

While, I know that I would likely appreciate Shauna even more if I'd read the first five books, I really do think this work stood fairly sturdily on it's own. And how brilliant to have five more books to add to my TBR?

Rating: 🪓😮

Shana Merchant is still trying to move on from the murders her cousin committed, which is hard in a small town where your "celebrity" status is all but guaranteed. When her team is called to a missing persons case on an island across the frozen river, it quickly spirals out of control and soon they are looking for a murderer as the temperatures drop and the snow keeps falling.

I don't know what it is about this series that keeps me coming back, but I've loved it since I picked up Death in the Family years ago. Wegert's writing is snappy and attention grabbing, and the way she dangles clues in an off-hand way keeps her twists from being too out of left field. I was worried that the removal of the main antagonist would hinder the series, but Wegert deftly carries on with the serial killer's legacy hanging over Shana like a guillotine.

Pros: fast-paced investigation, likeable characters, lovely winter atmosphere, a couple twists

Cons: cops being cops, gets a little draggy in the middle

Recommend: Yes! You could read this as a stand-alone, but the first books in the series are incredibly well done (and are my favs) and offer some background that would help.

Moral of the Story: Poor Shana... trust no bitch.

If you need a book you can cozy up with this winter, look no further! The Coldest Case is a freezing cold thriller in more ways than one!

Picking up an old cold case, Shana Merchant is back at it in the sixth installment in this fabulous series! The Coldest Case takes place in winter in the Thousand Islands, and focused on a small group of people who participate in "over-wintering": They stay out on a deserted island through the entire winter. Remote and difficult to get around without a snowmobile, these people take winter seriously. Then one of their newest arrivals goes missing.

I really enjoyed this one, I thought the pacing was great, and I was truly hooked from the first page! Wegert has a natural storytelling style that is so easy to read. She develops her characters, her setting, and her plot expertly and I have found each of her novels a delight to read! My only issue with The Coldest Case is that there were a lot of characters, and I sometimes had trouble keeping them straight in my head. But overall a very entertaining and "chilling" read!

I highly recommend this series, and yes I do suggest starting from the beginning, there is a quite a lot of character backstory that shows up in each novel, it would be helpful to know Shana's history.

Thank you to the author and publisher for sending me a free copy of The Coldest Case, all opinions are my own.

I was worried that the completion of the Bram arc would affect this series but happily I was mistaken. Shana Merchant is newly married and pregnant so she is trying to limit her in-the-field investigation. of course, when a key player in the investigation will only talk to her, she needs to adjust her plans. Lots of twists and turns will keep you reading late!

Tessa Wegert’s Detective Shana Merchant series is my comfort series; I hope she writes so many more!

This is the sixth installment and the setting might be my favorite of all the books in the series. It takes place on the tiny island of Running Pine in the dead of winter, population 8. The residents are experts at living in the rugged and dangerous environment. Much to the chagrin of the long-term islanders, two new residents, Cary and Sylvie, an Instagram famous couple recently moved to the island to further their lifestyle brand. When Cary goes missing ice fishing, Sylvie requests Shana’s help and refuses to talk to anyone else. Shana must figure out what the islanders are hiding and find Cary before a huge storm traps them all inside. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and somehow Tessa managed to pack a few additional mysteries into 300 pages?!

This is a crime series you need to pick up! It has a complex main character you’ll love to root for, gasp worthy plots, is not overly heavy on the technical procedural aspects, and it gets better with each book!

Thank you @tessawegert, @severnhouseimprint, and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

My thanks to Severn House, Tessa Wegert and Netgalley.
This was another fantastic addition to this series. I love the characters and the storyline. No review from me. Honestly, it's been difficult for me to keep these stories in place in my head. Too much going on in my real life, and that makes it difficult for me to keep track of. Just know that I love the characters and the mystery.