Title:	Thin Ice
	Author:	Paige Shelton
	Published:	December 3, 2019, Minotaur Books
	No. of Pages:	288
	Cover Price:	$26.95 Hardcover, $13.99 Kindle

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What better place to run away to than to a remote spot in Alaska? Beth Rivers has done just that after being kidnapped by a stalker, held three days, and escaping. Beth suffered a brain injury during the escape, but ran away straight from the hospital so that kidnapper, Levi Brooks, couldn’t follow her. She still has problems with memory and headaches, and can’t remember much of her ordeal. Thin Ice, by Paige Shelton (bestselling author of The Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series, as well as others), will grab readers from the first chapter, and hold them captive throughout the book. In her haste to book accommodations in Alaska, Beth, who is a bestselling thriller author using the pseudonym Elizabeth Fairchild, has made reservations at a halfway house, thinking it is a hotel, and there are criminals housed there. She feels fairly safe, though, until there is a murder in the small town of about 500, and she wonders if that murder is connected to Brooks.

Trusted law enforcement friends at home have contacted the sheriff; he is supportive of her and promises he won’t reveal her identity. In fact, he actually asks for input on the murder. She is given the task of being a journalist for the local paper, and uses that to investigate the murder. The sheriff knows who she really is and trusts her.

Since this is the first of a new series, there are several characters introduced. Shelton does an excellent job of developing her characters to make them believable and interesting. Readers will anticipate the new scenarios in the subsequent installments of this series.

From the first chapter and through to the dénouement, suspense builds, and will keep readers on the edges of their seats. Shelton is an excellent storyteller, and the novel is well-organized and easy to follow. Beth’s story is fascinating, and her ongoing slow recovery from the brain injury, as well as the manhunt for Levi Brooks in the states and the fact that she is terrified that he will find her, make for interesting, albeit suspenseful reading.

Readers who enjoy a bit of a change will want to start this series, and will anticipate the subsequent novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.