Whiteout

Perfect for fans of high-stakes survival stories like The Martian, the bleak atmosphere of The Terror, and the high-concept tension of apocalyptic thrillers.

'Gripping debut … Cracking' – The Times

'My favourite sort of thriller … tons of fun' Guardian

'Chillingly atmospheric debut' – T M Logan

'A fast-paced and gripping thriller' – Clare Mackintosh

Four months into an urgent scientific research trip at a remote field station deep in Antarctica, glaciologist Rachael Beckett loses all communication with base camp.

Trapped in perpetual darkness and brutal sub-zero blizzards, she receives a single, horrifying loop on an emergency radio broadcast: a catastrophic nuclear war has broken out, and she may be the last survivor on Earth.

As a lone scientist fighting for survival in the most hostile environment on Earth, Rachael faces an grueling battle against starvation, extreme isolation, and overwhelming grief. But as the polar winter deepens, a terrifying realization takes hold: she is not as alone in the dark as she thinks

_________________________

Lost in Antarctica.

How long can she survive?

My name is Rachael, and I’m on a solo Antarctic expedition.

But a month ago I lost contact with basecamp.

No radio. No sat phones. Just static.

Only one thing has reached me: a BBC World Service broadcast, reporting a nuclear strike on the UK.

I’m safe for fourteen more days in my little hut at the bottom of the world. But I can’t stay here forever, I have to find out what’s happened.

Even if there’s no one left to tell.

Key Themes:
Claustrophobic Survival & Psychological Suspense: A tense, slow-burn cat-and-mouse dynamic set against a bleak, frozen landscape.Apocalyptic Post-War Scenario: A technothriller premise that explores the psychological impact of global catastrophe from a completely isolated perspective.Flawed, Courageous Protagonist: An authentic portrayal of resilience, maternal drive, and survival instincts on a knife-edge.
__________________________

Real readers love WHITEOUT:

'A fantastic thriller with the best twists that I honestly did not see coming' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The writing was phenomenal' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This book was so suspenseful and so shocking, that I am almost at a loss for words after finishing it!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This is an amazingly tense and thrilling story for all thriller lovers' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Impossible to put down … well written and totally unique' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A superb survival thriller from a writer to watch' – Steve Cavanagh

'Gripping and chilling' – Amy McCulloch

'Unique and skilled debut' – Caroline Corcoran

'A fabulous debut thriller' – Simon McCleave

'Chilling, awe-inspiring' – James Rollins

'A riveting debut—I tore through it like a blizzard’ – Giles Kristian

About the author

R. S. Burnett grew up in the Falkland Islands and began his writing career on the local newspaper, Penguin News. He studied English at the University of Leicester and then worked as a journalist in London until he returned to the Falklands in 2021.