The Coldest Case
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
News of a missing Instagram celebrity brings Senior Investigator Shana Merchant to a frozen island community of just eight people. When the visit turns deadly, her hunt for a killer collides with a cold case she’ll never forget . . .
It’s February in the Thousand Islands and, cut off from civilization by endless ice, eight people are overwintering on tiny, remote Running Pine. Six year-rounders, used to the hard work, isolation and freezing temperatures . . . and two newcomers: social-media stars Cary and Sylvie, whose account documenting their year on the island is garnering thousands of followers, and thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury gifts.
The long-term islanders will tell you Running Pine can be perilous – especially for city slickers who’ll do anything to get the perfect shot. So when Cary doesn’t return from ice fishing one morning, his neighbors fear the worst.
With the clock ticking to find the missing influencer, a police team is dispatched to take the dangerous journey to the island . . . but Sylvie, his frantic partner, will only talk to one person: newlywed Senior Investigator Shana Merchant.
Where is Cary – and what is it that Sylvie’s not sharing? With aspects of the case reminding Shana of an unsolved homicide from her past that haunts her still, she risks her own safety to help. But little does she know that a storm is coming – and if she doesn’t solve both crimes soon, she may become the island’s next victim . . .
The latest taut, thrilling small-town mystery featuring New York State senior investigator Shana Merchant, and set against the beautiful backdrop of the Thousand Islands, is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An Instagram influencer vanishes from an island near the U.S.–Canada border in Wegert's atmospheric sixth case for New York State investigator Shana Merchant (after Devil at the Door). It's the coldest February on record in Lake Ontario's Thousand Islands Archipelago, where a pregnant Shana is stationed with her husband, fellow investigator Tim Wellington. Shana's unit responds to a call indicating trouble on Running Pine, an island made up of 5,000 acres of dense woodland and eight full-time residents. Two of those residents are newcomers: influencer couple Cary Caufield and Sylvie Lavoy, who've been documenting their yearlong stay on Running Pine. Cary has gone missing after a morning fishing trip, and a frantic Sylvie insists that Shana handle the case. As Shana digs into Cary's disappearance, she discovers frightening echoes of an unsolved serial killer case she worked on four years earlier in New York City. Wegert effectively shifts between the island case and the Manhattan investigation, taking both to surprising places. The real draw, however, is Shana, whose toughness is both inspirational and refreshingly understated. Series fans will be satisfied.