Warning Signs
A Novel
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Feb 10, 2026
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
“The tension, the atmosphere, the dread . . . This is a book that sticks in your head long after the last page.” —Lisa Jewell
“Extraordinary.” —Linwood Barclay
The heart-stopping second novel from the author of Nightwatching, in which a father-son ski weekend becomes a desperate fight for survival
Twelve-year-old Zach is cautiously optimistic. His father Bram, whose business is in dire need of cash, has put together a father-son backcountry ski weekend to wine and dine his biggest investors. Schooled in outdoor survival by his mother, Zach is eager to prove himself to the hypercritical Bram. Maybe if Zach shows how useful he is, he can earn his father’s love.
But Zach knows to be on high alert around Bram, and he sees the way the group ignores the increasingly threatening conditions. For the first time in his beloved mountains, he is faced with the unknown, convinced that something watches their cabin from the treeline. Something that leaves behind strange tracks and picks its prey clean.
As the adults recklessly test the limits of the outdoors, Zach worries he might be in even more danger than he realized. Could the men around him prove more violent than the unforgiving weather, and the strange creature lurking in the dark? Zach will have to rely on his wits if he hopes to make it home safely. But he knows all too well that the wilderness can be unpredictable even at the best of times. And at the worst? Deadly.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This taut wilderness thriller from Sierra (Nightwatching) centers on Zach Fisher, a sensitive 12-year-old on a backcountry ski tour in the Colorado Rockies with his stern father, Bram, and a group of Bram's associates. What was once a father-son tradition organized by Zach's late mother, Grace, has since become a showcase for Bram to impress his business backers. Among the guests are Shane, the cocky son of a media mogul; Jon, a laid-back ski-film celebrity; Dave, a gregarious investor; Russ, Dave's blunt, awkward son; and Steve, the group's quiet guide. When Bram's assistant, Ginny, goes missing, the sharp-eyed Zach finds a jeweled earring tangled in kindling at the cabin—an early sign that all is not as it seems. Then a deadly avalanche strikes, and the discovery of a corpse, animal remains, and the earring's bloody twin fan paranoia among the guests, alluding to ugly truths about Bram and eroding trust among the survivors. When a second avalanche hits, Zach must find the strength to survive both the elements and his father's tightening grip. Sierra's vivid setting, well-shaded characters, and knack for suspense keep the pages turning, even if the narrative is somewhat padded. This is an icy delight.
