BLACK ICE

This wannabe romance remains a thriller at heart.

Britt wants to go hiking in the Tetons as she tries to recover from the end of her romance with Calvin Versteeg. She and Calvin’s sister, her best friend, Korbie, set out for the Versteegs’ palatial cabin but break down in the middle of an unexpected blizzard. They trudge through the snow and find a cabin occupied by Mason and Shaun, who reluctantly take them in. Soon, however, the girls learn that the young men are on the run from the police and intend either to kill them or take them hostage. Britt talks them into leaving Korbie behind while she accompanies them as their guide in a hike toward the highway, where Mason and Shaun plan to steal a car and escape. While in the cabin, however, Britt discovered a long-dead body that she believes is a missing girl. Events spiral out of control when Calvin shows up. It’s clear that someone is a murderer, perhaps even a serial killer, but which one? Fitzpatrick keeps the focus more on suspense than on the underlying romance, pitching the book to two complementary audiences. Although some of Britt’s reasoning comes across as rather tortured, the story still works as a good thriller. Except for Korbie, effectively drawn as a self-centered, spoiled brat, the characterizations are fairly shallow.

Plenty of thrills and some kissing too.