Shiver by Allie Reynolds

The bleak, Alpine setting in Allie Reynold's debut novel, Shiver, makes for a chilling locked room mystery. Five friends reunite at an empty ski lodge in the French Alps, where 10 years earlier they had all met and competed against one another in professional snowboarding. A sixth person from the group disappeared at the end of that season and has been presumed dead.

Each of the five believes that one of the others from the group was the one to invite them to the weekend retreat. Once there, a note tells them to put their cell phones aside and suggests an icebreaking game. The cell phones disappear and the game reveals secrets they would prefer to remain concealed, including an accusation that one of them is a murderer. With no way to contact the outside world and no way to operate the lift that brought them up the mountain, their isolation is complete.

The story bounces between the present in the empty ski lodge and 10 years in the past when they met and competed. The accusations make it difficult to trust one another and the scenes from the past shed light on their connections as well as tensions among the group. In particular, the actions of the missing girl, Saskia. The remote location, unreliable power, scant food, and the possibility that they are not alone keep the tension high throughout.

Reynolds' background as a former snowboarder makes the scenes describing the competition and training really come to life. The time jumps keep the pace moving briskly and further define the characters with each chapter making the reader uncertain who to trust. She does a great job making the characters both sympathetic and suspicious. Fans of locked room mysteries will really enjoy this novel.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.