Cold Snap

Marc Cameron treats readers to an action-packed, suspenseful, and shocking crime thriller in Cold Snap, the fourth book in the Arliss Cutter series.

After finding another body part in Anchorage’s Kincaid Park followed by a nearby attack on a female jogger, police believe they have captured their serial killer. Nevertheless, Supervisory Deputy U. S. Marshal Arliss Cutter and his partner Deputy Lola Teariki don’t believe it.

Normally Arliss, Lola, and the rest of his Alaska Fugitive Task Force are tracking dangerous fugitives. However, in this case Arliss goes to Deadhorse, Alaska to escort three prisoners back to Anchorage while Lola continues to work on the serial killer case. Arliss’ routine mission turns extraordinary when the plane makes an unexpected landing in the middle of nowhere and 30 miles off their expected course. Survival quickly becomes an issue for everyone.

Arliss and Lola are very different characters. He’s experienced and no-nonsense. She’s relatively new and wants assignments that are new and interesting as well as gleaning all possible knowledge from Arliss. They have flaws and virtues just like everyone else. I got a good sense of how Arliss treats his co-workers as well as his sister-in-law and her children. He is very protective of his team and underdogs, and he doesn’t tolerate bullies, no matter who they are. This can lead to some interesting interactions, to say the least. In this novel, we get to see more character development with Lola. The antagonist’s actions and thoughts had a terrifying realism that is memorable.

This book is set largely set in and around Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Deadhorse, Alaska. The author does a great job of making the reader feel transported to late winter in Alaska. I felt as though I was living the events alongside the characters.

This riveting action-adventure and crime thriller kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It has a deeply involved plot, an incredible setting, and extraordinary characters. Just when a reader thinks the situation can’t get any worse, it does. Readers are transported into the dark and terrifying world of the victims, the criminals, and the investigators.

While some of the events are over-the-top, it was so full of action and excitement that it kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. I was kept fully invested in the assignment becoming a success. However, is that what happens?

Overall, this suspenseful, riveting, and fast-paced book takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster. If you enjoy action thrillers that have both strong male and female characters, then this may be the series for you. I look forward to reading more of this series. I can’t wait to find out what is next, as well as go back and read the first two books in this series.

Kensington Books and Marc Cameron provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for April 26, 2022.