The Coldest Case

Shana Merchant is back with a 'locked room' ... er, 'locked island' suspense read set in the cold of February when everything - including the St. Lawrence River, the 1000 Islands and its inhabitants - is freezing. Shana is called to Running Pine Island when one of its eight inhabitants - someone new to the area - goes missing from the secluded island.

I have read and enjoyed the first two books in this series and jumped to this sixth book where Shana's personal life has had some changes. In this new case, Shana is trying to find what happened to a one-half of a successful social media influencer duo who goes missing. This young couple is new to the island and Shana is intrigued by the social dynamics on Running Pine and the duo's curious relationship with their neighbours who live year-round on the island.

The story has a tauntingly slow burn start as Shana tries to put clues together from the islanders who prefer to keep their secrets to themselves. She also can't help but feel a niggle from a case from her past and through flashbacks, readers learn more about this cold case that has continued to haunt her. 

Paired with a warm blanket and a hot beverage to keep the chill of the story and its wintery location from freezing you completely through, The Coldest Case is a great addition to this series that is a blend of mystery/thriller/police procedural that is rolled into a delightfully tense, compelling and atmospheric package.

I eagerly look forward to reading more in this series. Don't miss this book when it hits stores November 5, 2024!!

Note: The Coldest Case can be read as a standalone but I think readers will get more out of the series if they start from the beginning and get a clear picture of Shana's dark past. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the author for sending me a complimentary copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Tessa Wegert

Genre: Suspense, Canadian

Series: 6th in Shana Merchant series

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from author

Publisher: Severn House

First Published: November 5, 2024

Read: October 25 - 31, 2024

Book Description from GoodReads: 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 . . . 

Cary Caufield isn't the first man to go missing on an island, but when he doesn't return from ice fishing, his neighbors still fear the worst. Though Cary and his partner, Anna, run a profitable Instagram account about their year of living on a remote island, they don't understand the dangers of the ice. The tight-knit community of long-time islanders will tell you Running Pine can be perilous - especially for city slickers who'll do anything to get the perfect shot. 

Newlywed Senior Investigator Shana Merchant takes her own safety into her hands to help, but it soon becomes clear that Cary's disappearance is more complicated than she first thought. In a place where collaboration can save your life, the islanders are secretive, the newcomers aloof, and there's evidence of an outsider hiding somewhere in the snow.At the same time, aspects of the case remind Shana of a homicide she worked back in Manhattan, a murder that haunts her still. 

As she enters a new phase of her life, she's compelled to revisit the cold case, plunging headlong into the darkest part of her own past. And when a wind storm traps her on the island with a killer, she'll need to solve both crimes before she becomes the 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.