Publishing 21st January 2021 by Headline.
From the cover of the book:
They don't know what I did. And I intend to keep it that way.When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can't seem to let go.
The five friends haven't seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don't know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth.
In a deserted lodge high up a mountain, the secrets of the past are about to come to light...
How far would you go to win? Hyper-competitive people, mind games and a dangerous natural environment combine to make the must-read thriller of the year. Fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by spectacular debut novel Shiver.
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What a fabulous book to kick off the new year!
Five friends meet for a reunion at a small winter sports resort in the French Alps, but it soon becomes clear that this is not going to be quite the little holiday they were expecting when the ski lodge turns out to be deserted and they are cut off from the outside world by some mysterious goings on. Someone has brought them back together after ten years in an attempt to get to the truth of what happened to the missing Saskia, but who is it and what do they want?
Shiver is told from the point of view of snowboarder Milla, telling the tale of our ultra-competitive group of friends in two alternating time lines that swap back and forth between the winter that saw them training and competing against each other for sporting success in the world of professional snowboarding, and ten years later when they have been tricked into their bewildering reunion. So, bit by bit we learn the story of past friction and flirtation that went on that fateful winter season in an attempt to get the edge over the competition, both on and off the slopes, while experiencing the darkly delicious legacy of the breakdown of their relationships in the present.
The suspense is palpable from the get go as the sexual frisson and rivalries within the group both now and in the past spill over into mind games, manipulations and dark deeds, and it snowballs as the pieces begin to fall into place. There is no let up in the tension as events in both timelines spiral out of control and result in explosive consequences when the truth of what happened all those years ago is revealed at the same time as we discover who is responsible for this ghastly get-together. It's fabulous!
Allie Reynolds' own background in snowboarding gives the reader an intriguing glimpse into the world at the top of this ultra-competitive winter sport, and I learned ever such a lot about the technical moves and lifestyle of the competitors while reading this excellent thriller - although I sincerely hope events were a bit tamer for Allie when she was living the life on the edge in the half-pipe!
Shiver is a cracking debut that certainly started off my 2021 reading with a bang, and I cannot wait for you all to experience this must-read thriller of the year. It's the perfect winter read!
Pre-order Shiver from your favourite book retailer now, or from Bookshop.org HERE.
Thank you to Alara Delfosse at Headline for sending me a proof of this debut thriller in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
Her short fiction has been published in women's magazines in the UK, Australia, Sweden, and South Africa. She lives by the beach in Queensland, Australia. Shiver is her debut novel.
Follow Allie on Twitter at @AuthorAllieR
This looks good! Great post!
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