ARC Review: Winter's End by Paige Shelton

Winter's End
Author: Paige Shelton
Series: Alaska Wild (Book 4)
Publication: Minotaur Books (December 6, 2022)

Description: The fourth installment in the gripping, atmospheric Alaska Wild series, Paige Shelton's Winter's End.

It’s springtime in Benedict, Alaska, and with the warmer weather comes an unseasonably somber local tradition...the annual Death Walk. At the end of each brutal winter, citizens gather downtown and then break into groups to search the community for those who might have somehow gotten stuck at home. Beth Rivers sets off with her friend Orin and dog Gus, toward the cabin of an elderly resident, intending to check on him.

When they reach the cabin, the old man is alive, but not in the best shape. Beth stays with him while Orin hurries to town for help, but it’s not Orin who returns. Gril comes back with shocking news, and it soon becomes clear that Orin has also vanished. When they discover that their friend has been doing some top-secret research, they start to worry he’s been exposed, or worse.

Meanwhile, Beth continues on her own search, for her father, who allegedly is alive in Mexico, but won't return her calls. Still, she's making progress in healing from her own trauma, though can't quite shake the feeling she's being followed...

My Thoughts: In this fourth installment of the Alaska Wild series, Spring has come, and it is time for the annual Death Walk. People gather in town and then go off to check on those people who don't show up. Beth and her friend Orin head to the isolated cabin of ninety-four-year-old Al who is in need of help. Orin goes off to a place where his phone works to call for help. When help arrives, Orin has disappeared. 

Also missing are Warren Miller and his wife Kaye who was beginning to be a friend of Beth's. When Kaye's body is found by the river with indications that she died of blunt force trauma, and Warren is still missing, Beth is eager to find out who murdered her. 

Their investigation leads to a long-standing feud between the Millers and the Oliphants and lots and lots of people lying. Throw in a new "guest" at Viola's half-way home who is an excellent chef and a would-be embezzler and things quickly get complicated.

As Beth tries to unravel the complicated relations between the Millers and Oliphants and also determine who wanted Kaye dead, she is dealing with her own traumatic kidnapping and fear that she is still being followed.

I really enjoyed the Alaska setting and the quirky characters, including Beth, who live there. The plot was nicely twisty and entertaining. While I might not recommend beginning the series with this story, I think it would stand alone well enough to be an enjoyable read. All of the books in the series have been engaging. 

Favorite Quote:

There were more men than women out here. I'd heard a phrase Where the odds are good, but the goods are odd.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.